¡Música! 101

Through Musicking! 101 students will learn to read/write notes in the treble and bass clefs and read/write rhythms in a fun and meaningful way.  Using the skills gained, students will have an opportunity to create music of their own and perform music they see on any instrument or she/he has available (an instrument is not required).  Musicking! 101 is intended for students that have no music reading background or haven't read music in a very long time and would like to review from the beginning.  Practicing what they have learned on available instruments, apps, and/or online games is highly encouraged and will help create more fluency in the music reading/writing process.  Students that complete this course or have equivalent knowledge will be able to take Musicking! 102 and subsequent courses (available soon) to delve deeper into the music creating process!  

Below is an outline of the curriculum for the course.  As skills are built upon each week, reading music and writing music will always be included and will increase slightly in difficulty as the individual students require through performing on any instrument the student has available, writing our own songs, and using online practice tools.  Creative composition nurtured throughout the course and the learning of skills will be evaluated through the compositions students create.  

WEEKS 1-4 (MUSIC NOTATION)
Week 1:  Students will learn the basis of musical notation.  (a) Staff/measure/system; (b) Bass and Treble Clefs; (c) 4/4, 3/4, and 2/4 time signatures; (d) Whole Note, Half Note, and Quarter Note.

Week 2:  Students will refine the basics of musical notation through reading and writing music.  We will also begin advancing our basic reading to include (a) ledger lines in treble and bass clef; (b) eighth notes.

Week 3:  Students will refine their music notation skills through reading, writing, and practice tools.  We will advance our skills to include (a) an introduction to alto and tenor clef (b) groups of sixteenth notes.

Week 4:  This final week of notation skills will discuss additional time signatures and more challenging combinations of rhythms.

WEEKS 5-8 (EMPHASIS ON MAJOR KEY SIGNATURES AND SCALES)
Week 5:  Students will explore the use of sharps, flats, and naturals and have an introduction to writing key signatures.

Week 6:  Students will explore the intervals of Major and Minor Seconds, learn the formula for creating major scales, and begin identifying and writing key signatures using flats.  We will also begin creating our own melodies (performing encouraged).

Week 7:  Students will refine their writing and identification skills using flat flat key signatures.  We will begin identifying and writing key signatures using sharps.

Week 8:  Students will review their major key signatures and scales.  We will practice using our knowledge of scales to create our own melodies in different keys.

WEEKS 9-12 (MAJOR, MINOR, AND DIMINISHED CHORDS)
Week 9 - Students will learn about Major 3rds and Minor 3rds and the formulas that create major, minor, and diminished chords.  We will begin adding Tonic and Dominant chords to melodies we have already created.

Week 10 - Students will continue to practice reading and identifying Major, Minor, and Diminished chords.  We will begin writing melodies using Tonic and Dominant chords to form the basis of melodies and phrases.

Week 11 - Students will continue to practice reading and Identifying Major, Minor, and Diminished chords.  We will begin exploring the use of a Sub-Dominant chords and including it in the music we create.

Week 12 - This final week will begin a review of all that was learned in Musicking 101 and students will be given a ways to practice creating more music on their own to make use of all they have learned.