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INTRODUCTORY MUSIC THEORY B:

MORE MUSICAL RUDIMENTS

 

 

CONTACT INFORMATION

INSTRUCTOR AND FACULTY COORDINATOR:    

Margaret Henry  

Phone: 585-274-1962

Email: mahenry@esm.rochester.edu

Office: Room 214 in Messinger Hall

 

Office Hours:

Tuesday: 3:30-4:30 PM

Friday: 3:00-4:00 PM  or by Appointment

 

Extra Help Sessions:

Wednesday: 4:00-5:00 PM

Friday: 7:00-8:00 PM

Saturday: 1:30-3:00 PM

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION

 

Brief Overview of Course

Introductory Theory B is the second course in a sequence of two courses for middle school students.  The two-course sequence (Introductory Theory A and B) covers, in two years, the same material covered in one year in Music Theory I.  In Introductory Theory A, students will continue to work with the basic elements or building blocks of music studied in Introductory Theory A and learn new concepts, including alto and tenor clefs, composite meter, the parallel minor mode, inversion of triads and introduction to figured bass.   These concepts will be learned through written work correlated with a lot of ear training and sight singing, so that students are able to thoroughly internalize the material covered and apply it to their own music making.

  

Course Goals

  • to help students understand the basic elements of Music Theory and prepare them to take the more advanced courses leading to the Advanced Placement Examination in Music  Theory

  • to fulfill the first requirement in the sequence of courses leading to an ECMS Diploma

 

Course Activities

  • Written activities in all of the above-mentioned topics

  • A heavy emphasis on correlated aural skills in the form of singing, movement, rhythmic performance and dictation

 

Course Material

      

  • Duplicated material for each lesson will be handed out in class.  Students should purchase a three-ring binder to store this material in.

  • There will be a small fee of up to $25 per semester for this material, which will be added to the student’s bill.

 

COURSE SYLLABUS

  • REVIEW OF SIMPLE METER USING TIME LINES AND RHYTHMIC SYLLABLES: INTRODUCTION TO THE REST AND THE TIE

  • INTRODUCTION TO COMPOSITE METER

  • REVIEW OF COMPOUND METER

  • REVIEW OF INTERVALS AND THEIR INVERSION      

  • THE ALTO AND TENOR CLEFS

  • INTERVALS AND INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SPECIES COUNTERPOINT: SINGING AND DICTATION IN TWO VOICES

  • REVIEW OF TRIADS: INTRODUCTION TO INVERSION OF TRIADS AND FIGURED BASS  

  • REVIEW OF THE MAJOR MODE AND KEY DIGNATURES: INTRODUCTION TO TONALITY AND TRANSPOSITION: SIGHT SINGING USNG MOVEABLE “DO”

  • REVIEW OF THE MINOR MODE: INTRODUCTION TO THE PARALLEL MINOR: SIGHT SINGING USING A “LA” BASED MINOR

  • THE CHURCH MODES

 

COURSE POLICIES AND WEIGHTING OF GRADES

Attendance

  • Students must attend class regularly in order to keep up with the material and achieve a good grade for the course.

  • If a student cannot attend a class, he/she should let the teacher know before the class and attend the other section of the same course that week.

 

Assignments

  • After each class there will be an assignment, which will be due at the beginning of the following class. 

  • If a student does not know how to tackle an assignment, he/she should contact the teacher and get help before the following class.

  • Assignments that are more than four weeks late will NOT be graded.

 

Grades

Grades will be given at the end of each semester.  Grades are based on the following four factors:

  1. Attendance

  2. Class Participation

  3. Weekly Assignments

  4. Four Take-home Tests and Periodic In-class Quizzes

 

MOST COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How do I know if I should be taking Introductory Music Theory B?

  • Students must have successfully completed Introductory Music Theory A  

  • Students should be able to attend class regularly.

  • Students should have time to devote one hour a week to assignments.

 

What academic requirements does Introductory Music Theory B fulfill?

For middle school age students, it is the second required theory course for an ECMS Diploma but please note that students must receive the grade of B or better to be eligible for a diploma.

 

How can I pass out of Introductory Music Theory B?

 

Students must successfully pass a Placement Test in Music Theory I, which is equivalent to Introductory Music Theory A and B combined.      

 

Are Introductory Music Theory A and B both year long courses?

Yes, it takes two years to cover the same material covered in one year in Music Theory I because we cover the theoretical concepts at a slower pace with these younger students and we supplement each concept with a lot of singing, movement aural skills.

 

Last updated:  July 22, 2008