Course detail

Music Theory in English

FEKT-BPC-AH1Acad. year: 2018/2019

The subject deals with basics of music theory, musical epochs, musical instruments, anatomy of the hearing system, musical symbols, basics of acoustics, notation, basics of psychoacoustics, sound in rooms, etc. It focuses on vocabulary from this field.

Language of instruction

Czech

Number of ECTS credits

2

Mode of study

Not applicable.

Guarantor

prof. Ing. Zdeněk Smékal, CSc.

Department

Department of Telecommunications (UTKO)

Learning outcomes of the course unit

After completing the course, students will be able to:
- describe musical epochs and its typical features
- name musical instruments, families, describe acoustic guitar and how it is made
- describe the anatomy of hearing system in detail and explain its function
- describe musical symbols
- describe forms of music notation
- explain the basic terms from the field of acoustics, psychoacoustics and sound in rooms

Prerequisites

English language skills at the B1 (intermediate) level are required.

Co-requisites

Not applicable.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

Teaching methods include lectures. Videos and research articles in English language are employed.

Assesment methods and criteria linked to learning outcomes

A student is evaluated according to the points he obtains from two mid-term tests and final test. A student can obtain 0-100 points, 20+20 from the mid-term tests and 60 points from the final test, while in order to pass this subject a student is required to obtain at least 50 points.

Course curriculum

1. Basics of Music Theory
2. Musical Epochs: the main features, inspiration and composers
3. Musical Instruments: families, the main parts of acoustic guitar, how it is made
4. The Anatomy of the Hearing System
5. TEST 1 (W1-W4)
6. Musical Symbols: staff, notes, rests, clefs.
7. Acoustics
8. Timbre
9. Sheet Music: history, Guido of Arezzo
10. TEST 2 (W5-W9)
11. Psychoacoustics, absolute threshold of hearing, “cocktail party effect”
12. Sound in Rooms: absorbers, diffusors, anechoic chamber
13. FINAL TEST (W1-W12)

Work placements

Not applicable.

Aims

This subject aims to provide students with the selected chapters from the music theory, and introduce them vocabulary and specific features of the texts from the field of music theory via lectures, research articles and videos in English language

Specification of controlled education, way of implementation and compensation for absences

Attendance is not compulsory, the final test is compulsory (see criteria).

Recommended optional programme components

Not applicable.

Prerequisites and corequisites

Not applicable.

Basic literature

Blatter, A. : Instrumentation and Orchestration, Wadsworth Pub Co, 1997 (CS)
Cook, P. R. : Music, Cognition and Computerized Sound, An Introduction to Psychoacustics (CS)

Recommended reading

Not applicable.

Classification of course in study plans

  • Programme BPC-AUD Bachelor's

    specialization AUDB-ZVUK , 2 year of study, winter semester, compulsory
    specialization AUDB-TECH , 3 year of study, winter semester, compulsory-optional

Type of course unit

 

Fundamentals seminar

26 hod., compulsory

Teacher / Lecturer

prof. Ing. Zdeněk Smékal, CSc.