MUSIC THEORY II: ELEMENTS OF COMPOSING & ARRANGING

Music Theory II is open to all students in grades 10-12 who have a have completed Music Theory I and wish to continue to develop skills in music
theory. It is appropriate for students in band, orchestra and choir, as well as students not enrolled in a performing ensemble who are interested in
music theory. Students will study elements of music theory including voice leading, harmonic and melodic texture, modulation and form analysis,
and will create arrangements and compositions for various groupings of voices and instruments. Students will use computer software programs to
further enhance their music literacy skills and to create musical compositions. This is a one semester course that meets twice per four day rotation.

Course Overview

Course Goals Artistic Processes Course Skill Objectives

Students will have the ability to understand • Create Students will:
and engage with music in a number of • Perform • Play scales and simple melodies in
different ways, including the creative, • Respond both treble and bass clef on the
responsive and performative artistic • Connect keyboard.
processes. They will have the ability to Anchor Standards • Create and compose using
perform music in a manner that illustrates • Select, analyze, and interpret artistic work for traditional elements of harmony.
careful preparation and reflects an presentation. • Read and notate music.
understanding and interpretation of the • Develop and refine artistic techniques and work • Listen to, analyze, interpret, and
selection. They will be musically literate. for presentation. evaluate music.
• Understand relationships between
• Convey meaning through the presentation of
Students will be artistically literate: they will music history, cultures and other
artistic work.
have the knowledge and understanding academic and artistic disciplines.
• Perceive and analyze artistic work.
required to participate authentically in the arts.
They will have the ability to transfer arts • Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work.
knowledge, skills, experiences and capacities • Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work.
to other subjects, settings and connects to • Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal
promote and enhance lifelong learning. experiences to make art.
• Relate artistic ideas and works with societal,
cultural, and historical context to deepen
understanding.
Unit of Study Assessments:
I. Melodic Organization and Texture- 4 weeks • Students will complete a Summative
II. Principles of Voice Leading- 5 weeks Assessment for each unit of study.
III. Harmonic Progression- 4 weeks • Summative District Wide Final
IV. Seventh Chords-1-2 weeks Exam
V. Modulation, Secondary Dominant, and Leading
Tone Chords- 4 weeks
Unit 1- Melodic Organization and Texture
Time Allotment: 4 weeks

Skill Objectives
• Students will analyze and interpret elements of melodic organization and structure.
• Students will analyze and interpret different types of musical texture.
• Students will present an analysis of a well-constructed melody.

Responding Presenting/Performing Connecting

Understanding and evaluating how the arts Realizing artistic ideas and work through Relating artistic ideas and work with personal
convey meaning. interpretation and presentation. meaning and external context.
Enduring Understanding Enduring Understanding Enduring Understanding
• The personal evaluation of musical • To express their musical ideas, • Understanding connections to varied
works and performances is informed musicians analyze, evaluate, and refine contexts and daily life enhances
by analysis, interpretation, and their performance over time through musicians’ creating, performing and
established criteria based on the openness to new ideas, persistence, and responding.
elements of music. the application of appropriate criteria. Essential Questions
• Musicians judge performance based on • How do the other arts, other disciplines,
Essential Question criteria that vary across time, place and contexts, and daily life inform creating,
• How do we judge the quality of cultures. performing and responding to music?
musical work(s) and performances?
Essential Questions Process Components: Analyze
Process Components: Analyze, Interpret • How do musicians improve the quality
of their performance?
• When is a performance judged ready to
present?

Process Components: Select, Analyze,

Evaluate, Present
Instructional Strategies/Process Instructional Strategies/Process Instructional Strategies/Process
• Students will analyze and interpret • Students will select, analyze and • Students will analyze melodies used in
both aurally and visually, the evaluate a piece of music that contains a commercial settings (film, advertising,
components of melodic organization: short melody constructed with common theatre) and identify compositional
motive, sequence, phrases, periods, and organizational/structural characteristics. techniques that make the music
They will present the ir analysis of the effective.
 common characteristics of melodic piece of music to the class, explaining
structure. both why it contains an example of a
• Students will analyze and interpret well-constructed melody and the piece’s
texture types: homophonic, musical texture.
polyphonic, monophonic, and
homorhythmic

Tools for Instruction: workbook, textbook

Assessments:
Chapter 6 Summative Assessment
Summative District Wide Final Exam
Melody Analysis Presentation
Unit 2- Principles of Voice Leading
Time Allotment: 5 weeks

