Blackboard: Changes to the course schedule will be posted on Blackboard, as will online assignments, announcements, and so on. You are expected to have and use an OU email account, and check Blackboard regularly. 

Class Attendance : You are allowed a maximum of two unexcused absences. Each absence in addition to the maximum will lower your final grade by a portion of a letter (A to A-, etc.). In addition, no make-up work will be allowed for unexcused absences . An absence is considered excused only if it is approved ahead of time by the instructor, or if it is documented (e.g. medical, family emergency). Habitual lateness will affect your grade (3 tardies = 1 unexcused absence).  With the exception of medical/family emergencies, all assignments are due ON TIME!

Additional Classroom policies :

1. Once class has started, there should be no reason for students to leave the classroom. 
2. No food in the classrooms (Beverages are acceptable).  Regardless of whether or not you are distracting to others, the mere fact that you are eating in class means you are not completely focused on the given topic/activity/discussion, etc.  Class time is limited and your utmost attention is necessary at all time.
3. Absolutely no cellphones are to be visible in the classroom.  Turn them off and put them away or do not bring them at all.
4. Theory classes do not usually require excessive note-taking in the traditional sense.  Therefore, there is no need for any laptops in class. However, this is at the discretion of the instructor.
5. Students must be fully prepared for class.  Students must bring all required materials to class including worksheets, handouts, and textbooks.  Failure to do so will result in a tardy as you will need to get the material(s).  If this happens more than once, it will result in an unexcused absence.

In the event of a major campus emergency, course requirements, deadlines and grading percentages are subject to changes that may be necessitated by a revised quarter calendar or other circumstances beyond the instructor’s control. All changes will be posted on Blackboard.

Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty : Duplicating another's work on an exam or assignment, or any other form of academic dishonesty, will result in automatically failing the course and may be referred to student judiciaries.

Special Needs or Disabilities : Students with documented special needs or a disability may request special services.  The student should contact the instructor within the first two weeks of the academic session for making special needs arrangements. If you are not yet registered as a student with a disability, please contact the Office of Disability Services at 740-593-2620 or visit the office in 348 Baker University Center.

Tutoring: As soon as you feel you do not understand a concept, need more practice, or are falling behind, see your instructor for additional help, recommendations for tutors, etc. Also, attend the free tutoring provided by the School of Music (see posters in Glidden Hall) .

Diversity: Ohio University is committed to supporting inclusion of diverse people and populations within and beyond our campus community. It is crucial that we commit to learning from one another in our classroom and provide an environment where if something is occurring that prevents us from being able to succeed, we talk about and address it. Discrimination has a negative impact on one’s learning, and my hope is that we can create a classroom environment in which all are able to learn and succeed.

Tentative Course Schedule*

Week 1                 8-22, 8­-24, 8-26,

Fundamentals: The Guitar and it Relation to Rock Music

Topic 1: Problem of Tonality in rock

Topic 2: The Guitar and its influence on Rock Harmonic Structure

Topic 3: Fundamentals of Rock

Readings: •Covach, 2004; •Doll, 2018.                   

Week 2                 8-29, 8-31, 9-2

Topic 1: Problem of Tonality in rock

Topic 2: Problems in analyzing rock

Topic 3: Fundamentals of Rock

Readings: •Covach, 2004; •Moore: 2003; •Covach, 1997.

Weeks 3               9-5 (Labor Day-No Class), 9-7, 9-9

Topic 1: Problem of Tonality in rock

Topic 2: Problems in analyzing rock

Topic 3: Fundamentals of Rock

Readings: Mon: Covach, 2004;

Wed: Moore, 2018

Fri: Ford, 2018

Week 4                 9-12, 9-14, 9-16

Topic 1: Establishing a tonal baseline: Schenker’s Foundation

Topic 2: Rock’s Music Structures

Mon: •Moore, 1995

Wed: Moore, 1995

Friday: Moore, 1995

Weeks 5               9-19, 9-21, 9-23

Topic 1: Rock’s Music Structures

                  Mon: Moore, 1995; Biamonte, 2020; •Doll, 2017-Intro

Wed: Doll, 2017- Chapter 1-Disscusion of Chapter

Fri: • Doll-Application of Chapter 1; Harrison, 2016-Another view of Tonality.

