MUSIC THEORY III – MUS 215 (FALL 2008)
Professor: Dr.
Stephen Peles Office: 251
Moody Music Building
Office phone: 348-1472 Office Hours: MW 2:00-3:00 and
by appointment
E-mail: speles@bama.ua.edu Assistants: Sallye
Jeffcoat, David Mahloch,
Danny
Holmes
Description and
Prerequisites: This course is a continuation
of MUS 115 and MUS 117, and has as a prerequisite both of those courses with a
grade no lower than C- in each.
In MUS 215 we continue what we began in MUS 115 and 117: the cumulative study of the tonal syntax of
the common-practice era. In 215 we shall
encounter more complex instances of chromaticism, but these instances are nonetheless
constrained by the principles of voice leading and harmonic progression studied
in those earlier courses. We shall also
be introducing a bit of elementary rhythmic theory.
Throughout 215 and 217 we place an increasing emphasis on analysis, as
a way of putting to use everything you’ve learned thus far in this course
sequence. The focus here will be on
short pieces by important composers of the era.
The musicianship component places an increasing emphasis on
dictation—identifying what you hear.
Learning Outcomes: By the end of the theory component of the
course you are expected to be able to (among other things):
describe the hierarchical relation between the surfaces of pieces and
the simpler prototypical structures of which those surfaces can be understood
as elaborations;
demonstrate an elementary understanding of the structural contributions
of rhythm, and the way aspects of rhythm such as duration and periodicity
influence our understanding of the pitch relations in a piece;
use roman numeral/figured bass analysis to describe the relevant
harmonic aspects of the structure of works whose harmonic vocabulary includes
an increased amount of chromaticism;
use the standard terminology of the discipline to describe the
phraseological structure of works in the simpler forms;
formulate analytical propositions based on observation and adduce
evidence and argument in support of those propositions.
Materials: Same as last year (bring with
you to all classes)
Textbooks: Harmony and Voice Leading, 3rd edition, Edward Aldwell & Carl
Schachter (hereafter “A&S”).
Other: music paper, note paper, pencils.
Grading
This course consists of two components: theory (MWF) and musicianship (TTh). You will receive a grade for each. Three fifths of your final grade for the course will be determined by the theory grade and two fifths by the musicianship grade. The theory component grade will be calculated as follows (for the musicianship grade please see the musicianship syllabus).
Homework assignments and
quizzes: 50%
Midterm exam: 20%
Final exam: 30%
In accordance with University of Alabama grading policy, final letter grades are assigned according to the following scale.
A+ = 97-100 A = 93-96 A- = 90-92
B+ = 87-89 B = 83-86 B- = 80-82
C+ = 77-79 C = 73-76 C- = 70-72
D+ = 67-69 D = 63-66 D- = 60-62
F = 0-59
Class
preparation and participation will be taken into account in the resolution of
borderline grades.
Course material is presented
in three forms: textbook readings, handouts,
and lectures. You are responsible for
all material, regardless of the medium of presentation. It is of utmost importance that you bring
note paper and music paper to class and take
notes. You are responsible for any
material presented in your absence; in the event that you are absent for a
lecture, be sure to get the notes for that class from a classmate.
Homework assignments,
reading assignments included, are listed on the schedule to follow on the day
they are DUE. All assignments are due at the beginning of class.
4 percentage points shall be
deducted from your final grade for any composition assignment not completed to
my satisfaction.
No make-up quizzes are given. Homework grades will be reduced by 5 percentage points for each day the homework is late; in no case will late homework be accepted after the assignment in question has been corrected and returned to the class.
Attendance
and Grading Policies:
If you arrive
late after roll has been taken I reserve the right to mark you absent.
Students will be allowed 6
absences for theory and 4 absences
for musicianship. There is no
distinction between excused and unexcused absences, so you do not need to show
me notes, doctor’s excuses, and so forth.
You are responsible for any material presented during your absence.
Two percentage points shall
be deducted from the final course grade for each unexcused absence in excess of
the above-stated numbers. Any student who misses more than 20% of the total
number of classes (theory and musicianship combined) is advised to withdraw
from the course. Failure to do so will
result in a grade of F. Please do not
ask me how many absences you have had:
it is up to you to keep track of your own absences; I do not compile
that data until the end of semester when I calculate grades.
Cell phones and pagers must
be turned off before the start of class.
To request disability accommodations, please contact Disabilities Services (348-4285). After initial arrangements are made with that office, contact your instructors.
Academic misconduct by students includes all acts of dishonesty in any
academically related matter and any knowing or intentional help or attempt to help,
or conspiracy to help, another student commit an act of academic
dishonesty. Academic dishonesty
includes, but is not limited to, each of the following acts when performed in
any type of academic or academically related matter, exercise or activity.
1. Cheating – using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, study aids, or computer-related information.
2. Plagiarism – representing the
words, data, works, ideas, computer program or output, or anything not
generated in an authorized fashion, as one’s own.
3. Fabrication – presenting as
genuine any invented or falsified citation or material.
4. Misrepresentation –
falsifying, altering, or misstating the contents of documents or other
materials related to academic matters, including schedules, prerequisites, and
transcripts.
Schedule*
Aug. 20 "
Aug. 22 "
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Aug. 25 "
Aug. 27 "
Aug. 29 " HW 1
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Sept. 1 No
Class—Labor Day
Sept. 3 "
Sept. 5 " HW 2
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Sept. 8 Leading-Tone Seventh Chords A & S Chap. 22
Sept. 10 "
Sept. 12 " HW 3
____________________________________________________________________________________
Suspensions and Other Aspects of Tonal
Rhythm/Aspects of Form
Sept. 15 A&S
Chap. 21
Sept. 17 QUIZ
"
Sept. 19 " HW 4
____________________________________________________________________________________
Sept. 22 "
Sept. 24 "
Sept. 26 " HW 5
____________________________________________________________________________________
Other
Sources of Chromaticism
Sept. 29 Mixture
Oct. 1 QUIZ
" A&S Chap. 23
Oct. 3 " HW 6
____________________________________________________________________________________
More On Seventh Chords
Oct. 6 Miscellaneous
Uses of 7th Chords
Oct. 8 " A&S Chap. 24
HW
7
Oct. 10 No class—Mid-semester
Study Break
____________________________________________________________________________________
Oct. 13 MIDTERM EXAM
Oct. 15 MIDTERM EXAM
Oct. 17 Review
of Exam
____________________________________________________________________________________
Oct. 20 Review
of Exam
Oct. 22 7th
Chords with Added Dissonance
Oct. 24 A&S Chap. 27
HW
8
Composition HW 1
____________________________________________________________________________________
Oct. 27 "
Oct. 29 QUIZ "
Oct. 31 " HW
9
____________________________________________________________________________________
Chromatic
Approaches to the Dominant
Nov. 3 The Neapolitan 6th A&S Chap. 28
Nov. 5 "
Nov. 7 " HW 10
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Nov. 10 Augmented 6th Chords A&S Chap. 29
Nov. 12 QUIZ "
Nov. 14 " HW
11
Composition HW 2
____________________________________________________________________________________
Nov. 17 "
Nov. 19 "
Nov. 21 " HW
12
____________________________________________________________________________________
Nov. 24 QUIZ "
Nov. 26 No class—Thanksgiving
vacation
Nov. 28 No class—Thanksgiving
vacation
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Dec. 1 "
Dec. 3 "
Dec. 5 "
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