Skill Objectives
• Students will demonstrate an understanding of common voice leading norms in both melody and harmony.
• Students will demonstrate an understanding of common voice leading norms in 4 part chorale writing.
• Students will create an arrangement utilizing common voice leading norms.
Responding Present/Performing Creating
Understanding and evaluating how the arts Realizing artistic ideas and work Conceiving and developing new artistic ideas and
convey meaning. through interpretation and work.
presentation.
Enduring Understanding Enduring Understanding Enduring Understanding
• The personal evaluation of musical • To express their musical ideas, • Musicians’ creative choices are influenced by
works and performances is informed by musicians analyze, evaluate, and their expertise, context, and expressive intent.
analysis, interpretation, and established refine their performance over • Musicians evaluate, and refine their work
criteria based on the elements of music. time through openness to new through openness to new ideas, persistence,
ideas, persistence, and the and the application of appropriate criteria.
Essential Question application of appropriate
• How do we judge the quality of musical criteria. Essential Questions
work(s) and performances? • Musicians judge performance • How do musicians make creative decisions?
based on criteria that vary across • How do musicians improve the quality of their
Process Components: Analyze, Interpret, time, place and cultures. creative work?
Evaluate
Essential Questions Process Components: Make, Plan, Analyze,
• How do musicians improve the Evaluate, and Refine
quality of their performance?
• When is a performance judged
ready to present?

Process Components: Rehearse,

Refine, Present
 Instructional Strategies/Process Instructional Strategies/Process Instructional Strategies/Process
• Students will visually and aurally • Students will rehearse, refine, • Students will select a piece of music (approved
analyze, interpret, and evaluate music and present their arrangement by the teacher) to arrange for a 4 part
that demonstrates voice leading norms projects to the class. ensemble.
for the melodic line including attention o vocal a cappella group, a woodwind
to rhythm, harmony, contour, note quartet, a brass quartet, a string quartet,
leaps, and tendency tones. or another 4 part combination.
• Students will visually and aurally o The length of the arrangement will
analyze, interpret, and evaluate music depend on the piece.
that demonstrates voice leading norms o Students will arrange at least one verse
for chord notation. and chorus of the song following voice
• Students will visually and aurally leading rules on music notation
analyze, interpret, and evaluate music software.
that demonstrates voice leading norms • Students will analyze, evaluate, and refine
for a single triad including attention to their work as needed.
close vs open structure, crossing parts,
vocal/instrument range, and the use of
inversions.
• Students will visually and aurally
analyze, interpret, and evaluate the
relationship between chords in regard to
the motion between them: static,
oblique, similar, contrary, and parallel.
• Students will visually and aurally
analyze, interpret, and evaluate
common voice leading norms in 4 part
chorale writing. These include
movement between notes in chords that
are in root position, the use of 1st
inversion triads, the use of 2nd inversion
triads, chorale writing rules to always
follow, and chorale writing rules that
are occasionally broken.
• Students will evaluate their peers’
arrangement projects.
Tools for Instruction: workbook, textbook (multiple), music notation software, piano keyboard
Assessments:
Unit 2 Summative Arranging Project
Summative District Wide Final Exam
Unit 3- Harmonic Progression
Time Allotment: 4 weeks

Skill Objectives
• Students will demonstrate and understanding of chord/harmonic progression norms and harmonic rhythm.
• Students will compose a chorale style composition utilizing clearly defined phrases, cadences, circle progressions, and voice leading norms.
• Students will compose a folk style composition utilizing harmonic rhythm, phrases, cadences, and circle progressions.
• Students will analyze harmonic progressions in music from the following periods: baroque, classical, romantic, and 20th century and
recognize harmonic elements and describe their significance.

Responding Present/Performing Creating

Understanding and evaluating how the arts Realizing artistic ideas and work through Conceiving and developing new artistic
convey meaning. interpretation and presentation. ideas and work.
Enduring Understanding Enduring Understanding Enduring Understanding
• The personal evaluation of musical • To express their musical ideas, musicians • Musicians’ creative choices are
works and performances is informed analyze, evaluate, and refine their influenced by their expertise,
by analysis, interpretation, and performance over time through openness to context, and expressive intent.
established criteria based on the new ideas, persistence, and the application of • Musicians evaluate, and refine their
elements of music. appropriate criteria. work through openness to new
• Musicians judge performance based on ideas, persistence, and the
Essential Question criteria that vary across time, place and application of appropriate criteria.
• How do we judge the quality of cultures.
musical work(s) and performances? Essential Questions
Essential Questions • How do musicians make creative
Process Components: Analyze, Interpret, • How do musicians improve the quality of decisions?
Evaluate their performance? • How do musicians improve the
• When is a performance judged ready to quality of their creative work?
present?
Process Components: Make, Plan,
Process Components: Rehearse, Refine, Present Analyze, Evaluate, and Refine
 Instructional Strategies/Process Instructional Strategies/Process Instructional Strategies/Process
• Students will visually and aurally • Students will rehearse, refine, and present • Students will compose (plan and
analyze, interpret, and evaluate music their arrangement projects to the class via make) an 8 measure SATB chorale
that demonstrates chord/harmonic music notation software. style composition that contains
progression norms, including the clearly defined phrases and utilizes
relationship of chords (root cadences, circle progressions, and
relationships) and the use of circle voice leading norms. The
progressions. composition must be labeled with
• Students will visually and aurally Roman Numeral Analysis using
analyze, interpret, and evaluate music music notation software.
that demonstrates the frequency of • Students will compose (plan and
harmonic changes based on melodic make) an 8 measure folk style
structure (harmonic rhythm). composition with the melody
written in treble clef and the
accompanying chords written in
bass clef. It should utilize
harmonic rhythm, phrases,
cadences, and circle progressions.
The composition must be labeled
with Roman Numeral Analysis
using music notation software.
• Students will analyze, evaluate, and
refine their work as needed.

