Undergraduate

Understanding music: elements, techniques and styles

On this page

• Summary
• Course content
• Entry
• Qualifications
• If you have a disability or additional requirement
• Course materials
• Teaching and assessment
• Professional recognition
• Students also studied
• Future availability
• How to register

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This course is available for study in the countries shown. Fees may vary by country.

Summary

This course teaches the basic techniques and styles of western music of the ‘tonal era’ (c.1600–1900). This is when great European composers like Bach, Handel, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms and Wagner developed the language of ‘classical’ music and laid down its central principles. The course is both practical (including playing, writing and listening to music) and theoretical (dealing with concepts and analytical methods). You will acquire basic skills in keyboard playing, score reading and music writing; analyse style, harmony, form and orchestration in a variety of works; learn skills like transposition and score-reduction; and write simple harmonisations and accompaniments.

Course content

The course will interest you whether you already have some musical background, or you have but little technical knowledge. It is designed to help you gain the skills necessary for further study of music at Level 3. Although no musical knowledge or competence is assumed, you should take careful note of the advice given in Entry below.

The course is in four main sections, although to a considerable extent concepts and skills are taught continually and cumulatively. Part 1 introduces the elements of music (melody, rhythm, harmony and so on) and the principles of notation, in conjunction with keyboard work, ear training and practice in music writing (rhythms, melodies and chords). Part 2 introduces score reading and simple formal principles. It extends the harmonic vocabulary and applies it in written harmonisation exercises. Part 3 pursues harmonisation work, formal analysis, and score reading to a more advanced level, then applies the skills to particular styles. Part 4 extends the study of style through analysis and elementary idiomatic writing. Broader considerations of historical context are introduced.

In detail, the course is arranged as follows:

Part 1 Introduction to the elements of music and the principles of notation

Introducing rhythm – more about rhythm – pitch – introduction to staff notation – melody – harmony – the chord – modes, scales and keys – primary triads – cadences.

Part 2 Introduction to score reading, simple formal principles, harmonic vocabulary and harmonisation

Following a score I – formal principles I – first inversion chords – secondary diatonic triads (II, III, VI and VII) – modulation I – following a score II – two-stave reduction – revision.

Part 3 Advanced harmonisation, form analysis, score reading and their application

Harmonising a melody I – modulation II – harmonising a melody II – following an orchestral score – transpositions and reductions – formal principles II – baroque style: study I – classical style: study I.

Part 4 The study of style extended and historical considerations

Some points of style – baroque style: study II – classical style: study II – the Romantic period – style, history and canon – baroque style: study III – classical style: study III – towards the examination: writing about music.

Residential school

There is a one-week summer school that concentrates intensively on musical skills, through seminars, lectures and music-making sessions, and on the study of musical works.

The cost of the residential school is included in the course fee.

Alternative learning experience (ALE)

All A214 students are encouraged to attend the residential school, which provides opportunities for the development of technical skills relevant to the course in collaboration with specialist tutors. However, if you are unable to attend, you are required to undertake the alternative learning experience (ALE). The ALE is based on the residential school lecture and workshop programme. It covers the topics that are primarily taught at the school, and will therefore enable you to complete the academic programme. You will receive study materials and exercises which you will be required to complete and submit for assessment. The cost of the ALE is included in the course fee.

You must satisfactorily participate in either the residential school or the ALE to gain credit for the course.

Entry

The course begins with the most basic musical notation, and all the essential theoretical information is included in the course materials, so the course can be completed successfully without any previous musical knowledge or training, although that requires a good deal of hard work. Experience of singing in a choir or playing an instrument would be a distinct advantage, and so would some familiarity, however slight, with musical notation. If you have no such experience, you would be wise to seek advice from our Student Registration & Enquiry Service before committing yourself to the course.

If you are an absolute beginner, there will be a lot of work in the early stages in order to grasp the basics. If you already have some musical knowledge, these first stages may seem elementary, but will be a useful refresher; and if you’re thoroughly conversant with the material, you will soon move on to less familiar areas.

You are not necessarily expected to have taken any other OU courses before this one, but it is a Level 2 course. Most of the assignments are musical exercises arising from the course material, but one assignment and the examination also require short, essay-type answers. For this, you may find the Level 1 course The arts past and present (AA100) a useful preparation; it also offers an introduction to all eight disciplines in the Arts Faculty and to interdisciplinary work. Your regional or national centre will be able to tell you where you can see reference copies of AA100, or you can buy selected materials from Open University Worldwide Ltd.

If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.

