Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the module the student will:
Demonstrate an awareness of the interaction between harmony and melody by composing simple piano accompaniments to melodies;
Display an awareness of the melodic, rhythmic and harmonic idioms of the Classical style by composing a simple binary form;
Recognise common chord progressions and dissonances in a chorale by J. S. Bach;
Be able to harmonise a chorale melody using diatonic chords, basic dissonances and secondary dominant chords;
Be able to recognise and describe basic aspects of musical form (sentences, periods, etc.);
Display the ability to play simple chord progressions (using primary and secondary triads) on the keyboard, and to harmonise a simple melody at sight;
Use music notation software to complete assignments.
Indicative Module Content:
Chapters 12–16, 18–21 and 35–37 of Burstein & Straus, Concise Introduction to Tonal Harmony (New York & London: W. W. Norton, 2016).
Stylistic composition for keyboard (accompaniments and simple binary forms).
Applied counterpoint.
Chorale-style SATB harmony.
Introduction to musical form (sentences, periods, binary forms).
Harmonic analysis of a chorale texture.
Aural skills.
Basic harmonic progressions and melodic harmonisation at the keyboard.
An introduction to music notation software.