Course Syllabus

Music 157/237
Harmony for Composers
Spring 2024

University of California, Irvine

Thursday 1:00-3:50
AITRC 190

Professor Christopher Dobrian
dobrian@uci.edu

Course Description

This course explores the polystylistic integration of established and experimental approaches to harmony,
and their practical application in contemporary music composition. Students will read and discuss theoretical writings on contemporary harmonic practices, will study scores and transcriptions, will employ the studied techniques in compositional études, and will produce demo recordings of their compositions.

Topics

The guiding premise of this course is that harmony can be conceived as underlying many aspects of a musical composition: chords, melodies, counterpoint, timbre, even rhythm and form. The goal will be to discover the ways that all of those aspects can be informed by harmonic thinking, broadly defined.

Some of the approaches to harmony we'll study include:

• Classical tonal theory
• Constant chromaticism in tonal music
• Ninths & other tertian extensions
• Jazz theory and nomenclature
• Polychords and polytonality
• Quartal/quintal harmony
• Tone clusters and secundal harmony
• Pandiatonicism
• Synthetic scales
• Atonality
• Set theory and interval class vectors
• Pitch symmetry, negative harmony, and the axis system
• The natural harmonic series
• Spectralism (harmony as timbre, and vice versa)
• Alternative tunings and temperaments
• Microtonality
• Glissando and continuous pitch space
• Stochasticism and texture
• Computer-generated timbre

Requirements

An attendance record of 90% or better is required to pass the class.

Each student must complete several short composition exercises, as assigned, based on the readings, listenings, discussions, and score analyses. Each exercise must be presented both as a notated score and as an audio recording.

Students will be assigned specific weekly readings, listenings, and score study of selected exemplary works, and may be asked to present brief prose summaries of the essential ideas in those works. Students must come to each class session having done the necessary preparation — assigned readings, listenings, and score study — to participate in discussions and critiques.

Graduate students will each be expected to give at least one presentation they develop on a topic relevant to the course.

Grading

Students will be graded on their assigned written and recorded work, and their informed class participation when requested.

Grading of the études will be based on a) demonstrated understanding of the topic under study and the principles presented in class, b) demonstrated effort to incorporate new ideas into one's (short) original compositions, and c) a quantity and quality of work that demonstrates substantive ongoing work on the subject. The grading will not be based so much on "right" and "wrong" ways of doing things (ostensible "rules" of style, counterpoint, etc.), as on the attempt to incorporate a particular technique and consider its use in one's own compositional aims. Mere completion of the required work is considered the minimum requirement; students will be graded not only on the "correctness" of the basic required work, but also on the originality and creativity they add to exceed the minimal requirements.

To receive full credit, students must hand assignments in at the scheduled due time. If a student is unable to complete the assignment on time for a legitimate reason (e.g., illness), they must provide written documentation of the reason (e.g., a doctor's statement) in order to receive full credit for the late assignment. Late assignments will normally be accepted in the subsequent class session for a reduced grade. Assignments handed in later than that will usually not be given credit.

There is no specific percentage or weighting of importance predetermined for each assignment. Each of the above-listed requirements is a factor in the final grade.

Music 157 satisfies an upper-division theory requirement for undergraduate Music majors. Music 150 or consent of instructor is a prerequisite. Music 237 satisfies an elective seminar requirement for ICIT PhD students.

Exam

There is no published final exam time, and there will not be a final exam, per se, but students should nevertheless plan reserve some time during final exam week, which will be decided upon mutually, for a possible final listening/critique session. That time will be determined during the quarter, and this paragraph will be updated to show the correct final exam time. Attendance in the final session is mandatory. There is no possibility of a "make-up" exam at a later time.

Academic Integrity

Plagiarism of any kind is a violation of UCI policy on Academic Integrity, and penalties for cheating or plagiarism can be severe. In this class you will be expected to attribute due credit to the originator of any ideas, music, or other work which you incorporate substantially into your own assignments. While supportive co-education between colleagues and collaborative performances/recordings are encouraged, the assigned composing work must be accomplished individually; students are responsible for producing their own original creative response to the assignments.

Disability

If you have a disability that inhibits you from performing any of the stated requirements of this course, as approved and documented by the UCI Disability Services Center, please ensure that the professor is thoroughly aware of the matter as early in the term as possible.

Other campus information

The UCI Policies on Student Conduct are available in their entirety online.
The UCI Counseling Center provides various types of counseling and mental health services.
 

Assignments
Resources

This page was last modified February 23, 2024.
Christopher Dobrian, dobrian@uci.edu