MUSEEKHO MUSIC THEORY SYLLABUS

Chapter – I Notation

A. Pitch

  • The Staff
  • Groups of staves
  • Clef
  • Treble Clef and Bass Clef
  • Memorizing the Notes in Bass and Treble Clef
  • Moveable Clefs
  • Why use different clefs?
  • Pitch: Sharp, Flat, and Natural Notes
  • Key Signature
  • Enharmonic Spelling
  • Enharmonic Notes
  • Enharmonic Keys and Scales
  • Enharmonic Intervals and Chords
  • Enharmonic Spellings and Equal Temperament
B. Time
  • Duration: Note Lengths in Written Music
  • The Shape of a Note
  • The Length of a Note
  • More about Stems
  • Duration: Rest Length
  • Time Signature
  • Beats and Measures
  • Meter: Reading Time Signatures
  • Counting and Conducting
  • Meter
  • What is Meter?
  • Classifying Meters
  • Recognizing Meters
  • Pickup Notes and Measures
    • Pickup Measures
    • Pickup Notes
  • Dots, Ties, and Borrowed Divisions
    • Dotted Notes
    • Tied Notes
    • Borrowed Divisions
  • Syncopation
  • Tempo
    • Metronome Markings
    • Tempo Terms
    • Gradual Tempo Changes
  • Repeats and Other Musical Road Map Signs
C. Style
  • Dynamics and Accents
    • Dynamics
    • Accents
  • Articulation
    • What is Articulation?
    • Performing Articulations
    • Common Articulations

Chapter – II Definitions

A. Rhythm
B. Timbre
C. Melody

  • Introduction
  • The Shape or Contour of a Melody
  • Melodic Motion
  • Melodic Phrases
  • Motif
  • Melodies in Counterpoint
  • Themes
  • Suggestions for Presenting these Concepts to Children
D. Texture
  • Introduction
  • Terms that Describe Texture
  • Monophonic
  • Homophonic
  • Polyphonic
  • Heterophonic
  • Suggested Listening
E. Harmony
F. Counterpoint
  • Introduction
  • Some useful terms
G. Range
  • Introduction
  • Vocal Ranges
  • Instrumental Ranges
H. Classifying Music
  • Western and Non-Western
  • Jazz, Blues, and World Music
  • Tonal, Atonal, and Modal Music
  • Classical and Art Music
  • Folk and Popular Music
  • Suggestions for Listening and Further Study
  • Tonal, Atonal, and Modal Music
  • Western Classical
  • Non-Western Classical
  • Western Folk
  • Non-Western Folk
  • Music that Combines Western and Non-Western Traditions

Chapter – III Physical Basis

A. Acoustics for Music Theory

  • Music is Organized Sound Waves
  • Longitudinal and Transverse Waves
  • Wave Amplitude and Loudness
  • Wavelength, Frequency, and Pitch
B. Standing Waves and Musical Instruments
  • What is a Standing Wave?
  • Standing Waves on Strings
  • Standing Waves in Wind Instruments
  • Standing Waves in Other Objects
C. Harmonic Series I: Timbre and Octaves
  • Introduction
  • Physics, Harmonics and Color
  • The Harmonic Series

Chapter – IV Notes and Scales

A. Octaves and the Major-Minor Tonal System

  • Where Octaves Come From
  • Naming Octaves
  • Dividing the Octave into Scales
B. Half Steps and Whole Steps
C. Major Keys and Scales
  • Tonal Center
  • Major Scales
  • Music in Different Keys
D. Minor Keys and Scales
  • Music in a Minor Key
  • Minor Scales
  • Relative Minor and Major Keys
  • Harmonic and Melodic Minor Scales
  • Jazz and “Dorian Minor”
E. Interval
  • The Distance Between Pitches
  • Naming Interval
  • Classifying Intervals
  • Perfect Intervals
  • Major and Minor Intervals
  • Augmented and Diminished Intervals
  • Inverting Intervals
F. Harmonic Series II: Harmonics, Intervals and Instruments
  • Frequency and Interval
  • Brass Instruments
  • Playing Harmonics on Strings
G. The Circle of Fifths
  • Related Keys
  • Key Signatures
H. Scales that aren’t Major or Minor
  • Introduction
  • Scales and Western Music
  • Pentatonic Scales
  • Dividing the Octave, More or Less
  • The Blues Scale
  • Modes and Ragas
  • “Exotic” Scales

Chapter – V Harmony and Form

A. Triads

  • Triads in Root Position
  • First and Second Inversions
B. Naming Triads
  • Major and Minor Chords
  • Augmented and Diminished Chords
C. Consonance and Dissonance
D. Beyond Triads: Naming Other Chords
  • Introduction
  • Chord Symbols
  • Seventh Chords
  • Added Notes, Suspensions, and Extensions
  • Bass Notes
  • Altering Notes and Chords
E. Beginning Harmonic Analysis
  • Introduction
  • Basic Triads in Major Keys
  • A Hierarchy of Chords
  • Naming Chords Within a Key
  • Minor Keys
  • Modulation
  • Further Study
F. Cadence
G. Form
  • Form is the Basic Structure
  • Describing Form
  • Labelling Form with Letters
  • Naming Forms

Chapter – VI Challenges

A. Ear Training

  • What is Ear Training?
  • Ear Training Skills
  • Tuning
  • Playing Chords By Ear
  • Playing Tunes by Ear
  • Improvisation
  • Recognizing Intervals and Writing Music Down
B. Tuning Systems
  • Introduction
  • Tuning Based on the Harmonic Series
  • Pythagorean Intonation
  • Mean-tone System
  • Just Intonation
  • Temperament
  • Well Temperaments
  • Equal Temperament
  • Comparison of Equal Temperament with the Harmonic Series
  • Beats and Wide Tuning
  • Further Study
C. Modes and Ragas
  • Introduction
  • The Classical Greek Modes
  • The Medieval Church Modes
  • Modal Jazz and Folk Music
  • The Ragas of Classical Indian Music
  • Other Non-Western Modal Music
  • Bibliography
D. Transposition: Changing Keys
  • Why Transpose?
  • Avoiding Transposition
  • How to Transpose Music
    • Step 1: Choose Your Transposition
    • Step 2: Write the New Key Signature
    • Step 4: Be Careful with Accidentals
  • Choosing Your New Key
  • Working with Vocalists
  • Transposing Instruments
  • Playable Keys
  • Transposing at Sight
  • Transposing Chord Names
    • Step 1: Choose Your Transposition
    • Step 2: Change the Names of All the Chords