Elementary Harmony, Counterpoint, and Ethnic Music Writing

Course Code:

MUS 1110

Course Credit Units:

4

Semester:

Semester 1

Year of Study:

Year 1

Undergraduate or Graduate Level:

Undergraduate Level

Academic Programs:

Bachelor Of Arts (Music)

College:

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

School:

School of Liberal and Performing Arts

Department:

Music Dance Drama

Course Discipline:

Music

Course Description & Objectives:

This course is designed for students who have a background in music as one of the subjects offered for the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) or the equivalent or a good diploma certificate in which music was a specialization. The course builds on the introductory courses in harmony that students offered at UACE and diploma training. It equips students with elementary skills in harmony, counterpoint, orchestration, and ethnic music writing, and music transcription. The course offers a strong theoretical and practical component all geared towards giving background to music composition. Objectives:

To review the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) music composition skills.
To enhance the techniques of counterpoint writing in western art music
To enhance skills of transcription and ethnic music writing
To enhance skills in writing for both western musical and ethnic music

Learning Outcomes:

Ability to use triads in both root position and first inversion, and even effect modulation in order to musically harmonize a given soprano or bass line in four parts
Ability to arrange a given chorale/hymn for a string orchestra
Ability to transcribe an ethnic children’s play song, and arrange it on a score for leader, response, and drums
Ability to recognize the different rhythms and intonation of ethnic texts
Ability to break words in ethnic languages in syllables