Aural & Sight Singing Skills II
Curriculum guideline
Lecture: 3 hours/week
Classes will include the presentation of concepts, demonstration of learning strategies and modelling of skills by the instructor, integrated with drills and practice exercises performed by the whole class, small groups and individuals.
MUSC 1204 includes continuing practice with all content in MUSC 1104. Increased fluency and accuracy is expected in MUSC 1204.
Content specific to MUSC 1204 includes:
- Pitch-related content
- Dictation and singing of melodic patterns in major and minor keys
- More complex work with tonic inference (e.g. melodic dictation where key is not disclosed)
- Singing drills and exercises with intervals and broken chord patterns
- Introduction to 2-part dictation and duet singing
- Diatonic melodies including leaps of 6ths and 7ths
- Diatonic melodies with leaps between members of the subdominant triad and dominant seventh chord
- Melodies with more complex rhythms
- Chord qualities in major and minor keys
- Identification of major and minor triads in 1st and 2nd inversions
- Identifying root-position seventh chords
- Melodic error detection and correction
- Harmonic progressions with and without bass line and/or soprano transcription
- Cadence identification (authentic, half, plagal, deceptive)
- More complex ensemble singing exercises
- Meter and rhythm-related content
- Dictation and performance of rhythmic patterns in both simple and compound meters which include subdivided beats, uneven beat divisions, and syncopation
- More complex work with meter inference (e.g. rhythmic dictation where meter is not disclosed)
- Reading with less-familiar beat units
- Rhythmic error detection and correction
- More complex ensemble rhythm reading demonstrations
- Musicianship Skills:
- increasing fluency with a relative pitch labelling system (e.g., movable-doh solfège or scale degree numbers)
- Pitch mapping: building a tonal network by aligning solfège syllables with note names in all major and minor keys
- increasing fluency with Curwen hand signs
- increasing fluency with a rhythm labelling system (e.g. Takadimi syllables)
- Continuing use of conducting patterns
At the end of the course, the successful student will demonstrate satisfactory skill and musicianship in aural recognition and performance of tonal melodies, harmonies and rhythms, as outlined in Course Content.
Students will be expected to:
- Sing prepared and unprepared (or "sight") drills, exercises and compositions;
- Interpret and respond to visual cues (e.g., Curwen hand signs, conducting patterns, notated rhythms and melodies);
- Use Curwen hand signs while singing;
- Demonstrate conducting patterns while articulating rhythmic exercises;
- Hear musical material and retain it in working memory;
- Provide written answers to demonstrate aural recognition;
- Manage performance anxiety in order to execute required listening, singing and rhythmic tasks in both group and one-on-one settings within established time limits.
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Assessment will be based on course objectives and will be carried out in accordance with the Douglas College Evaluation Policy. The following is a sample grades breakdown: |
|
| Short quizzes* (minimum one per week) | 20% |
| Homework | 5% |
| Singing and rhythm demonstrations* (minimum of four) | 10% |
| Dictation tests (minimum of two) | 20% |
| Individual sight singing mid-term test | 7.5% |
| In-class ear training mid-term test | 7.5% |
| Individual sight singing final test | 12.5% |
| In-class ear training final test | 12.5% |
| Class participation | 5% |
| TOTAL |
100% |
*Frequent, short evaluations are designed to give feedback on newly learned material and skills, and will include demonstrations of tasks as outlined in the course content.
N.B. This course includes final testing worth more than 10% during the last fourteen days of classes. A standing variance to the Evaluation Policy was granted by Education Council on September 14, 2020.
Instructors may assign text materials and/or digital resources.
Text example:
Current edition of Krueger, Carol. Progressive Sight Singing. New York: Oxford University Press.
Digital resource example:
student subscription to Artusi Music (www.artusimusic.com)