School of Music
P.O. Box 26167
UNC Greensboro
Greensboro, NC 27402-6167
(336) 334-5789 OFFICE
(336) 334-5497 FAX

e-mail: music@uncg.edu

Course Descriptions

These decriptions are excerpted from the music pages of UNCG's Undergraduate Bulletin and Graduate Bulletin.

Music courses marked with an asterisk (*) are open to all University students.  Some courses may not be available every semester.  Please refer to the CHT's Five-Year Plan for planned offerings.

101  *Music Theory I (2:3).

Basic principles of the Western musical language. Rhythm and meter, scales, triads, and seventh chords; fundamentals of part-writing and harmonic progression.

102  *Music Theory II (2:3).

Pr. 101, or permission of instructor.
Continued study of harmony within the diatonic major-minor system; exercises in part-writing and analysis.

105  *Ear-Training I (1:2).

Music reading and dictation. Performance, aural recognition, and notation of melody, rhythm, and triads.

106  *Ear-Training II (1:2).

Pr. 105, or permission of instructor.
Continuation of music reading and dictation. Performance, aural recognition, and notation of melody, rhythm, harmony, and two-voice counterpoint.

115  Introduction to Composition.

Pr. Music major or permission of instructor.
Beginning instruction in music composition in a class setting. Students will compose music for their classmates to perform, and study a wide array of compositional techniques from the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Contemporary periods.

201  Music Theory III Musical Structure (2:3).

Pr. 102 or permission of instructor.
More advanced study of harmony and musical form within the diatonic major-minor system, with emphasis on modulation and chromatic harmony. Exercises in part-writing and analysis.

202  Music Theory IV Musical Structure (2:3).

Pr. 201, or permission of instructor.
Basic forms and formal processes of Western music, including binary and ternary forms, theme and variations, fugue, sonata form, and rondo. Exercises in analysis.

203  Instrumentation (2:2).

Study of orchestral and band instruments, their ranges, technical limitations, and tonal possibilities with practical
application in scoring for small ensembles and instrumental choirs.

205  Ear-Training III (1:2).

Pr. 106, or permission of instructor.
More advanced music reading and dictation. Performance, aural recognition, and notation of melody, harmony, and
two-voice counterpoint.

206  Ear-Training IV (1:2).

Pr. 205, or permission of instructor.
Continuation of more advanced music reading and dictation. Performance, aural recognition, and notation of melody, harmony, and two-voice counterpoint.

214  *Jazz Appreciation (3:3).

Introductory course designed to give the student new insights and general knowledge of all jazz styles. Does not require previous musical training.

241  *Music Appreciation (3:3).

Not open to music majors.
Introduction to Western culture art music through a survey of its history, composers, forms, styles. Requires listening assignments and recital attendance. No musical training required.

301  Theory V, Musical Structure in the Late Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries (3:3).

Pr. 202, 206, or permission of instructor.
Techniques of pitch and temporal organization in music of the 20th century. Analysis of music from Debussy through Stravinsky, Webern, and others.

331  History of Western Music I (3:3).

Music history of the Western tradition from its beginnings to about 1600. Pr. 333, or permission of instructor.

332  History of Western Music II (3:3).

Pr. 102, 106, or permission of instructor.
Music history of the Western tradition from about 1600 to about 1815, including a brief introduction to music before 1600.

 

333  History of Western Music III (3:3).

Pr. 332, or permission of instructor.
Music history of the Western tradition from about 1815 to the present, including a brief introduction to music in America.

334  History of Western Music IV (3:3).

Pr. 333, or permission of instructor.
History of music in America. Psalmody, ballads, spirituals, gospel, blues, jazz, bluegrass, musical theater, rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and Native American music.

343  *Music of the Non-Western World (3:3).

Survey of major world music cultures moving from Africa through the Middle East, Iran, India, Indonesia, Japan, China, and the Americas.

350  *Electronic Music (3:2:2).

Pr. junior standing or permission of instructor.
Introductory course in electronic composition. Lecture and laboratory experience. Projects involving analog synthesis, tape techniques, computer and MIDI control of electronic instruments.

396D  Small Ensemble: Collegium (1:0:3) or (1:0:2).

Pr. Membership by audition.
Participation by advanced students in trios, quartets, and other ensembles appropriate to the performance area. May be repeated for credit.

396I  Small Ensemble: Twentieth-Century Players (1:0:3) or (1:0:2).

Pr. Membership by audition.
Participation by advanced students in trios, quartets, and other ensembles appropriate to the performance area. May be repeated for credit.

396N  Small Ensemble: Non-Western (1:0:3) or (1:0:2).

Pr. Membership by audition.
Participation by advanced students in trios, quartets, and other ensembles appropriate to the performance area. May be repeated for credit.

450  Electro-Acoustic Music Composition (3:3:3).

Pr. 350 or 550, or permission of instructor.
Continuation of MUS 350/550. Further exploration of compositional concepts dealing with MIDI, sound synthesis, multitracking, and basic recording techniques.

507  Modal Counterpoint (3:3).

Pr. 202 and 206 or permission of instructor.
Contrapuntal techniques and standard forms of Renaissance sacred vocal repertoire. Analysis of music by such composers as Josquin, Palestrina, and Lassus. Standard writing techniques of motet and mass; aural training.

508  Tonal Counterpoint (3:3).

Pr. 202 and 206 or permission of instructor
Contrapuntal techniques and standard forms of the middle and late Baroque. Analysis of music by composers from Corelli to Bach, composition in representative forms, and aural training.

510 Advanced Tonal Analysis (3:3)

Analysis of selected major compositions in the tonal repertoire. Reading and discussion of literature on theoretical concepts and on analysis and interpretation.

