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Theory Fundamentals 1

Prerequisite: None
Requirements: Students are required to be able to write neatly and correctly according to normal notational conventions, so that the intended communication is clear and unambiguous. They will understand the concepts listed below and be able to produce said concepts through writing.

 

  1. Notes – treble and bass clefs up to 3 ledger lines above and below the staff

  2. Circle of 5ths – 7 Major Keys

  3. Tones & Semitones

  4. Scales & Arpeggios – 7 Major keys

  5. Rhythm – semibreves/whole notes, dotted minims/dotted half notes, minims/half note, crotchets/quarter notes, quavers/eighth notes (beamed in 2s, 4s, or 6s)

  6. Time Signature – Simple meters in crotchet/quarter beats

  7. Grouping notes and rests for simple meters in crotchet/quarter beats

  8. Intervals – Major and Perfect intervals (unison – 8ve)

  9. Chords – Primary Chords in root position

  10. Identifying chords – Chord Symbols & Roman Numerals for all Major keys and chords

  11. Tied Notes

  12. Ostinato

  13. Syncopation

  14. Terms and signs – articulation, dynamics, common tempo (Italian)

Theory Fundamentals 2

Prerequisite: Fundamentals 1 (or test out)
Requirements: Students are required to be able to write neatly and correctly according to normal notational conventions, so that the intended communication is clear and unambiguous. They will understand the concepts listed below and be able to produce said concepts through writing and be able to apply their knowledge to music analysis.

  1. Notes – alto and tenor clefs up to 3 ledger lines above and below the staff

  2. Double sharps and flats

  3. Circle of 5ths – Minor keys

  4. 3 types of relative minor keys

  5. Scales – all Minor keys

  6. Broken Chords – All Major

  7. Working out the key of a piece

  8. Rhythm – semiquavers/16th notes and triplets

  9. Time Signature – Compound meters

  10. Grouping notes and rests for compound meters in crotchet/quarter and quaver/eighth beats

  11. Intervals – Minor intervals (unison – 8ve)

  12. Similar and contrary motion

  13. Chords – Primary chords in 1st inversion and 2nd inversion

  14. Identifying chords – Chord symbols & Roman Numerals for secondary chords for all Major keys

  15. Sequences

  16. Ranges for SATB voices

  17. Transposing tunes up and down an octave in all clefs

  18. Terms and Signs – more tempo and expression terms, performance directions (Italian)

Theory Fundamentals 3

Prerequisite: Theory Fundamentals 2 (or test out)
Requirements: Students are required to be able to write neatly and correctly according to normal notational conventions, so that the intended communication is clear and unambiguous. They will understand the concepts listed below and be able to produce said concepts through writing and be able to apply their knowledge to music analysis.

 

  1. Double dotted notes and rests

  2. Broken chords – all minor keys

  3. Time signature – irregular time signatures

  4. Grouping notes and rests for irregular time signatures

  5. Intervals – Augmented and Diminished chords

  6. Chords – Augmented and Diminished chords

  7. Identifying chords – chord symbols and roman numerals for all major, minor. Diminished, and augmented chords

  8. Transposing tunes up or down a perfect 4th or 5th

  9. Family of Instruments and their members and their names in Italian

  10. Sequences – Real and tonal sequences

  11. Form – Binary, Ternary, Verse and refrain/chorus, strophic

  12. Cadences – Perfect and Imperfect

  13. Enharmonic equivalents

  14. Chromatic scales

  15. Terms & signs – more tempo and expression terms, performance directions (Italian)

Theory Fundamentals 4

Prerequisite: Theory Fundamentals 3 (or test out)
Requirements: Students are required to be able to write neatly and correctly according to normal notational conventions, so that the intended communication is clear and unambiguous. They will understand the concepts listed below and be able to produce said concepts through writing and be able to apply their knowledge to music analysis.

 

  1. Rhythm – demisemiquaver/32nd notes and breve

  2. Duplets

  3. Hemiola

  4. Swung quavers

  5. Understanding textures – homophonic, polyphonic, imitative, thick and dense, thin ortransparent

  6. Grouping demisemiquavers/32nd notes in simple and compound time

  7. Chords – Dominant triads in major and minor keys

  8. Chord Progression

  9. Harmonic Rhythm

  10. Intervals – Compound intervals

  11. Cadences – Perfect, Interrupted, Plagal and Interrupted

  12. Inversions – dominant and diminished 7ths

  13. Ornaments – acciaccatura, appoggiatura, upper and lower mordents and trills

  14. Transposing a tune up or down any major, minor, or perfect interval within an octave

  15. Concept of modulation and identifying key changes

  16. Ranges and transposing intervals where appropriate for the orchestral instruments

  17. Instrument specific words

  18. Terms & signs – German and French

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