Program Overview

Course in Foundation Music Theory

The Course in Foundation Music Theory is a semester-long program designed for students with a Senior Certificate but without specialized knowledge of music history and theory. This includes the choral music community in South Africa, professional or aspiring musicians without formal qualifications, and others seeking foundational music history and theory, as well as entry into the Bachelor of Music degree.

Target Group

• Students with a Senior Certificate but without specialized knowledge of music history and theory.
• The choral music community in South Africa.
• Professional or aspiring musicians without formal qualifications.
• Others seeking foundational music history and theory and entry into the Bachelor of Music degree.

Admission Requirements

• NSC/Senior Certificate.

Program Details

Registration Periods

• Semester 1: PRMF02R.
• Semester 2: PRMF01Q and PRMF03S.

Course Leader Details

• Mr. Mkizwana, Department of Art and Music.

Programme Administrator

• Admin Officer, Unisa Centre for Lifelong Learning.

Purpose Statement

The purpose of the Music Foundations SLP is to:

• Provide music training to practicing and aspiring musicians, enabling access to music industry participation.
• Enable alternative access to the BMus in order to increase enrollment and provide a more relevant service to a broader cross-section of society.
• Foster the spirit of open access through the removal of barriers to admission to the BMus degree.

Modules

PRMF01Q - Foundations of Music History

• Syllabus/Content:
  • Study unit 1: Introduction to Music History.
  • Study Unit 2: Writing about music.
  • Study Unit 3: Musical Instrument.
  • Study Unit 4: Early Music and the Baroque.
  • Study Unit 5: Classical Music.
  • Study Unit 6: Romantic Music.
  • Study Unit 7: Twentieth Century Music.
  • Study Unit 8: Jazz and Popular Music.
  • Study Unit 9: African Music.
  • Study Unit 10: South African Music.

PRMF02R - Foundations in Music Theory Part 1

• Syllabus/Content:
  • Notation of Pulse, Metre, Duration, and Rhythm.
  • Pitch Notation (Clefs, Ledger lines, Tones and Semi-tones, Accidentals, Intervals, Scales, Key signatures, Root position triads).

PRMF03S - Foundations of Music Theory Part 2

• Syllabus/Content:
  • Secondary Triads.
  • Roman Numeral Melody Writing.
  • Voice-Leading and Harmonic Progression.
  • Dominant 7th Chords.
  • Secondary Dominant Chords.
  • Passing, Auxiliary, Arpeggiated, and Cadential 6/4 chords.
  • Modulation.