Assignments are listed in reverse chronological order.
Assignments will be added over the course of the quarter for each upcoming class session.
Revise your composition based on the comments by TA and professor. Rehearse your composition with your partner. Make any revisions that seem wise based on what you learned in rehearsal. Rehearse some more, till it sounds great.
Come to the final session on time (or even a bit early to warm up), ready immediately to perform your composition and that of your partner composer. Note that the scheduled time and location for the final session are different from the normal class meetings. The final session is Tuesday December 16, 10:30-12:30 in Music and Media 218. It's likely that the session will run overtime in order for us to hear all the pieces, so plan to stay till about 1:30 pm.
Bring a completed final copy of your score to turn in to the professor at the beginning of the session.
Practice all the musicianship assignments given throughout the quarter. Come on time to your designated musicianship testing time. You'll be asked to perform one of the assigned drills in a key chosen by the TA, to sing a previously unseen melody (predominantly diatonic but with some simple chromaticism), and to sing a notated rhythm while tapping the beat.
For Thursday December 11, 2014
Review the page of likely final exam topics. Follow all the hyperlinks on that page, review the materials that are linked to, and practice all the exercises.
The final written theory exam will be given in class.
Review the page of likely final exam topics. Follow all the hyperlinks on that page, review the materials that are linked to, and practice all the exercises.
Rehearse your composition with your partner.
Turn in a completed score of your composition project. The composition should be at least 32 measures long, for a duo consisting of yourself and one other musician, and should follow the theoretical principles of chord progression, voice leading, and use of non-chord tones that we have studied in the class. Include analysis of the intended harmonies, and indicate what you consider to be the non-chord tones, to help us evaluate your work. You can produce the score with computer or by hand; either is acceptable, but if you do it by hand, please hand in a xerox copy or a scan of your score rather than the original, so we won't lose the only existing copy of your piece. You can turn in your score in either of two ways: 1) electronically in the EEE DropBox called "Composition", as a .sib, .mus, or .pdf file, or as any standard graphic file containing a scan of your handwritten score, or 2) on paper in class.
Schedule a rehearsal with your partner, to take place within the next six days.
Practice singing the exercise containing all the thirds in a harmonic minor scale in different keys, substituting note names in place of the solfège syllables.
Practice the given two chromatic melodies and be prepared to sing them in class. What do you think is the rhythmic implication of the marking "Tempo di Blues"?
1) Read about binary form and (especially) sonata form on Wikipedia and in your textbook (Harmonic Practice in Tonal Music by Robert Gauldin, 2nd edition), pp. 429-432 and 558-569. Consider how binary form and sonata form are related to each other, and how they are related to a piece you have already studied: the Sarabande from J.S. Bach's Partita No. 1 in B minor.
2) Listen to, and study the score of, the first movement of Symphony No. 5 in C minor by Ludwig van Beethoven.
3) Identify the primary and secondary key areas and melodic themes/motives in the exposition. How does the composer get from one to the other? What are the most obvious ways in which the recapitulation differs from the exposition?
4) Practice singing the viola part on pp. 9 and 10 of the score. Print out those pages (they're pages 13 and 14 of the PDF file) and bring them to class, prepared to sing the viola part.
5) Identify at least one spot where Beethoven employs a secondary diminished seventh chord, and at least one spot where he employs an augmented sixth chord.
6) If you still feel shaky in your understanding of diminished seventh chords, review the discussion of the leading tone seventh chord in your textbook (Harmonic Practice in Tonal Music by Robert Gauldin, 2nd edition), on pp. 323-333.
7) For guidance in your own composition project, read the document titled Music 16D Composition Project: Getting Started and study all the examples given, to get some guidance and suggestions for your own composition project.
1) Print out the two-page PDF document of melodies for sightsinging. Practice singing these melodies, using a) note names (C, D, E, etc.), b) solfège syllables (la-based for minor keys), and c) scale degrees (1, 2, 3, etc., no need to state the alterations). Focus especially on the melodies notated in alto and tenor clefs to make sure you know what note name you're singing; and of course, do the other melodies, too. The main goals are: a) to become fluent in reading alto and tenor clefs, b) have a solid feeling for where the pitches of the tonic triad are so that you can find other pitches in relation to those, and c) to detect the harmonic implications of the melodies and use that information to help you sing the correct pitches.