511  *History of Opera (3:3).

Pr. 333 or permission of instructor
Principal opera composers and styles from Monteverdi to the present; analytical study of selected major works.

521  *History of Art Song (3:3).

Pr. 333 or permission of instructor
Detailed study of art songs representative of various styles and periods from 1650 to the present. Emphasis on music and poetic considerations and stylistic development of the major composers of the lied and melodie.

525  Overview of Tonal Harmony and Form (3:3).

Pr. permission of instructor
Review of tonal harmony, voice-leading, and form.

526  Overview of Western Music History (3:3).

Pr. permission of instructor
Review of western European music history from the Greeks to the present day including the classical art tradition in America.

528  *Choral Music since 1750 (3:3).

Pr. 333 or permission of instructor
Study of the significant genres and major composers of choral music since 1750; detailed examination of selected masterworks.

529  *Renaissance Music (3:3).

Pr. 331 or consent of instructor.
Comprehensive, historical survey of music in fifteenth and sixteenth centuries with detailed study of representative composers evidenced in selected monumental works. Attention given to bibliography and discography for further study.

530  *The Baroque Period in Music (3:3).

Pr. 332 or permission of instructor
Comprehensive, historical survey of music of Baroque era from Monteverdi through Bach and Handel with a detailed study of styles of representative composers evidenced in selected monumental works. Attention will be given to bibliography and discography for further study.

531  *Classicism and Romanticism in Music: 1750-1850 (3:3).

Pr. 333 or permission of instructor
Examination of major contributions of Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert, Berlioz, Schumann, etc., to western the tradition. Special attention to be given to the development of music for the symphony orchestra and the piano.

532  *The Post-Romantic Tradition in Music: 1850-1914 (3:3).

Pr. 333 or permission of instructor
Study of developments in the history of music from Wagner through early Schoenberg. Special attention given to changes in styles and techniques as well as the interactions between music and the other arts.

533  *Twentieth-Century Music: 1890-1950 (3:3).

Pr. 333 or permission of instructor
Survey of composers and musical styles which emerged in Europe and the Americas from impressionism through the beginnings of electronic music.

534  Music Since 1945 (3:3).

Pr. 333 or consent of instructor
Study of creative trends and issues in music and related media in Europe and the United States since World War II.

538  *The Symphonic Tradition (3:3).

Pr. 333 or permission of instructor
Advanced study of symphonic styles and techniques from Baroque era to present.

550  *Electronic Music (3:2:2).

Pr. permission of instructor
Introductory course in electronic composition. Lecture and laboratory experience.

566  Orchestration (3:3).

Advanced techniques in instrumental scoring for large ensembls such as orchestra, wind ensemble, and jazz ensemble. Historical and stylistic analysis of the art of orchestration. Additional practical exercises in scoring and arranging for small and large ensembles.

602  Research Seminar in Music History (3:3).

Methods and procedures used in historical research.

606  Seminar in Music History (3:3).

Pr. 602 (601) or permission of instructor
Selected compositions, including contemporary writings about musical culture with reference to the composers. May be repeated for credit when topic varies.

611  Seminar in Musical Analysis (3:3).

Pr. graduate standing in music
Analysis of selected compositions representative of one style period of Western music. May be repeated once for credit when topic varies.

625 Music and Culture of Sub-Saharan Africa (3:3)

Traditional and popular musics in Africa in relationship to social and historical contexts: topics include regional styles, performers' roles, instruments, concepts and uses of music, and performance contexts.

628  Choral Music of the Renaissance and Baroque (3:3).

Pr. 331, 332, or permission of instructor
Survey of choral literature from the early fifteenth century to 1750.

640  Electro-Acoustic Music Composition (3:3:3).

Pr. 350 or 550, or permission of instructor
Further exploration of compositional concepts dealing with MIDI, sound synthesis, multitracking, and recording techniques. Emphasis on live interactive electronic music resources including Max/MSP, C-Sound, Reaktor, and others.

644  Pedagogy of Music Theory (3:3).

Pr. graduate standing in music
Survey of philosophies, curricula, course content, and teaching approaches for undergraduate courses in music theory and aural skills.

654  Computers in Music Research (3:3).

Pr. 601 or 602
Use of computer systems for music research.

660  Theory and Analysis of Rhythm (3:3).

Survey of theories and analytical approaches regarding the temporal organization of music.

662  Schenkerian Analysis (3:3).

Pr. 507 or 508 or equivalent
Theories and analytical methods of Heinrich Schenker as applied to masterworks of the tonal repertory. Selected readings from Schenkerian literature.

664 Post-Tonal Theory (3:3)

In-depth study of theoretical and analytical approaches to post-tonal music. Readings, analyses, papers, and presentations required.

690  Readings in Music Theory (3:3).

Pr. 602
Survey of the evolution and present state of the discipline of music theory.

696D  Small Ensemble: Collegium (1:0:3) or (1:0:2).

Pr. Membership by audition
Participation by advanced students in trios, quartets, and other ensembles appropriate to the performance area. May be repeated for credit.

696I  Small Ensemble: Twentieth-Century Players (1:0:3) or (1:0:2).

Pr. Membership by audition
Participation by advanced students in trios, quartets, and other ensembles appropriate to the performance area. May be repeated for credit.

696N  Small Ensemble: Non-Western (1:0:3) or (1:0:2).

Pr. Membership by audition
Participation by advanced students in trios, quartets, and other ensembles appropriate to the performance area. May be repeated for credit.

699  Thesis (1-6).

Individual guidance in the development of a specific research problem.

702  Musicological Research for Performers (3:3).

Pr. 602, or its equivalent
Research problems and methodologies for doctoral-level performing musicians.

Return to top of page.