Music Theory I

Course Number: 
MUSC&131
Course Credits: 
3.00
Course Description: 
This is the first class of the music theory sequence required by music majors. Notation, scales, keyboard harmony, intervals, triads, terminology, analysis of simple harmony and beginning ear training. 3 lecture hours. Satisfies humanities distribution area C requirement or specified elective for the AA degree.
Course Prerequisites: 
Prerequisites: Concurrent enrollment in MUSC& 121; basic piano or guitar skills, or concurrent enrollment in MUSIC 117.
Course Outcomes: 

The goals of this course are to improve students’ performance in the following areas:

  • Comprehend elementary note reading, rhythm reading, keyboard identification, interval identification, chord building, scale building, cadence identification, and conventional part-writing procedures for tonic, dominant and subdominant triads.
  • Analyze and synthesize the above mentioned elements of music.
  • Think critically about the elements of music.
  • Work with other classmates to solve harmonizing and voicing problems.
  • Think critically about analytical issues in music and about one’s own responses.
  • Develop essays from critical and analytical responses to the text and to class discussions as well as outside research.
  • Analyze and synthesize ideas from listening to live performances. Develop critical and analytical responses to those performances.