Music Fundamentals I

MUSC 140, Fall 2011 Classroom (M/W) PAC 2168 Lab (F) PAC 1108 (Midi Lab in basement.)
Section 0101: M W 11-11:50 Lab 101: F 11:11:50 Lab 102: F 10-10:50 Section 201: MW 12-12:50 Lab 201: F 12-12:50 Lab 202: F 1-1:50 Office Hours W 1:10-2:10 in the GA Bay or by Appointment. Course Description: The Fundamentals of Music Theory and Composition. Using traditional methods, available technology, and online collaboration, students will work towards the understanding of intervals, scales, rhythm, and the fundamentals of harmony. We will use our newly acquired terminology and analytical skills to study excerpts from several of the seminal works in classical music. This core knowledge will also be applied to three original composition projects during the semester. *Note* While there is no previous musical experience required for this course, the vast majority of students who take Musc140 have some level of musical experience. Therefore most of the material in the first two chapters of the textbook is assumed to be basic knowledge. Required Materials: Straus, Joseph. Elements of Music. Third Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2011. You will also need manuscript paper and a pencil with a good eraser. All assignments must be completed in pencil. (Free and legal manuscript paper may be printed online. There are also affordable manuscript notebooks on sale at the campus bookstore.) Students should immediately register for Noteflight online notation software at www.noteflight.com. Make sure to set your account to open so that other students and your instructor may view and listen to your work. Technological Resources: The majority of Friday classes will take place in the Music Technology Lab, in order that students may use the considerable technological resources available through the school of music to aid their developing musicianship. Composition assignments will be done in Noteflight, which will allow students to receive instructor and peer feedback outside of class. Students will also be introduced to various online resources which will allow them to practice their musicianship skills on their home computer.

Grading: The class will be graded on a total of 500 points. The assignments will be weighted as follows: Quizzes: 5% (25 pts, 5 weighted at 5 points each.) Midterm Exam: 16% (80 pts.) Final: 20% (100 pts.) 3 Composition Assignments: 26% (130 pts. Weighted 30/50/50.) Homework: 16% (80 pts, weighted 10 pts each.) Class Participation: 5% (25 pts.) (Non-Negotiable!) Two Writing Assignments: 12 % (60 pts at 30 pts each.) Grading Scale: A+ = 480+ B+ = 440+ A = 465+ B = 420+ A- = 450+ B- = 390+ C+ = 380+ C = 360+ C- = 345+ D+= 340+ D = 320+ D- = 300+ F = 299 points and below.

Homework: Homework assignments will be announced at the end of each class period and will randomly be collected ten times per semester for grading. Homework not received is counted for 0 points. No late homework assignments will be accepted unless there are acceptable extenuating circumstances involved per University policy. The two homework assignments with the lowest grades will be dropped. Quizzes: There will be regular quizzes during class. Many will be used for self-assessment. Five times during the semester, quizzes will be collected without previous notice in order to be graded. There will be no make-up quizzes given outside of acceptable absences as outlined in the University handbook. Composition Projects: Students will complete three composition assignments during the semester. The first project will address basic melodic development. The second project will be done in a peer review group, where students will critique the work of their peers. (Students will be required to hand in an original copy, a copy of the written critiques of their work, and a final copy of their project.) The final composition project will be an original work and will be performed in class by the instrumentalists in our course. Writing Assignments: The development of strong writing skills is one of the key goals of a University education. As such, students are required to attend two recitals or concerts (to be approved) during the semester and write a 12 page report (double spaced) for each event. Additional information concerning the concert attendance requirement and report content will be given in a separate handout. Concert reviews should be submitted with the relevant program to prove attendance. Students are encouraged to write from their own cultural perspectives, synthesizing the concepts learned in class with their own aesthetic observations. Students may submit well-developed drafts to the instructor for further critique and suggestions; each paper is eligible for one such written critique during the semester. (See syllabus for final draft submission date.) Acceptable University Concerts may be found on the Calendar of Events at: music.umd.ed

Attendance Policy: Regular class attendance is crucial to success in this course. Exams and quizzes will cover material from class as well as from the book. If you know you will be missing class, please inform me by e-mail as soon as possible. If your absence is defined as excused according to the undergraduate catalog, you will be given the opportunity to make up a missed quiz or hand in an assignment. However, all work must be made up in a timely manner. According to the Universitys undergraduate catalog:
It is the policy of the university to excuse the absences of students that result from the following causes: illness of the student, or illness of a dependent as defined by Board of Regents policy on family and medical leave; religious observance (where the nature of the observance prevents the student from being present during the class period); participation in university activities at the request of university authorities; and compelling circumstance beyond the students control. Students claiming excused absence must apply in writing and furnish documentary support for their assertion that absence resulted from one of these causes.

