MUSIC THEORY I

MTC – 161 – 002 and 005

Instructor: Dr. Jean Roberts

Fall 2010

Email: jx4rob@mindspring.com robertsj1@sfasu.edu

Office phone: 936-469-7663 Home phone: 936-205-4114

Office Room 250c Office Hours TBA and by appointment

Class meeting time and place Section 005: T-Th 8:00 – 9:15 a.m. Room 153

Section 002: T-Th 11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Room 275

Textbooks and Materials Kostka and Payne, Tonal Harmony (6th Edition)

textbook and workbook with CD. There is a CD that goes along with the textbook

but is not included in the price. It is recommended that you buy it in addition to

the text. The textbook and workbook must be brought to class everyday.

Supplies Manuscript paper, binder for organizing handouts, homework, etc.,

pencils (no pens).

Course Description 2 semester hours, 2 1/2 hours lecture per week Must be

taken concurrently with MTC 151. This course constitutes the first semester of the

4-semester sequence in music theory for music majors. Practically speaking, our

aim is to master the grammar and structures of common practice tonality. Your

immediate goal is to master and apply acquired knowledge of musical systems and

analytic methods to your specific discipline – be it performance, education,

business/production, scholarship or composition – with the larger goal of becoming

a skilled, culturally- and critically-informed professional.

Program Learning Outcome (Music Theory and Aural Skills)

Student will demonstrate the ability to hear, identify, and work conceptually with

the melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic elements of music, including sight-singing

and analysis.

Theory I Student Outcomes

Through homework assignments, quizzes and tests, students are responsible to

demonstrate the ability to:

Notate pitches and rhythms correctly.

Identify and create key signatures in major and minor.

Identify and create major and minor scales.

Identify and create specific intervals.

Identify and create diatonic chords in all inversions.

Realize chords from figured bass.

Identify and differentiate between different types of cadences.

Provide Roman numeral analysis of triadic, diatonic progressions.

Identify and differentiate between different types of non-chord tones.

Create three- and four-part chorale settings that exhibit proper voice leading.

Course Requirements

Daily activities will include lectures and in-class implementation of concepts.

Evaluation methods include short quizzes (announced and unannounced), daily

homework assignments, and midterm and final exams.

General Grading Policy

Homework: 20%

Quizzes: 40%

Midterm 20%

Final Exam 20%

Attendance: (see below)

Grading Scale

A = 90–100%

B = 80–89%

C = 70–79

D = 60–69

F = below 59

ACCORDING TO SFA POLICY,

A MINIMUM GRADE OF ‘C’ IS REQUIRED TO PASS THEORY 1

Homework

Homework must be complete by the beginning of the class period. Credit is given

only to assignments that are completely finished. No late homework will be

accepted for credit unless there is a legitimate excuse or special permission is

given. Any and all homework and other assignments will be corrected (if

requested) at any time. IF YOU MISS CLASS IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY

TO FIND OUT WHAT THE ASSIGNMENT IS AND COMPLETE IT ON TIME.

Late Assignment Policy

No late assignments will be accepted without an excuse (see Attendance policy).

Failure to attend class is not an excuse for a late assignment.

Quizzes and Tests

No makeups will be given unless there is a legitimate excuse such as a medical

note from doctor or a family funeral. If you are sick, email me or let me know as

soon as possible. You are allowed one missed quiz. After that an F will be entered

for any additional missed quizzes.

Attendance Policy

Absence from class is never a valid or wise excuse for a lack of knowledge about

course requirements, assignments, and deadlines. When the student has

foreknowledge of absence, s/he is expected to consult the instructor proactively

regarding assignments and deadlines prior to missing class. If the student cannot

promptly contact the instructor to communicate and obtain necessary information,

please make every attempt to do so as soon as possible. Absences are assessed on a

case-by-case basis.

Excused Absences

In order to receive an excused absence for illness, injury or other extenuating

circumstance, the student must:

SUBMIT AN OFFICIAL, DATED NOTE FROM DOCTOR, PARENT,

SUPERVISOR; DOCUMENTATION MUST BE SUBMITTED PROMPTLY.

If the student is absent more than one class period, s/he must first attempt to

NOTIFY THE INSTRUCTOR DIRECTLY BY PHONE BEFORE the second

class period of absence. If the instructor cannot be reached, leave a voice

message and/or notify the School of Music office as soon as possible. Email

notification is the last, not first, method of contact!

