This is the same syllabus handed out on the first day of class, posted here for ease of reference should you lose or misplace your own copy.

T109 Syllabus - Spring Semester, 1999

Course Objectives 

T109 is designed to provide you with fundamental written and aural music skills. These include the ability to translate sounds into musical notation (DICTATION) and the ability to translate musical notation into sound (SIGHTSINGING). In addition to "hearing with your eyes" and "seeing with your ears", you will begin to acquire some of the basic language necessary for speaking intelligently and analytically about music and its structure. This course serves as the foundation for the rest of your studies in music theory, and as such, it is crucial that you strive to understand and master the material from the onset.

Student Responsibilities

Ultimately, you are responsible for your own progress in T109. Although a variety of resources will be available to you, you must take the initiative to assure that you acquire a firm foundation for successful musicianship. You are expected to practice daily. You are also expected and encouraged to approach your instructor for extra help should difficulties arise.

Text and Supplies

The T109 course packet is available at Collegiate Copies on 3rd Street for approximately $30.00. It is bound with a tuquoise-colored cover and has "T109" and "Coordinator: Toler" printed on the front cover. Please purchase the course packet immediately -- many of the homework assignments are contained in it. From time to time, the course packet may be supplemented by in-class handouts. Please also designate a folder for T109, one that contains both notebook and staff paper (most of the work done in this class is done using music notation). In your folder, you are expected to keep a Drill Progress Sheet which will be provided. This log is simply a listing of your scores on various in-class drills and exercises. For your own benefit, you are encouraged to check your progress regularly, comparing your more recent scores with earlier ones.

A significant portion of the class, including handouts, assignments, and various other items, will be available exclusively on the web site. You are expected to visit the site often. All necessary information on the web site will also be announced in class.

ALWAYS bring the following materials to class: The course packet, your T109 notebook, pencils, and erasers (assignments and tests done in pen will not be graded). It is also strongly recommended that you purchase and use a personal calendar. No professional musician can survive for long without one.

Course Content and Grading

Grades will be determined according to the total number of points accumulated, using the grading scale that follows. Points will come from a variety of sources, including the following:

All of the written examinations are cumulative. You may automatically assume that all material covered prior to the test date will appear on the test. Please consult the Student Handbook for guidelines concerning ethics and student honesty. Students must earn a grade of "C" or higher in this course to be eligible for enrollment in T151 and/or T132.

Attendance

Attendance will be taken every day, and good attendance is strongly recommended. Especially good or bad attendance may affect the final grade at the instructor's discretion. It has been noted time after time that the student who only shows up for exams and hearings and never attends class rarely passes T109.

Make-up Policy

If an exam, hearing, quiz, or homework assignment is missed due to an excused absence, the student will have the opportunity to make-up what was missed by special arrangement with the instructor.

Any student that misses an exam or hearing due to an UNexcused absence will have an opportunity to make-up that exam or hearing at the end of the term with a comprehensive exam/hearing (depending on which was missed). ONLY ONE EXAM AND/OR HEARING MAY BE MADE-UP! Quizzes missed because of an unexcused absence may not be made-up and may not be turned in late. Larger homework projects may be turned in up to two class periods late, but with significant point reductions for each day.

Examination and Hearing Dates

*There will be two cumulative final exams given. The first, on 4/29 is expected to be taken by all students. The second, on 5/6, is optional. Any student may exercise his/her option to take the second exam, and if taken, the grade will be handled in one of two ways:

1) If the student has missed an earlier scheduled exam due to an unexcused absence, the score on the second final exam will be the make-up for that missed exam (see above "Make-Up Policy"). Only one exam may be made up.

2) If the student has taken all previous exams, the score on the second final exam will replace the student's lowest exam score.

**A similar procedure will be followed with the final hearing. The first, on 4/26, is mandatory. The second, on 5/3, is optional and may be used to make-up one missed hearing or, if all previous hearings were taken, to replace a student's lowest hearing score.

Homework and Mini-HW Assignments

Mini-HW's Topic

1. mini-HW 1 -- pp. 3-15 Basic materials
2. mini-HW 2 -- pp. 21-30 Notation, piano layout
3. mini-HW 3 -- pp. 31-37, 50-52 Half-steps and whole-steps
4. mini-HW 4 -- pp. 127-131, 135-136 Major, minor, and perfect intervals
5. mini-HW 5 -- pp. 108-115, 152-155 Key signatures ; relative, parallel, and natural minor scales
6. mini-HW 6 -- pp. 156-158 Harmonic and melodic minor scales
7. mini-HW 7 -- pp. 132-134, 137-144 Augmented and diminished intervals
8. mini-HW 8 -- pp. 40-42, 151 (modify) Triad spelling: major, minor, diminished
9. mini-HW 9 -- pp. 219-223, 373-377 Tonic and dominant triads, dom. 7th
10. mini-HW 10 -- R.N. worksheet Identifying and spelling triads by R.N.
11. mini-HW 11 -- C.R. worksheet Chord reduction and keyboard spacing
12. mini-HW 12 -- pp. 315-322 Melody transcription from memory, alto clef transcription. Choose 2.

Homework Projects

1. Homework I: Practice partner assignment
2. Homework II: Contextual listening project
3. Homework III: Practice partner assignment