L. K. O’Sullivan, Ph.D.

College of Music, University

of North Texas

MUTH 1400: Music Theory I

Dr. O’Sullivan’s Office: COM 2002
Office Phone: (940) 565-3746
E-mail: lkosullivan@unt.edu
Professor’s Office Hours: As posted or by appointment

Required Texts and Materials for the Course:

Elementary Harmony, 5th ed. Robert Ottman, Prentice Hall, 1998
Workbook for Elementary Harmony, 5th ed. Robert Ottman, Prentice Hall, 1998.
8½ x 11, loose-leaf staff paper, 10 or 12 staves per page; 3 ring binder; #2 or darker pencils

About the Required Materials: Without the listed resources above, as well as diligent practice,
one cannot complete the class assignments. Beware of Copyright Infringement! It is illegal to
copy textbooks and workbook materials instead of purchasing them. (There is nothing wrong
with copying or scanning a completed assignment from your own book.) It is not lawful, however,
to “borrow” materials repeatedly, in order to avoid purchasing them. Each student MUST
purchase personal copies of the required books by the end of the first week of class. If financial
difficulties arise, please check into a short term loan or other help as soon as possible. If you need
help with discount copies of books, see the professor for suggestions immediately!

Class meetings: 9:30-10:20 am Tuesday-Thursday MU 258

My Supplemental Instructor: _____________________ contact: __________

My Grader: _______________________ Grader Group: ___________

Pre-requisites/Co-requisites and the “70 or Better Clause”: A passing score on the Placement test
for Music Theory or successful completion of MUTH 1260 is required for this course (if you
have NOT placement tested or passed MUTH 1260, see Dr. O immediately); Co-enrollment is
required in a companion Aural Skills section meeting on MWF (MUTH 1410) - unless you have
already passed it. Students may NOT advance to any subsequent level of music theory and/or
aural skills without having earned a grade of at least a 70, (C) in the previous course. Students
also may NOT proceed in Aural Skills if they have not had success in the companion Music
Theory class (example: one may not take Aural Skills 2 until Music Theory 1 has been completed
with a minimum grade of C.)

Attendance, Daily Work and Class Quizzes: Your attendance is required! Music Theory is an
essential part of the core of your degree if you are a music major. Since daily attention to your
studies is essential, your progress will be monitored via quizzes during the first 5-10 minutes of
each class period. Two absences are allowed (for illness, University authorized performances,
etc.) and do not reduce your score as long as they are documented; in these cases, due
assignments must be submitted electronically either before hand or on the same day, unless other
arrangements are made. The third absence results in a grade reduction of one letter; the fourth
absence reduces the grade by yet another letter. Upon the fifth (5) absence, the professor will
initiate an administrative withdrawal on your behalf through the Registrar’s Office, with a final
grade of WF. In case of illness resulting in missed class, contact the professor via e-mail
immediately. Work missed due to University authorized absence must be arranged for in
advance. Resolve now to be faithful in class attendance, as the attendance policy is intended for
your success in the class.
 L. K. O’Sullivan, Ph.D.
College of Music, University
of North Texas
Format: Label your work clearly with your name, course and section number. Only full page,
loose-leaf, manuscript assignments (8 ½ x11 paper) completed in pencil (#2 or darker, completed
in copy-ready penmanship with straight-edge) are accepted; please see notation handouts for
complete manuscript instructions. Assignments that do not conform to the class requirements
(i.e. over-sized paper, spiral edged/“torn-in-half” sheets, exercises written in ink, etc) will not
receive credit, so be careful not to lose points on simple format issues. All assignments are due in
on the assigned date at the beginning of class without exception.

Evaluation: There will be many opportunities for class practice and skill building. Some of these
will be collected for a grade and some not. It is important to do your best on all of them though
since the skills therein will be evaluated on tests. Your lowest single daily grade will be dropped
at the semester’s end. “Daily” grades may include homework assignments as well as quizzes in
class, announced or unannounced. In addition, we will have two (2) testing opportunities,
(Midterm and Cumulative Final) each of which is counted in your final score, and neither of
which can be made up if missed. There will be no early, late or adjusted administration of tests
or exams for any reason, including travel schedules.

