Course Description

Effective: 2020-05-01

General Course Purpose

Provide the necessary tools for students to read the written score, become familiar with the keyboard and fundamentals of music theory. Serve as a foundation for music involvement.

Course Objectives

• Personal Development
• Identify basic fundamentals of music
• Identify notes on a music score ranging from three ledger lines above or below the bass and treble clefs
• Identify notes on a keyboard
• Augment listening skills through ear training exercises
• Demonstrate basic conducting skills
• Demonstrate understanding of major and minor scales, chords and basic harmonic progressions
• The Keyboard
• Identify music pitches, whole and half steps, intervals, accidentals, enharmonic notes and octaves on the keyboard
• The Staff
• Identify notes, whole and half steps, intervals, accidentals, enharmonic notes and octaves on the treble, bass and C clefs up to three ledger lines above or below the clefs
• Read fluently notes in treble and bass clefs and identify notes of the C clef
• Rhythm and Meter
• Define basic tempo terms
• Identify notes and note values from the whole note through the 64th note
• Identify rests from the whole to 16th note rests
• Identify dotted and double-dotted notes and rests
• Beat or sing dotted rhythms
• Recognize tied notes and when they are used
• Identify the purpose of bar lines and measures
• Identify the purpose of the top number in a time signature and how that relates to meter
• Identify the purpose of the bottom number in a time signature and how that relates to the beat
• Demonstrate how to beam notes within a measure based on the time signature
• Tap or sing rhythms based on rhythmic notation
• Listen to a rhythm and identify the rhythmic notation that corresponds with the example
• Be able to write rhythmic notation as it relates to note duration (rhythmic dictation)
• Major and Minor Scales and Key Signatures
• Play a chromatic scale on a keyboard/virtual piano
• Write and transpose major scales based on the pattern of whole and half steps particular to the major scale
• Write and transpose minor scales based on the pattern of whole and half steps particular to the natural, melodic and harmonic forms of the minor scale
• Describe the relationship between the major and relative minor keys
• Identify the major or relative minor key of a composition based on the key signature
• Notate any major and relative minor key signature
• Describe the relationship between a major key and its parallel minor key
• Identify each scale degree name and recognize the different functions of each scale degree
• Use ear training exercises to identify major or minor scales
• Describe the correlation between solfege note identification and note names
• Demonstrate knowledge of the Circle of Fifths
• Meter Types
• Explain the difference between simple and compound meters
• Identify the meter type (simple, compound or irregular) by the top number of the time signature
• Be able to count and demonstrate how to conduct music in simple duple, triple and quadruple meters
• Recognize simple duple, triple and quadruple meters through listening examples/exercises
• Explain how to read a compound time signature as opposed to a simple time signature
• Be able to count and demonstrate how to conduct music in compound duple, triple and quadruple meters
• Recognize compound duple, triple and quadruple meters through listening examples and exercises
• Intervals and Triads
• Differentiate a harmonic interval from a melodic interval
• Identify harmonic and melodic intervals and interval inversions through visual recognition and listening exercises and assessment
• Identify interval qualities, e.g., major, minor, perfect, diminished, augmented
• Spell intervals on a score
• Identify consonant and dissonant intervals through ear training exercises and assessments
• Construct and identify triads
• Invert triads
• Identify the differences between major, minor, diminished or augmented triads
• Harmony
• Spell and Identify major, minor, augmented and diminished triads that occur in major and minor keys
• Identify inverted triads with the proper symbol
• Spell and Identify dominant seventh chords as well as major, minor half-diminished and fully diminished seventh chords
• Identify inverted seventh chords with the proper symbol
• Identify perfect authentic, imperfect authentic, half, plagal and deceptive cadences on the music scores
• Enhance identification of chords through ear training exercises

Major Topics to be Included

• Personal Development
• The Keyboard
• The Staff
• Rhythm and Meter
• Major and Minor Scales and Key Signatures
• Meter Types
• Intervals and Triads
• Harmony