Manhattanville College

MUT 1031 COMPREHENSIVE MUSICIANSHIP I

Fall 2007

Dr. Francis Brancaleone

 

 

 

Course Outline

 

INTRODUCTION

The Four Properties of Sound

 

I           THE FUNDAMENTALS OF MUSIC

Notation, Pitch, Duration

 

SCALES, TONALITY, KEY, MODES

Major, Minor, Pentatonic, Chromatic, Whole-Tone

Four Authentic Modes Plus the Ionian and Aeolian

 

INTERVALS AND TRANSPOSITION

Perfect, Major, Minor, Diminished and Augmented

Enharmonic, Inversion, Compound

 

CHORDS

Triads: Major, Minor, Augmented and Diminished

Scale Degree Names

Function

Inversions

Seventh Chords

Analysis Symbols

Figured Bass

 

II         THE STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS OF MUSIC

 

HARMONY: CADENCES AND NONHARMONIC TONES

Cadence Types and Chord Progression

Definitions and Characteristics of Nonharmonic Tones

 

MELODIC ORGANIZATION

Motive, Sequence, Phrase, Period Structure

 

TEXTURE

Texture Types

 

VOICE LEADING IN FOUR VOICES

Standard Voice-Leading Practices

Treatment of Inversions

Common Errors

 

Learning Objectives:  Students taking Comprehensive Musicianship I and II study the basic principles used in the construction of music: pitch, scales, intervals, chords, rhythm, and harmonic progressions. The sequence of courses will introduce students to the following Music Department Learning Objectives:

 

Objective II: Critical Thinking and Aural Analysis

• By being able to integrate aural analysis with a variety of theoretical approaches.

• By developing skills to integrate critical analytical and aural skills for the development of musical material into improvisation, new musical arrangements and original composition.

 Objective III: Breadth of Knowledge

•  By learning basic music terminology and its broader application in the professional world.

Assessment:  Grades will be based on class participation, homework, tests, mid-term and final exams.  Students are responsible for all of the material covered in class and that contained in the text including those sections on history which may not be covered in detail in class.  A maximum of two absences will be allowed before the grade is effected.  Being absent does not excuse the student from doing the homework assignment for the next class.