MUSC 284 Composition I

School of Arts and Technology

MUSC 284 Composition I. This course is designed to improve the skills of composers by presenting a wide variety of compositional tools in styles ranging from Classical to Jazz, Folk, Rock and Pop. By studying the recordings and scores of composers throughout history each student gains a musical awareness that strengthen their own compositional process. Particular attention is paid to the "building blocks of a composition;" the musical elements such as melody, harmony and rhythm that are at the core of the creative process. In class performance and analysis of student compositions occurs on a weekly basis and midterm and final assignments are recorded.

Prerequisites: MUSC 170 with a minimum grade of 83% and MUSC 175 with a minimum grade of 83%

Accessibility Services Notice

Students who would like an academic accommodation and who have a documented disability should contact Accessibility Services, if they have not already done so.

Transfer Agreements

Course to Course transfer – YesBlock Transfer – Yesbctransferguide.ca
Course Details
Total number of weeks15
Total Credits
Total Hours30
Typical hours per week breakdown
Lecture2

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, the learner will be able to:

  1. Compose music in a wide range of styles
  2. Record and notate compositions
  3. Analyze scores and recordings

Teaching and Learning Approach

Weekly assignments give students the opportunity to explore concepts discussed in class. In class lectures are often interspersed with short performance activities (done with all members of the class) to illustrate a concept’s potential.

Learning Resources

Required:

Composition I & II – written by Don Macdonald
Online Resources compiled by Don Macdonald

Detailed Course Content, Topics, and Sequence Covered

1. Melodic writing, form (ABAC, AABC), space, repetition, motif, phrase

2. Melody – range, rhythmic offsetting, sequence, question and answer

3. Melodic Dissonance – appoggiatura, suspension, non chord tones

4. Advanced Melodic Concepts – retrograde, inversion, octave displacement

5. Ethnic Scales – Major and Minor Pentatonic, Hungarian Minor, Balinese Gamelan Scale, Arabic Scales, Indian Scales

6. Contemporary Scales I – Symmetric Scales, 12-tone, whole tone

7. Review

8. Midterm

9. Sonorities I – Stravinsky, Pandiatonicism, Polychords, Polytonality, Cluster Chords

10. Sonorities II – Quartal and Quintal Chords, Sus 2, Sus 4

11. Mediant Chord Progressions

12. Parallelism – Hey Joe (Jimi Hendrix), The Sunken Cathedral (Debussy), Mars The Bringer of War (Holst)

13. The Harmonic Series, Contrary motion. Parallel motion, arranging and orchestration concepts using the harmonic series

14. Review

15. Final

Assessment

TitleLearning OutcomesValue
Homework and Quizzes50%
Midterm25%
Final25%
Total100%

Grading Table

Standard Contemporary Music and Technology Program Grading Table

PercentageLetter GradeGPA
97 - 100A+4.33
94 - 96.9A4.00
90 - 93.9A-3.67
87 - 89.9B+3.33
83 - 86.9B3.00
80 - 82.9B-2.67
77 - 79.9C+2.33
73 - 76.9C2.00
70 - 72.9C-1.67
60 - 69.9P1.00
Less than 60%F0.00
Did not withdrawDNW0.00

See the Academic Calendar for General Information including how to withdraw from course(s) and other regulations.

Disclaimer

Information contained in this course outline is correct at the time of publication. Content of the course is revised on an ongoing basis to ensure relevance to changing educational, employment and market needs. The instructor will endeavor to provide notice of changes to students as soon as possible. The instructor reserves the right to add or delete material from courses.