COURSE DESCRIPTION

Introduction to music theory designed to teach the beginner to read, write, and understand the symbols of music notation. The approach is equally suited to those with no prior training in music as well as those who have learned to sing or play without training in fundamentals. A creative approach in music reading and listening to develop performance skills and proficiency in the language of music as well as in the assimilation of factual information. The student may re-register for the course in subsequent quarters as necessary until the course objectives are completed. Lecture 3 hours per week.

GENERAL COURSE PURPOSE

This course exists to provide the student who wishes to take courses in music theory with the basic skills necessary to successfully take such a course. The four semester sequence of Music theory (MUS 111, 112, 211, 212) is designed for the music major but is also taken by some non-music majors who have an interest in understanding the structures and materials with which music is written. Most of the above mentioned, the student will have acquired a basic musical knowledge (notation of pitch, rhythm, and basic musical terms) as a by-product of class of individualized study on a particular instrument "by ear" (without reference to written notation of music), or have forgotten most of it. It is mostly for the student that the Fundamentals of Music is offered; a pre-theory, developmental-type course.

ENTRY LEVEL COMPETENCIES

None

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:

1. gain a working knowledge of the written notational symbols
2. acquire a very basic knowledge of the piano and knowledge of how written musical notation relates to the piano and vice-versa
3. develop an awareness of the aural aspects of music (perception of pitch and rhythm) through learning to sing pitches from written notation
4. clap rhythms from written notation
5. write the notation of a rhythm after it is played (to be done on an elementary level)

A. Reading pitch names utilizing the treble and bass clefs
B. The grand staff
C. The ledger lines and spaces
D. Reading rhythmic notation in all commonly used meter signatures
E. Rhythmic dictation
F. Visual and aural identification of simple and compound meters
G. Aural recognition of major and minor intervals
H. Introduction to the piano keyboard and movement in all directions by whole and half steps
I. Familiarity with basic musical terms
J. Scale formation of major and minor scales utilizing all key signature
K. Circle of 5ths
L. Introduction to sight-singing

A. Major and Minor Key Relationships
B. Intervals

1. major and perfect
2. minor
3. diminished
4. augmented
5. modification of intervals
6. intervals above Tonic Notes other than C
7. intervals above notes which cannot be tonics of major scales