2) Spend time each day practicing singing the exercise containing all the thirds in a major scale in different keys, substituting note names in place of the solfège syllables.
3) Begin composing your final composition/performance project. The composition should be no less than 32 measures long, for two players. The piece may be in either jazz or classical harmonic language, and regardless of the harmonic style it should follow good classical principles of counterpoint, harmony, and voice-leading as discussed in class. Every note in the piece should demonstrably belong to a particular intended chord or should be a properly-handled non-chord tone (passing tone, neighbor tone, suspension, or appoggiatura).
The first step is to consult the list of composers and their partners to see for whom you (as composer) will be writing. The two of you will perform the piece, so the instrumentation of the piece will of course be determined by what instruments the two of you play. The next step (for you as the composer) is to make an appointment with your partner for as soon as possible to learn as much as possible about their instrument: range, clef, transposition if any, types of sounds they can produce, what they can and can't do well, what they like to do, etc. Ask them to recommend one or two simple pieces you could study to learn more about the instrument.
Before you begin actually writing notes, give some thought to the formal structure you want to use, the total length of the piece, its tempo, mood, harmonic structure, etc. If you're writing for voice you may want to choose a text, but you are also welcome just to write for non-text syllables (such as ah, la, etc.). You might well decide to model your own composition closely on some existing piece. That's okay, as long as you identify the piece that is the model for your own work, give credit to the composer, and do not actually plagiarize anyone else's work. In other words, you can borrow concepts, formal structures, etc. from another work, duly credited, but you should not use any actual excerpts or quotes from existing works.
The composition is due Thursday December 4. Set a regular daily regimen of composition time for yourself so that you don't procrastinate. (If you compose at least four measures of music per day, you should complete your piece on time.)
For Thursday November 20, 2014
Practice the polyrhythms 3:7, 5:3, and 5:4 in preparation for the guest presentation by composer Michael Dessen.
On your instrument, practice playing these two bass lines from a composition by Michael Dessen. If you'd like to play with him, bring your instrument to class.
Plan to attend the concert of jazz chamber groups Wednesday November 19 at 8:00 pm in Winifred Smith Hall.
Plan to attend the concert by the UCI Symphony Friday November 21 at 8:00 pm in the Irvine Barclay Theatre.
And, last but certainly not least, plan to attend the concert by the Michael Dessen Trio Saturday November 22 at 8:00 pm in Winifred Smith Hall. Also, you'll want to attend the workshop "Composing for Improvisers and Improvising with Composers"presented by the trio discussing their improvisational processes and their work with technology Saturday November 22 at 4:00 pm in Winifred Smith Hall.
Study the list of twenty facts about the diminished seventh chord.
Print out these three pages from the workbook accompanying Gauldin's Harmonic Practice in Tonal Music and complete all the exercises on those pages. Turn in your homework in class, or via the EEE DropBox called "LT7spelling".
[Extra Credit: If you just can't get enough of diminished seventh chords, and/or you think you need extra credit to boost your grade, to strengthen your understanding of enharmonic spellings of diminished seventh chords (different ways of writing the same chord to imply different functions), print out and complete the worksheet on enharmonic spellings of diminished seventh chords. This one's a bit of a brain-twister, but it will familiarize you with the role of the diminished seventh chords and the interrelationship of the different spellings of the same chord. (After all, there are really only three different diminished seventh chords.) You can turn in this extra credit assignment in class, or via the EEE DropBox "LT7enharmonic".]
Study the tutorial worksheet that describes any easy method for calculating polyrhythms. Practice the rhythms in the usual way, by tapping the beat and singing the upper line; then practice by tapping both lines, one with each hand. Memorize the notation of each one (as shown in the next-to-last measure of each system) and the composite rhythm of each one (as shown in the last measure of each system).