Week 6                 9-26, 9-28, 9-30

Topic: Harmony in the Large

Mon: •Doll, 2017-Chapter 2-Disscusion

Wed: Doll-Application of Chapter 2

Fri: No Class (Reading Day)

Week 7                 10-3, 10-5, 10-7

Topic: Harmony in the Large

Mon: •Doll, 2017-Chapter 3-Disscusion

Wed: Doll, 2017-Chapter 3-Application

Fri: Doll, 2017-Chapter 4-Application

Weeks 8               10-10, 10-12, 10-14

Topic: Tonal Systems of Rock

Mon: Doll, 2017-Chapter 4-Disscusion

Wed: Temperley, 2011-The Cadential IV in Rock

Fri: •Everett, 2004

Week 9                 10-17, 10-19, 10-21

                        Topic: Tonal Systems of Rock; Form, Voice-Leading, Counterpoint

                        Mon: Biamonte, 2010, ( DeClercq, 2011) .

Wed: Nobile, 2011

Fri: Nobile, 2015; Burns, 2015.

Week 10              10-24, 10-26, 10-28

Topic: Moving Beyond Common Practice Harmony

                                    Mon: Doll, 2017-Chapter 6-Discussion

Wed: Doll, 2017-Chapter 6-Application

Fri: Hooper, 2018;

Week 11              10-31, 11-2, 11-4

Topic: Moving Beyond Common Practice Harmony

                                    Mon: Temperley, 2011-Scalar Shift in Popular Music, 2007

Wed: Spicer 2017

Fri: Heetderks, 2018

Week 12              11-7, 11-9, 11-11(No Class-Veterans Day)

Topic: Moving Beyond Common Practice Harmony

                                    Mon/Wed: Capuzzo, 2004-Neo-Riemannian Theory

Fri: Capuzzo, 2009-Sectional Tonality

Week 13              11-14, 11-16, 11-18

                        Topic: Moving Beyond Tonality

                        Mon: Capuzzo, 2009-Sectional Tonality

Wed/Fri: Scotto, 2018

Week 14              11-21, 11-23/25 (Thanksgiving)

                        Mon: Biamonte, 2010, Temperley, 2011

Wed: No Class

Fri: No Class

Weeks 15            11-30, 12-2, 12-4

Mon: Nobile, 2011; Nobile, 2015

Wed: Spicer 2017

Fri: Heetderks, 2018

Final Exam:    Presentations

Final Paper:    Due Friday, Dec. 9 ^th , 5 PM.

* The course schedule may be changed at the discretion of the instructor. You will be notified of all changes.

Bibliography-Class Readings

Biamonte, Nicole. 2012. Modal Function in rock and Metal.” In Actes colloque d’Analyse musical de Strasbourg . Ed. Mondher Ayari, Jean-Michel Bardez, and Xavier Hascher. Université de Strasbourg: 1-11.

——. 2010. “Triadic Modal and Pentatonic Patterns in rock Music.” Music Theory Spectrum 32 (2): 95-110.

——. 2020. Review of Hearing Harmony: Toward a Tonal Theory for the Rock Era , by Christopher Doll. Music Theory Spectrum 42 (1): 154-57.

Burns, Lori. 2008. “Analytic Methodologies for Rock Music: Harmonic and Voice-Leading Strategies in Tori Amos’s ‘Crucify’.” In Expression in Pop-Rock Music: Critical and Analytical Essays. 2 ^nd ed. Ed. Walter Everett. 63-92. New York: Routledge Press.

Capuzzo, Guy. 2004. “Neo-Riemannian Theory and the Analysis of Pop-Rock Music.” Music Theory Spectrum 26 (2): 177-99.

——. 2009. “Sectional Tonality and Sectional Centricity in Rock Music.” Music Theory Spectrum 31 (1): 157-74.

Covach, John. 1997. “We Won’t Get Fooled Again: Rock Music and Musical Analysis.” In Theory Only 13 (1-4): 117-41. Repr. In Keeping Score: Music, Disciplinarity and Culture . Ed. David Schwarz, Anahid Kassabian, and Lawrence Siegel. 75-89. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 1997.

