Recommended Preparation for Entering First-Year Students
Many beginning college music students have already had advanced
placement
music courses, years of instrumental or vocal study, and extensive
experience in performing. Despite all this, some find the study
of
music - including music theory - a daunting task. Music theory
involves not only studying the materials of music, but also
understanding how these materials fit together to create the musical
language.
By thoroughly understanding what is happening in the music, musicians
are better able to sight-read, memorize, and interpret the music they
encounter. These web pages were created to provide entering
first-year
students with a variety of informative sources to better orient and
prepare them to succeed in their studies. All new students are
urged
to browse these links and use the material to form a solid foundation
to
make their studies at SMU as successful and enjoyable as possible.
Minimum Skills for Students Beginning
Music Theory
Studies at SMU
Preparation of High
School Students
for Success as Music Majors in College: A Report of the Higher
Education
Division of the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association
Differences
between
high school and college studies from the SMU Altshuler Learning
Enhancement
Center
Theory on the Web: a free,
on-line
hypertext in Music Theory
Recommended Music Theory Texts for Self Study:
Many of these texts are available new and used on-line at amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com as well as
at many college book stores or local used book stores. Many
musicians
with college degrees may also have copies to loan you. This list
is by no means complete, and many other fine texts are available.
Different sections at SMU may use different texts. Course
instructors
select the texts that best fit their section.
Edward Aldwell and Carl Schachter, Harmony and Voice Leading
(Wadsworth)
Benjamin, Horvit, and Nelson, Techniques and Materials of Music
(Wadsworth)
Bruce Benward and Marilyn Saker, Music in Theory and Practice
(McGraw-Hill)
Stefan Kostka and Dorothy Payne, Tonal Harmony (McGraw-Hill)
Ralph Turek, The Elements of Music: Concepts and Applications
(McGraw-Hill)
Ralph Turek, Theory for Today's Musician w/ Musical Example CD-ROM
(McGraw-Hill)
Return to the SMU
Department
of Music Theory home page