Aural Skills II Spring 2015

Announcements, links, and information. As I add new posts, the old posts will move down the page.

8am Syllabus          12:30pm Syllabus

4/20/15 Last Update

Today begins our final full week of classes. Here is some info for you that you will need for the next couple of weeks. Our last quiz is today in class.

Last Homework (I assigned this last Wed; see previous post)

• Due W 4/22: Transcribe 16 measures of a melody from a recording of your choice.

Turning in Late Work

• All late work must be in my hands or email on Monday 4/27 to be counted.

Dictation Exam 3

• The last dictation exam will take place during the scheduled final exam time.
  • If you are in the 8am class: M 5/4 at 8:00am
  • If you are in the 12:30pm class: W 4/29 at 11:30am
• It will cover
  • MD with leaps for 7th chords
  • RD with triplets and syncopations
  • HD with 7th chords
  • ED with mistakes in both parts.
• We will review for this exam on Monday 4/27.

Sight Singing Exam 3

Today in class we did the final sing for a grade. On Monday we will go over more stuff for harmonic dictation, and then take Quiz 6 on HD. This is the last quiz of the semester. We will spend the rest of Monday’s class on melodic dictation.

Here is information for the final dictation homework.

Horvit Homework 7

• Melodic Transcription due Wed 4/22: Transcribe 16 measures of a melody from a recording of your choice.

4/13/15 Sing 8 in Class on Wednesday

Here are the melodies you are to prepare for class on Wednesday, where you will sing one of them for a grade at the beginning.

• 8th edition: 12.1, 12.2, 12.3, 12.10, 12.19, 12.23
• 9th edition: 12.16, 12.8, 12.2, 12.20, 12.25, 12.28

4/8/15 RD HW due Mon and ED Quiz on Mon

I hope our more focused look at error detection today was helpful. There will be a quiz on Monday (4/12) on error detection with mistakes in both parts. We will spend the rest of next class singing from Ottman Chapter 12.

Horvit Homework 6

• Due Monday (4/12): pp. 209 and 249 (Unit 9 RD Quiz 1 and Unit 11 RD Quiz 1).
  • Complete 2 rhythm exercises for each page.
  • This homework includes triplets, duplets, and syncopation.

4/6/15 Sing 7 in Class on Wed and Calendar

We have reached the final third of the semester. Today I gave (will give) you a sheet with your current grade in the class on it. For those of you who have zeros for Horvit and Ottman homework, I am willing to accept late work to replace these zeros, if you would like to better your grade. Keep in mind that there will be two more Ottman singings, two more Horvit assignments, and two more quizzes. So, A single zero can have a large effect on your grade. Also remember that each of the last exams (Dictation Exam 3 and Sight Singing Exam 3) are each worth 15% of your final grade (30% total). Please come speak to me if you are worried about your grade.

Sing No. 7

We will sing one of the following melodies for a grade at the beginning of class on Wednesday.

• 8th edition: 11.6, 11.10, 11.16, 11.24, 11.25
• 9th edition: 11.15, 11.20, 11.23, 11.13, 11.26

Calendar to the End of the Semester

• M 4/6 Today
  • Sing Chapter 11.
  • Assign Sing 7 (melodies above) due W 4/8.
• W 4/8
  • Sing 7 in class.
  • Practice ED with mistakes in both parts. Quiz on ED next class
  • RD if time.
  • Horvit HW due M 4/13: p. 209 (Unit 9 RD Quiz 1) and 249 (Unit 11 RD Quiz 1). Complete 2 rhythm exercises of your choice for each page.
• M 4/13
  • Quiz 5: ED with mistakes in both parts.
  • Horvit HW due.
  • Sing Chapter 12.
  • Assign Sing 8 due W 4/15.
    • 8th edition: 12.1, 12.2, 12.3, 12.10, 12.19, 12.23
    • 9th edition: 12.16, 12.8, 12.2, 12.20, 12.25, 12.28
• W 4/15
  • Sing 8 in class.
  • Practice HD with 7th chords. Quiz on HD next class.
  • Practice MD.
  • Horvit HW due W 4/22: MD, choose anything you want, 16 measures.
• M 4/20
  • Quiz 6: HD with 7th chords.
  • MD in class from recording.
• W 4/22
  • Sight Singing Review
  • Horvit HW due.
  • Melodies for Sight Singing Exam 3
    • 8th edition: 12.55, 12.56, 12.57, 12.58, 12.59, 12.60
    • 9th edition: 12.56, 12.35, 12.59, 12.57, 12.55, 12.54
• M 4/27 Last Class
  • Dictation Review
    • MD with leaps for 7th chords
    • RD with triplets and syncopations
    • HD with 7th chords
    • ED with mistakes in both parts.
• Final Exam Time: Dictation Exam 3
  • 12:30pm class: W 4/29 at 11:30am
  • 8am class: M 5/4 at 8:00am
• Sight Singing Exam 3 (Jury)
  • TBD