Unexcused Absences

EACH STUDENT IS PERMITTED ONLY TWO UNEXCUSED ABSENCES

through the course of the semester without penalty. This restriction does not

include university functions which the student may occasionally be expected to

attend during class. After the permitted two absences, EACH UNEXCUSED

ABSENCE LOWERS THE STUDENT’S CUMULATIVE FINAL GRADE

BY 3%.

Tardiness

Three tardy arrivals equal one absence.

Extensive and habitual tardiness will adversely affect your final grade. Late arrival to

class is discouraged because

CLASSES WILL LIKELY BEGIN WITH QUIZZES THAT COUNT

TOWARD PARTICIPATION AND CANNOT BE RETAKEN OR MADE-UP

AT ANOTHER TIME.

Academic Integrity (A-9.1)

Academic integrity is a responsibility of all university faculty and students. Faculty members

promote academic integrity in multiple ways including instruction on the components of

academic honesty, as well as abiding by university policy on penalties for cheating and

plagiarism.

Definition of Academic Dishonesty

Academic dishonesty includes both cheating and plagiarism. Cheating includes but is not limited

to (1) using or attempting to use unauthorized materials to aid in achieving a better grade on a

component of a class; (2) the falsification or invention of any information, including citations, on

an assigned exercise; and/or (3) helping or attempting to help another in an act of cheating or

plagiarism. Plagiarism is presenting the words or ideas of another person as if they were your

own. Examples of plagiarism are (1) submitting an assignment as if it were one's own work

when, in fact, it is at least partly the work of another; (2) submitting a work that has been

purchased or otherwise obtained from an Internet source or another source; and (3) incorporating

the words or ideas of an author into one's paper without giving the author due credit.

Please read the complete policy at http://www.sfasu.edu/policies/academic_integrity.asp

CLASS POLICY: Plagiarism will result in a zero grade for that assignment. Continued instances

of plagiarism may result in failure of the course.

Withheld Grades Semester Grades Policy (A-54)

Ordinarily, at the discretion of the instructor of record and with the approval of the academic

chair/director, a grade of WH will be assigned only if the student cannot complete the course

work because of unavoidable circumstances. Students must complete the work within one

calendar year from the end of the semester in which they receive a WH, or the grade

automatically becomes an F. If students register for the same course in future terms the WH will

automatically become an F and will be counted as a repeated course for the purpose of

computing the grade point average.

Students with Disabilities

To obtain disability related accommodations, alternate formats and/or auxiliary aids, students

with disabilities must contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS), Human Services Building,

and Room 325, 468-3004 / 468-1004 (TDD) as early as possible in the semester. Once verified,

ODS will notify the course instructor and outline the accommodation and/or auxiliary aids to be

provided. Failure to request services in a timely manner may delay your accommodations. For

additional information, go to http://www.sfasu.edu/disabilityservices/.

Acceptable Student Behavior

Classroom behavior should not interfere with the instructor’s ability to conduct the class or the

ability of other students to learn from the instructional program (see the Student Conduct

Code, policy D-34.1). Unacceptable or disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. Students who

disrupt the learning environment may be asked to leave class and may be subject to judicial,

academic or other penalties. This prohibition applies to all instructional forums, including

electronic, classroom, labs, discussion groups, field trips, etc. The instructor shall have full

discretion over what behavior is appropriate/inappropriate in the classroom. Students who do not

attend class regularly or who perform poorly on class projects/exams may be referred to the

Early Alert Program. This program provides students with recommendations for resources or

other assistance that is available to help SFA students succeed.

Preliminary Class Schedule, Theory 1

WEEK 1 (8/31-9/2) Course Introduction; Begin Chapter 1: Pitch

Fundamentals

WEEK 2 (9/7-9)

WEEK 3 (9/14-16) Chapter 2: Rhythm Fundamentals

WEEK 4 (9/21-23)

WEEK 5 (9/28-30) Chapter 3: Triads and Seventh Chords

WEEK 6 (10/5-7)

WEEK 7 (10/12-14) Chapter 4: Diatonic Chords in Major and Minor

Keys

WEEK 8 (10/19-21) Midterm Exam

WEEK 9 (10/26-28) Chapter 5: Principles of Voice Leading

WEEK 10 (11/2-4)

WEEK 11 (11/9-11) Chapter 6: Root Position Part Writing

WEEK 12 (11/16-18)

WEEK 13 (11/23) Chapter 7: Harmonic Progression

11/25 No Class – Thanksgiving

WEEK 14 (11/30-12/2)

WEEK 15 (12/7-9) Chapter 8: Triads in First Inversion

12/16 (THURS) Final Exam

8 am class 8:00-10:00 a.m.

11 am class 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.