Introduction to Writing Inventions and African Songs

Pre-requisite to this course is MUS 1205. Skills in writing inventions and African song cycles are introduced. Training in counterpoint and orchestration form the core basis for writing inventions. Composition of songs and their accompaniments basing on styles selected from representative ethnicities from Uganda (at least one from each region) and other ethnicities from Africa, depending on where there students come from, form the basis for writings skills of ethnic song cycles.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Objectives: 

• To equip students with skills for writing an exposition of a two-voice invention in both the major and minor modes, in the style of J S Bach
• To equip students with skills of writing chords for the strings, woodwinds, and brass sections of a western orchestra
• To equip students with skills of writing an ethnic poem on a given topic