r/musictheory

Community Overview

About r/musictheory

/r/musictheory is a community for the discussion of music theory and related topics. Since they are not well-covered in other subreddits, questions and discussions about Notation/Engraving are also welcome.

The community at a glance

r/musictheory is a Subreddit for Music Lovers with roughly 716K members. It has been around since 2009. It uses a forum format for communication.

Roughly 66K members have joined in the past year. Popular discussion topics include Looking For, Struggling, and Hard Time. Product recommendations often mention music theory books, music theory online course, and music composition resources.

On Reddit
Established 2009
716K Members

Community Features

This community has a forum

Subreddit Analysis

via GummySearch
Yearly: +66K members
Growth: +10.2% / year

Member growth over time

All time (yearly)

  • 2013: 11K members
  • 2014: 12K members
  • 2015: 13K members
  • 2016: 15K members
  • 2017: 34K members
  • 2018: 53K members
  • 2019: 91K members
  • 2020: 125K members
  • 2021: 70K members
  • 2023: 112K members
  • 2024: 50K members
  • 2025: 68K members
  • 2026: 44K members

Past year (monthly)

  • Oct: 5K members
  • Nov: 7K members
  • Dec: 7K members
  • Jan: 6K members
  • Feb: 6K members
  • Mar: 6K members
  • Apr: 5K members
  • May: 6K members
  • Jun: 5K members
  • Jul: 5K members
  • Aug: 4K members
  • Sep: 1K members

Topics

  • Looking For
    41 posts in the past month
    #1
    Looking For
    41
  • Struggling
    30 posts in the past month
    #2
    Struggling
    30
  • Hard Time
    8 posts in the past month
    #3
    Hard Time
    8
  • Ear Training
    6 posts in the past month
    #4
    Ear Training
    6
  • Chords
    5 posts in the past month
    #5
    Chords
    5

Flair

  • General Question
    114 posts in the past month
    1. Explaining ritardando to students!
    2. What on earth is going on with the rhythm in “Puttin’ on the Ritz”?
    3. How do people know that two notes from different instruments are the same?
    #1
    General Question
    Explaining ritardando to students! · What on earth is going on with the rhythm in “Puttin’ on the Ritz”? · How do people know that two notes from different instruments are the same?
    114
  • Discussion
    30 posts in the past month
    1. Metallica's mystery time signature, re-visited
    2. Music theory fluency is a tool for communication, not a measure of how good someone's ear actually i
    3. Suddenly hopeful i - III - IV - VI
    #2
    Discussion
    Metallica's mystery time signature, re-visited · Music theory fluency is a tool for communication, not a measure of how good someone's ear actually i · Suddenly hopeful i - III - IV - VI
    30
  • Notation Question
    29 posts in the past month
    1. Is this a valid Key signature?
    2. What is this symbol next to the chord?
    3. I thought this was a Minor Triad and the more I look at it the more the answer confuses me!
    #3
    Notation Question
    Is this a valid Key signature? · What is this symbol next to the chord? · I thought this was a Minor Triad and the more I look at it the more the answer confuses me!
    29
  • Songwriting Question
    13 posts in the past month
    1. How do i know what chords go along with each other in order to express myself?
    2. Using a B Chord in A Minor
    3. Explain it to me like I'm 5: Halloweenesque songs
    #4
    Songwriting Question
    How do i know what chords go along with each other in order to express myself? · Using a B Chord in A Minor · Explain it to me like I'm 5: Halloweenesque songs
    13
  • Answered
    1 post in the past month
    1. Jazzology exercise question | intervals
    #5
    Answered
    Jazzology exercise question | intervals
    1

Product recommendations

  • music theory books
    7 posts in the past month
    1. Can anyone recommend good books of music theory?
    2. What are some top recommended books for practical jazz Harmony?
    3. Could anyone recommend any beginner-friendly books about harmony and composition?
    #1
    music theory books
    Can anyone recommend good books of music theory? · What are some top recommended books for practical jazz Harmony? · Could anyone recommend any beginner-friendly books about harmony and composition?
    7
  • music theory online course
    2 posts in the past month
    1. Can anyone recommend me an online teacher for music composition?
    2. Can someone recommend a music theory online course with exams/tests?
    #2
    music theory online course
    Can anyone recommend me an online teacher for music composition? · Can someone recommend a music theory online course with exams/tests?
    2
  • music composition resources
    2 posts in the past month
    1. What are the best free music composition apps that I can get for phone?
    2. Can anyone recommend good resources for beginning to learn music composition?
    #3
    music composition resources
    What are the best free music composition apps that I can get for phone? · Can anyone recommend good resources for beginning to learn music composition?
    2

Frequently asked questions

Who is r/musictheory for?
Best for Music Lovers enthusiasts looking for a Reddit-based community with forum discussion.
Is r/musictheory free to join?
This listing is not marked as paid-only. Access rules and any fees are decided by the community.
How many members does r/musictheory have?
Roughly 716K members, based on figures reported by the community or its host. Member counts are approximate and change over time.
What platform is r/musictheory on?
r/musictheory runs on Reddit. Reddit communities (or "subreddits") are forum-based groups on the popular social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website Reddit. Reddit is commonly known as "the front page of the internet". Users submit content to the site such as links, text posts, and images, which are then voted up or down and discussed by other members. From investing Reddit communities, to professional ones, to ones just for laughs, you're likely to find a community for you on Reddit.
What topics does r/musictheory cover?
On the Hive Index, r/musictheory is organized under Music Lovers.
How do I join r/musictheory?
You can join r/musictheory by clicking this link, or pressing the "Go to community" button above.
What are the Music communities like?
One of the larger topic areas on the site, covering music production, instruments, genres, and the business of the industry. Discord hosts communities for producers, beatmakers, and musicians at every level, Reddit has massive communities for genre-specific discussion, and dedicated platforms serve niche interests from jazz theory to synth collecting.