Music 231
Species Counterpoint–Spring Semester 2021
MWF 9:00-9:50a
Instructor: Jono
Kornfeld
** PLEASE NOTE: I WILL
NOT BE ON CAMPUS THIS SEMESTER;
CLASSES AND OFFICE HOURS
WILL BE CONDUCTED REMOTELY
**
Online Office Hours: M & W, 11:30a-12:30p (appointment necessary); and
other times by appointment
Graduate Assistant: Forrest Ballman, email link
Recommended Text |
Required Text |
Recommended Book |
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Counterpoint
in Composition* Salzer/Schacter Columbia
University Press ISBN
0-231-07039-X Because this text is not required,
you are strongly encouraged to have easy access to all lecture notes and
reading sheets. |
Norton
Manual of Music Notation George
Heussenstamm W.
W. Norton & Co. ISBN
0-393955265 |
A
College-Level Music Dictionary: Oxford,
Harvard, etc. |
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*A
pdf of chapter 1 is available through iLearn in the
Announcements section |
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Course Objectives |
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The prerequisite for this course is MUS 130; This course
is a prerequisite for MUS 232 This
course will focus on melody-based music, particularly that of the 16th
century (Renaissance era) vocal style associated with Western Europe. We will
concentrate on two-part contrapuntal (aka voice-lead) textures, mainly
relying on the Species Counterpoint method of study,
which has been around since the 1700s. The goal of this class is to expand
your theoretical and aural vocabularies as related to both centuries-old
Western European, and more recent music, such as jazz, rock and pop. Through a careful study of voice leading, we will explore
how specific and general aspects of music interrelate across a variety of
styles and eras. By the end of the semester, you should be able to recognize
various contrapuntal features in music, and/or compose music based on
contrapuntal procedures. Your
written work will consist of a mixture between homework, quizzes, and
separate analysis/composition projects. |
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Grading: All grades will
be given as a percentage. Only your
final grade will be a letter grade. |
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Each assignment and quiz will
have its own grade. You can also look up your grades to date on iLearn, where information will be posted periodically in
a spreadsheet. Grades are listed via an assigned alias to protect your
privacy. Class
participation/communication/meeting: 5% Students
are expected to attend all classes and participate, but attendance is not
required. Participation means joining
on time, being fully present and engaged, not behaving in a distracted or
distracting manner, and very-importantly, treating others with respect.
Students should practice professional-level communication during class, and
in written correspondence. There is also one required one-to-one meeting you
will have with me (via Zoom) so I can learn more about you and your musical
goals. This will be scheduled early in the semester. In some circumstances,
the meeting can be substituted with an email exchange. Keyboard Performance Demonstration: 5% This will be submitted/emailed as a video file (or two separate
files). Submitting a link to a file or youtube clip
is fine. Final analysis/composition project: 15% Details TBA Quizzes: 25% In lieu of midterm and final exams, there will be approximately
9 quizzes. They will be announced in advance.
Quizzes should take between 5-10 minutes to complete, and will use
questions drawn from the text, lecture notes, and syllabus reading sheets
(all downloadable in advance), and will be
open-note/book. You should have a pencil and staff
paper available for all
quizzes. Missed quizzes cannot be made
up. The lowest grade will be dropped.
Quizzes must be submitted via email by 11:59pm on the due date. Quizzes
cannot be redone. Homework: 50% Homework (mainly small
analysis and composition-style exercises) is due on the day announced, via
email by 11:59pm. Late assignments will not be accepted
unless otherwise specified, but reasonable excuses
are ok in most cases. The lowest two
grades will be dropped (does not apply to smaller assignments like the alto
clef and notation drills assignments). Emailing an assignment late
without any explanation will result in a grade of 0 for that assignment. Homework
collaboration option. Redo policy:
Unless otherwise specified, you can redo any homework assignment that gets
less than a 93%. The score of the
redone version of the assignment will be averaged with the original score for
a final assignment grade, with a maximum possible grade of 93%. Redone assignments are due two class
periods after the original assignment is returned.