Use the same process to calculate, notate, and learn the ratios 2:5, 3:5, 4:5, 5:2, 5:3, and 5:4. Turn in a copy of your notation in class, or via the EEE DropBox called "Quintuples".
Practice the drill for lower chromatic neighbor tones and appoggiaturas. The goal is to hear the leading tone to each note of the diatonic major scale. Replace the solfège syllables with note names, singing the drill in different keys.
Once you have mastered that drill, try this very similar drill for lower chromatic appoggiaturas, imagining the resolution note before singing the appoggiatura. Replace the solfège syllables with note names, singing the drill in different keys.
Practice and master the four melodies provided on this page. For each difficult part, decide on a mental strategy that works best for you -- recognizing a known chord type, thinking of a note as chromatic neighbor to something known, octave displacement, etc. -- so that you know how you can best interpret the written notes in order to hear them in your head.
For Thursday November 13, 2014
1. Study the choral setting by Johannes Brahms of the folk song "In stiller Nacht". Listen to a recording of it, practice playing it on the piano, and practice singing each of the parts, so that you have a good sense of both harmony and melody in the arrangement.
Print out the score and write in a Roman numeral analysis of the harmony. For the most part it's very straightforward and diatonic, but there are a few specific spots where Brahms employs chromaticism. Analyze those spots carefully, and try to find the best designation/explanation for the existence of those chords. Come to class prepared to sing the song (any part), and to discuss how you think the chromatic chords function and why you think Brahms chose to harmonize the piece in that way. You can hand in your analysis in class, or you can submit it electronically in the EEE DropBox called "BrahmsAnalysis".
2. Practice and master this rhythm drill which requires precise and accurate division of the beat in all possible divisions up to 8 (32nd notes). Use a metronome to ensure that your beat rate stays constant; practice at a moderate tempo, and also practice decreasing the tempo until you are doing it very slowly (always with the metronome), to ensure that you know the correct rate for each division of the beat.
Once you have mastered that, try leaping arbitrarily from one beat to another in the exercise, so that you get experience shifting from each type of division to every other type of division.
3. Practice singing this more advanced arpeggiation exercise in every key, singing the note names. First memorize the progression (be able to imagine the Roman numerals as they occur) and the way the melody outlines that progression (note how the tune states each note of the intended chord), then use that knowledge to transpose the tune in your mind to each other key.
4. Practice and master these three triadic melodies.
There will be no class meeting, in observance of Veteran's Day.
Take note of your individual musicianship test time and location, and appear on time for your musicianship test. No make-up test will be allowed except in the case of an officially excused absence.
In preparation for the midterm exam, review every assignment given up to this point in the course. Go over all readings, lecture notes, and assignments to make sure you understand them fully. You will be tested on these topics in the theory exam on Thursday. Practice every musicianship drill and exercise, both rhythmic and melodic. You will be expected to perform any of them in the musicianship test on Friday. Come to class on time, ready to take your midterm exam. No make-up test will be allowed except in the case of an officially excused absence.
In the online article Transforming Music Study from its Foundations: A Manifesto for Progressive Change in the Undergraduate Preparation of Music Majors, a report by the College Music Society Task Force on the Undergraduate Music Major, read the sections titled "Executive Summary" and "What Does It Mean to be an Educated Musician in the 21st Century?". Read more, of course, if you find the topic interesting. Come to class ready to discuss the issues raised in that report, and the authors' suggestions for change. Do you have any opinions or ideas on the subject?
In preparation for the midterm exam, review every assignment given up to this point in the course. Practice every musicianship drill and exercise, both rhythmic and melodic. Go over all readings, lecture notes, and assignments to make sure you understand them fully. Come to class with any questions you need to ask in order to feel fully knowledgeable about the topics and skills covered so far.
Review the modes of major scale as presented on the second page of this discussion of the II-V-I progression. Memorize the name of each mode and what degree of the major scale it starts on. Note where the half-steps and whole-steps occur in each mode, and compare the configuration of each mode to the standard major and natural minor scales, to see how they're alike and how they differ.