Regardless of whether an absence is excused or not, you are responsible for the material missed and, in most cases, for any assignments due on your first day back to class. Students with Special Needs/ Disabilities: Students with special needs should inform me at the beginning of the semester. In order for appropriate accommodations to be made, the student must work with Disability Support Services (DSS) and provide the appropriate documentation. The website for DSS is www.counseling.umd.edu/DSS. Academic Integrity: Cheating, plagiarism, or involvement in any form of academic dishonesty is a serious offense. Any violations of this kind will be handled according to the universitys Code of Academic Integrity. For more information, please visit: www.lib.umd.edu/guides/honesty.html Behavior: While it is generally not a problem with college students, it is expected that students remain respectful of their instructor and peers at all times. Serious or repeated violations will be reported at the instructor's discretion. Office Hours: As Music theory is an intensely cumulative subject, it is of paramount importance that you master the activities in each section. If ever you find yourself falling behind or in need of extra assistance, please feel free to make an appointment with me during my office hours. The best way to reach me outside of class is by email.

MUSC 140: Tentative Course Outline

(subject to change) ***Readings, homework assignments and quiz dates will be announced in class.*** Week 1 8/30 Introduction 9/02 NO LAB Classes meet at regular times in PAC 2168. Review of Chapter 1. Week 2 9/05 No Class; Labor Day. 9/07 Review of Chapter 2. 9/09 Lab Day: Basic Skills Practice. Basic Skills Quiz Week 3 9/12 Major Scales I. 9/14 Major Scales II. 9/16 (Lab Day: Constructing melodies in major scales Major scales practice.) Week 4 9/19 Intervals in the Major Scale. 9/21 Minor Scales I. 9/23 Lab Day: Constructing melodies in minor scales. Composition Project #1 Assigned. Week 5 9/26 Writing about music 9/28 Triads I 9/30 Lab Day: (Intervals Practice. Triads II.) Week 6 10/03 Composition Project #1 Due. Triads III. 10/05 Review for Mid-Term Examination. 10/07 Mid Term Exam. Week 7 10/10 Seventh Chords I 10/12 Seventh Chords II. Complex Meters 10/14 (Lab Day: Practice with Seventh Chords.)

Week 8 10/17 One day in the life of modern music 10/19 Roman Numeral Analysis The Tonic-Dominant I-V-I Progression. 10/21 Lab Day: Roman Numeral Analysis. Week 9 10/24 Hearing the arc of a piece: Benjamin Zander and Chopin 10/26 Composition project 2 assigned; peer review groups formed. Roman Numeral Analysis II Adding the Subdominant Chord. 10/28 Lab Day: Identifying triads and seventh chords in inversion. Week 10 10/31 Harmonizing a melody in major. 11/02 Harmonizing a melody in minor. 11/04 Lab Day: Harmonization Practice. Week 11 11/07 Composition Project #2 Due; Projects presented in class. 11/09 Phrase and Cadence 11/11 A day in the life of modern music. (Last day to hand-in papers for written feedback!) Week 12 11/14 Basics of Voice Leading. 11/16 Voice Leading II. 11/18 Constructing extended chord progressions. Week 13 11/21 Voice Leading III. Final Composition Project Assigned 11/23 No class. 11/25 THANKSGIVING BREAK. Week 14 11/28 Constructing extended chord progressions. 11/30 Harmonizing extended melodies. 12/02 Open Lab Day Help with final projects. Week 15 12/05 Class Presentations 1: Final Composition Projects. 12/07 Class Presentations II: Final Composition Projects. 12/09 Lab Day: Semester Review. Week 16 12/12: Review for final FINAL EXAM (Date TBA.)