Redoing an assignment means that you either make clear corrections on the
original assignment, or that you submit a copied-over, corrected version of
the original assignment on a separate piece of paper. For the latter, you
MUST include the original assignment along with the redo; you don't have to
copy over portions of the original assignment that were done correctly. This
does NOT apply to quizzes, which cannot be redone. **Please note: the above percentages are
subject to redistribution** Missed assignments or quizzes: in the event of extenuating circumstances, make-up
quizzes or assignment-extensions may be granted on a case-by-case
basis. Such circumstances must be documented when possible (i.e. a doctor's note, etc.) and I must be notified as soon
as possible. Extra credit assignments (optional): may be assigned and will be announced. Plagiarism: While some collaboration is expected and productive, the
bulk of your assignments and definitely anything composed must be done
individually unless otherwise specified. Violations will be subject to
the University's Code of Conduct as it relates to such matters. Please note the following from the
SFSU Bulletin: To receive credit toward
completion of the degree requirements, a grade of C or better is required for
all music courses in the Bachelor of Arts in Music major...To receive credit
toward completion of the degree requirements, a grade of C or better is
required for all music courses in the Bachelor of Music major. Disability
access Students
with disabilities who need reasonable accommodations are encouraged to
contact the instructor. The Disability Programs and Resource Center
(DPRC) is available to facilitate the reasonable accommodations
process. The DPRC is located in the Student Service Building and can be
reached by telephone (voice/415-338-2472, video phone/415-335-7210) or by
email (dprc@sfsu.edu). Student
disclosures of sexual violence SF
State fosters a campus free of sexual violence including sexual harassment,
domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, and/or any form of sex or
gender discrimination. If you disclose a personal experience as an SF
State student, the course instructor is required to notify the Title IX
Coordinator by completing the report form available at http://titleix.sfsu.edu, emailing vpsaem@sfsu.edu or calling 338-2032. To
disclose any such violence confidentially, contact: *The
SAFE Place - (415) 338-2208; http://www.sfsu.edu/~safe_plc/ *Counseling and Psychological
Services Center - (415) 338-2208; http://psyservs.sfsu.edu/ *For more information on your rights and available resources: http://titleix.sfsu.edu |
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Attendance and Remote Classroom Guidelines |
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Attendance is not required, but strongly encouraged. All Zoom
meetings will be recorded and made available ASAP. It is your responsibility
to get notes from any class you miss. Do not send emails or request appointments
regarding material covered during an unexcused absence. Disruptive,
distracting, or disrespectful behavior will not be tolerated and may result
in you being asked to leave a meeting. |
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Communication |
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There
may be instances where we need to make individual, special
arrangements. In these cases, it is best that we do so with
confirmation emails. In the event that we have made a special
arrangement, please make sure we have at least done so in writing. If
you write to me, please communicate as clearly and professionally as
possible. While this is a music class,
you are expected to practice college-level, professional communication
standards in your written and oral communication. Make sure your SFSU email
is set up to forward to your regular/personal email address. |
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Revisions to this Syllabus |
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The syllabus (including assignments, quiz and grade
distributions) and downloads are subject to revisions as the semester
progresses. Check the syllabus web page often, and your email, and
listen for announcements in class. Do not download the lecture notes
and/or assignments all at once in case revisions are made as the semester
progresses. |
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Notation |
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In
an ongoing effort to nurture your notation skills, all work handed in must be
written in pencil; computer-notated assignments will not be accepted. When
using staff paper for any assignment, the paper should have no left- or
right-side bar lines and have no clefs printed on it. Use this
link to print staff paper. Notation is a factor in grading.
Notation errors, cross-outs, sloppy notation or analyses may lower assignment
grades and/or will be handled on a discretionary basis. To receive full credit, notation must be in accordance
with the Norton Manual of Music
Notation. |
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Printing Materials for Class |
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You should plan to be able to print required
materials/assignments/quizzes for class on a regular basis. However, it is
understandable that printing could be a hardship for some, in which case we
will work out an alternative so that everyone can access what they need. You
should also be able to photograph or scan assignments for email submission.