Listen to the recording by Sarah Vaughn of the tune Lullaby of Birdland by George Shearing. Study
Read three different jazz experts' descriptions of jazz chord nomenclature: this one, this one, and this one. Notice subtle differences in their preferred way to notate chords. Be prepared to ask questions in class about anything you don't understand.
Read this discussion of the basic II-V-I progression and play through all of the examples to get the sound well in your head. You'll notice that these examples often include pitches that aren't explicitly stated in the chord symbol; pay attention to which notes are added in as chord tones, and listen to what they add to the harmony. Memorize the names of the seven modes of the major scale, and practice singing them in C major, as notated in the text.
The tune Autumn Leaves by Josef Kosma is a standard (even overused) jazz piece, but is very clear (almost classical) in its harmonic structure, and is in a very standard popular song form of its time. The introduction (often called the "verse" in songs of this form) is rarely played by jazz combos these days, but is quite pretty and lays out the tonic key nicely. You can hear the original performance by Yves Montand (a major second lower than notated in most scores), and no doubt countless other performances online.
The harmonic structure of the main, commonly-played tune (the "chorus") is shown in this lead sheet. Print it out and write in the Roman numeral analysis using classical Roman numeral conventions. You may be interested to read (and play) the score and/or this other arrangement. (You'll see some variations in the chord choices in those versions.) Hand in your analysis in class, or place a scanned version of it in the EEE DropBox called "AutumnLeavesAnalysis". Be prepared to sing the melody in class, and take notice of which notes are chord tones and which are non-chord tones.
Listen to two works by guest composer Neil Rolnick, and watch the score as you listen.
Fiddle Faddle for violin and computer: score and mp3
Hammer & Hair for violin and piano: score and mp3
Pay particular attention to mm. 277-355 of Hammer & Hair, and make some observations about the different moods the music progresses through, and what techniques the composer uses to make the music progress from one thing to another. Develop some ideas about what are the motives that hold the music together (the distinctive rhythms and the melodic contours). [You don't need to hand in those observations, but be prepared to discuss those topics in class.]
Print out pp. 15-16 of the Hammer & Hair score (pp. 17-18 of the PDF document). Do your best to analyze what you think is the underlying harmonic structure for mm. 285-305. Write your analysis in as Roman numerals below the piano part. As need be, circle and identify what you think are non-chord tones (passing tones, neighbor tones, or suspensions). Put your name on the pages and bring your paper to class to hand in.
Practice singing (and be ready to sing) each of the melodies in mm. 277-305 of Hammer & Hair.
Practice singing the rhythms in mm. 98-140 of Fiddle Faddle while tapping the beat. You only need to sing the right pitch contour (not worrying about the correct pitches), but do apply the right accents, and of course sing the right rhythm. Practice it until you feel comfortable enough to do it expressively and feel the groove.
Plan to attend the concert Hammer & Hair: The Music of Neil Rolnick Friday October 24 at 8:00 p.m. in Winifred Smith Hall, free. [If you're unable to attend that concert, attend a preview performance of the instrumental music Thursday October 23 at 7:00 p.m. at the Orange County Museum of Art (OCMA), free.]
Continue practicing the up-down drill in natural minor, saying note names in place of the solfège syllables, and transposing to different keys. Be prepared to sing the drill in any minor key.
Practice singing the I-vi-IV-V-I arpeggiation drill in major, and the i-VI-iv-V-i arpeggiation drill in minor, singing note names in place of the solfège syllables, and transposing to different keys. Be prepared to sing the drill in keys up to three flats or sharps: major keys C, G, F, D, Bb, A, Eb and minor keys a, e, d, b, g, f#, c.
Practice this rhythm in 6/8, repeating each measure as many times as necessary to perform it accurately, and notice each measure's relationship to the measures that precede it and follow it. Be prepared to perform it in class.
