Contemporary Popular Theory II

Curriculum Guideline

Effective Date:
Return to Course
Print Guideline
Course
MUSC 2412
Discontinued
No
Course Code
MUSC 2412
Descriptive
Contemporary Popular Theory II
Department
Music
Faculty
Language, Literature & Performing Arts
Credits
3.00
Start Date
End Term
Not Specified
PLAR
Yes
Semester Length
15 Weeks
Max Class Size
26
Contact Hours

4 hours per week

Method(s) Of Instruction
Lecture
Learning Activities

Concepts and techniques are presented and discussed in the lectures; assignments are undertaken by the students.

Course Description
This course continues the study of harmony and form in popular music with emphasis on idiomatic practices of pop and blues styles.
Course Content

1. Harmonic Practices:

  • Folk (Diatonic/Chromatic, Tonal/Modal)
  • Pop (Diatonic/Chromatic, Tonal/Modal)
  • Blues Tonality
  • Reference to Jazz (Chromatic/modal)

2. Form:

  • Popular/Folk song/32-bar forms
  • More advanced Blues Forms
  • Other Pop/Rock forms

3. Repertoire for listening and analysis will continue to be drawn from a wide range of styles such as:

  • Folk/Country
  • Blues/Gospel
  • Ragtime/Jazz
  • Tin Pan Alley/Broadway
  • Rhythm and Blues/Rock and Roll
  • Pop/Rock
  • Hip Hop/Dance/Electronica

4. Other Topics:

  • Basic arranging techniques
    1. keyboard
    2. choral/vocal
    3. small ensemble
    4. rhythm section
  • Score/chart/part conventions
  • Basic Instrumentation topics
Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course, the successful student will be able to:

  • identify idiomatic practices in popular music.
  • apply core theoretical concepts used to create characteristic sounds in popular music.
  • harmonize, arrange and compose excerpts in a popular style with or without a given melody, bass line, or chord progression.
  • create charts, scores and parts. 
  • provide written answers to questions on any aspect of the course content.
Means of Assessment
Short Assignments (minimum of 3) 15%
Major Projects 20%
Class Participation 10%
Quizzes (minimum of 5) 10%
Tests (minimum of 2) 20%
Final Examination 25%
TOTAL 100%
Textbook Materials

Required texts (current edition) such as the following:

Tagg, Philip. Everyday Tonality II: Towards a Tonal Theory of What Most People Hear. The Mass Media Scholars Press, Inc., New York & Huddersfield.

Or

Snodgrass, Jennifer Sterling. Contemporary Musicianship:Analysis and the Artist. Oxford University Press.

Prerequisites

MUSC 2312 or special permission of instructor

Corequisites

None

Equivalencies

None