Music Theory Analysis
Class Notes
Week 1: Introduction to Music Theory Analysis
● Definition and scope of music theory analysis.
● Importance of structural, harmonic, and formal analysis.
● Overview of different analytical approaches: Schenkerian analysis, set theory, tonal
function analysis, and historical context.
● Introduction to score reading and notation conventions.
Week 2: Fundamentals of Tonal Harmony
● Review of diatonic harmony: major and minor scales, modes, key signatures.
● Functional harmony: tonic, dominant, and predominant relationships.
● Voice leading principles and common harmonic progressions (e.g., I–IV–V–I, ii–V–I).
● Analysis of cadences: perfect, imperfect, deceptive, and plagal.
Week 3: Chromatic Harmony and Modulation
● Secondary dominants and borrowed chords.
● Modulation types: pivot chord, chromatic, direct.
● Enharmonic reinterpretation and common-tone modulations.
● Examples from Romantic and late Classical music.
Week 4: Form and Structure in Music
● Overview of musical forms: binary, ternary, rondo, sonata-allegro.
● Theme and variation structures.
● Motivic development and thematic transformation.
● Large-scale structural analysis of classical and modern pieces.
Week 5: Counterpoint and Polyphony
● Introduction to species counterpoint and its rules.
● Imitative counterpoint: fugue, canon, invention.
● Harmonic and linear aspects of counterpoint.
● Analysis of Bach fugues and Renaissance polyphony.
Week 6: Rhythm, Meter, and Temporal Structures
● Simple, compound, and asymmetric meters.
● Rhythmic displacement, syncopation, and polyrhythm.
● Metric modulation and tempo flexibility.
● Analytical approaches to rhythm in various genres.
Music Theory Analysis
Class Notes
Week 7: Set Theory and Post-Tonal Analysis
● Introduction to pitch-class sets and interval vectors.
● Atonal music structures: twelve-tone technique, serialism.
● Analysis of works by Schoenberg, Webern, and Berg.
● Application of set theory in contemporary music.
Week 8: Jazz and Popular Music Analysis
● Harmonic structures in jazz: ii–V–I progressions, extended chords.
● Modal interchange and non-functional harmony in pop music.
● Form and structure in blues, rock, and contemporary pop.
● Analysis of transcriptions and lead sheets.
Week 9: Orchestration and Timbre Analysis
● Instrumental color and its role in composition.
● Orchestration techniques in different historical periods.
● Analysis of orchestral works by Debussy, Stravinsky, and Mahler.
● Spectral analysis and electronic music considerations.
Week 10: Expressive Techniques and Performance Interpretation
● Role of articulation, dynamics, and phrasing in musical meaning.
● Analysis of performer choices in different interpretations.
● Expressive techniques in vocal and instrumental music.
● Relationship between analysis and performance practice.
Week 11: Comparative Analysis Across Genres
● Comparing classical and contemporary approaches to form and harmony.
● Cross-cultural theoretical perspectives (e.g., maqam, raga systems).
● Analytical techniques for folk, world, and film music.
● Case studies on stylistic convergence and hybridity in music.
Week 12: Advanced Analytical Techniques
● Schenkerian analysis: structural reduction and foreground-background relationships.
● Neo-Riemannian theory: transformations and harmonic space.
● Corpus-based music analysis and digital tools.
● Discussion on the future of music theory analysis.
Music Theory Analysis
Class Notes
Key Takeaways:
● Music theory analysis provides deep insight into harmonic, rhythmic, and formal
structures across styles and periods.
● Different analytical methods apply to tonal, atonal, jazz, and popular music traditions.
● Understanding orchestration, timbre, and performance choices enhances interpretive
depth.
● Advanced techniques like set theory and Schenkerian analysis reveal underlying musical
structures.
● Cross-cultural and contemporary perspectives expand the scope of music theoretical
study.
