Theory 137 is a course that provides a broad introduction to the basics of music theory, designed for students who are not music majors. Given the introductory nature of the course, we will begin with a thorough review of the fundamental concepts of music, including notation, pitch, rhythm, meter, scales, and chords. Later in the semester we will use our knowledge of these fundamentals to understand more complicated music-theoretic topics, such as how chords are joined together to create musical phrases, and how these phrases can be elaborated. Finally, we will learn a little bit about how to combine melodies together in more complicated musical pieces, which is also known as the art of counterpoint, and which is the basis for some of the greatest musical masterworks in the classical tradition—and we will also learn some of the basics of how to set words to music. All of this will be supplemented with exercises in which we will listen and respond to a variety of pieces, hunt for music relevant to the topic at hand, and do a lot of singing, writing and harmonizing tunes. The final goal of the course will be to write a song of your own, complete with words and instrumental accompaniment. This highlights the essentially simple goal of the course: since most of us like music in some form or the other, this course is meant to just help us enjoy and appreciate this music better, and a little bit more systematically, by providing a broad introduction to the basics of music theory—and to give us a chance to experience the joys of actually writing such music ourselves, as songwriters.