Download MUS 1110: Elementary Harmony, Counterpoint, and Ethnic Music

MUS 1110:
Elementary Harmony, Counterpoint, and Ethnic Music Writing
Description
This course is designed for students who have a background in music as one of the subjects
offered for the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) or the equivalent or a good
diploma certificate in which music was a specialization. The course builds on the introductory
courses in harmony that students offered at UACE and diploma training. It equips students with
elementary skills in harmony, counterpoint, orchestration, and ethnic music writing, and music
transcription. The course offers a strong theoretical and practical component all geared towards
giving background to music composition.
Objectives
1.
To review the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) music composition
skills.
2.
To enhance the techniques of counterpoint writing in western art music
3.
To enhance skills of transcription and ethnic music writing
4.
To enhance skills in writing for both western musical and ethnic music
Course Outline
Western Music
Topic 1:
Key Signatures
•
Sharp and Flats Keys
•
Major and Minor
•
As written on treble, alto, tenor, and bass clefs
Topic 2:
Types of Intervals
•
Perfect
•
Major
•
Minor
•
Diminished and Doubly Diminished
•
Augmented and Doubly Augmented
•
Inversions of Intervals
Topic 3:
Triads
•
Root, Third, and Fifth of Triads
•
Major, Minor, Diminished, and Augmented Triads
•
Inversions of Triads
•
Types of Triads Built on Scale Degrees (i.e. Tonic, Super Tonic, Mediant etc. or I, II, III
etc.) of Both Major and Minor Keys
•
Open and Close Positions of Triads
Topic 4:
Tonality and Modality
•
In Major and Minor Keys
•
Tonal and Modal Tones
•
Tonal and Modal Triads
Topic 5:
Motion
•
Similar
•
Parallel
•
Contrary
•
Oblique
Topic 6:
Harmonic Progression
•
Voice-leading Principles
•
Root Position Progression in Four Part Harmony;
•
Treatment of the Tritone, and Leading Tone
•
Harmonic Functions of each Scale Degree Triad in Root Position in Both the Major and
Minor Modes
Topic 7:
Phrase Beginnings and Endings
•
Cadences: Perfect, Imperfect, Deceptive or Interrupted, Plagal
Topic 8:
Harmonizing in Four-parts
•
When Given Soprano or Bass Part/the Figured Bass
Topic 9:
Writing for Strings (Violin, Viola, Cello, and Double Bass)
•
Musical Terminologies Associated Used
•
Clefs, Range, and Performance Possibilities
•
Single, Double, Triple, and Quadruple Stopping
•
Positions (First, Second etc.)
•
Orchestrating a Chorale for Strings
Topic 10:
Harmonic Function of Sixth Chords:
•
The Tonic, Super-tonic, Mediant, Sub-dominant, Dominant, Sub-mediant, and Leading
Tone in Both Major and Minor Keys
Topic 11:
Modulation
•
In Major Keys to the Dominant, Sub-dominant and Relative minor
•
In Minor Keys to the Dominant, Sub-dominant and Relative Major
Ugandan Ethnic Music
Topic 12:
Classifications of Musical Instruments
•
Aerophones, Membranophones, Chordophones, Idiophones and examples of Ugandan
ethnic instruments
Topic 13:
The Pentatonic Scales
•
Intervallic Relationship of Scale Degrees
•
The Equidistant Pentatonic Scale
Topic 14:
Forms of Ugandan Ethnic Music
•
Strophic
•
Strophic-modified
•
Super-imposition
•
Partial Super-imposition
•
Full Super-imposition
•
Leader and Response
•
Recitatives
Topic 15:
Rhythmic and Intonation Aspects of Ethnic Languages in Uganda
•
Natural Use of Text and Ethnic Music
Topic 16:
Transcription of Ethnic Play Songs
•
Fitting Text to Music;
•
Breaking Syllables in A Word;
•
Erasing Vowels in Adjacent Words
Topic 17:
Simple Score Arrangements for Ethnic Music
•
Leader and Response
•
Voice and Drums
•
Appropriation of Clefs in Ethnic Music Transcriptions
•
Guidelines for Ordering Ethnic Instruments on A Score
Learning Outcomes
i.
Ability to use triads in both root position and first inversion, and even effect modulation
in order to musically harmonize a given soprano or bass line in four parts
ii.
Ability to arrange a given chorale/hymn for a string orchestra
iii. Ability to transcribe an ethnic children’s play song, and arrange it on a score for leader,
response, and drums
iv.
Ability to recognize the different rhythms and intonation of ethnic texts
v.
Ability to break words in ethnic languages in syllables
Methods of Teaching/Delivery
Lectures, tutorials, demonstrations, singing, group and individual assignments, and individual
instruction
Modes of Assessment
Course work
•
Attendance and Participation in class Discussions: 5%
•
Weekly composition assignments: 20%
•
Mid-semester test: 15%
Final examination
Written: 60%
Selected Readings
1. Charles Horton and Lawrence Ritche. 2000. Harmony Through Melody. New York:
Ardsley House Publishers.
2. Gauldin, Robert. 1995. A Practical Approach to Eighteenth-Century Counterpoint.
Waveland Press.
3. Schachter, Carl. Hedi Siegel. 1999. Schenker Studies 2: Cambridge Composer Studies.
Cambridge:Cambridge University Press.
4. Wilson, Mortimer. 2009. The Rhetoric of Music: Harmony, Counterpoint, Musical Form.
New York: BiblioLife.