MUS 3100 (LUOA), CMUS 100 (LUO): Fundamentals of Commercial Music Theory and Musicianship

07/01/2018 to 12/31/2199 • Modified 07/30/2026

Course Description

A practical introduction to the fundamentals of musical notation and aural skills. Course concepts include note reading, meter, rhythm, scales, key signatures, and listening and sight-reading skills. Learned concepts are applied to the keyboard.

Rationale

Musicians of all backgrounds must develop a thorough understanding of foundational musical concepts. They must be able to apply those musical concepts to music-making. This course explores those concepts and applies them through rhythmic performance and scale singing. These skills will serve musicians in all professional and academic settings.

Course Assignment

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Worksheet Assignments (5)

The student will complete a number of unique Worksheet Assignments that focus on many foundational elements of music. The exercises needed to complete each assignment are drawn from the workbook of Music Theory for the Christian Musician and are delivered in a software called Flat.

Try It Assignments (9)

The student will complete a number of unique Try It Assignments that focus on many foundational elements of music. The student will demonstrate learned and practiced concepts. Assignments are delivered through McGraw-Hill Connect.

Quizzes (10)

Most quizzes will cover the Learn material for the module in which it is assigned. A few quizzes also explore elements from earlier modules. The quizzes contain multiple-choice and essay questions. The amount of time and number of questions vary greatly between each quiz. In addition to the graded quizzes, a series of practice quizzes is provided. The student can repeat the practice quizzes as often and as many times as desired. The goal of these practice quizzes is to hone skill and understanding in preparation for the graded quizzes. The student is granted multiple attempts on most quizzes.

Final Exam (Parts 1 and 2) Assignments

The Final Exam serves as a culmination of the course content. It is designed to give the student an opportunity to demonstrate his/her knowledge of course concepts along with his/her ability to perform a basic melody and rhythm. This exam is housed within McGraw-Hill Connect and contains two parts.