MUSIC 232 – APPROXIMATE SCHEDULE OF CLASS TOPICS AND ASSIGNMENTS

(Week No.)

Week of

Class Topics and Useful Links

(day covered–"M, W, F")

Assignments and items to print

for that week with specific due day

(1)

Jan 27

Class organization, course overview

Introduction to diatonic harmony

Overtone Series Tutorial

Video: Joni Mitchell discussing her approach to composing

Print/download:

Mozart K.331 Link  (audio)

Hide And Seek... Link  (audio)

Note stacking tutorial

(W) Complete, but do not turn in Syllabus Assignment (we will go over it in our Zoom class)

(F) Submit via email (optional but encouraged): Student Survey (a template will be emailed in advance)

(2)

Feb 3

Introduction to counterpoint as a precursor to harmony

Extended version of "Satisfaction" counterpoint example

Orlando Lassus: Oculus non Vidit  (audio)

Grateful Dead: "China Cat Counterpoint"  (audio)

Triads, 7th chords, figured bass (audio of Czerny example)

Triads from Robert Hutchinson’s Music Theory for the 21st-Century Classroom web page

Chromaticism in figured bass

(M) Review/Preparation Assignment

(3)

Feb 10

Triads, 7th chords, figured bass continued

Diatonic chords

Diatonic chords from Robert Hutchinson...(see 7.1 - 7.3); figured bass symbols

(M) Counterpoint analysis assignment (audio)

(4)

Feb 17

Diatonic chords continued

Voice leading

From R. Hutchinson: voice leading general; rules of melody; rules of spacing

(M) Triads, 7ths & figured bass assignment: Question 2 audio; Question 3 audio

(5)

Feb 24

Voice leading continued

Root position part writing

From R. Hutchinson: types of motion; objectional parallels; Voice ranges; root position part writing

(M) Diatonic chords assignment: Question 2 audio; Question 3 audio

(6)

March 3

Root position part writing continued

Harmonic progressions

(including 2nd level analysis)

Circle of 5ths progressions/jazz (pdf)

Hutchinson: circle of 5ths progression

(W) Voice leading assignment

(7)

March 10

Harmonic progressions continued

Midterm Exam preparation (W)

Midterm exam preparation guide

(M) Root position part writing assignment

(8)

March 17

Harmonic progressions continued (W)

(M) Midterm Exam (in class, open-note)

March 24 – 28: Spring Recess, No Class

(9)

March 31

NO CLASS ON MONDAY, MARCH 31 IN HONOR OF

CESAR CHAVEZ DAY

First inversion triads

Hutchinson: first inversion voice leading

Food for thought questions (do not turn in)

Second inversion triads

Hutchinson: second inversion voice leading; six-four chord types; summary of doubling 

Crosscheck sheet (do not turn in)

(W - Please note) Harmonic progressions assignment

                             to be submitted via email

(F) Keyboard Demonstration, via emailed video  (audio example)

(10)

April 7

Second Inversion triads continued

Cadences, phrases, periods

Hutchinson: cadences; motive; phrase; subphrase; phrases in combination

Food for thought questions (do not turn in)

Period Examples

(M) First inversion triads assigment

(11)

April 14

Cadences, phrases, periods continued

(M) Second inversion triads assignment: Clementi audio

(12)

April 21

Cadences, phrases, periods continued

Nonchord tones I

Hutchinson: nonchord tones

All the NCTs...(pdf)

(M) DRAFT of piano composition project due     Audio

The draft can be hand-written or computer-notated. It will not be graded, just marked with comments/suggestions, BUT it must be submitted in accordance with the standard homework deadline requirements

(13)

April 28

Nonchord tones I continued

Nonchord tones II

Embellishing a simple texture with all NCTs  *  (Audio)

The V7 chord

Hutchinson: voice leading 7th chords

Food for thought questions (do not turn in)

(M) cadences, phrases & periods, Minuet in G audio; Op. 13, ii audio

LISTEN TO THE EXAMPLES

MAKE SEPARATE DIAGRAMS

NAME THE FORMS!

(14)

May 5

II7 and VII7 Chords

Other diatonic 7th chords

Food for thought questions (do not turn in)

(M) Nonchord tones assignment   Audio

(15)

May 12

An introduction to modulation

Culminating Perspectives; Wrap-up

Last class: (W)

(M) 7th chords assignment, Bach WTC audio

(M) FINAL version of piano composition assignment due    Audio

Final Project Preparation Guide

(M, May 19) Final Project due

Extra Credit Assignment (pdf of score) (audio example)

Due by Friday, May 23, noon (via email)

COURSE OBJECTIVES

It is strongly recommended that you take/pass MUS 130, or pass out of the basic skills section of the School of Music’s placement evaluation.

This course focuses on diatonic harmony & structures associated with Western European and more-recent American & British music. The main source material will be from the 18th and 19th centuries, but more recent styles, such as jazz, rock, folk and pop will also be included - Bach to the Beatles and beyond! We will explore how harmony, melody, and counterpoint interrelate through four-part harmony textures (such as the Bach Chorale), but also through solo, chamber & orchestral settings, as well as modern-style lead sheet (chart) examples. The goal of this class is to enable students to analyze and/or compose music in the above-mentioned styles, and to have a command of the associated vocabulary.

Your written work will consist of a mixture between homework, exams, and separate composition/analysis projects.

