Music 10 - Music Fundamentals

Instructor email
Mike Sult sultmichael@foothill.edu

Prerequisites
This course is an entry level course in music theory designed for the student with little or no previous musical experience. Familiarity with general computing, web navigating and e-mail is advised. Technical help is available in the Computer labs of Foothill College
Computer equipment required
A computer capable of running a JavaScript/Java capable browser (also equipped to play mp3 files) is required for this course. Modern browsers such as Firefox, Chrome, Safari and Edge all have this capability.
Class Content
This course is a study of standard music notation and the basic building blocks of western music composition. The activities used throughout this study will include the following:
  1. Identify and write notes on the Grand staff.
  2. Identify, write and sing/play simple intervals.
  3. Identify, write and sing/play major and minor scales
  4. Identify and write key signatures.
  5. Identify write and sing major, minor, augmented and diminished triads.
  6. Sight Sing simple diatonic melodies.
  7. Perform simple rhythms from standard written notation.

To accomplish these ends, a web environment has been created that allows students to hear musical examples while on-line. The course will consist of lecture/listening sessions followed by writing and analysis assignments pertaining to the lectures. Weekly lecture will be posted on the Canvas course web site. Each lecture will focus on the topic of week and supplement the assigned reading in the Text. Weekly Worksheets are provided to enhance the student's understanding of the lecture material from that week. Weekly on-line quizzes will be given at the course Web site. The course will include three larger tests, Midterm 1, Midterm 2 and the Final Exam.

Music 10 fulfills General Education requirement for CSU, IGETC, and Foothill's AA degree program.

Text and References

Music Fundamentals on the Web
Mike Sult

This text is in web page format and will be freely available on the INTERNET to all students of FGA MUSIC 10. Additional Web related music resources will be used. All material is free.

 

Weekly Presentation of Material
  • Week 1 Overview / System Test
    Chpt. 1 Pitch
    Practice Worksheets: Pitch 1 and 2

  • Week 2 Chpt. 2 and 3 - Keyboard and Guitar
    Practice Worksheets: Keyboard 1, 2, 3 - Guitar 1
    Tests 1,2,3

  • Week 3 Chpt. 4 and 5 - Major Scales
    Practice Worksheets: Major Scales
    Test 4

  • Week 4 Chpt. 6 - Pulse, Note Value and Rhythm
    Chpt. 7 Meter
    Chpt. 8 Beaming
    Practice Worksheets: Note value, Beaming
    Tests 5,6

  • Week 5 Chpt. 9 - Major Key Signatures
    Practice Worksheets: Circle of Fifths, Key Signatures 1
    Test 7, *** Midterm 1 ***

  • Week 6 Chpt. 10 - Minor Scales
    Practice Worksheets: Minor Scales
    Test 8

  • Week 7 Chpt. 11 - Major/Minor Relationships
    Practice Worksheets: Circle of Fifths, Key Signatures 2
    Tests 9

  • Week 8 Chpt. 12 - Intervals
    Practice Worksheets: Intervals
    Tests 10, 11

  • Week 9 Chpt. 13 - Triads
    Practice Worksheets: Triads
    Tests 12, *** Midterm 2 ***

  • Week 10 Chpt. 14 - Modes
    Practice Worksheets: Modes
    Tests 13

  • Week 11 Chpt. 15 - Chord Progressions

  • Week 12 Review for Final
    *** Final Exam ***

  Exams, Assignments and Grading
Exams: Weekly tests will be given covering that week's lecture and reading material. There will be three major exams consisting of two midterms and one final exam. These exams and test will be administered at the Music 10 Web site.

The weighting of the various graded activities is shown below.

Weekly tests (total) 205 pts 65%
Midterm 1 36 pts 12%
Midterm 2 28 pts 7%
Final 45 pts 16%
totals 314 pts 100%

A = 90% or above (314-282 pts)
B = 89-80% (281-251 pts)
C = 79-70% (250-220 pts)
D = 69-60% (219-188 pts)
F = 59% and below (187 pts and less).