Course Materials: Music Theory I

MUTH 12200

You will need Adobe Acrobat 9.0 or later versions to open *.PDF files, and Finale2010 or later versions for *.MUS (music).

General Info

• Spring 2011 Course Syllabus
• Spring 2011 Written Theory Assignments (tentative)
• Spring 2011 Class Phone/Email Lists
• FERPA Consent Form for Music Theory Courses
• Summary of Tonal Harmony


Unit I: Review of Music-Theory Fundamentals (review)

• Clef Lecture (includes example scores)
• Scales Lecture
• Sample Quiz I (key signatures and scales)
• Quiz I
• Intervals Lecture
• Sample Quiz II (key signatures, scales, intervals)
• Quiz II
• Chords Lecture
• Quiz III
• Quiz IV
• Figured-bass Notation Exercise 1 (can play the music inside the PDF file)


Unit II: Basic Diatonic Harmony, Cadences, Phrase Structure

• Handout on Root-position Part-writing & Harmonization and its Key
• Four-part Error-Detection Handout
• Common Student Errors (Part-writing & Analysis)
• Melodies for Harmonization 1 (Root position with I, IV, and V) and Finale file
• Harmonic Dictation Hints (by Bass Scale Degrees)
• Harmonic Progression Handout
• Standard Progression Handout (contains 5/3 & 6/3 chords)
• Doubling Rules (includes 6/4 placements & notations)
• Standard Progression Handout (contains 6/4 chords)
• Order of Rules (for partwriting)
• Individual Exam I
• Individual Exam I Sign-ups
• Aural Exam I
• Phrase Structure & Form Notation (handout)
• Phrase Structure Homework 1 (scores)
• Individual Exam II
• Individual Exam II Sign-ups
• Test I (midterm)


Unit III: More Diatonic Harmony, Non-chord Tones

• Chorale Writing Exercise Jesu, Jesu, Du bist mein and Finale Version
• Handout on Non-chord Tones
• Ornamented Chorale Lecture (Melody Harmonization of tune "Jesu, Leiden, Pein, und Tod" with NCTs)
• Ornamented Chorale Homework (PDF) Ver2 (Finale) (Melody Harmonization of tune "Jesu, Jesu, du bist mein" with NCTs)
• Quiz NCTs (definitions)
• Quiz NCTs (reduction & analysis)
• Texture Handout (basic terms and accompaniments)
• Sample Chorale Variation Analysis
• Chorale Variation Lecture (composition steps in PDF)
• Sample Student Chorale Variations
• Supplemental Reading: Speerstra, pp. 120-27 (PDF)
• Class's Chorale Variations
• Art-song composition handout
• Solutions to K&P CH9 selftests (with updated notation & explanation)
• Aural Exam II
• Individual Exam III
• Individual Exam III sign-ups


Unit IV: Diatonic Seventh Chords, Introduction to Secondary Functions & Modulation

• Standard Progression Handout (contains seventh chords)
• Handout on Seventh-chord Usage
• Handout on Seventh-chord Partwriting
• Solutions to K&P CH13-15 selftests (with more required analytical marks)
• Handout on Secondary Functions
• Chord ID Handout and Chord ID Examples
• Modulation Analysis Hints (step-by-step instructions)
• Lecture on Common-Chord Modulation to Close Keys (DM to em)
• Handout on Finding Pivot Chords (step-by-step instructions)


Projects, Review, Final

• Individual Exam IV
• Individual Exam IV sign-up
• Review Sheet for Test II (final exam)
• Test II - Aural Portion (final exam)
• Test II - Written Portion (final exam)


Items used for Theory I at other institutions

• Cantus-firmus Writing Handout
• CF Error-detection Exercises (PDF); Grading Rubric CF; Sample Answers CF; CF Self-Test Answers; and, WebCT exercises.
• WebCT instructions (step-by-step how to do the first set of CF ED exercises)
• First-species Handout; Sample Species Analysis Handout
• First-species Error-detection Exercises (PDF); Grading Rubric I; Sample Answers I; 1st-species Self-Test Answers; and,WebCT exercises
• First-species Worksheet, revised (2-part) and original verion (2-part grouped above/below CF)
• Writing First-Species Counterpoint Handout
• Review Sheet for Test I
• Practice Test I
• Test I (password protected)
• Second-species Handout; Sample Species Analysis Handout
• Second-Species Error-detection Exercises (PDF); Grading Rubric II; Sample Answers II; 2nd-species Self-Test Answers; and WebCT exercises
• Writing Second-Species Counterpoint Handout
• Second-Species Worksheet
• Review Sheet for Test II
• Practice Test II and Extra Problems (optional)
• Test II (password protected)
• Fourth-species Handout; Sample Species Analysis Handout
• Fourth-Species Error-detection Exercises (PDF); Grading Rubric IV; Sample Answers IV; 4th-species Self-Test Answers; and WebCT exercises
• Writing Fourth-Species Counterpoint Handout
• Review Sheet for Test III
• Practice Test III
• Test III (password protected)
• Handout on Species Concepts
• Lecture on Species->Chorale Phrase (PDF)
• Worksheet on Species->Chorale Phrase (PDF) or Worksheet on Species->Chorale Phrase (Finale)
• Hymn Projects Grading Rubric and Student Hymn Evaluation Sheet
• Choir membership for Hymn Projects
• Sample Hymn Projects (from Fall 2005 class)
• Hymn Projects (from Fall 2007)
• Written Theory Final (password protected)

• See the reserve list for this course at the library.
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• Back to Leon Couch's Main Faculty Home Page