MUSIC THEORY VI: CHROMATIC HARMONY
Contact Information
Instructor and Faculty Coordinator
Margaret Henry
Phone: 585-274-1962
Email: mahenry@esm.rochester.edu
Office: Room 214 in Messinger Hall
Course Description
Brief Overview of Course
Music Theory VI is the final course in a sequence of courses leading to the Pre-Collegiate Diploma in an Instrument or Voice and is a required course leading to the Pre-Collegiate Diploma in Theory. Music Theory VI moves from the harmony of the common–practice period through the nineteenth century. The course consists of two larger units:
- UNIT 1: begins with a review of the harmonic and formal concepts studied in Music Theory V and then focuses on the chromatic harmonic resources of the later eighteenth century
- UNIT 2: focuses on the chromatic harmonic resources of the nineteenth century from Beethoven through Brahms
Students should know that this is a very demanding course of study for mature and talented high school students and adults and that the curriculum approximates the course content of the first semester of sophomore theory at the Eastman School of Music.
Course Goals
- to help students understand the harmonic language and formal procedures used in music of the late 18th and 19th centuries
- to fulfill the final theoretical requirement for the Pre-Collegiate Diploma in an Instrument or Voice
- to fulfill part of the theory requirements for the Pre-Collegiate Diploma in Theory
Course Activities
Written activities (including figured bass, unfigured bass and melody harmonization in four voices, as well as short compositional projects)
Analytical skills (including harmonic analysis and analysis of form with correlated ear training)
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 $20.00 per semester for this material, which will be added to the student’s bill.
Prerequisites
Students must have successfully completed Music Theory V with a minimum grade of A- in the course.
Course Syllabus
UNIT 1: Harmonic Resources of the Later 18th Century
- REVIEW: RESOLUTION OF V7 AND INVERSIONS, THE CADENTIAL SIX-FOUR, CADENCES, CONTRAPUNTAL EXPANSIONS AND THE T-Pd-D-T PHRASE MODEL
- REVIEW: TONICIZATION (APPLIED CHORDS AND MODULATION TO RELATED KEYS) AND PERIOD STRUCTURE
- REVIEW OF BINARY FORM: INTRODUCTION TO MODAL MIXTURE
- REVIEW OF TERNARY FORM: INTRODUCTION TO CHROMATIC TONICIZATION USING MIXTURE AS PIVOT ( Tonicization of bVI and bIII and Common-tone Tonicization)
- CHROMATIC PREDOMINANTS: THE NEAPOLITAN SIXTH CHORD (bII) AND TONICIZATION USING bII AS PIVOT
- INTRODUCTION TO SONATA FORM: SONATA AS BINARY
- SONATA FORM CONTINUED: AURAL AND WRITTEN ANALYSIS
- CHROMATIC PREDOMINANTS: THE AUGMENTED SIXTH CHORD
- TONICIZATION USING THE AUGMENTED SIXTH CHORD
UNIT 2: Harmonic Resources of the 19th Century
- THE PROCESS OF MUSICAL AMBIGUITY AND THE WEAKENING OF THE DOMINANT: ENHARMONICISM AND THE GERMAN 6/5; THE PLAGAL DOMAIN AND THE RECIPROCAL PROCESS
- THE PROCESS OF MUSIC AMBIGUITY CONTINUED: ENHARMONICISM AND THE DIMINISHED SEVENTH CHORD (THE COMMON TONE DIMINSIHED SEVENTH CHORD)
- THE PROCESS OF MUSIC AMBIGUITY CONTINUED: THE AUGMENTED TRIAD AND ALTERED DOMINANT SEVENTH CHORDS; CHROMATIC EMBELLISHING CHORDS
- SONATA FORM IN THE 19th CENTURY: ANALYSIS OF SCHUMANN, PIANO QUINTET IN E-FLAT MAJOR, OP. 44, I
- INTRODUCTION TO HARMONIC SYMMETRY: PARALLEL HARMONIC SEQUENCES
- HARMONIC SYMMETRY CONTINUED: SYMMETRICAL TONAL PROGRESSIONS
Course Policies and Weighting of Grades
Attendance
This is a very demanding course and 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 obtain the appropriate course material.
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:
- Attendance
- Class Participation
- Weekly Assignments
- Four Take-home Tests, Four In-class Quizzes and Two Sonata Projects
MOST COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How do I know if I should be taking Music Theory VI?
In general, students should be the age of a high school junior or older in order that they have the maturity to grapple with the concepts of the course.
Students must have successfully completed Music Theory V with the grade of A- or better and preferably Music Theory IV as well.
It is mandatory that non-keyboard majors have passed either the Piano Proficiency Test or the Diploma Piano class before taking Music Theory VI.
Students should be able to attend class regularly.
Students should have time to devote a minimum of three hours a week to assignments.
What academic requirements does Music Theory VI fulfill?
It is the final required theory course for the Pre-Collegiate Diploma in an
Instrument or Voice.
It is a required course for the Pre-collegiate Diploma in Theory.
How can I pass out of Music Theory VI?
Students must successfully pass a Placement Test in Music Theory VI or have successfully passed a collegiate freshman theory class.
Last updated: October 29, 2010