Extra Help in the Course: Seeking “extra help” in this course means that while you may be
having trouble grasping the material for the class, you claim full responsibility for your own
learning. You are not missing excessive class and are not interested in blaming anyone else for
your situation. In this case, help is available! Attend as many SI sessions as possible, meet with
an area TA/ TF, talk to a grader for your class, schedule time with a Supplemental Instructor
and/or make use of Office Hours with the professor. Contact your professor for a time of extra
help if scheduling allows. Do not wait for things to “get better on their own;” this seldom
happens. There are a number of people who are prepared to help you and are happy to do so.
Seek out the extra resources available to you before it’s too late in the term to make a difference
in your final score. Most students need some help with music theory along the way...review
sessions, a private tutor’s instruction or just a little extra time with your TA or professor often
solves the problems rather quickly.

More Serious Academic Hassles: If for whatever reason you have excessive absences, have
fallen behind, or have a personal situation that is affecting your performance in the class, the great
temptation may be to complain about the “rigorous standards” of the class or even to blame
someone else. Perhaps your situation seems so serious that you just don’t know what to do.
Please avoid taking the “low road,” (i.e. blaming and complaining) and be encouraged, as the
University has a policy governing these situations: TALK to the professor first! Complainants are
required to bring “academic grievances first to the attention of the instructor (italics mine,
emphasis),” rather than by-passing the instructor. A portrayal of your views to your classmates,
other students, the Coordinator, Division Chair, Associate Dean or others cannot accomplish what
going straight to the Professor can. Allow for some understanding and individual consideration
(“grace”) to be shown wherever possible. You may feel worried about approaching the professor,
but do it anyway! You will find that even in situations where you have erred, faculty can provide
assistance far beyond what is deserved --when given the chance. Be advised that providing false,
misleading and/or partial information about a class, a professor or your performance in a class, to
a university official is classified as another type of academic misconduct. Please refer to UNT’s
full policy for more details regarding student misconduct, penalties, and disciplinary action, as a
part of the Provost’s web-pages: http://vpaa.unt.edu/academic-integrity.htm

Any problem you have with a course must be raised with the professor first- it is University
policy, it is good personal decorum-- and it’s also the quickest, most mature way to get things
resolved. You’ll find that professors want to help you with any reasonable request.
 L. K. O’Sullivan, Ph.D.
College of Music, University
of North Texas
Missed Opportunities: Grades of zero (0) on daily assignments and quizzes are extremely
harmful to your final average. Missing even one such opportunity can drop your grade
significantly. Plan now to be faithful in completing the work for the class ON TIME so that this
does not become an issue. Maximize your success in the class by turning in all work when it is
due. A missed test or exam is unrecoverable and will result in an automatic withdrawal from the
course, failing (WF) or a failing course grade (F) depending upon when it occurs.

Exam Dates: Midterm Exam: Thursday March 10 in class

Final Exam: (as per University scheduled final
exam time for this class) Thursday May 12, 8:00- 10:00, MU 258

While dates are subject to change, you must plan to be here as specified to take all exams.
**Please note that exams for this class will NOT be rescheduled for travel needs!

Grading for the Course: Daily Average (# scores, with lowest

single score dropped) 30%
Midterm Written Exam 30%
Final Written Exam + 40%
Semester Average 100%

NT Standard Percentage Scale: A = 90-100%

B = 80-89%
C = 70-79%
D = 60-69%
F = 0-59%

The Fine Print : Academic dishonesty (cheating) is not tolerated in any form. Your work should be your
very own. I encourage students to work together during the learning process to some extent, especially
during skill building musical exercises, but your written assignments, quizzes and tests must represent your
abilities alone. A grade of I (incomplete) is reserved for dire circumstances and requires a signed contract
form to be completed between you and me before the semester’s end; students requesting an incomplete
must have a passing grade at the time of the request. Please do not assume an incomplete will be granted.
See me for the details. You are responsible for observing the various drop dates for the class according to
University standards. If you have an established disability (as defined by the Americans with Disabilities
Act) which affects your classroom performance, please make me aware of it from the first class day. I
understand and am willing to assist in your accommodations but you must identify and document your
specific needs as soon as we meet class for the first time.

