Ear Training
Ear Training Sequence
Ear Training 1

Ear Training 2
Ear Training 3
Ear Training 4

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Ear Training Sequence
The four semester ear training sequence gradually introduces increasingly advanced rhythms, melodies, textures, and chords in order to provide students with the skills needed to hear music internally, to notate what is heard, and to aurally recognize the harmonic, formal, and rhythmic structures of music. Classroom time is largely devoted to sightsinging and aural analysis. All MU113 sections meet together on Fridays for Dictation.

Ear Training requires active participation and consistent practice. For this reason students are urged to take every opportunity to hone their skills, applying them whenever possible to your own musicmaking and study of music; assigned performance pieces, harmony and counterpoint exercises, keyboard theory practice, concert attendance, etc. Using these ear training skills regularly in your day to day musical life will dramatically improve your ability to succeed in this course.

Students who fail Section 1 of the Ear Training placement exam given during Orientation week are required to take MU340 Dalcroze Eurhythmics in the fall semester of the freshman year.

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Ear Training 1
MU113

Fall Semester 2008
Credits: 2
Prerequisites: none


Course Objectives
Sightsinging and Rhythm
fluency in and understanding of
• treble and bass clefs
• singing and conducting in simple meters (2/8, 2/4, 3/8, 3/4, 4/8, 4/4, etc.)
• fixed do solfége syllables applied to non-modulating major and minor melodies
• tied notes, dotted notes, and syncopation
MELODIA Series 1 and 2

Aural Analysis
aural recognition and identification of
• simple harmonic progression in major and minor keys
• triad qualities (major, minor, diminished, augmented)
• scale types (major, natural minor, harmonic minor, and melodic minor)
• all intervals within the octave· simple meters (2/8, 2/4, 3/8, 3/4, 4/8, 4/4, etc.)
• compound meters (6/16, 6/8, 9/16, 9/8, 12/16, 12/8)

Dictation
transcription of 
• non-modulating tonal melodies
• 1st and 2nd Species counterpoint
• rhythmic dictation incorporating ties, dotted notes, and syncopation


Textbooks
Required texts are available online from www.textbookx.com
MELODIA: A COURSE IN SIGHTSINGING
Samuel Cole and Leo Lewis
Theodore Presser Co., 2004
ISBN: 9789200129384

TBC RHYTHM BOOK

371 FOUR-PART CHORALES
Johann Sebastian Bach           
Alfred Publishing Company, 1985
ISBN: 9780769240916

Grading
Class Participation     
Dictation
Midterm (Sightsinging)  
Final Exam (Sightsinging)

rading  
50%
30%
10%
10%

 
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Ear Training 2
MU114

Spring Semester 2009
Credits: 2
Prerequisites: Ear Training 1 or placement

Course Objectives
Sightsinging and Rhythm
fluency in and understanding of
• alto and tenor clef
• ledger lines
• singing and conducting in compound meters
• simple meters in two parts
• fixed do solfége syllables applied to modulating major and minor melodies
• scales and arpeggiated triads
• all intervals within the octave
• triplets and sextuplets
MELODIA Series 3 and 4

Aural Analysis
aural recognition and identification of
• cadences
• harmonic progression in major and minor keys
• seventh chords
• second inversion triad usage
• non-chord tones
• large intervals (9ths, 10ths, etc.)
• irregular meters (5/16, 5/8, 5/4)
• phrases and periods

Dictation
transcription of

• non-modulating tonal melodies including non-chord tones
• 3rd and 4th Species counterpoint
• an inner voice from a 4-part chorale
• rhythmic dictation incorporating ties, dotted notes, and syncopation

Textbooks
MELODIA: A COURSE IN SIGHTSINGING
TBC RHYTHM BOOK
371 FOUR-PART CHORALES

see above

Grading
Class Participation
Dictation
Midterm (Sightsinging)     
Final Exam (Sightsinging)

rading
50%
30%
10%
10%
 
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Ear Training 3
MU213

Fall Semester 2008
Credits: 2
Prerequisites: Ear Training 2 or placement


Course Objectives
Sightsinging and Rhythm
fluency in and understanding of
• changing clefs
• crossing parts
• singing and conducting in irregular meters
• fixed do solfége syllables applied to extended modulations
• seventh chords
• intervals larger than an octave
• quintuplets and septuplets
• dotted and tied duplets
MELODIYA Series 5 and 6

Aural Analysis
aural recognition and identification of
• harmonic progressions incorporating Neapolitan and augmented sixth chords
• mode mixture
• church modes
• wholetone, pentatonic, and  octatonic scales
• binary and ternary form
• irregular meters (7/16, 7/8, 7/4)
• changing meters

Dictation
transcription of
• modulating tonal melodies incorporating chromaticism and leaps
• 2 voice canons
• an outer and an inner voice from a 4-part chorale
• rhythmic dictation of changing meters over a pulse
• rhythmic dictation in two parts

Textbooks
MELODIA: A COURSE IN SIGHTSINGING
TBC RHYTHM BOOK
371 FOUR-PART CHORALES

see above

Grading
Class Participation
Dictation
Midterm (Sightsinging)     
Final Exam (Sightsinging)

radi
50%
30%
10%
10%
 
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Ear Training 4
MU214

Spring Semester 2009
Credits: 2
Prerequisites: Ear Training 3 or placement

Course Objectives

Sightsinging and Rhythm
fluency in and understanding of
• singing and conducting in changing meters
• irregular and mixed meters in three parts
• fixed do solfége syllables applied to simple atonal melodies
• fixed do solfége syllables applied to church mode melodies
• fixed do solfége syllables applied to melodies utilizing mode mixture
• wholetone, pentatonic, and octatonic melodies

MELODIYA Series 7 and 8

Aural Analysis
aural recognition and identification of
• harmonic progressions incorporating borrowed chords
• retrograde tone rows
• inverted tone rows
• fugue
• sonata form
• harmonic language of Romantic and 20th-century composers

Dictation
transcription of

• 4-part chorale (8 measures)
• atonal melodies incorporating large intervallic leaps
• baroque counterpoint
• rhythmic dictation of changing meters
• rhythmic dictation of irregular meters in two parts


Textbooks

MELODIA: A COURSE IN SIGHTSINGING
TBC RHYTHM BOOK
371 FOUR-PART CHORALES

see above

Grading
Class Participation
Dictation
Midterm (Sightsinging)     
Final Exam (Sightsinging)

rading
50%
30%
10%
10%
 
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