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Overview

This module develops students’ fundamental skills in analysing music from the common practice era onwards, including elements of modern popular music. It focusses on building confidence in harmonic and melodic identification and construction, including diatonicism, chromaticism, chord progressions, and melodic-harmonic principles. It also hones students’ confidence in score reading. The module is suitable for those students who have little or no prior knowledge of harmonic or melodic principles (e.g. those who have not done chorale harmonization as part of A-Levels or equivalent), or those students who lack confidence in their skills in this area.

Students work through a course of study which will develop score reading and analytical skills, creativity, and a thorough understanding of the parameters for the construction of tonal music from the common practice era as well as from modern popular music. The module is suitable for those students who have little or no prior knowledge of harmonic or melodic principles (e.g. those who have not done chorale harmonization as part of A-Levels or equivalent), or those students who lack confidence in their skills in this area.

Assessment Strategy

Third Class: D- to D+ (40%–49%) The crucial achievement is demonstration of a basic grasp of technical/notational skills and the theoretical rules underpinning music of the late Renaissance and/or of the common practice era. Full understanding of staff notation, but only basic understanding of musical practice in the historical period studied; basic grasp of key skills pertaining to the subject, with limited ability to apply these skills in other musical contexts; limited demonstration of individual creativity, within the given context. Work is presented coherently but with only limited stylistic appropriateness; limited aural ability and awareness. The mark will be limited to this level by such things as: frequent shortcomings in harmonisations/pastiche compositional exercises/analyses; consistent flaws in the music script and presentation of the musical text; failure to properly address the main analytical aspects; inadequately reasoned analytical/compositional decisions; inconsistent, incomplete or inadequate analyses/harmonisations/compositional task.

Lower Second Class: C- to C+ (50%–59%) The main quality which warrants marks in this category is the adequate presentation of a musical text or analysis, based on an understanding of the theoretical concepts discussed in the module. Full understanding of staff notation, but only basic understanding of musical practice in the historical period studied; basic grasp of key skills pertaining to the subject, with limited ability to apply these skills in other musical contexts; limited demonstration of individual creativity, within the given context. Work is presented coherently but with only limited stylistic appropriateness; limited aural ability and awareness. Qualities which limit the mark to this level are: occasional flaws in the harmonisations/pastiche compositional exercises/analyses and their presentation; some shortcomings in the prose descriptions of analytical tasks; some lack of argument or lacunae in the analytical or compositional approach.

Upper Second Class: B- to B+ (60%–69%) The distinguishing quality is the fully satisfactory presentation of a musical text or analysis based on a complete understanding of the theoretical concepts discussed in the module. Full understanding of staff notation, with good understanding of musical practice in the historical period studied. Good grasp of key skills pertaining to the subject, with the ability to apply these skills in a range of other musical contexts. Good demonstration of individual creativity, within the given context. Work is presented coherently, and with some stylistic appropriateness. Good aural ability and awareness. The work will convey a full understanding of the theoretical concepts of music from the late Renaissance and/or common practice era. The musical text and any prose descriptions contain only minor errors. Work at this grade may contain many of the same qualities which apply First Class work; however, the work may be outstanding in one category, yet deficient in another.

First Class: A- and A (70%–83%) The distinguishing quality is the accomplished presentation of a musical text or analysis based on a full understanding of the theoretical concepts discussed in the module. Full understanding of staff notation, with excellent understanding of musical practice in the historical period studied; very good grasp of key skills pertaining to the subject, with the ability to apply these skills across the full range of musical contexts; excellent demonstration of individual creativity, within the given context; work is presented coherently and full stylistic awareness; excellent aural ability and awareness. The work will be flawless or near flawless in all technical aspects and will show thorough research, initiative and originality in the approach to problem-solving.

First Class: A+ to A** (84%–100%) Work of this calibre will display all qualities of First Class work to an exceptional degree.

Learning Outcomes

• Demonstrate a solid understanding of modern music and analytical notation.

• Demonstrate a solid understanding of the principles of tonal / modal composition through basic pastiche composition.

• Demonstrate skills in score reading.

• Demonstrate skills in the analysis of tonal / modal music according to fundamental principles.