Course Objectives
This course is designed to build your musicianship, the ability to hear, perceive, understand, learn, and perform music. Through graded exercises, your inner ear will be developed to hear given rhythms, melodies, and harmonies, and through regular practice, you will develop the ability to perform and transcribe complex rhythms, melodies, and harmonic progressions. This course is paired intentionally with a written Theory course, in order to achieve mastery of the sounds that are studied there.
The primary activities of this course will be:
1. Class attendance.
2. Participation in classroom exercises.
3. Regular practice of assigned exercises outside of class.
4. Completing exercises, compositions, and other assignments.
5. Doing computer-based exercises outside of class.
6. Taking written tests and musicianship tests.
Aural skills will be developed through sight singing melodies using Solfege, sight reading rhythms, rhythmic dictation, and melodic dictation of one, and two parts. Weekly exercises on the computer program Practica Musica will be assigned, to be completed in the Computer Lab in Alumni Hall 002.
Texts and Supplementary Materials
Ottman, Robert W. Music for Sight Singing. 5th ed. Prentice
Hall, 2001.
Music manuscript paper, notebook and a pencil are required.
Course Grading
** The grade for late homework will be reduced by 20%. Assignments
will be made throughout the semester; no assignments will be accepted for
credit after the final exam on FRIDAY, MAY 3, 3:10 p.m.
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Attendance Policy
Class attendance is the most important activity of this skills-learning class. Students are required to attend all classes. No makeup exam or quiz will be given. Unless suitable prior arrangements are made with the professor, a student not attending a scheduled exam or quiz will receive 0 points for that exam or quiz. In case of any absence, a student will be responsible for obtaining material and assignments from another classmate. Also, if a student is tardy, it is the student’s responsibility at the end of class to make sure the professor has marked them present for that day. In the case of excessive absences or tardies, grades will be affected in the following manner:
2 tardies (more than 5 minutes late; after the professor has closed the door) = 1 absenceImportant Dates
2 absences: final grade lowered by 5%
4 absences: final grade lowered by 10%
6 or more: final grade lowered by 15%
Tues, Feb. 5 Quiz
Tues, Feb. 19 Rhythm Composition Rough Draft Due 10:40 a.m.
Tues, Feb. 26 Rhythm Composition Final Draft and Performances Due 10:40 a.m.
Thurs, Mar. 7 Midterm Exam
Tues, Mar. 12 – Thurs, Mar. 14 NO CLASSES (Spring Break)
Thurs, Mar. 21 Last day to drop a class
Thurs, Apr. 4 Quiz
Tues, Apr. 16 Melody Assignment Due
FRIDAY, MAY 3, 3:10-5:00 p.m. Final Exam
Schedule of Semester
(subject to change depending on progress of class)
Weeks 1-4 Jan. 15, 17, 22, 24, 29, 31, Feb. 5
Sight Singing – Review Chapter 6 – Intervals from V Triad, Major & Minor KeysWeeks 5-8 Feb. 7, 12, 14, 19, 21, 26, 28, Mar. 5, 7
Chords, Scales, Rhythm dictation
Quiz — Tues, Feb. 5
Sight Singing Chapters 7 & 8 – The C Clefs: Alto & Tenor, More Diatonic IntervalsWeek 9 Tues, Mar. 12 NO CLASS (Spring Break)
Intervals, Rhythm dictation, Note dictation
Midterm Exam — Thurs, Mar. 7
Weeks 10-12 Mar. 19, 21, 26, 28, Apr. 2, 4
Sight Singing Chapters 9 & 10 – Intervals from V7 Chord, Subdivision by 4 and 6Weeks 13-15 Apr. 9, 11, 16, 18, 23, 25
Note dictation
Quiz — Thurs, Apr. 4
Sight Singing Chapters 11 & 12 – Intervals from I & V Triads, More Diatonic IntervalsFRIDAY, MAY 3, 3:10-5:00 p.m. Final Exam
Melodic dictation, Two-part dictation, Seventh Chords, Inversions
Review of semester’s material
Practica Musica (PM) Assignments Schedule
Due Dates (Monday mornings)
Assignment key: “12:1” means “Activity 12, Level 1”
| Date Due | Assignment |
| Jan 21 | 12:1 Chord Ear Training, “Scale Ear Training”:1 |
| Jan 28 | 22:1 Chord ID, “Scale Ear Training”:2 |
| Feb 4 | 15:1 Rhythm Dictation (score 1000 points) |
| Feb 11 | 8:1 Interval ID, 15:1 Rhythm Dictation (score 2400 points) |
| Feb 18 | 15:2 Rhythm Dictation |
| Feb 25 | 8:2 Interval ID, 14:1 Note Dictation (score 1000 points) |
| Mar 4 | 8:3 Interval ID, 14:1 Note Dictation (score 2400 points) |
| Mar 25 | 14:2 Note Dictation |
| Apr 1 | 14:3 Note Dictation |
| Apr 8 | 16:1 Melodic Dictation |
| Apr 15 | 12:2 Chord Ear Training, 16:2 Melodic Dictation |
| Apr 22 | 18:1, 18:2:1-2 2-part Dictation, 22:3 Chord Ear Training |
| Apr 29 | 12:3 Chord Ear Training, 18:2:3, 18:3-4 2-part Dictation |
Practica Musica (PM) Help
WHERE: PM exercises may be done on the computers in the Music Department’s Computer Lab in Alumni Hall 002. The Computer Lab is usually open Mon-Fri 7:00-10:00 p.m., or you may borrow a key from Mrs. Vos for access other times.
HOW: To do your PM exercises, double click on the diagonal keyboard icon on the desktop or upper toolbar. A dialog box will open; double click on “Practica Musica Students”. Select your semester (by double clicking on Aural Skills TWO or FOUR); and choose your name from the list by double clicking on it. (If you can’t find the diagonal keyboard icon, go to My Computer\C:\My Documents\, and double click on Practica Musica Students. Then select semester and name. It is also possible to go to Start, Programs, then either Practica Musica.exe or Practica Musica Students)
WHO: The first time you enter, you’ll be prompted to enter your name. Please type your name as “FirstLast”, no spaces (ignoring the “Joe Haydn” example). Please give a password, and write it down somewhere safe. Without it, you won’t be able to use your personal file. Then select an exercise from the Activities menu above, and a Level from that activity menu.
WHEN: Starting January 21, each Monday morning following a week in which we had class, your scores will be recorded reflecting whether you completed your assignment for that week.
WHAT: For now, log on and set your password. Open number 17 “Melody Writing” and experiment with all aspects of the software. Read the handout and be familiar with it. Also feel free to play around with any of the listed activities.
Troubleshooting Sound:
You’re encouraged to use the headphones at each workstation.
To get headphone sound, 1) turn on the Midi keyboard (button on the left-hand
side of the back); 2) make sure the headphone jack is in the furthest left-hand
¼ inch plug in the back; 3) on the PM keyboard window, make sure
the left-hand speaker icon is yellow (if not, click on it); 4) on the PM
keyboard window, make sure to select “MIDI” on the right-hand side (should
be yellow when selected). (If you need to have the regular speakers
on, change #4 above to “SYN”, adjust the computer volume icon on the bottom
right toolbar, and leave the Coby speakers off, or turn the Juster speakers
on.)
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