3/11/15 Exams When We Return

Please remember to email me your recorded rhythm today. Many of you have not turned it in.

A reminder on homework: the written homework is worth 10% of your final grade and the singing homework is also 10% of your final grade. Some of you are very spotty when it comes to turning these things in, and I have given many extensions on this work. I give very little homework in relation to my colleagues in aural skills classes. I try to make sure every assignment matters rather than giving you busy work and waste your time. So not turning in an assignment can have a big effect on your grade, if you are hoping for an A.

Sight Singing Exam Melodies

• 8th Edition: 9.19, 9.23, 9.24, 9.28, 9.31
• 9th Edition: 9.19, 9.25, 9.26, 9.28, 9.32

Calendar for After Spring Break

• M 3/23
  • Review for Sight Singing Exam 2
• W 3/25
  • Sight Singing Exam 2
    • Prepared Melody
    • Sight Melody
    • Sight Rhythm
• M 3/30
  • Review for Dictation Exam 2
• W 4/1
  • Dictation Exam 2
    • RD with Subdivisions in simple and/or compound meter.
    • MD with all triad leaps possible.
    • HD with all diatonic triads and V7 inversions. [Keyboard Sheet for practice]
      • Today in class I literally took things straight from the keyboard sheet. So I recommend you practice it, so you know the sounds to expect.
    • ED in two parts with mistakes in one part.

3/9/15 New Recorded Singing due Wed, RD Quiz on Wed

• Remember that you have a recorded singing due today and the RD HW is due on Wednesday.
• New HW due Wed (3/11): Sing 6 Chapter 10
  • Choose one from among the following rhythms, and record yourself saying it with the correct rhythm syllables.
    • Same in both editions: 10.12, 10.15, 10.16, 10.37, 10.40, 10.52
• Quiz 4 on Wednesday over rhythmic dictation with subdivisons at the beginning of class.
• The rest of class on Wednesday will be practicing harmonic dictation. I recommed that you take a look at the keyboard sheet and play some of these in preparation for class, if you have time.
• Spring break is next week! When we come back, we have a day for review and then the sight sinigng exam. The following week will be a day for review and then the dictation exam. Keep this in mind as you plan how you spend your break.

3/4/15 Recorded Singing due Mon and RD HW due Wed

• Remember that you are to email me a recorded singing by Mon (3/9). See the previous post for details.
• There is a rhythmic dictation homework due Wednesday 3/11: p. 180 (Unit 8 RD Quiz 3). Do the whole page if you can.
• This weekend is the beginning of Daylight Saving Time. We move our clocks forward, and lose an hour. So every class on Monday will feel like it begins an hour earlier. Sorry 8am class.

3/2/15 Bring Instruments on Wed and Recorded Singing due Mon

We sang 9.9 for a grade as Sing 4 today in class. Now choose one of the other melodies you prepared for today and record yourself and email it to me as Sing 5 by Mon (3/9). Also, bring your instrument to class on Wednesday. We will be doing melodic dictation in class with the aid of our instruments. This class activity will count as Quiz 3 based on participation.