Print out pp. 15-16 (pages 6 and 7 of the PDF document) of the Partita in B-minor for violin by Johann Sebastian Bach. On the printed page, write in an analysis--designating each chord with Roman numeral and inversion, and labeling any non-chord tones--of the A section (first eight measures) of the Sarabande and the A section (first eight measures) of the Double that follows it. Hand in your work in class or deposit a scanned copy of it in the EEE DropBox called "Partita".
Practice the up-down drill in natural minor, saying note names in place of the solfège syllables, and transposing to different keys. Be prepared to sing the drill in the minor keys having up to three flats or sharps: a, e, d, b, g, f#, c.
Practice the "sixes" exercise, which emphasizes two different ways of thinking about (and notating) sextuple beat divisions: as three groups of two (exercise 1) and as two groups of three (exercise 2). In some instances there is more than one possible way to write a particular rhythm; notice those cases where the same sound is notated in different ways (especially evident in exercise 3) and decide which way you think is best for the performer.
In classic 4-part chorale style, in even rhythm, in one major key and one minor key each having two or more flats or sharps, write as many variations as you can think of on the basic progression below, as demonstrated in class. You'll be credited for good voice leading and for sheer number of (hopefully interesting) variations that conform to these guidelines.
tonic function --> "variable" function (could be almost anything) --> predominant (or secondary dominant) function --> dominant function --> tonic function
Here are a few examples in major:
I - vi - IV - V - I
I - V7/ii - V7/V - V7 - I
I - iii - ii6 - V7 - vi, etc.
Here are a few examples in minor:
i - VI - iv - V - i
i - V2/iv - iv6 - V7 - i
i - VII - iiø65 - V - i, etc.
Start with just triads (your progressions may be simpler than the ones in the above examples), and do as many progressions as you can. Use mostly root-position chords, but you may use first-inversion chords as appropriate to improve voice-leading. Then try using some of the more common seventh chords. You should definitely feel free to extend the basic harmonic functions as far as you'd like, including the use of seventh chords, borrowed chords, recognized chord substitutions, etc. The possible realizations of this chord progression are infinite, so you should be able to produce many solutions. At a minimum, you should produce at least six chord progressions in each of the two chosen keys.
Submit your work for this assignment no later than 11:00 am on Thursday October 16. You may submit your work in electronic form (.sib file, .mus file, or .pdf file) via the EEE DropBox called "BasicProgressions", or you may bring a hard copy of your work to class.
Practice singing the "Up-Down Drill" in all major scales, replacing the solfège syllables with note names and transposing to every major key. Work at a steady, moderate tempo, one that permits you to "feel" what it's like to be on each degree of the scale and to really hear and feel each interval. Once that's fairly easy for you, push your tempo to see how fast you can do it without sacrificing accuracy of pitch, rhythm, or note names. Be prepared to sing the drill with note names in any major key.
Practice singing the "Triads in Major", replacing the numbers with note names and transposing to every major key. Be prepared to sing the drill with note names in any major key having up to three flats or sharps, i.e., C, F, G, Bb, D, Eb, and A. As with the other drill, work at a steady, moderate tempo, one that permits you to really hear what each triad sounds like on each degree of the scale. Once that's easy for you, push your tempo to see how fast you can do it without sacrificing accuracy of pitch, rhythm, or note names.
Practice "gear-shifting" between adjacent triple, quadruple, and quintuple beat divisions, until you can reliably and accurately perform a rhythm such as this, which contains all possible transitions between triplets, sixteenths, and quintuplets. Work with a metronome to ensure that all your beats are the same length. Start at a moderate tempo, then gradually slow the tempo of the metronome down until you're working at a very slow tempo, so that any slight imperfection in your note speeds will become evident. (If you don't have the note speed quite right, at an extremely slow tempo you'll notice that you don't land precisely on the next beat along with the metronome.)
