I've wanted to learn music for years—not just to play songs, but to understand it deeply and eventually compose. But I always postponed it thinking, "I'll start once I have an instrument." As a result, I never really began, and I’m basically starting from zero.

I'm currently preparing for internships/jobs, so buying a digital piano will likely take another 3–4 months. I want to use this time to build a strong foundation in music theory so I can focus more on playing and creating later.

I've been looking at areas like ear training, theory and harmony, reading sheet music, rhythm, and analysis, but I’m unsure what actually matters most at the beginning.

So my main question is:

If you had 4 months to learn music theory without an instrument, what would you prioritize that would actually help long-term understanding and composing original stuff?

I'd appreciate perspectives on what to focus on first, what to ignore early on, and any core concepts or routines that give the best return or what to avoid or anything you like to guide me on.

Thanks in advance—looking forward to learning from your experience.

P.S. I am new to reddit and this is my first post here so pardon my English and reddit etiquettes.

I've wanted to learn music for years—not just to play songs, but to understand music deeply and eventually compose my own. Unfortunately, I always ended up telling myself, "I'll start learning once I buy an instrument." As a result, I never actually started, and at 23 I'm still basically music-illiterate.

I'm currently preparing for internships/jobs, so buying a digital piano will probably have to wait another 3–4 months. Instead of letting that time go to waste, I want to build as much musical knowledge as possible so that when I finally get a piano, I can focus on playing instead of starting from absolute zero.

So far, I've been thinking about learning things like:

• Ear training and active listening
• Music theory and harmony
• Reading sheet music
• Rhythm training
• Relative pitch
• Song analysis
• Basic piano fundamentals (without an instrument)
• Finger independence and coordination exercises
• Score analysis

The problem is that these are all huge topics, and I have no idea which ones would actually give me the biggest head start.

I'd really love to hear from people who have been through this themselves or want to guide me in this.

• If you had 3–4 months before your first piano, what would you focus on that would help later in your journey?
• Since my long-term goal is composing rather than performing, would you approach things differently?
• Which of these skills will genuinely make learning piano easier later, and which ones aren't worth worrying about yet?
• Are there any daily routines(like listening to scores or anything) that you'd consider a high return on investment?
• Finally, are there any piano pieces or scores that every aspiring composer should study (classical or otherwise)?

I'd really appreciate hearing your experiences—whether you're self-taught, classically trained, or somewhere in between. Any advice, resources, or even mistakes you wish you'd avoided when you started would be incredibly helpful.

Thanks in advance! Looking forward to learning from all of you.

P.S. I am new to reddit and this is my first post here so pardon my English and reddit etiquettes.

Thanks everyone for the detailed responses—really appreciate it. I wanted to summarize the main themes.

From the discussion, there seems to be a general consensus that the most useful early foundations are:

1. Notation & Reading Music

• Treble and bass clef
• Rhythm values and time signatures
• Key signatures and basic dynamics

2. Rhythm & Internal Timing

• Clapping/tapping along to music
• Developing a steady internal pulse
• Understanding rhythm independently of pitch

3. Ear Training

• Interval recognition (very commonly emphasized)
• Hearing scales and basic harmonic movement
• Connecting sound to notation

4. Scales → Chords → Harmony

• Major and minor scales
• Building triads and 7th chords from scales
• Understanding chord relationships (functional harmony / Roman numerals)

5. Applying Theory in Practice

• Using tools like apps, keyboard, DAWs, or notation software
• Connecting written theory to actual sound
• Learning through experimentation rather than theory alone

6. Progressive Learning / Keeping it Simple

• Starting with simple melodies and basic reading before complexity
• Developing understanding gradually rather than jumping into advanced concepts

Overall takeaway

The advice seems to converge on building notation + rhythm + ear training first, then gradually moving into harmony and composition, while keeping learning progressive and grounded in simple musical material.

More responses are welcome ❤️