See you on Wednesday!
David

2/27/15 Transcription HW Due Mon and Sing in Class on Mon

Sorry for the delay in this post. I forgot to write up this reminder on Wendesday. Remember that the Melodic Transcription HW is due on Monday (3/2). Also, I assigned melodies for a graded singing in class on Monday as well.

Sing 4: In Class on Monday 3/2

• 8th Edition: 9.4, 9.9, 9.20, 9.31
• 9th Edition: 9.5, 9.9, 9.20, 9.32

2/23/15 Melodic Transcription HW and Keyboard Progresson Sheet

Music Transcription Homework

1. Find a piece of music you would like to figure out about eight measures of melody. This can be anything: a rock song, an orchestral piece, a jazz tune, anything. It doesn’t necessarily have to be the melody in can be another melodic part, such as what the bass player does on a motown tune, a saxophone solo, etc.
2. Transcribe these eight measures into notation.
3. Send me a link with the music you decided to transcribe, so I can listen and compare against your transcription.
4. Due on Monday 3/2. I will collect this.

Keyboard Progression Sheet

• Here is the promised sheet of keyboard progressions.
• I will not ask you to play any of these for me for a grade. I base the harmonic progressions I play in class on progressions like these. If you know how to play these progressions and know how each of the chords works in building musical phrases (as you are learning in theory class), this will hopefully make harmonic dictation easier.

2/18/15 Calendar for the Second Part of the Semester

Enjoy your days without something to do for aural skills. Here’s a calendar through the next test.

Tentative Calendar (2/23 through 4/1)

• M 2/23
  • I have no idea what we’ll do. Hopefully something fun.
  • Assign Melodic Transcription HW due M 3/2.
• W 2/25
  • Sing All of Chapter 9.
  • Assign Sing 4: Sing in class on M 3/2.
    • 8th Edition: 9.4, 9.9, 9.20, 9.31
    • 9th Edition: 9.5, 9.9, 9.20, 9.32
• M 3/2
  • Sing 4 in class.
  • Assign Sing 5 (Record 3): Choose another melody from our previous melodies to record due M 3/9.
  • ED with two parts, mistakes in one part.
  • RD in compound meter.
• W 3/4 Bring Instruments!
  • Quiz 3 MD Transcription all class.
  • Assign RD HW due W 3/11: p. 180 (Unit 8 RD Quiz 3) Do whole page if you can.
• M 3/9
  • Do Chapter 10 Rhythms.
  • Assign Sing 6 (Record 4): Record yourself performing one rhythm (say, clap, tap, I don’t care) due W 3/11.
    • Same in both editions: 10.12, 10.15, 10.16, 10.37, 10.40, 10.52
• W 3/11
  • Quiz 4 RD Subdivisions.
  • HD with all triads and V7 Inversions.
    • On M 2/23, I will give you keyboard progressions to practice. You will not have to play them for me for a grade, but they will help you practice for harmonic dictation.
  • Assign Sight Singing Exam Melodies
    • 8th Edition: 9.19, 9.23, 9.24, 9.28, 9.31
    • 9th Edition: 9.19, 9.25, 9.26, 9.28, 9.32
• SPRING BREAK! Yay!
• M 3/23
  • Review for Sight Singing Exam 2
• W 3/25
  • Sight Singing Exam 2
    • Prepared Melody
    • Sight Melody
    • Sight Rhythm
• M 3/30
  • Review for Dictation Exam 2
• W 4/1 “The Worst April Fools”
  • Dictation Exam 2
    • RD with Subdivisions in simple and/or compound meter.
    • MD with all triad leaps possible.
    • HD with all diatonic triads and V7 inversions.
    • ED in two parts with mistakes in one part.

2/11/15 Homework Extension!

As I stated in class, many of you have not turned in horvit homework, singings, done the keyboard progressions, etc. I know there has been sickness running around the music building, so I am granting all of you an extension on all the work we’ve done so far through Wendesday of next week (2/18). After that Wednesday, I will not accept this work anymore. Come speak to me or email me if you want to know what I have graded for you or if want to talk to me or need some help.

