Course Catalog

MUS121E Music Fundamentals: Beginners (2 credits) 9416

COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is taught through correspondence and is designed for the musical novice. It provides an understanding and correct usage of basic tools of the printed musical page. It covers an in-depth study of note reading, intervals, major scales, minor scales and primary chords.

LEARNING RESULTS
Topics studied in MUS121E will include:

• Pitch Notation: Staffs, clefs, accidentals, registers
• Rhythmic Notation: Durations, rests, ties, and dotted values
• Metric Analysis: Simple and compound metres
• Scales: Major, minor forms; basic modes
• Intervals: Analyses and inversions

MUS121E is designed to assist the beginning music students to gain a deeper insight into the meaning and "knowledge" of musical construction and vocabulary. This will enable students to develop deeper enjoyment of their own musical experience and expression.

REQUIRED TEXTS AND MATERIALS
Harder, Paul, and Greg Steinke. Basic Materials in Music Theory. 11th Edition, 2006, Boston: Pearson.

To purchase textbooks, click here - AMAZON.com


LEARNING DOCUMENTATION
Lesson # 1A Pitch: letter names, clefs, ledger lines
Lesson # 1B Pitch: chromatics, register
Lesson # 2 Note and Rest Duration Values
Lesson # 3 Metric Pulse and Classification
Lesson # 4 Simple Metre: analysis
Lesson # 5A Compound Metre: classification
Lesson # 5B Metre Review
Lesson # 6 Basic Scales and Modes
Lesson # 7A Major Scales: organization
Lesson # 7B Major Scales: key signatures
Lesson # 8A Minor Scales: organization
Lesson # 8B Minor Scales: key signatures
Lesson # 9 Major and Minor Key Review
Lesson # 10A Modes and Transposing
Lesson # 10B Diatonic Chromatic Scales
Lesson # 11A Intervals, part 1
Lesson # 11B Intervals, part 2
Lesson # 12 Transposition Using Solfege

Comprehensive Final Exam

There are 12 lessons and 1 examination for this course.

LEARNING EVALUATION
MUS121E consists of twelve lessons and one final exam. The student is requested to turn in one assignment at a time, in correct order. Since music is a progressive development, it is best to turn in the next assignment only after successfully completing the previous one. Failure to pass an assignment satisfactorily (C level or above) will necessitate repetition of that lesson.

After successful completion of all lessons, the student will be sent the final examination. This exam must be proctored, and a signature of witness will be requested on the exam cover. Please make arrangements now! (The exam takes two hours maximum). See lesson twelve for a listing of review topics.