First Year Theory: Semester I
MUS 111
MUSIC THEORY I
FALL 2003

Dr. Phillip Magnuson
Office: 103 MT
Phone: 229.3907
Office hours posted (or by appointment)
e-mail: magnuson@udayton.edu


OBJECTIVE:

The goal of music theory studies is to gain a greater understanding of the patterns of sound through examining historical models (analysis) and composing within historical styles (synthesis). Although this course deals largely with the music of Western civilization during the Common Practice Period (1600-1900), older music (pre-1600) and recent music (20th century) will be examined to demonstrate universal concepts of sound and its organization.

TEXTS:

CLASSES:

MWF 10:00-10:50, room 114: Please be punctual!

MATERIALS:

Texts, manuscript paper, pencil, ruler

ATTENDANCE:

Good attendance is crucial to success in this course. Attendance is taken every class. There are no "excused" absences; absences are not evaluated. Students are expected to attend every class (or to cover the material if class is missed), to read the textbook, to do all assignments, and to fully participate. Every topic is built on the previous one.

POLICIES:

Work is marked down one letter grade for each day past the due date. Missing work is marked 0%. Quizzes are never made up; exams may be made up only if missed due to a real illness or emergency.

TUTORS:

Extra outside help is available. It is suggested that you form study groups and regularly quiz each other.

CONCERT ATTENDANCE:

Each student must attend two of the following concerts (not as a performer), and write a reflective paper on one of them. If you are a member of two of these ensembles, or cannot attend two of them, you must inform Dr. Magnuson by 10 September for an alternative assignment.
Symphonic Wind Ensemble Sun., 26 October KU Ballroom 3:00 pm
University Chorale Sun., 2 November Boll 3:00 pm
University Orchestra Sun., 23 November Sears 3:00 pm

GRADING:

Fundamentals Exam 15%
Mid-term Exam 15%
Counterpoint Exam 15%
Assignments 15%
Final Exam 25%
Attendance/participation 10%
Concert attendance/paper 5%

Students must pass MUS 111 with a grade of C- or better to enroll in MUS 112.

SYLLABUS:

August 2003

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1

2

3

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5

6

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9

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Classes begin:
Introduction to
Music Theory

28

29

Pitch and Intervals
HVL 2
SKR 2

30

31

September 2003

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1

LABOR DAY

2

3

Scales and Scale Degrees
HVL 1
SKR 1,3

4

5

Key Signatures
HVL 1
SKR 1,3

6

7

8

Modes

9

10

Triads
HVL 4
SKR 4,5

11

12

Rhythm and Meter
HVL 3
SKR

13

14

15

EXAM:
Fundamentals

16

17

Introduction to
Basic Rules for
Species Counterpoint

18

19

Basic Rules for
Species Counterpoint
Species I:
Melody

20

21

22

Basic Rules for
Species Counterpoint
Species I:
Counterpoint

23

24

Basic Rules for
Species Counterpoint
Species I:
Practice

25

26

Basic Rules for
Species Counterpoint
Species I:
Transparency

27

28

29

*Species I assignment due
Basic Rules for
Species Counterpoint
Begin Species II

30

October 2003

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1

Basic Rules for
Species Counterpoint
Species II:
Practice

2

3

Basic Rules for
Species Counterpoint
Species II:
Transparency

4

5

6

*Species II assignment due
Basic Rules for
Species Counterpoint
Begin Species III

7

8

Basic Rules for
Species Counterpoint
Species III:
Practice

9

10

Basic Rules for
Species Counterpoint
Species III:
Transparency

11

12

13

*Species III assignment due
Review for Mid-term EXAM

14

15

MID-TERM EXAM:
Fundamentals and
Species I-III

17

17

Review EXAM

18

19

20

Basic Rules for
Species Counterpoint
Begin Species IV

21

22

Basic Rules for
Species Counterpoint
Species IV:
Practice

23

24

Basic Rules for
Species Counterpoint
Species IV:
Transparency

25

26

27

*Species IV assignment due
Basic Rules for
Species Counterpoint
Begin Species V

28

29

Basic Rules for
Species Counterpoint
Species V:
Practice

30

31

Basic Rules for
Species Counterpoint
Species V:
Transparency

November 2003

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1

2

3

*Species V assignment due
Basic Rules for
Species Counterpoint
Begin Species I 3-voice

4

5

Basic Rules for
Species Counterpoint
Species I 3-voice:
Practice

6

7

Basic Rules for
Species Counterpoint
Species I 3-voice:
Transparency

8

9

10

*3-voice assignment due
EXAM:
Species Counterpoint

11

12

Review EXAM
HVL 4:
Triads

13

14

HVL 5:
4-voice writing

15

16

17

HVL 5:
4-voice writing

18

19

HVL 6:
Tonic and dominant

20

21

HVL 6:
Tonic and dominant

22

23

24

HVL 7:
First inversions

25

26

No class

27

THANKSGIVING

28

No class

29

30

December 2003

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1

HVL 7:
First inversions

2

3

HVL 8:
Dominant 7th

4

5

HVL 8:
Dominant 7th

6

7

8

Christmas on Campus
no classes

9

10

Review for EXAM

11

12

13

14

15

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17

FINAL EXAM:
10:00-11:50 am

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CLASS GRADES:

(Current Grade as of 10 September 2003)
ID# Grade ID# Grade ID# Grade
0095 1794 4991 7047
0166 1995 5082 7114
0216 2739 5560 7216
0396 2750 5742 7963
0843 3401 5782 8068
0965 4388 5853 8167
1329 4414 5877 8399
1566 4871 6682 9155

This page, maintained by Phillip Magnuson, was last modified .