——. 2004. “Form in rock Music: A Primer.” In Engaging Music: Essays in Music Analysis. Ed. Deborah Stein. 65-76. New York: Oxford University Press.

Covach, John, and Graeme M. Boone, eds. 1997. Understanding Rock: Essays in Musical Analysis. New York: Oxford University Press.

De Clercq, Trevor and David Temperley. 2011. “A Corpus Analysis of Rock Harmony.” Popular Music 30 (1): 47-70.

Doll, Christopher. 2017. Hearing Harmony. Toward a Tonal Theory for the Rock Era . Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.

——. 2018. “Some Practical Issues in The Aesthetic Analysis of Popular Music.” In The Routledge Companion to Popular Music Analysis: Expanding Approaches . Eds. Ciro Scotto, Kenneth Smith, and John Bracket. 3-14. New York and London: Routledge.

Everett, Walter. 2004. “Making Sense of Rock’s Tonal systems.” Music Theory Online 10.4. http://mto.societymusictheory.org/issues/mto.04.10.4/mto.04.10.w_everett.html .

——. 2009. The Foundations of Rock: From “Blue Suede Shoes” to “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes.” New York: Oxford University Press.

Ford, Phil. 2018. “Style as Analysis.” In The Routledge Companion to Popular Music Analysis: Expanding Approaches . Eds. Ciro Scotto, Kenneth Smith, and John Bracket. 15-28. New York and London: Routledge.

Harrison, Daniel. 2016. Pieces of Tradition: An Analysis of Contemporary Tonal Music. New York: Oxford University Press.

Heetderks, David. 2018. “A Tonal Axis to Grind: The Central Dyad in Sonic Youth’s Divergent Textures.” In The Routledge Companion to Popular Music Analysis: Expanding Approaches . Eds. Ciro Scotto, Kenneth Smith, and John Bracket. 222-35. New York and London: Routledge.

Hooper, Giles. 2018. “Thank You for the Music.” In The Routledge Companion to Popular Music Analysis: Expanding Approaches . Eds. Ciro Scotto, Kenneth Smith, and John Bracket. 29-44. New York and London: Routledge.

Moore, Allan F. 1992, “Patterns of Harmony.” Popular Music 11 (1): 73-106.

——. 1995. “The S0-Called ‘Flattened Seventh’ in Rock.” Popular Music 14 (2): 185-201.

——. 2003. Analyzing Popular Music. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

——. 2018. “Listening to the Sound Music Makes.” In The Routledge Companion to Popular Music Analysis: Expanding Approaches . Eds. Ciro Scotto, Kenneth Smith, and John Bracket. 45-57. New York and London: Routledge.

Nobile, Drew. 2011. “Form and Voice Leading in Early Beatles Songs.” Music Theory Online 17 (3). http://www.mtosmt.org/issues/mto.11.17.3/mto.11.17.3.nobile.html .

——. 2015. “Counterpoint in Rock: Unpacking the “Melodic-Harmonic Divorce.” Music Theory Spectrum 37 (2): 189-203.

Scotto, Ciro. 2018. “System 7.” In The Routledge Companion to Popular Music Analysis: Expanding Approaches . Eds. Ciro Scotto, Kenneth Smith, and John Bracket. 250-65. New York and London: Routledge.

Spicer, Mark. 2017. “Fragile, Emergent, and Absent Tonics in Pop and Rock Songs.” Music Theory Online 23 (2). http://mtosmt.org/issues/mto.17.23.2/mto.17.23.2.spicer.html .

Temperley, David. 2007. “The Melodic-Harmonic ‘Divorce’ in Rock.” Popular Music 26 (2): 323-42.

——. 2011. “Scalar shift in Popular Music.” Music Theory Online 17 (4). http://www.mtosmt.org/issues/mto.11.17.4/mto.11.17.4.temperley.html .

——. 2011. “The Cadential IV in Rock.” Music Theory Online 17 (1). http://www.mtosmt.org/issues/mto.11.17.1/mto.11.17.1.temperley.html .