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An introduction to the theory of music, including notation and the foundations of key, harmony and tonality.
Music is a language, and like any other language, it has a way of being written
down, spelling, punctuation and all those grammatical things that languages have;
and of course, it also has an enormous, and enormously pleasurable, literature.
If you couldn't read and write in your native language, you might be able
to get along in everyday life, but you'd have to rely on audiotapes, films and
film adaptations for any literature. It's the same with music. You can get by
just listening to your favourite records without understanding them, but if you're
really interested, you want to be able to read and write music and to know what's
going on.
This paper introduces you to the dots and squiggles and what
they mean, and it looks at how music is put together: what notes are available; how
you make tunes out of them; and how you put other notes with them to make harmony.
| Paper title | Introduction to Music |
|---|---|
| Paper code | MUSI191 |
| Subject | Music |
| EFTS | 0.15 |
| Points | 18 points |
| Teaching period | Semester 1 (On campus) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees (NZD) | $1,092.15 |
| International Tuition Fees (NZD) | $4,692.00 |
- Restriction
- MUSI 101
- Schedule C
- Arts and Music
- Notes
- (i) MUSI191 cannot be credited to a degree if MUSI101 has already been passed. (ii) Students who are not fluent in the reading of music should enrol in MUSI191 in their first semester.
- Eligibility
- If you are not fluent in reading music or have little or no experience of music theory
(or both), you should take MUSI 191 in your first semester.
Note: MUSI 191 cannot be credited to a degree if MUSI 101 has already been passed. However, it is quite possible to credit both papers to your degree as long as you pass MUSI 191 before you pass MUSI 101. - Contact
- School of Performing Arts Office
- More information link
View more information on the School of Performing Arts website
- Teaching staff
Teaching Staff: Dr Heleen Du Plessis
- Teaching Arrangements
- Three 50-minute lectures and one 50-minute tutorial per week.
- Textbooks
- Textbooks are not required for this paper, but it might be helpful for you to have
a reference book of your own. We recommend the following:
- Eric Taylor, The AB Guide to Music Theory, Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, 1989
- Joseph N. Straus, Elements of Music, 3rd Edition, Sydney: Pearson, 2012
- Course outline
Please contact the School of Performing Arts office (spa@otago.ac.nz) for a copy of the most recent paper profile.
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
- Lifelong learning, Communication, Information literacy, Self-motivation.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes. - Learning Outcomes
- Please contact the School of Performing Arts Office for a copy of the most recent paper profile.
