MUSIC at Cornell University

Intro sequences

The shortest canonical route from each entry point to a gateway course.

• 1. MUSIC 1100Elements of Musical Notation
  2. MUSIC 1105Introduction to Western Music Theory
  3. MUSIC 2101Theory, Materials and Techniques I
• 1. MUSIC 1105Introduction to Western Music Theory
  2. MUSIC 1100Elements of Musical Notation
  3. MUSIC 2101Theory, Materials and Techniques I

A suggested order for the 50 courses on the map, built from prerequisite chains and how often each course has run in fall and spring across the last 12 regular terms. It is not the department’s plan, and it is not a promise a course will run. Confirm against the department’s own advising material.

Gateway courses

Each of these unlocks the largest share of downstream work on this map. Courses from other departments can appear here when they genuinely gate MUSIC coursework.

• MUSIC 2101Theory, Materials and Techniques Iopens 24 courses (12 directly)
• MUSIC 2102Tonal Theory IIopens 12 courses (7 directly)
• MUSIC 2104Musicianship IIopens 12 courses (5 directly)
• MUSIC 3101Tonal Theory IIIopens 4 courses (3 directly)
• MUSIC 3103Musicianship IIIopens 4 courses (2 directly)
• MUSIC 3111Jazz Improvisation Iopens 3 courses (2 directly)

The map

Intro tiers at the top, advanced work below; arrows point from a prerequisite to the course it unlocks. Courses from other departments appear where they gate MUSIC work. Click any course to see what it requires and unlocks without leaving this page; hovering lights up its neighbors. The lists on this page carry the same courses in text form.

Showing the 50 MUSIC and feeder courses that have prerequisite links. 236 more MUSIC courses have no recorded prerequisites. They are listed under Tracks below, not drawn as loose dots here.

Concentration routes

The concentrations and majors that build on MUSIC, and how their requirements are structured. Expand a program to see which courses satisfy each group, then plan it in the Planner.

Tracks

Upper-level clusters, grouped by the gateway that opens them.

The longest ladders

The deepest prerequisite chains in MUSIC. These are the routes that take the most semesters to climb.

• 5 courses deep, ending at MUSIC 3102

  1. MUSIC 1100Elements of Musical Notation
  2. MUSIC 2101Theory, Materials and Techniques I
  3. MUSIC 2102Tonal Theory II
  4. MUSIC 3101Tonal Theory III
  5. MUSIC 3102Tonal Theory IV

• 5 courses deep, ending at MUSIC 3211

  1. MUSIC 1100Elements of Musical Notation
  2. MUSIC 2101Theory, Materials and Techniques I
  3. MUSIC 2102Tonal Theory II

• 5 courses deep, ending at MUSIC 4124

  1. MUSIC 1100Elements of Musical Notation
  2. MUSIC 2101Theory, Materials and Techniques I
  3. MUSIC 3111Jazz Improvisation I

• 3 courses deep, ending at MUSIC 4421

  1. MUSIC 1421Introduction to Computer Music
  2. MUSIC 3182Making Noise: The Art and Process of Sound Generation
  3. MUSIC 4421Technology in Music Performance

Grade medians

Teaching in Fall 2026

Instructors on MUSIC sections in Fall 2026, from the registrar's schedule.

• Ambre Dromgoole
• Annette Richards
• Benjamin Piekut
• Carmel Raz
• Catherine Appert
• Christopher Miller
• David Yearsley
• Gabriela Gomez Estevez
• Igor Santos
• Jack Yarbrough
• James Spinazzola
• Jeremy Braddock
• Joe Lerangis
• Juliana Pepinsky
• Lawrence Shuster
• Marianthi Papalexandri-Alexandri
• Michael Truesdell
• Moira de Kok
• Moustapha Fall
• Parkorn Wangpaiboonkit
• Paul Merrill
• Roger Moseley
• Shaoling Ma
• Victoria Xaka
• Warren Cross
• Yen-Hsiang Nieh

Clubs & organizations

No clubs or organizations on record under MUSIC yet.

Clubs students here join

Department events

MUSIC does not run a page here yet. When it does, its events show up here and on the Cornell campus feed.