SUNY-Fredonia School of Music
General Syllabus for Music Theory I-IV
MUS 123, 124, 223
DESCRIPTION
AND GOALS OF COURSES
The primary goal of Music Theory I-III is to develop your musical understanding and ability through an investigation of the acoustical, stylistic, and expressive elements of music. The knowledge that you gain and skills that you develop in these courses will continually be utilized in your musical experiences throughout your study here at Fredonia and beyond. It is essential that you take Aural Skills simultaneously with this course since both aural abilities and conceptual comprehension enhance each other for the most meaningful musical experiences. It is also important that you apply what you learn in your music theory courses to your other musical activities: practicing, performing, listening to music, and composing. In doing so, you will not only learn more from music theory, but will also become a better musician overall.
REQUIRED
TEXTS AND MATERIALS
1. Clendinning, Jane Piper, and Elizabeth
West Marvin. The Musician's Guide to Theory and Analysis. New
York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2005.
2. Clendinning, Jane Piper, and Elizabeth West Marvin. Workbook for The Musician's Guide to Theory and Analysis. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2005.
3. Clendinning, Jane Piper, and Elizabeth West Marvin. Anthology for The Musician's Guide to Theory and Analysis. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2005.
4. Clendinning, Jane Piper, and Elizabeth West Marvin. Recordings for The Musician's Guide to Theory and Analysis. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2005.
5. Manuscript paper and pencil (only).
REQUIREMENTS
AND PROCEDURES
Prerequisite: To begin the
theory sequence all new and transfer students take a placement exam. Following this initial placement,
students must earn a grade of C- or higher in each theory course to proceed
into each successive level.
Assignments: Daily assignments from the Musician's Guide workbook, or in the form of handouts as specified by individual instructor.
Exams and quizzes: Unit
exams are given as specified by individual instructors. Comprehensive final exams are given at
the conclusion of each semester during finals week. The final exams for MUS 124 and 223 are comprehensive standardized School of Music exams given to all freshmen and
sophomores respectively during the first Monday and Tuesday of exam week,
following individualized unit exams.
Assignment Policy: Individual instructors will set their own assignment policies. Unless stated otherwise, assignments are due at the beginning of class. Any assignment turned in after that time will be considered late. Acceptance of late assignments and policies regarding penalties for late assignments will be set by the instructor. Instructors may allow the re-submission of homework for corrections and adjustment of score but are not required to do so.
GRADING
Grades are based solely upon performance. It is important to understand that the instructor will assign grades based only upon the quality and quantity of work you complete in the course. The grade you earn on an assignment, a quiz or exam, or on your final semester report does not reflect and is not based on your potential or your desire to earn a high grade, nor is it based in an absolute way on what you know. The grade you earn in this class will reflect your performance in this class, i.e., what you do.
The final semester average for MUS 123 will be derived from unit exams, quizzes and homework, and other activities as articulated by individual instructors below:
Unit Exams: _____
Homework _____
Quizzes _____
Other _____
Total 100%
The final semester average for MUS 124 and 223 will be derived from the standardized final exam, unit exams, quizzes and homework, and other activities as articulated by individual instructors below:
Standardized Final Exam 15%
Unit Exams: _____
Homework _____
Quizzes _____
Other _____
Total 100%
Grading Scale:
93-100: A indicates that the quality of the work has been outstanding
90- 92: A–
87-89: B+
83-86: B indicates that the quality of the work has been high
80-82: B–
77-79: C+
73-76: C indicates that the quality of work has been generally acceptable
70-72: C– (lowest acceptable grade for majors to continue to next level)
67-69: D+
63-66: D indicates that the quality of work has been poor
60-62: D–
Below 59: F indicates
failure
Attendance: Each student is expected to attend all
class sessions of each course of enrollment. For all music theory classes two (2) absences are allowed
without penalty. Each absence
exceeding the second will lower the student's grade by one-third of a letter
grade (approximately 3% of the semester average). The only absences that an instructor is required to
excuse are those that result from participation in sanctioned college or School
of Music activities and announced in advance to the instructor.
Arrangements for managing missed information and missed assignments due
to such an absence must be secured with the instructor prior to the absence,
and are the responsibility of the student. Waiver of any absence penalty in extreme circumstances is
left only to the discretion the instructor. Do not be absent from exams or quizzes: there are
no make-ups.
General Calendar for Music Theory I-III
Music Theory I (MUS 123)
Includes a review of the elementary concepts of pitch and rhythmic notation, and progresses to scale construction, pitch intervals, chord construction, and fundamental concepts of two-voice counterpoint, instrumentation, and the basic phrase model
Concepts Material Time Allotted
beat, meter, rhythm ch. 2 1.5 week
minor keys and the diatonic modes ch. 4 1.5 week
compound meters ch. 5 1.5 weeks
pitch intervals ch. 6 1.5 weeks
triads and seventh chords ch. 7 1.5 week
counterpoint (1st, 2d, 4th species only) chs. 8-9 3 weeks
notation, scoring, instrumentaion chs. 10-11 1 week
the basic phrase model ch. 12 1.5 week
embellishing tones ch. 13 1 week
Music
Theory II (MUS 124)
Includes an introduction to instrumentation, an in-depth investigation of the basic phrase model, study of cadences, phrase structure, and sequences, and intensification of the dominant and other scale degrees with secondary harmonies, and modulation to closely-related keys
Concepts Material Time Allotted
chorale harmonization and figured bass ch. 14 2 week
expanding basic phrase chs. 15-16 3 weeks
other cadence types, motives, phrase structure ch. 17 1 week
diatonic sequences ch. 18 1 week
intensifying the dominant ch. 19 2 weeks
phrase rhythm and motivic analysis ch, 20 1 week
tonicizing other scale degrees ch. 21 1 week
modulation to closely-related keys ch. 22 2 week
review for standard final exam chs. 1-22 1 week
Music Theory III (MUS 223)
Includes a review of secondary
harmonies, further study of modulation, analysis of small part forms, and the
study of mode mixture and common altered chords (the neapolitan triad and
augmented sixth chords).
Concepts Material Time
Allotted
modal
mixture and chromatic mediants / submediants ch.
24 2
weeks
neapolitan
sixths and augmented sixths ch.
25 2
weeks
chromaticism ch.
29 2
weeks
modes,
scales, and sets ch.
30 1
week
musical
analysis with sets ch.
31 1
week
sets
and set classes ch.
32 1
week
ordered
segments and serialism ch.
33 1
week
twelve-tone
rows and the matrix ch.
34 1
week
new
ways to order rhythm, meter, and duration ch.
35 2
weeks
review for standard final exam chs. 1-35 1 week