S t r i n g    P r o j e c t

MSC Curriculum – Revised as of 8/28/04

Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3, Unit 4, Unit 5

The following document is the Curriculum for Units 1-5.  The entire Curriculum will span 10 Units; however, units 6-10 are currently under revision.

 As your children progress through the Units, evaluations will take place at the end of each semester.  Students will be expected to master each exit test before being placed in the next Unit of instruction.  Only when students and parents feel they are ready for the next Unit will they be asked to take the exit test.  Students can remain in their present Unit of study for an unspecified amount of time.

The Exit Exams for this semester will take place on:  TBA.

Each unit covers concepts from the following categories:

ET – Ear Training

ML – Music Literacy

R - Rhythm

KS – Keyboard Skills

IC – Improvisation/Composition

The following websites are recommended for fun/review.  J

Theory websites:  

http://www.teoria.com/

http://www.murraystate.edu/qacd/cfac/music/MUS109e/intro/index.htm

http://www.musictheory.net

http://web1.hamilton.edu/javamusic/default.html

UNIT 1

ET:    Recognize whether pitches are higher, lower, or the same

ML:   Notes – learn the musical alphabet; name the parts of the note (notehead, stem, flag – if applicable)

Recognize time signature, key signature, measure

Recognize, draw – staff, grand staff, clefs (treble, alto, bass), bar lines (double bar), whole, half, quarter notes and rests (learn their values and subdivisions)

          Intervals – learn the difference between a step and a skip (skips=3rds)

          Vocabulary – meter, down bow, up bow (and symbols)

R:      Tap/move to the pulse of duple and quadruple meters (know the pattern of strong and weak beats)

KS:    Recognize “middle C” on the piano, open strings on the piano

IC:     Improvise a rhythm with note and rest values from unit 1 on open strings

Compose a rhythm with note and rest values from unit 1 (add bar lines later)

UNIT 2

ET:    Sing major scales (either on “do, re, mi”  “lu” for every note, or “1, 2, 3”) The number system is recommended, because it’s a good preview for Unit 3

ML:   Notes – learn notes on the grand staff

Recognize, draw – eighth and sixteenth notes and rests (learn their values and proper beaming), all accidentals (chromatic signs - natural sign, sharp, double sharp, double flat), ledger lines

Intervals – learn the difference between a half step and a whole step

Vocabulary – piano, forte, mezzo piano, mezzo forte (know the symbols and their meanings), legato, staccato, tempo, repeat sign, chromatic sign, enharmonic spelling, Allegro, Andante, Moderato

R:      Tap/move to the pulse of the triple meter (know the pattern of

strong and weak beats)

Recognize, draw, understand – simple time signatures

Rhythmic dictation – write and clap/sing simple rhythms

KS:    Intervals – recognize half steps and whole steps on the keyboard; learn the musical alphabet on the keyboard (including accidentals)

IC:     Improvise stepwise melodies beginning and ending on D and incorporating note and rest values from unit 2

Compose a 4 or 8 measure stepwise phrase beginning and ending on D, incorporating note/rest values and articulations from unit 2

UNIT 3

ET:    Recognize upon hearing on the keyboard – Unison, P8, P5, P4 (later in the semester add M2, M3, M6, M7) all ascending, descending and simultaneous (be able to sing and play on instruments)

Melodic dictation – Only use stepwise melodies (can include accidentals); put rhythm above each measure

ML:   Recognize, draw – dots, ties, and slurs

Intervals – learn how to write and recognize intervals in unit 3 on the staff

Scales – learn the major scale in terms of whole and half steps; learn scale degrees; construct the major scale using accidentals (not key signatures)

Vocabulary – phrase, cesura (and breath mark), tenuto, accent, sforzando, fermata, pianissimo, fortissimo, forte-piano, marcato, crescendo, decrescendo/diminuendo, interval, syncopation, ritardando/ritard/rallentando, Adagio, Lento, Animato, arpeggio

R:      Learn values of natural subdivisions with dots and syncopations

Rhythmic dictation – write and clap/sing using syncopations

KS:    Scales – construct major scales on the keyboard

IC:     Improvise melody using steps and skips based on an accompaniment using tonic, subdominant and dominant chords (provided on piano by teacher)

Compose 4-8 measure phrases and complete melodies using steps and skips (beginning and ending on the tonic) and incorporating rhythms with dots and ties and other vocabulary terms learned in unit 3

UNIT 4

ET:    Recognize upon hearing on the keyboard – m2, m3, TT(+4, o5), m6, m7, +2 all ascending, descending and simultaneous (be able to sing and play on instruments)

Melodic dictation – Only use stepwise melodies plus intervals from unit 3; must write pitch plus rhythm; all in simple meter

ML:   Intervals – continue to write and recognize intervals on the staff, including intervals from unit 4

Scales – learn the natural, harmonic, and melodic minor scales in terms of half and whole steps (and in relation to the major scale); construct these minor scales using accidentals (not key signatures)

Vocabulary – D.C., D.S., Coda, Fine, accents, harmonics, consonant, dissonant, poco a poco, dolce, piu mosso, subito, accelerando, AB and ABA forms (simple binary and ternary forms)

R:      Recognize incomplete measures (pick-up notes)

Learn compound meters and the difference between simple and compound meters; learn compound time signatures

KS:    Scales – construct minor scales on the keyboard; understand that stacked thirds equal chords (in prep for unit 5)

IC:     Improvise singing a melody using the scale degree numbers

Improvise a minor melody using steps and skips based on an accompaniment using a basic minor progression (provided by teacher on piano)

Compose 4-8 measure phrases and complete minor melodies using steps and skips (beginning and ending on the tonic) and incorporating all meters and vocabulary terms learned in unit 4

UNIT 5

ET:    Recognize upon hearing on the keyboard compound intervals; major, minor, augmented, and diminished root-position triads

Melodic dictation – Use all intervals (no leap bigger than an octave); simple or compound meter

ML:   Intervals – learn the difference between chromatic and diatonic half steps; write and recognize compound intervals on the staff 

Scales and Modes – chromatic scale, pentatonic scale, whole-tone scale; all modes (including review of major and natural minor scale)

Key signatures – all major key signatures (recognition, memorization, and written placement on the staff – include treble, alto, and bass clefs)

Chords – write out and recognize on the staff root-position triads built on major and minor scales; learn the names of these triads (tonic, dominant, etc.)

Vocabulary – nonchord tones (passing tone), ornament (trill and mordent), con moto, motive/motif, ostinato, cantabile, sempre, senze, semplice, troppo, rondo form

R:      Learn odd meters

          Rhythmic dictation – write and clap using odd meters

KS:    Construct major, minor, augmented, and diminished root-position triads

 IC:     Improvise using only the chord tones dictated by the name/symbol of the chord

Improvise phrase adding passing tones

Compose 4-8 measure phrase using only chord tones dictated by the symbol above the measure; beats one and three are chord tones; everything else can be a non-chord tone