Syllabus


General course description

Course title: Semester 3 Theory
Course number: MUSC 2101
Semester: Fall 2013
Course hashtag: #musc2101
Meeting time: MW 9:00am–9:50am
Meeting location: MUS C191
Instructor: Kris Shaffer, Ph.D.
Office: MUS N138
Office hours: MW, 1–3pm
Course website: cutheory.github.io/theory3/

Concepts and skills

The goals for this course are for students to assimilate the following concepts and apply them in the composition and/or analysis of classical music in particular styles. The concepts we will address are:

  • Strict voice-leading (two-part)
  • Strict keyboard-style voice-leading
  • Harmony
  • Relationships between music and text
  • Professionalism
  • Liberal education values

For these topics, Semester 3 Theory is the end of the study of tonal Western art music in the core theory sequence. Thus, we will engage them at a deep level, with a view towards applying the skills and concepts addressed in musical genres not studied directly.

Topics of study

The first three concepts—harmony and voice-leading—have already been covered substantially in the first two semesters of music theory. The key to this course is what follows in the concept list. Basic musical features like harmony, voice-leading, and form are not uniform across all of Western music. Each musical style (and sub-style) has its own set of normative practices. These norms encompass differences in the way harmony, voice-leading, and form play out in each genre, as well as the ways in which they relate to each other. Thus a full understanding of compositional practice in Western music includes an understanding of musical style, and the diversity of “normative” practices within the broad category of Western art music.

With that in mind, this course will focus intentionally on the normative harmonic, contrapuntal, and formal structures of multiple styles, with a view towards understanding both the general traits that underly most or all of Western tonal music, and the specific traits that are typical of one or more specific styles of Western tonal music. (N.B.: This is the goal you should have in mind when constructing your self-evaluations, and against which I will consider your evaluations in determining final grades.)

In order to accomplish this, the course will be divided into three units, following two strict styles and one historical compositional style:

  • Strict two-voice composition (species counterpoint)
  • Strict keyboard-style composition
  • The German art song (Lied)

Note that several of the concepts and skills will be engaged in multiple units of study.

For more detail on expectations for students in regards to these conceptual areas, see the course assessment guide.

Course materials

Required

  • A web-enabled device that can be brought to each class meeting (laptop, tablet, smartphone, web-friendly eReader, iPod Touch, etc.).
  • A free account to Piazza.
  • An account for Spotify (a free account should be sufficient for this course).
  • A free Google account (for maintaining self-evaluations on Google Drive)—if you already have a Gmail address, you already have this. (Adventurous students may alternatively use a free, private student account on GitHub for their self-evaluations.)
  • A semester account for Learning Catalytics.

The following may be required later in the semester:

All other required class materials will be posted or linked to on the course website.

Recommended, but not required

  • Clendinning/Marvin, The Musician’s Guide to Theory and Analysis.

(If you own this from last year, hang on to it. It will be a helpful supplemental resource, and we will likely use it more next semester. If you do not own it, library copies and/or borrowing from a classmate on occasion should suffice.)

About this syllabus

This syllabus is a summary of course objectives and content, not a contract or a collection of policies and assessment information. Course policies and assessment practices are contained in separate documents. All information in this syllabus (except for the “General course description”) is subject to change, with sufficient advanced notice provided by the instructor.