RECOMMENDED TEXTBOOK

RECOMMENDED WEB TEXT

RECOMMENDED REFERENCE BOOKS

Tonal Harmony – Textbook, 7th, 8th or 9th Edition

Kostka/Payne, McGraw Hill

An e-book version is fine

Music Theory for the 21st-Century Classroom

Robert Hutchinson

A College-Level Music Dictionary:

Oxford, Harvard, etc.

A Music Notation Manual: Norton, Alfred, etc.

GRADING:  ALL GRADES WILL BE GIVEN AS A PERCENTAGE

Each assignment and exam will have its own grade. You can also look up your grades to date on Canvas, where information will be posted periodically in a spreadsheet. Grades are listed via an assigned alias to protect your privacy.

Attendance: 10%

Meaningful attendance (see class participation below) goes hand-in-hand with better learning and retention. Being in a classroom community on a regular basis can deepen one's experience with the material, where we can interact, ask questions, listen to music and each other, make connections, and support one and other. After the first week, there will be a sign-in sheet on the piano at the beginning of each Monday class. Latecomers can check in with me at the end of class. You are allowed three unexcused absences before it starts counting against your grade. Three unexcused late arrivals will count as one unexcused absence. For Wednesday remote classes, I will take attendance.

There are all kinds of good/reasonable excuses for missing class or being late, such as: religious holidays, being sick, caring for someone who is sick, a family emergency, occasional professional obligation, transportation problems, mental health concerns, etc. If you miss class or are late and have an excuse, I ask that you inform me as soon as possible (email is best). Out of respect for your privacy, if the excuse feels personal in nature, you do not have to be too specific. Similarly, I do not require doctor's notes and the like. We will rely on the honor system should you need to explain an absence or late arrival, but it is essential to communicate.

Class Participation/Communication: 5%

Participation means arriving/joining on time (unless it is beyond your control), being fully present and engaged, not behaving in a distracted or distracting manner (such as using electronic devices for non-class related reasons), and very-importantly, treating others with respect. Please practice professional-level communication during class, and in written correspondence.

Keyboard Performance Demonstration: 5% (audio example)

This can be done in person, or via an emailed video (or link to a video)

Piano composition assignment: 10%

Details will be announced.

Midterm Exam (in class): 10%

Details TBA

Final Project: 15%

Details TBA

Assignments: 45%

Assignments (on paper) are due on the day listed in the syllabus, by the end of class. Any exceptions will be specifically announced. Assignments will consist of mainly small analysis and composition-style exercises. Advance notification requesting an extension is fine in most cases, but unnotified late assignments are not automatically accepted. Please staple multiple-page assignments so nothing gets lost. The lowest two grades will be dropped (this does not apply to the midterm piano assignment). Homework collaboration option.

Redo Policy: Unless otherwise specified, I encourage you to redo any 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 (unless otherwise arranged). 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, please 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 exams, which cannot be redone.

**Please note: the above percentages are subject to redistribution**

Missed assignments, quizzes or exams: in the event of an unforeseen absence, make-up exams or assignment-extensions will be granted for extenuating circumstances on an individual basis. It is important that you notify me as soon as possible in cases like this.

Extra credit assignments (optional): may be assigned and will be announced in class and on the syllabus.

Letter grade breakdown by percentage points:

A = 93-100; A- = 90-92; B+ = 89-87; B = 86-83; B- = 82-80; C+ = 79-77; C = 76-73; C- = 72-70; D+ = 69-76; D = 66-63; D- = 62-60; F = 59-0

Plagiarism: While some collaboration is expected and productive, the bulk of your assignments and definitely any compositions 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 (a C- does NOT count) 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

ATTENDANCE AND (REMOTE) CLASSROOM GUIDELINES

Attendance is factored into your grade as stated above. It is your responsibility to get notes from any class you miss. Disruptive, distracting, or disrespectful behavior will not be tolerated and may result in you being asked to leave the classroom or a remote meeting (if the lecture is remote). 

COMMUNICATION

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. If 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.

REVISIONS TO THE SYLLABUS

The syllabus (including assignments, exam 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.  Please do not download the lecture notes and/or assignments all at once in case revisions are made.

NOTATION

In an ongoing effort to nurture your notation skills, all work handed in must be written in pencil, or printed from a tablet (i.e. still written by hand). Assignments using computer notation are not acceptable, unless arranged in advance. 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.

PRINTING MATERIALS FOR CLASS

Please plan to print required materials/assignments 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. All materials will be available through the web syllabus (and occasionally Canvas & emails) and will be PDF files.

Resilient Teaching & Learning Plan

Our campus community is often called to demonstrate compassionate resiliency by adapting and responding to a number of unexpected events, or disruptions, such as personal illness or injury, the COVID-19 pandemic, or unhealthy air quality and power outages due to wildfires. A disruption is a situation that will prevent you, me, or the entire class from participating in 'class as usual' for a reason we could not have predicted at the beginning of the semester.  Our goal as a learning community is to do our best to keep teaching and learning with as little interruption as possible.

If something along these lines happens, we should be able: to maintain communication and send assignments via email; use the web syllabus and Canvas to access assignments; possibly adjust the curriculum; use SFSU’s Zoom app to hold live meetings and/or view recorded lectures.

Most importantly, I am committed to supporting students when they are affected by uncontrollable circumstances in order to keep our in-person and virtual learning environments nurturing and inviting places.