MUS20640 Music Theory 3

Academic Year 2023/2024

This module extends the skills learned in Music Theory 2, expanding students’ harmonic vocabulary, and enhancing theoretical and analytical skills in larger formal types. The module introduces advanced harmonic analysis, focusing on chromatic harmonies including secondary dominants and secondary sevenths, diminished sevenths, the Neapolitan sixth, augmented sixths, and diminished thirds. Building on the principles of syntactic analysis first introduced in Music Theory 2, this module considers more complex syntactic types and analysis of larger forms (ternary and sonata forms). This module incorporates small-group tutorials aimed at supporting the module content through harmonic and formal exercises, and practical skills are enhanced through Practical Musicianship classes.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module students should be able to:
- demonstrate a knowledge of advanced harmonic language.
- critically engage with music syntax, form, and genre by focusing on further in-depth analysis of periods and sentences as well as more complex hybrid and compound types.
analyse and engage critically with a broader range of forms such as ternary and sonata forms.
- define and discuss the technical, theoretical and formal aspects of music of the late-eighteenth and early-nineteenth century by bringing together the harmonic and formal concepts introduced through Music Theory 1, Music Theory 2 and Music Theory 3.

Indicative Module Content:

Parts 3, 4 and 5 of Burstein & Straus, Concise Introduction to Tonal Harmony (New York & London: W.W. Norton, 2020).

Parts 5 and 6 of Aldwell, Schachter & Cadwallader, Harmony and Voice Leading (Boston, MA: Cengage Learning, 2019).

Parts 2, 3, and 4 of Caplin, Classical Form: A theory of formal functions for the instrumental music of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven (Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 1998).

Dissonance and chromaticism
Diatonic and chromatic modulation
Modal mixture
Chromatic pre-dominant harmony
Analysis and composition of musical form
Advanced aural skills
Harmonic progressions, melodic harmonisation, and cadential formulae at the keyboard

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

24
Tutorial

12
Practical

6
Specified Learning Activities

24
Autonomous Student Learning

34
Total

100
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
In-person lectures.
Face-to-face tutorials.
Face-to-face practicals.
Individual listening and practice.
Task-based learning. 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Required:
MUS10160 - Music Theory & Musicianship 1, MUS10190 - Music Theory 1


 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Continuous Assessment: Preparation, participation and progress in weekly practical musicianship groups (keyboard harmony) Throughout the Trimester n/a Graded No

15
Examination: Two-hour examination at the RDS with three questions. 2 hour End of Trimester Exam No Graded No

45
Assignment: Three assignments dur over the course of the trimester. Assignment 1 due in week 4 (5%), assignment 2 due in week 7 (10%), assignment 3 due in week 11 (10%). Assignments must use notation software. Throughout the Trimester n/a Graded No

25
Continuous Assessment: Preparation, participation and progress as observed in weekly lectures and tutorials Throughout the Trimester n/a Graded No

15

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 
Resit In Terminal Exam
Autumn No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Not yet recorded.

Burstein & Straus, Concise Introduction to Tonal Harmony (New York & London: W.W. Norton, 2020).

Aldwell, Schachter & Cadwallader, Harmony and Voice Leading (Boston, MA: Cengage Learning, 2019).

Caplin, Classical Form: A theory of formal functions for the instrumental music of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven (Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 1998).

Name Role
Ms Maddie Kavanagh Clarke Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Leah Mullen Tutor
Ealu Thomas Tutor
Mr Connor Wilcox Tutor
Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
 
Spring
      
Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Tues 09:00 - 10:50
Tutorial Offering 7 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Tues 13:00 - 13:50
Tutorial Offering 9 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Tues 12:00 - 12:50
Tutorial Offering 12 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Wed 11:00 - 11:50
Tutorial Offering 13 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Wed 10:00 - 10:50
Laboratory Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Mon 12:00 - 12:30
Laboratory Offering 2 Week(s) - 20, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Mon 13:00 - 13:30
Laboratory Offering 3 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Mon 14:00 - 14:30
Laboratory Offering 4 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 31, 32, 33 Thurs 12:00 - 12:30
Laboratory Offering 4 Week(s) - 30 Thurs 12:00 - 12:30
Laboratory Offering 5 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Thurs 13:00 - 13:30
Laboratory Offering 6 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Thurs 14:00 - 14:30
Laboratory Offering 7 Week(s) - 20, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Mon 11:00 - 11:30
Spring