BAIN MUSC 115
Music Theory I

Daily Schedule

Return to: MUSC 115

Required Textbook (Open Access)

Mark Gotham, et al. Open Music Theory, Version 2 (OMT2). Available online at: <https://viva.pressbooks.pub/openmusictheory/>.

Week 1: June 19-24

• Mon., June 19: Fundamentals Review

Reading:

1. Triads {OMT2}
2. Seventh Chords {OMT2}
3. Roman Numerals {OMT2}

Homework: Quiz 1a-c

• Tues., June 20: Harmonic Schemas in Popular Music 1: The Blues


1. Lead-Sheet Notation
• Why Lead Sheets? {Berklee} (Feist 2018)
• [Lead-Sheet] Chord Symbols {OMT2}
2. The Nashville Number System
• The Nashville Number System Demystified {Sweetwater} (Martin 2022)
3. The Blues
• Blues Harmony {OMT2}
• Blues Melodies and the Blues Scale {OMT2}

Homework: Quiz 2a-c

• Wed., June 21: Harmonic Schemas in Popular Music 2: Four-Chord Schemas

1. Introduction to Harmonic Schemas in Pop Music {OMT2}
• Four-chord Schemas {OMT2}
2. Textural Layers
• Allan Moore, Aspects of Popular Music {Video: YouTube} (Moore 2016)

Homework: Quiz 3a-b

• Thurs., June 22: Asynchronous Thursday #1
  Chord Loop Project
  

Week 1 Homework
Due: Fri., June 23, 11:59 pm

Chord Loop Project
Due: Mon., June 26, 12:20 pm

EXAM 1
Mon., June 26, in class

Week 2: June 26-29

• Mon., June 26: Diatonic Harmony 1: The Phrase Model
  


1. Inversion and Figured Bass {OMT2}
2. Introduction to Harmony, Cadences, and Phrase Endings {OMT2}
3. Strengthening Phrase Endings
• Strengthening Endings with V7 {OMT2}
• Strengthening Endings with Strong Predominants {OMT2}
• Strengthening Endings with Cadential 6/4 {OMT2}

Homework: Quiz 4

• Tues., June 27: Diatonic Harmony 2: Embellishing Tones & Prolongation
1. Embellishing Tones {OMT2}
2. Prolongation
• Prolonging Tonic at Phrase Beginnings with V6 and Inverted V7s {OMT2}
• Prolongation at Phrase Beginnings using the Leading-tone Chord {OMT2}
• 6/4 Chords as Forms of Prolongation {OMT2}
• Plagal Motion as a Form of Prolongation {OMT2}

Homework: Quiz 5a-b

• Wed., June 28: Diatonic Harmony 3: Sequences & Harmonization

1. Sequences (Mount and Rothfarb 2020)
• Diatonic Descending Fifth Sequences {Mount and Rothfarb 2020}
• Other Diatonic Sequences {Mount and Rothfarb 2020}
2. Galant Schemas - The Rule of the Octave and Harmonizing the Scale with Sequences {OMT2}

Homework: Quiz 6a-c

• Thurs., June 29: Asynchronous Thursday #2
  Melody Harmonization Project

Week 2 Homework
Due: Fri., June 30, 11:59 pm

Melody Harmonization Project
Due: Mon., July 3, 12:20 pm

EXAM 2
Mon., July 3, in class

Week 3: July 3-7

• Mon., July 3: Sentences & Periods (Caplin 2013)
  
  
1. Foundational Concepts for Phrase-Level Forms {OMT2}
   
2. The Phrase, Archetypes, and Unique Forms {OMT2]
• Sentence
• Period

Homework: Quiz 7a-b

• Tues., July 4: NO CLASS
  
  
• Wed., June 5: Form in Popular Music (Summach 2017)
  
  
1. Introduction to Form in Popular Music {OMT2}
• AABA & Strophic Form {OMT2}
• Verse-Chorus Form {OMT2}
• Melody & Phrasing {OMT2}

Homework: Quiz 8a-c

• Thurs., June 6: Asynchronous Thursday #3
  Form Project
  

Form Project
Due: Fri., July 7, 11:59 pm

ONLINE FINAL EXAM
Due: Fri., July 7, 11:59 pm

References

See also: BAIN MUSC 115 Bibliography

Caplin, William. 2013. Analyzing Classical Form: An Approach for the Classroom. New York: Oxford University Press. {GB; Companion Website}

Gotham, Mark, Kyle Gullings, Chelsey Hamm, Bryn Hughes, Brian Jarvis, Megan Lavengood, and John Peterson. 2020. Open Music Theory, Version 2 (OMT2). Viva Press Publishing. Available online at: <https://viva.pressbooks.pub/openmusictheory/>.

Martin, Dave. 2022. "The Nashville Number System Demystified." InSync (July 8, 2020). Available online at: <https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/the-nashville-number-system-demystified/>.

Moore, Allan. 2016. "Aspects of Popular Music." Society for Music Analysis. (Episode 2: The SMA Video Podcast). Available online at: <https://youtu.be/X_DPeZv8OvA>.