All materials will be available through the web syllabus (and occasionally iLearn & emails) and will be PDF files. |
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MUS 231 – APPROXIMATE SCHEDULE OF CLASS TOPICS |
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(Week No.) Week of |
Class Topics and Downloadable Notes (day covered–"M, W, F") |
Assignments, and items to print (or just download) for that week with specific due day |
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(1) Jan 25 |
Class
organization, Course overview; Working with the Alto Clef, Other C Clefs and
Intervals (MWF) |
(F) Complete, but do not submit: syllabus
assignment (F) Print/Download:
Cantiones duarum
vocum C
clef version with text and G clef version
(audio
version) AND print/download Oculus non vidit |
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(2) Feb 1 |
Introduction
to Counterpoint (MWF) Species Counterpoint Examples
(audio) musictheory.net website (for general reference) |
(M) Complete, but do submit: first 10 measure of Cantiones duarum vocum (G clef version) with the
harmonic intervals (just the interval numbers) analyzed between the parts (see example) Read:
Salzer/Schacter ("S/S"): Ch. I, part 1
(Cantus Firmus) (W) Submit:
General Review Assignment (three
pages) |
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(3) Feb 8 |
Cantus
Firmus (MWF) |
Print/Download: Cantus Firmus
Errors List (Keep this on hand) (W)
Submit: Alto clef and intervals assignment (two pages) |
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(4) Feb 15 |
Cantus
Firmus cont'd (MWF) |
(M) Submit: Notation assignment I:
from the Norton notation manual: drills on page 63; copy onto staff paper or print
this link |
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(5) Feb 22 |
First
Species (MWF) BAD first
species audio example Reading
Sheet: S/S: I, part 2 (1st Species) First
Species Examples (good and bad) How
to WRITE a species assignment |
(M) Submit: Cantus Firmus
exercise Read: S/S: Ch. I, part 2 (1st Species) Print/Download: Species
Counterpoint Errors List (Keep
this on hand) (W)
Submit: Keyboard Performance Demonstration (it
may be easiest to make two video files, one for the major-key cantus, and one
for the minor-key cantus) (F)
Submit: First
Species Analysis (audio) |
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(6) March 1 |
First
Species cont'd (M) Second
Species
(WF) |
Read: 2nd
species lecture notes (W) Submit:
First Species exercise |
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(7) March 8 |
Second
Species cont'd (MWF) |
Read: 3rd Species lecture notes (M) Submit: Second Species Analysis (audio) (W)
Submit:
Notation assignment II:
from the Norton notation manual: drill on pages 82-83 (example 3-9); rewrite
according to the comments on pp. 85-86, BUT
TRANSPOSE THE NOTES UP TO THE KEY OF THREE FLATS; copy onto staff paper.
Leave a blank system between staves to allow for space. |
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(8) March 15 |
Third
Species
(MWF) |
(M)
Submit: Second Species exercise (F) Submit: Third Species Analysis (audio) |
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March
22 – 26: Spring Recess, No Classes |
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(9) March 29 |
Third
Species continued (M) No Class, Cesar Chavez Day (W) Fourth
Species (F) |
Read: 4th Species lecture notes (F)
Submit: Third
Species exercise
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(10) April 6 |
Fourth
Species continued(MWF) |
(W) Submit: Fourth Species Analysis and Preparation (audio) Read: 5th Species lecture notes |
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(11) April 12 |
Fifth
Species
(MWF) |
(M)
Submit: Fourth Species exercise Read:
Lecture notes on Free Counterpoint (F) Submit: Fifth Species Analysis (audio) |
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(12) April 19 |
Fifth
Species cont'd (MW) |
(W) Submit:
Fifth Species exercise |
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(13) April 26 |
Discuss
Final Project (audio)
(M) Free
Counterpoint cont'd (MWF) |
(W) Submit: Notation assignment III:
from the Norton notation manual: drill on page 99 (example 3-34); rewrite
according to the comments on page 102, BUT
TRANSPOSE THE NOTES DOWN TO THE KEY OF ONE SHARP; copy onto staff paper.
Leave a blank system between staves to allow for space. |
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(14) May 3 |
Canon & Imitation
(MWF) |
Read:
Lecture notes on Canon & Imitation
(F)
Print/Download (but do not complete) Canon Worksheet |
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(15) May 10 |
Culminating
Perspectives (MW) Further
Explorations (F) Final
Project Drafts returned (F) LAST
DAY OF CLASSES (F) |
(M) Submit: Final Project Draft |
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(F,
May 21) Submit: |
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Due by Friday, May 21 |
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