Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

This course is required for students who plan on majoring in music at a four-year institution and is strongly recommended for any student wishing to pursue studies in music theory. The course is open to all students.

Upon successful completion of the course students should be able to:

1. Perform common chord progressions using seventh chords in major and minor keys.

2. Demonstrate short major and minor key pieces which use beat divisions and longer in compound meters with a simple accompaniment.

3. Demonstrate sight-reading and performing melodies that outline pentascales in major and minor keys that use beat subdivisions and longer in simple meter, and beat divisions and longer in compound meter.

4. Perform positions and inversion of major- and minor-key seventh chords.

5. Harmonize a short melody using primary triads, secondary triads and dominant seventh chords using chord labels.

• Practicing major and minor scales and arpeggios with prepared fingerings (separate hands, two octaves, ascending and descending)

• Interpret chord symbols and play progressions using triads and seventh chords

• Transpose short melodies using pentascales

• Performing and analyzing harmonic cadences in major and minor keys

• Reading choral/open scores

Methods used to evaluate student progress and the criteria for assigning a course letter grade should be made clear by the instructor at the beginning of the course. Due to the fact that this course focuses on the performance of a musical instrument, the primary assessment method will be through applied keyboard exams and exercises.   Other assessment methods may be used, including:

Qualitative and/or quantitative examinations
Homework assignments
Listening assignments
Concert reports
Research project
Class participation

• Triads in minor keys

  • Arpeggios, hand-over-hand, ascending and descending

  • Chord labels

• Seventh chord qualities and commonly found inversions

• Compound meter (12/8, 9/8, 6/8)

• Cut time

• Common chord progressions using triads and seventh chords

• Harmonic cadences

• Chord voicing

• Choral score reading