Read pages 117-133 of Harmonic Practice in Tonal Music by Robert Gauldin. Focus especially on the discussions of 'Harmonic Tendency' (tonic, dominant, predominant, and "variable" chord functions), 'The Underlying Basis for Harmonic Tendency' (how harmonic movement is driven by melodic movement), 'The Prolongation of Tonic Harmony' (arpeggiation, passing tones, and neighboring tones), 'Partwriting Connections Between the Primary Triads (voice leading guidelines), and 'The Authentic Cadence' (the dominant-tonic resolution).
Read pages 10-13 of Structural Hearing by Felix Salzer, on the topics of 'Chord Grammar and Chord Significance' and 'Structure and Prolongation'. Play the cited example (Ex. I) on the keyboard and make sure you understand the discussion of the Roman numeral analysis (the 'chord grammar') and the discussion of the structural reductions (examples a, b, and c, showing the 'chord significance').
If you have questions about the readings, post your questions on the class MessageBoard. Even if you don't have questions, check the MessageBoard to see if you can answer someone else's question.
Read Dobrian's 4-part voice leading rules for root-position triad progressions. Study the examples of how to realize Dobrian's 4-part voice leading rules on the keyboard, notice how the voice leading works, and practice them on the keyboard until you can play them with a fair amount of fluency.
Using the provided page of bass lines and melodies, complete exercises 4 and 6 by supplying the tenor and alto parts. Note that the accidentals below each system indicate alterations of the pitch that's a third above the bass pitch. Strictly follow Dobrian's 4-part voice leading rules for root-position triad progressions. (Hint: In these exercises, you will likely get good results by using a voicing in which the three upper voices all fit comfortably in the right hand as you play them at the piano.) You can use any of the following methods for handing in this assignment. 1) Print out the page of exercises, neatly pencil in your alto and tenor parts, put your name and student ID on the paper, and bring it to class. 2) Neatly transcribe exercises 4 and 6 onto staff paper, add in your alto and tenor parts, put your name and student ID on the paper, and bring it to class. 3) Transcribe exercises 4 and 6 into Sibelius, add in your alto and tenor voices, put your name and student ID in as text, print it out, and bring it to class. 4) Using any of the above methods of production, if you'd like, you can then print or scan the result into a PDF file and submit it electronically into the EEE DropBox called "RootPositionTriads" by class time on Thursday in lieu of bringing a hard copy to class.
Write out the first sixteen harmonics of three harmonic series, beginning on the pitch classes C, E, and Bb. Indicate the notes that are approximately a quarter tone out of tune compared to equal temperament, either by using quarter-tone-sharp and quarter-tone-flat signs, or by using arrows and a "1/4" notation. Deposit your completed assignment in the EEE assignment DropBox called "HarmonicSeries" by class time on Thursday, or bring your completed assignment to class on paper.
Read the course syllabus and be prepared to ask questions about anything in it that you don't understand.
Read Appendix 1, "Some Fundamentals of Acoustics", pp. A0-A5 in Harmonic Practice in Tonal Music by Robert Gauldin. At a minimum, focus on the explanations of the terms "frequency", "pitch", and "harmonic series". Be prepared to ask questions about anything you don't understand.
Practice singing up and down all the major scales, singing the note names (including flats and sharps). Be prepared to sing the major scale with note names in any major key having up to three flats or sharps, i.e., C, F, G, Bb, D, Eb, and A.
Practice singing the "Up-Down Drill" in major scales, replacing the solfège syllables with note names and transposing to every major key. Be prepared to sing the drill with note names in any major key having up to three flats or sharps, i.e., C, F, G, Bb, D, Eb, and A.
Practice singing all the "Timepoints in Beat Divisions 4 and 3". Practice singing each part (top and bottom) of each exercise. Begin at a tempo that is slow enough for you to achieve great precision, confidence, and reliability. Then gradually increase your tempo till you achieve at least an andante or even an allegretto without sacrificing accuracy. Then also learn these similar Hocket Exercises: Timepoints in Divisions of 4 and 3 in a similar fashion. Once you have learned to do these reliably feel free to practice them as duos with a partner. You can even, if you'd like, practice singing both parts, using a distinct pitch or timbre for each of the two voice.
This page was last modified December 19, 2015.
dobrian@uci.edu