Tools for Instruction: workbook, textbook, music notation software

Assessments:
Summative 2 Part Composition Project (Part 1: SATB Chorale and Part 2: Folk Song)
Summative District Wide Final Exam
Unit 4- Seventh Chords
Time Allotment: 1-2 Weeks

Skill Objectives
• Students will demonstrate an understanding of seventh chords in all inversions.

Responding
Understanding and evaluating how the arts convey meaning.
Enduring Understanding
• The personal evaluation of musical works and performances is informed by analysis, interpretation, and
established criteria based on the elements of music.

Essential Question
• How do we judge the quality of musical work(s) and performances?

Process Components: Analyze, Interpret, Evaluate

Instructional Strategies/Process
• Students will visually and aurally analyze dominant, major, minor, half diminished, and fully diminished
seventh chords in all inversions.
• Students will visually and aurally analyze, interpret, and evaluate music that demonstrates voice leading for all
seventh chords. Special attention will be given to the resolution of the seventh, the tritone that exists in a fully
diminished seventh chord, and the chords that usually follow V7 & vii dim7 chords.
• Students will aurally evaluate and identify the qualities of all types of seventh chords.
Tools for Instruction: workbook, textbook, Practica Musica

Assessments:
Seventh Chords Test
Summative District Wide Final Exam
Unit 5- Modulation, Secondary Dominant, and Leading-Tone Chords
Time Allotment: 4 Weeks

Skill Objectives
• Students will demonstrate an understanding of closely related keys in relation to the circle of fifths, and their relationships with regard to
modulation.
• Students will demonstrate an understanding of various types of modulation.
• Students will compose a piece including a pivot chord and modulation.

Responding Present/Performing Creating

Understanding and evaluating how the arts Realizing artistic ideas and work through Conceiving and developing new artistic ideas
convey meaning. interpretation and presentation. and work.
Enduring Understanding Enduring Understanding Enduring Understandings
• The personal evaluation of musical • To express their musical ideas, • Musicians’ creative choices are
works and performances is informed by musicians analyze, evaluate, and refine influenced by their expertise, context,
analysis, interpretation, and established their performance over time through and expressive intent.
criteria based on the elements of music. openness to new ideas, persistence, and • Musicians evaluate, and refine their
the application of appropriate criteria. work through openness to new ideas,
Essential Question • Musicians judge performance based on persistence, and the application of
• How do we judge the quality of musical criteria that vary across time, place and appropriate criteria.
work(s) and performances? cultures.
Essential Questions
Process Components: Analyze, Interpret, Essential Questions • How do musicians make creative
Evaluate • How do musicians improve the quality decisions?
of their performance? • How do musicians improve the quality
• When is a performance judged ready to of their creative work?
present?
Process Components: Make, Plan, Analyze,
Process Components: Rehearse, Refine, Evaluate, and Refine
Present
 Instructional Strategies/Process Instructional Strategies/Process Instructional Strategies/Process
• Students will visually analyze and • Students will rehearse, refine, and • Students will compose (plan and make)
interpret closely related keys in relation perform and/or present original chordal a 16 measure composition written for
to the circle of fifths. compositions to the class. SATB choir, a major instrument
• Students will visually and aurally accompanied by piano, or 3 major
analyze, interpret, and evaluate music instruments. It will be in a major or
that modulates by way of common minor key of their choice, modulate
chord modulation, phrase modulation, with a pivot chord to a closely related
and chromatic modulation. key, be structured as a Double Period,
• Students will visually and aurally include at least 3 borrowed chords,
analyze secondary dominant chords and include at least 3 seventh chords using
secondary leading-tone chords using music notation software.
analytical symbols for modulation. • Students will analyze, evaluate, and
• Students will evaluate their peers’ refine their work as needed.
compositions.

Tools for Instruction: workbook, textbook, music notation software

Assessments:
Summative District Wide Final Exam
Final Composition Project