Teaching Responsibility
LJMU Schools involved in Delivery:
LJMU Partner Taught
Learning Methods
Lecture
Workshop
Module Offerings
6541STE-JAN-PAR
Aims
To provide students with an understanding of basic musical language, notation and theory.
To enable students to apply an understanding of harmony and arrangement to common engineering and production situations.
Learning Outcomes
1.
Identify, both aurally and from score, key musical concepts such as chord type and progression, scales and modes.
2.
Create appropriate harmony parts and arrangements for instruments and vocals using a variety of studio tools
3.
Prepare scores and lead-sheets for an ensemble
Module Content
Outline Syllabus:Introduction to Harmony
The main principles of the rules of harmony, dominant relationships, diatonic and non-diatonic harmonic relationships, chord types and substitutions, chord voicing and relationships
Melody and Harmony
The role of harmony in relationship to melody, support and contrast, chord connections and progressions, melodic development and climax/surprise
Rhythm
Rhythm as a compositional and structural element, polyrhythm and combinations, the percussion ensemble
Diatonic scale
Introduction to the diatonic scale, its structure and how this horizontal element can lead to vertical harmony elements. Templates, consonance, dissonance, chord symbol conventions, notation.
The Score
Preparation of lead sheets, conventional groupings and ensembles, rhythm section and techniques
Texture and Clarity
Writing for groups, foreground, middle ground, background, melody and harmony spread throughout the ensemble, inner harmonic movement
Form
Song forms and models, phrases and sentences within song structures, through composed, abac, aaba. Templates.
Sections
Scoring conventions, techniques to use when arranging for specific sections: brass, rhythm, string, a cappella
Tools
Practical skills in using scoring software and pitch manipulation software to suggest / create harmonies and arrangements
Additional Information:Jon Thornton is the module leader (j.thornton@lipa.ac.uk)