Make sure you are practicing the melodies for the sight singing exam on 2/18 next Wednesday.

See you on Monday!
David

2/9/15 Exam Stuff and Homework Reminder

I hope today’s practice in class for our dictation exam is helpful. Our dictation exam is on Wednesday. Remember that your second recorded singing is due sometime day. Also make sure you play the keyboard progressions for sometime today. I will be in my office until 10am and from 1:30 to 3:20pm. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

Sight Singing Exam Prepared Melodies

• 8th Edition: 7.3, 7.11, 7.25. 8.14, 8.27, 8.53
• 9th Edition: 7.3, 7.15, 7.26, 8.35, 8.37, 8.54

2/4/15 Dictation Exam Next Wed & Homeworks due Mon

I hope today’s class on playing chord progressions and harmonic dictation was helpful. Now for a few reminders.

1. The second recorded singing (Sing No. 3) is due on Mon (and if you haven’t turned in the previous recorded singing, I will still accept it by Mon. After that you will receive a zero.)
2. You must play the keyboard progressions for me by Monday before or after class or during office hours.
3. Our first dictation exam is on Wednesday next week (2/11). It will be over
   • rhythmic dictation with dotted rhythms and ties,
   • melodic dictation in major and minor with leaps in I, IV, and V (i, iv, and V) chords, One may be in an alto or tenor clef.
   • harmonic dictation with V⁷, cadential six-four, and first-inversion triads, and
   • error detection with five pitch mistakes in a single melody line.
4. We will spend Monday in class practicing for the exam, and I will give you the melodies to prepare for the sight singing exam the week following (Wed 2/18).

2/2/15 New Homework and Updated Calendar (Test Next Week!)

Today in class we introduced error detection in conjunction with rhythmic and melodic dictation. On Wednesday, please bring your instruments to class. We will play and sing chord progressions together to practice harmonic dictation. There will be a harmonic dictation quiz at the end of class. Here’s the homework information.

Sing No. 3: Record Yourself Again

Due Monday (2/9). Follow the same procedure for the previous singing. Choose one of the melodies below. We will play and sing through these melodies in class on Wednesday for practice.

• 8th edition: 8.49-8.53
• 9th edition: 8.50-8.54

Sing No. 2

Some of you have yet to turn in Sing No. 2. I am still willing to listen to it. Turn it in soon, please. If you would prefer to sing it in person, you can do it before or after class or during office hours. This is true of any recorded singing.

Keyboard Progression

Remember that you need to play me the keyboard progression sometime this week or on Monday.

Updated Calendar

• M 2/2
  • Dictations: RD, MD, and Error Detection
• W 2/4
  • Instruments in class: play melodies and chord progressions.
  • Quiz 2: HD at end of class.
  • Play the keyboard progressions for me sometime today.
• M 2/9
  • Sing 3: Record Yourself Again due.
  • Last day to play keyboard progressions.
  • Review for Dictation Exam: RD, MD, HD, ED
  • Assign prepared melodies for first sight singing exam.
• W 2/11
  • Dictation Exam 1
• M 2/16
  • Sign up for SS Exam times.
  • Review for Sight Singing Exam: Prepared Melodies, Sight Singing, and Sight Rhythm
• W 2/18
  • Sight Singing Exam 1: In my office, CMUS 104. 5 minutes each. Be early.

1/26/15 No Class on Wednesday and Various Homeworks

Remember that I will be out of town on Wednesday, and we decided together to cancel class. So, no class on Wednesday (1/28). Meanwhile, I have assigned various homeworks all due at different times.

Sing No. 2: Record Yourself

Due Monday (2/2). The website for our ear training textbook is back up and running. So now you can finally do the first assignment: p. 121-122, choose any three of the rhythms (Unit 6 Rythmic Dictation Quiz 2).

New!: Keyboard Progression

We need to practice harmonic dictation, and the way the Horvit textbook sets this up doesn’t work well with the way I teach this material. So, the best thing I can think to do is to assign you to play harmonic progressions at the keyboard, and have you play them for me. This will count toward the Horvit homework portion of your grade. Here’s what you will do.

