MUS 368L: REVIEW OF MUSIC THEORY

MUS 368L: REVIEW OF MUSIC THEORY Fall 2005

Unique# 21385 Meets MWF 2:00-3:00 in MRH 2.604

Instructor: David Neumeyer

Office: MRH 3.748 phone:471-7346

Office hours: MWF 1:00-1:45 or by appointment. If you need to make an appointment at another time, call or write me an email message. Please do not ask Stephen Wray for class-related appointments during Graduate Office hours.

Object:

1. To bring skills in chord reading, harmonic functional analysis, and analysis of small-scale formal designs (phrase/period/sentence, small binary, small ternary) up to the level needed for MUS 688a: Analytical Techniques.

2. To develop a clear understanding of the rondeau and rondo designs.

3. To study the treatment of extended tertian chords and related sonorities in music of the early twentieth century.

Supplies:

1. There is no textbook to purchase. We will use the Library's electronic reserves system for all class materials. I will provide more information about access and password in class. The class eRes site contains a document called "368L Summary" that provides core information and some examples.

2. Music manuscript paper (perhaps 30-40 sheets) for work in class.

3. Pencils for work in class.

Your responsibilities:

1. Class attendance. This class focuses on review of information and improvement of skills, not on new material. Much of the work of the course will be done during our class sessions; review is like an exercise program and at this point you don't need to be told how to do a work-out, you just need to "show up at the gym" on a regular basis. Therefore, regular class attendance is essential, and to enforce that requirement I will take attendance in every class. In the manner of an undergraduate class, you will be allowed six absences throughout the semester. The final grade will drop by one letter grade for each additional absence. In other words, plan your schedule to attend regularly, or drop the course. Absences for School of Music group trips, out-of-town recitals, or auditions are counted as part of the six allowed absences, not in addition to them, so plan your schedule accordingly.

2. Reading. There are no special readings for this class; the 368L Summary is for your reference.

3. Quizzes. Ten quizzes on harmony count 4 points each. Five of these quizzes will be scheduled; the other five will be "pop" quizzes. See the Schedule section below for the weeks when quizzes will be given.

4. Ten assignments on form count 4 points each. These will be due on Mondays – see the Schedule section for the the weeks when assignments are due. If you receive a grade of 3 points, you may correct the assignment and hand it in again for re-grading. If you receive a poor grade (2 points or less) on an assignment, you may ask for an alternate assignment to replace it.

5. Midterm exam on harmony. This will count 20 points.

6. There is no final exam in this course.

7. A "diagnostic exam" will be given on Friday 16 September. I may make individual accommodations for some students based on the results of this exam. This exam is not counted in the course grade. I recommend that all of you take this exam, but if you decide not to, you may skip the class that day without penalty.

8. The final grade, then, is based on

10 quizzes @ 4 points = 40;

10 assignments @ 4 points = 40; and

one midterm exam at 20 points.

Or: 40 + 40 + 20 = 100.

Other information related to grading and my policies:

1. I grade on a percentage scale (in other words, I don't use a curve).

2. I will accept late assignments without docking points only during the week in which the work was due -- so, for example, you can hand in assignments due on Monday as late as Friday without losing points. After that the grade is "F" -- only exception is for documented medical emergency.

3. I do not offer extra credit options to raise the final grade or to avert failing the course.

4. I do not give incompletes except for documented medical emergency. In particular, I do not give incompletes as a way of avoiding a failing grade -- because of the steady flow of quizzes and assignments, you should know long before the end of semester if you are in danger of failing.

5. I will accept assignments only if they are handed in during class or by some other means through prior arrangement. I will not accept assignments handed in by other students, except through prior arrangement. I do not accept assignments as email attachments.

6. I do not give make-up quizzes, even for medical emergency. When I calculate the final grade, I will give everyone one "free" quiz grade of 4 points. For those who have taken all ten quizzes, the lowest grade will be converted to 4 points. For those who have missed one or more quizzes, one of those quizzes will be counted at 4 points.

Schedule:

Note: The content of the course is very roughly ordered as diatonic harmony, chromatic harmony, and form analysis, but since this is a review class, I will not isolate each topic – so, for example, even in the first two weeks we will look at passages with secondary dominants and discuss phrase and period design.

W August 31 - F September 2:

M September 5: Labor Day: no class

W September 7 – F 9: Quiz this week

M September 12 - F 16: "diagnostic exam" on Friday 16

M September 19 - W 22: Assignment due

F September 24: no class (I will be out of town).

M September 26 - F 30: Quiz this week; assignment due

--NOTE: SEPTEMBER 28 WEDNESDAY. Last day to drop a course without a possible academic penalty.

M October 3 - F 7: Quiz this week; assignment due

M October 10 - F 15: Quiz this week; assignment due

M October 17 - F 21: Midterm exam

M October 24 - W 26: Quiz this week; assignment due

F October 28: no class (AMS conference)

M October 31 -- F November 4: Quiz this week; assignment due

M November 7 - W 9: Quiz this week; assignment due

F November 11: no class (SMT conference)

M November 14 - F 18: Assignment due

M November 21 - W 23: Quiz this week; assignment due

F November 25: no class meeting

M November 28 - F December 2: Quiz this week; assignment due

M December 5 - F 9: Quiz this week

W December 14 - T December 20, final exams. There is no final exam in this course.

The University of Texas at Austin provides upon request appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact the Office of the Dean of Students at 471-6259, 471-4641 TTY.