production
Skip to Content

MU1557: INTRODUCTION TO MUSIC THEORY AND HARMONY (2023-2024)

Last modified: 23 Jul 2024 10:43


Course Overview

 In this course, basic concepts of Western tonal music such as primary triads, cadences, idiomatic chord progressions, and voice leading are taught using exercises in harmonic analysis, figured bass, and part writing. More advanced concepts such as secondary dominants and chromatically-altered chords are also introduced. In parallel to lectures and seminars, students will work with software designed to reinforce key concepts such as clefs, intervals, key signatures, and scale structures.

Course Details

Study Type Undergraduate Level 1
Term Second Term Credit Points 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits)
Campus Aberdeen Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Christina Homer

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

  • Any Undergraduate Programme
  • Either Programme Level 1 or Programme Level 2

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

Course Aims

This ten week course is designed to provide a fundamental knowledge of how music works and to ensure musical parity in all students as they progress to the later years and more advanced sections of the degree.The course deals, in the main, with harmony and counterpoint, the lexicon of music, musical appreciation and introduces basic musicology and composition.

Main Learning Outcomes

1) To demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the fundamental concepts of Western tonal music
2) To apply methods of aural and written analysis to all musical endeavours
3) To be able to use notation effectively and (where appropriate) with performers
4) To demonstrate knowledge and understanding of various approaches and methods, with particular understanding of practices and idioms of music in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries
5) To be able to use skills developed in more formal compositional contexts and to deploy techniques learned effectively
6) To have the musical 'tools' that can be applied to all musical endeavours
7) To give all students the confidence, belief and skills to progress in the later stages of the degree



Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 30 August 2024 for 1st term courses and 20 December 2024 for 2nd term courses.

Summative Assessments

Exam

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 50
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

Look up Week Numbers

Feedback
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
Sorry, we don't have this information available just now. Please check the course guide on MyAberdeen or with the Course Coordinator

Portfolio of Assignments

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 50
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

Look up Week Numbers

Feedback

Oral feedback on work in lectures and tutorials. Written feedback on submitted work. Students can obtain face to face feedback on work from course-coordinator during Office Hours.

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
Sorry, we don't have this information available just now. Please check the course guide on MyAberdeen or with the Course Coordinator

Formative Assessment

There are no assessments for this course.

Resit Assessments

Re-submission of failed elements

Assessment Type Summative Weighting
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

Look up Week Numbers

Feedback
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
Sorry, we don't have this information available just now. Please check the course guide on MyAberdeen or with the Course Coordinator

Course Learning Outcomes

Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
FactualRememberILO’s for this course are available in the course guide.

Compatibility Mode

We have detected that you are have compatibility mode enabled or are using an old version of Internet Explorer. You either need to switch off compatibility mode for this site or upgrade your browser.