Preparatory work

Anything you can do to improve your musical awareness, such as joining a local choir, would be helpful. Listen to as much classical music as you can; a great deal is broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM.

If you have no previous experience of musical notation, it may be beneficial to look at Eric Taylor: First Steps in Music Theory (ABRSM publishing) and the opening chapters of Eric Taylor: The AB Guide to Music Theory Part I (ABRSM publishing).

Qualifications

A214 is a compulsory course in our

• BA (Honours) Humanities (B03) (with Music)
• Diploma in Music (D22)

A214 is an optional course in our

• BA (Honours) Humanities (B03)

It can also count towards most of our other degrees at bachelors level, where it is suitable for a BA. We advise you to refer to the relevant qualification descriptions for information on the circumstances in which this course can count towards these qualifications because from time to time the structure and requirements may change.

Excluded combinations

Sometimes you will not be able to count a course towards a qualification if you have already taken another course with similar content.  To check any excluded combinations relating to this course, visit our excluded combination finder or check with our Student Registration & Enquiry Service before registering.

If you have a disability or additional requirement

This course involves a study of the aural aspects of music. The course units include listening activities relating to rhythm, melody and harmony, and these are also assessed in tutor-marked assignments. You will need to use your aural skills to achieve the learning outcomes of this course. The course also involves reading complicated scores, as well as writing musical notation. After you have registered you will receive detailed information about the residential-school site and the facilities available to help with the academic programme. The course materials materials (except illustrative or symbolic materials) are available on audio in DAISY Digital Talking Book format and there are transcripts of the audio-visual materials. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.

If you are a new student, or new to courses using a computer or the internet, you will need to inform us of your particular needs as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Details of how to do this and our range of support services are described in our booklets Meeting Your Needs and Meeting your residential school needs, which you can download or request from our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.

You can also find information about accessible course materials, financial support and the Disabled Students' Allowance, equipment and other services, on our Services for disabled students website. It also includes our contact details for advice and support both before you register and while you are studying.

Course materials

What's included

Course books, other printed materials, audio CDs, DVDs.

You will need

Manuscript paper, television, DVD and audio CD players. It is important that the audio-visual equipment be of reasonably good quality.

You will also need a keyboard instrument that is in good condition and in tune, has a range of at least five octaves and can play chords – for example a piano, electric or pipe organ, harpsichord or harmonium (but not a melodica or piano-accordion). If you cannot arrange to have daily use of a suitable keyboard instrument and you live in the UK, the University can lend you an electronic piano for the duration of the course. We will tell you more about this later in the year. We regret that we cannot send keyboards to students living outside the UK.

You should order your scores before you start the course so you can use them as soon as you begin your studies.

Computing requirements

This course includes online computer activities – you can access these using a web browser that can play Flash and Shockwave.

You will need internet access and a computer. If you have purchased a new computer since 2002 it should meet your course computing requirements. Check our Technical Requirements section if your computer is older than this or is otherwise unusual.

Teaching and assessment

Support from your tutor

You will have a tutor who will help you with the course material and mark and comment on your written work, and whom you can ask for advice and guidance. We may also be able to offer group tutorials or day-schools that you are encouraged, but not obliged, to attend. Where your tutorials are held will depend on the distribution of students taking the course.

Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.

Assessment

The assessment details for this course can be found in the facts box above.

You must submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) on paper.

The assignments require principally the completion of graded exercises in writing and listening to music. These culminate in the completion of passages from a ‘Bach chorale’ melody and a ‘classical’ piano piece, by adding harmony in the appropriate style; and in the basic analytical descriptions of musical extracts. The examination assesses complementary areas, including technical knowledge of an orchestral score, features of historical musical styles, and the study of six major works. Assessment is an essential part of the teaching, so you are expected to complete it all. But if you unavoidably miss or do badly in an assignment, some courses allow you a ‘substitution score’. In A214 this rule can apply to any two assignments other than the last one. You will be given more detailed information when you begin the course.

Professional recognition

This course may help you to gain recognition from a professional body. Ask our Student Registration & Enquiry Service for Recognition leaflet 3.11 Other Professional Bodies.

Students also studied

Students who studied this course also studied at some time:

• From composition to performance: musicians at work (AA302)
• Words and music (AA317)
• The technology of music (TA212)

Future availability

The details given here are for the course that starts in February 2010 when it will be available for the last time. We hope that there will be a new 60-point course in the same area starting in February 2011.

How to register

To register a place on this course return to the top of the page and use the Click to register button. For more information and advice about registration see OU Study Explained.

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An undergraduate course in Arts and Humanities.

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