The Music Theory & Aural Skills courses are a series of courses compulsory for all Bachelor of Music students that develop core skills underpinning analytical and practical engagement in a variety of musical idioms, including common practice, jazz, and popular styles. This course introduces students to various analytical approaches to 20th Century and contemporary music repertoire, both theoretical and aurally. The theory component is complemented with the sequential and aligned development of advanced aural skills, including audiation (inner hearing) and aural awareness of complex melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic structures, through individual and group listening, reading and performing (singing), dictation, and aural analysis activities.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- define and describe highly advanced elements of music in both tonal and atonal contexts, including those relating to pitch, melody, harmony, rhythm, and form;
- reflect critically and apply theoretical knowledge of analytical approaches to 20th Century and contemporary music using professional-level terminology and notation;
- demonstrate a fluent ability to read and apply advanced music notation, including inner hearing of melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic elements through sight-singing, sight-reading, and performance activities; and
- aurally identify and interpret with great fluency and creativity some of the more advanced elements of music in tonal and atonal contexts, including highly advanced rhythms and polyrhythms, as demonstrated through notation and performance tasks.
Other Information
Hurdle requirement: A minimum mark of 50% cumulatively across all assessment items in the aural component, and a minimum mark of 50% cumulatively across all assessment items in the theory component, is required to pass the course, regardless of performance in other items.
Indicative Assessment
- Mid-Semester test (theory and aural), 1.5 hours, held during class in week 6 (25) [LO 1,2,3,4]
- Final examination (theory and aural), 1.5 hours, held during the exam period (25) [LO 1,2,3,4]
- Analysis and Transcription Portfolio (50) [LO 1,2,3,4]
In response to COVID-19: Please note that Semester 2 Class Summary information (available under the classes tab) is as up to date as possible. Changes to Class Summaries not captured by this publication will be available to enrolled students via Wattle.
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Workload
130 hours of total student learning time made up from:a) 48 hours of contact over 12 weeks of Theory & Aural workshops; and
b) 82 hours of independent study, including listening and written tasks, and practical exercises (e.g., sight-singing).
Inherent Requirements
Not applicable
Requisite and Incompatibility
You will need to contact the School of Music to request a permission code to enrol in this course.
Prescribed Texts
NA
Preliminary Reading
Straus, J. N. (2016). Introduction to Post-Tonal Theory. 4th ed. New York: Norton.Friedmann, M. L. (1990). Ear Training for Twentieth-Century Music. New Haven: Yale University Press.
Minors
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 1
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $3120 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $4800 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
