Elements of Theory (3cr)

Objective

Ear training: The students can sing and write melodies and chords, based on modes or major-minor tonality. They can write and take rhythm dictation, sing and recognize intervals by ear, and follow chord progressions consisting of triads and seventh-chords.
Music theory and Harmony: The students know the central concepts of western tonal music and the basics of voice leading. The competence acquired is equivalent to that required for music institute level, as set by the Association of Finnish Music Schools (see http://www.musicedu.fi /).

Content

The course consists of three parts: ear training, music theory, and harmony. Any of them can be bypassed, if skills demonstrated in the entrance exam are considered sufficient.
1) Music Theory: Notation, rhythm, tonalities, scales and modes, intervals, harmony, musical analysis, further know-how and terminology.
2) Ear training: the concepts related to the melody and harmony of western tonal music as heard, sung and written. Modes and major-minor tonality as basis of melodies and chords; rhythms, intervals and chord progressions based on triads and seventh-chords, as heard and written.
3) Harmony: triads and seventh-chords with their inversions, dominant ninth chord, the most common alternate chords, diatonic modulation and suspension. In addition to figured bass, step symbols and realization. Basics of voice leading.

Qualifications

Successfully passed entrance exam

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

Exam