SETE- Evaluating the Course

The Student Evaluation of Teaching Effectiveness (SETE) is the online evaluation tool used by
UNT for the purpose of helping students to communicate about their learning experiences in UNT
classes. You are strongly encouraged to evaluate this course at semester’s end, as we value your
input on every aspect of the class. Please access this important tool at my.unt.edu.

About this Syllabus

This document and its attachments are not a contract between teacher and student. Everything
contained herein is subject to change based on that which is considered to be best for the class.
For most current information, especially with regard to dates, stay current with details as given in
class.
 L. K. O’Sullivan, Ph.D.
College of Music, University
of North Texas

MUTH 1400 Tentative Class Schedule- (subject to revision)

Week(s) Topic-Activity

1-2 Basic Musicianship: What is the purpose of Music Theory Class?

Review Ottman EH chs. 1-3: Key signatures, Circle of Fifths,
Relative vs. Parallel, Scale Degrees (tonal/ modal), Intervals (A-M-m-d)
and (A-P-d); Triad spellings (A-M-m-d), Roman numerals
Spelling all Diatonic Chords in Major and Minor

3 Meters: Simple and Compound, and Divisions (sub-divisions)

Basics Quiz (70 or better advised to remain in the class)
Ottman chs 4-6: Part-writing Tonic & Dominant,
Authentic Cadences- (perfect & imperfect)
Half Cadence, Primary Triads & the Basics of Part-writing

4 Ottman chs 4-6 cont’d: Subdominant Chord & Plagal Cadences

More on Part-writing: Range, distance, position and the
Doubling Principle--- Principles of Good Voice Leading
Tips for Dyadic writing: soprano and bass

5 Ottman ch. 9: Intro to Inversions- part 1 (root vs. bass)

Ottman ch. 7: The Melodic Line- form; Phrase, period,
repetition and sequence

6 Ottman ch. 9: Inversions and their Specific uses- part 2

Triads in 1st and 2nd inversion

7 Ottman ch. 8: The “Other” Clefs- C clefs; transposing instruments

Ottman, ch. 9, Inversions- part 3: Common Uses of the
6-4 chord: cadential, pedal, arpeggiated, passing
Inversions and Figured Bass exercises

8 Tu- Midterm Review, Th- Midterm Exam

9 Ottman chs. 10: Harmonic Progression Leading Tone and

Supertonic Triad (The Harmonic Conjugations)
Ottman chs 11-12:
Non-Harmonic Tones- Passing and Neighbor Tones

10 Ottman chs 11-12, cont’d:

Non-Harmonic Tones- Passing and Neighbor Tones

11 More NHT’s: Suspensions and Other Dissonances

Ottman ch. 13: Dominant Seventh, Supertonic Seventh Chords
 L. K. O’Sullivan, Ph.D.
College of Music, University
of North Texas

12 Ottman ch 14: More advanced Part-writing- Submediant & Mediant

Triads, major and minor modes
Ottman ch. 15: The Melodic Line II: Form, cont’d (Phrase Group,
Double Period, simple binary and ternary forms)

13 Ottman, ch. 16: Minor dominant and Subtonic- v and VII;

Progression by 5th: VII- III- VI Secondary Dominants in minor
VII (V/III) - III (V/VI) - VI

Phrygian cadences (2 distinct Half cadence types in Minor)

Ottman, ch. 17: Harmonic Sequences (Recognizing and Labeling
by type in literature examples)

14 Ottman ch. 18: Secondary Dominant Chords (spell and recognize)

Writing “Common Chord” Modulation (pivot chords)

15 More Secondary Dominants, Significant Accidentals

and Modulation; Review for Final

16 MU 258: Final Exam