KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY
KUTZTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA
DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC
COLLEGE OF VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS
MUS 213
Aural Skills III
Approved by Department: September 12, 2006
I. Course Description
This course is a continuation of MUS 201, Aural Skills II, in which the aural, visual and
theoretical aspects of music reading are further developed and expanded. Students will
continue working with the movable “DO” system of solfeggio, and will sing using these
syllables, scale degree numbers, and note letter names. Both diatonic and chromatic
relationships will be studied, with emphasis on material involving modulation and an
expanded harmonic vocabulary. Part singing, including canons, duets, trios, and
standard SATB four-part writing, will be studied. The level of harmony parallels the
material in MUS 232, Harmony and Theory III; it is recommended that these courses be
taken concurrently.
Prerequisite: MUS 201, Aural Skills II
MUS 202, Harmony and Theory II
or permission of instructor
2 semester hours
2 clock hours
II. Course Rationale
Music is an aural art. In order to comprehend music, we must be able to assimilate and
analyze it as we listen to it. Music students need to practice the science and art of
listening so that they may function competitively and competently as practicing
musicians. This course will further develop the skills and abilities necessary for listening
and for the independent sight singing of music. It is designed to improve and further
develop the musical skills of ear training and musical dictation, through both played and
written exercises.
III. Course Objectives
Upon satisfactory completion of this course the student will be able to perform the
following tasks with the type of musical examples presented in the Course Outline:
1. sing and play from notation.
2. notate rhythmic, melodic and harmonic dictation.
3. detect and correct errors in performances.
IV. Assessment
Assessment of each student’s level of accomplishment with reference to the course
objectives will be based upon the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
in-class dictation, singing, and/or error detection quizzes
daily assignments
singing exams
written exams (including dictation and error detection)
V. Course Outline
1. Melodies.
Diatonic and chromatic melodies in all keys, incorporating both conjunct
and increasingly disjunct motion. Melodies will incorporate diatonic
seventh chords, and secondary dominants.
2. Increasingly complex minor melodies.
3. Modulation to related keys.
4. Intervals from minor seconds to tenths.
5. Scales.
Major scales and all forms of minor scales (natural, harmonic and
melodic).
6. Triads.
Major, minor, augmented, and diminished triads in root position and all
inversions, all primary and secondary dominant seventh chords.
7. Independent and incorporated rhythm studies.
8. Harmonic Progressions.
Written and played four- and eight -measure harmonic progressions
including the notation of soprano and bass lines, with harmonic analysis.
Notation of inner parts will be required. Proficiency will include harmonic
progressions using all triad inversions and positions, all seventh
chords.
VI. Instructional Resources
Adler, Samuel. Sight Singing, 2nd ed. New York: W. W. Norton and Company, 1997.
Benjamin, Thomas, Michael Horvit and Robert Nelson. Music for Sight Singing, 2nd ed.
Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1994.
Benward, Bruce and Maureen A. Carr. Sightsinging Complete. NY: McGraw-Hill,
1998.
Benward, Bruce and J. Timothy Kolosick. Ear Training: A Technique for Listening, sixth
ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 2000.
Berkowitz, Sol, Gabriel Fontrier and Leo Kraft. A New Approach to Sight Singing, 3rd
ed. New York: W. W. Norton and Company, 1986.
Blombach, Anne. MacGAMUT. Columbus, OH: Music Software International, 2003.
Carr, Maureen A. and Bruce Benward. Sight Singing Complete, 7th ed. New York:
McGraw Hill, 2007.
Christy, Van A. and John G. Patton. Foundations in Singing, 6th ed. Dubuque: Brown
& Benchmark, 1997.
Durham, Thomas. Beginning Tonal Dictation. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland Press,
Inc., 1994
Fish, Arnold and Norman Lloyd. Fundamentals of Sight Singing and Ear Training.
Prospect Heights: Waveland Press, 1993.
Gould, Murray. Paths to Musical Thought. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston,
1979.
Hackett, Patricia. The Melody Book. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1998.
Hackett, Patricia and Carolynn Lindemann. The Musical Classroom, 3rd ed. Englewood
Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1995.
Hall, Ann Carothers. Studying Rhythm, 2nd ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1998.
Horvit, Michael, Timothy Koozin, and Robert Nelson. Music for Ear training: CDROMand workbook, 2nd ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Company, 2005.
Karpinski, Gary S. Manual for Ear Training and Sight Singing. New York, W. W.
Norton & Company, 2007.
Kazez, Daniel. Rhythm Reading. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing Company,
1989.
Kraft, Leo. A New Approach to Ear Training, second edition. New York: W. W. Norton
and Company, 1999.
Ottman, Robert W. Music for Sight Singing. Paramus: Prentice-Hall, 1996.
Trubitt, Allen R. and Robert S. Hines. Ear Training and Sight Singing, Books I and II.
New York: Schirmer Books, 1980.
Yasui, Byron and Allen Brubitt. Basic Sight Singing. Mountain View: Mayfield
Publishing Company, 1989.