• Learn the following keyboard progression in C major as notated (Follow the link to a PDF you can print.) I have given you fingering suggestions, if you like. I don’t care how you finger it.
• Transpose it to one other major key of your choice (I recommend G major, F major, or D major).
• Also learn it in C minor, making the necessary changes to Me and Le (E flat and A flat).
• To get credit for this assignment, you need to play me your transposed major-key version and the C minor version in a tempo (any tempo). You shoud be able to do these from memory with only the original version in front of you. This can happen before or after class, or during office hours. You must do this by Monday, 2/9. This gives you two weeks to practice and play it for me.
• Let me know if you need help learning or practicing this. By the time, you have memorized this progression, you should be able to hear it as a harmonic dictation easily.
• If you have time, I highly recommend you learn the progression and other similar ones in all major and minor keys. (This is not required, and don’t do it if you don’t have the time.)

1/21/15 Transcription Homework and First Quiz

I hope today’s class with our instruments was helpful. I recommend you use your instrument to help you complete our melody transcription assignment. As I said in a previous email, since the Horvit website is down, I will grant you all an extension on our first assignment. I will let you know when the website is back up and running. I will give you the new due date at that point.

Our first quiz (on melodic dictation) will be at the beginning of class on Monday. The stuff we did in class today and the homework should prepare you for it. The rest of next class will be working on singing in Chapter 8. I will assign melodies then for our first recorded singing assignment (due next Wednesday). We decided to have no class on Wednesday next week, as I will be out of town.

Melody Transcription Homework

• Listen to the last movement of Brahms Symphony No. 1. (This link begins at the beginning of the movement.)
• After the multi-part introduction, there is the famous melody that happens in the strings. It is then repeated in the woodwinds (flute 1 and oboe 1).
• Figure out and write down this melody on your own staff paper. You may have some trouble with the last couple of measures as other instruments enter to prepare the next section. Don’t worry too much if you can’t figure the last measure or so out.
• The melody is in 4/4 and begins with a quarter-note pickup on beat 4.
• Here is a link to a youtube video that will start right before the melody in question.
• This is due at the beginning of class on Monday. (It will count toward the Horvit homework section of your grade.)
• Remember this is graded on participation, so if you would like to check your work once you are done, here is the score on imslp.

1/14/15 Homework and Melodies due Wednesday, Tentative Calendar

I hope today’s work on alto and tenor clefs was helpful. I have assigned homework out the Horvit book, and assigned 5 melodies to prepare for a graded singing at the beginning of our next class. Also please bring your instruments to our next class on Wendesday (1/21).

Homework

• Horvit Unit 6 Rhythmic Dictation Quiz 2: Choose 3 (pp. 121-122). Due Wednesday (1/21).
• Ottman Chapter 7 Melodies: I will choose one and each of you with sing it individually for a grade on Wednesday (1/21). Remember that I grade you on your pitches, rhythms, conducting, and solfege.
  • 8th Edition: 7.7, 7.11, 7.14, 7.25, 7.27
  • 9th Editon: 7.9, 7.15, 7.18, 7.26, 7.29

Tentative Calendar

• M 1/19
  • NO SCHOOL
• W 1/21
  • Horvit assignment due. Sing 1 in class.
  • Instruments in class: play melodies by ear.
• M 1/26
  • Quiz on Melodic Dictation.
  • Assign a melodic transcription due Monday (2/2). Sing 2: record yourself singing due Wednesday (2/4).
  • Day on Ottman Chapter 8.
• W 1/28
  • Kulma Out of Town. Either No Class or Sub. We will talk about which next class.

1/12/15 First Day of Class

Welcome back! Here is the course website. Above are links to the syllabus for each section. I will place here announcements, information about homework and due dates, and other stuff to keep the class running smoothly.

I hope you enjoyed our first day. On Wednesday, we will be starting into Chapter 7 in the Ottman and I will assign our first homework assignments. Good luck in the semester to come.

See you on Wednesday!
David