MUSI 117: Fundamentals of Music

Spring 2015
MWF 9:00-9:50AM, APB 1404
Instructor: Geoffrey Herd
Office Hours: By appointment
Email: Geoffrey.herd@rice.edu
Course Description:
This course is designed to give the student a firm grasp of the fundamental elements of Western Classical
music as well as help foster a life long appreciation and basic understanding of some of the artistic trends
that influenced composers. The course will explore musics basic terminology, pitch notation, rhythmic
notation, key signatures, scales, intervals, chords, and form. It is intended for non-music-major
undergraduate students and no prerequisite knowledge is required
Required Textbook and Materials:
- Foundations of Music by Robert Nelson and Carl K. Christensen, 7th ed.
- Blank manuscript paper

Grading:
30% Homework Assignments
30% Exams
10% Concert Reports
10% Composition Project
10% Listening Journal
10% Student Participation
Homework Assignments/Quizzes (30%)+
Written homework assignments will be assigned weekly. Late work will not be accepted unless prior
arrangements have been made. All work is to be done individually. The lowest homework grade of the
semester will be dropped. The Rice Honor Code will apply to all assignments. Please contact me with
any questions or concerns. There will be two quizzes throughout the semester. Quizzes given out during
the class time cannot be made up unless you have given me prior notice of your absence.
Exams (30%)
There will be two exams during the course of the semester. The exams will consist of materials from the
textbook and class discussions. If you missed a class, it is your responsibility to get notes from your
classmates. Each exam will be 50 percent listening, 50 percent written. The Listening portion will be a
recognition exam from pieces that you heard in your listening journal.
Concert Reports (10%)
During the semester, students will be required to attend three concerts. You will need to submit a doublespaced two-page response on each concert. The concerts must be performances of Western classical

music. The reports are due within one week of each concert. The last day to submit a report is 4/25. One
of your reports must be submitted by 10/10. You must include the concert program and program notes,
STAPLED to your responses. More information on a list of possible concerts to attend and a guideline
will be handed out during the first week of classes. Your first resource for concerts on campus should be
http://music.rice.edu/calendar/index.shtml.
Composition Project (10%)
Students will compose a short work using the skills and principles discussed throughout the course of the
semester (pitch, meter, harmony, rhythm). The composition will be based upon a text of the students
choosing and will be performed in class by guest artists.
Listening Journal (10%)
Students will be given listening assignments throughout the semester to support class discussions. A
journal will be kept of thoughts and reactions, and will be submitted once a month for review. Students
will be allowed to miss one listening assignment during the semester without penalty.
Student Participation (10%)
Student participation includes discussions and in-class activities.
ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY: If a student needs to miss a class for any legitimate reason, he or she
must ask for prior permission. Otherwise, absences will be marked as unexcused. More than four
unexcused absences will result in the deduction of half a letter grade.
Honor Code:
All students are expected to follow Rice Universitys Honor Code. For more information, please see the
Student Handbook.
Disability:
If you have a documented disability that will affect your work in this class, please contact me to discuss
your needs. Additionally, you will need to register with the Disability Support Services Office at the
Allen Center.

Course Schedule: (Readings, assignments, dates, and the combination are subject to change.)
Week 1 (1/12 1/16)
1/12 Introduction
1/14 1/16 Overview of the History Western Classical Music

Week 2 (1/21 1/23) *No Class Monday 1/19*

9/3 Musical Instruments
9/5 Dynamic Markings, Articulations
Reading: N&C Chapter 1
Listening and written assignment: TBA
Week 3 (1/26 1/30)
1/26 Terms of Expression, Texture
1/28 Musical Notation, Musical Symbols
1/30 Pitch and Rhythmic Notation
Reading: N&C Chapter 2
Listening and written assignment: TBA
Week 4 (2/2 2/6)
2/2 Meter
2/4 Simple Meter, Compound Meter,
2/6 More on Rhythm and Meter
Reading: N&C Chapters 3, 5, 8
Listening and written assignment: TBA
Week 5 (2/9 2/13)
2/9 Modes and Scales, Major Scales
2/11 Minor Scales, Key Signatures
2/13 Circle of Fifths
Reading: N&C Chapters 4, 6
Listening and written assignment: TBA
Week 6 (2/16 2/20)
2/16 2/18 Scales and Intervals
2/20 Intervals
Reading: N&C Chapters 7, 9
Listening and written assignment: TBA

Week 7 (2/23 2/27)

2/23: Intervals (con.), Review for exam
2/25: Review for exam
2/27: Exam I
Spring Break!!! 2/28 3/8
Week 8 (3/9 3/13)
3/9 3/11: Chords and Harmony, Triads
3/13: Major, Minor, Diminished, Augmented
Reading: N&C Chapter 10
Listening and written assignment: TBA
Week 9 (3/16 3/20)
3/16 Triads Cont. and Dominant 7th Chords
3/18 Roman Numerals
3/20 Non-harmonic Tones
Reading: TBA
Listening and written assignment: TBA
Week 10 (3/23 3/27)
3/23: Form, Basic Phrase Structure
3/25: Cadences, Theme, Motive
3/27: Harmonic Progressions
Reading: N&C Chapters 10, 11
Listening and written assignment: TBA
Week 11 (3/30 4/1) No Class 4/3 (Midterm Recess)
3/30: Formal Structures
4/1: Analyzing musical examples
Reading: TBA
Listening and written assignment: TBA

Week 12 4/6 4/10)

4/6: Overview of Music of 20th Century and beyond
4/8 4/10: Beethoven Documentary
Reading: TBA
Listening and written assignment: TBA
Week 13 (4/13 4/17)
4/13: Beethoven Documentary
4/15 Meetings for projects
4/17 Meetings for project

Week 14 (4/20 24)

4/20: Exam II
4/23 4/24: Presentation of Projects