MUSI 106 Syllabus Fall, 2019 p.

Fundamentals of Rock, Blues, and Jazz

MUSI 106
Fall, 2019

Professor: Leigh Pilzer

Email: [email protected]
Class time: assignments will be posted weekly on Tuesdays at 9:00 a.m.
Location: Online

Important dates
First day of classes 8/26
Last day to add classes 9/03
Last day to drop with 100% tuition refund 9/09
Last day to drop with 50% tuition refund 9/17
Student self-withdrawal deadline (no tuition refund) 9/20
Fall Break 10/14
Selective withdrawal deadline (no tuition refund) 10/29
Thanksgiving break 11/27–12/01
Last day of classes 12/07

Prerequisite
None

Required Materials
Clendinning, Jane Piper, Elizabeth West Marvin, and Joel Phillips. The Musician’s Guide to
Fundamentals. 3rd ed. New York: W. W. Norton, 2017.
You must purchase the e-book version of The Musician's Guide to Fundamentals in order to
successfully complete and submit assignments. DO NOT buy the book directly from the
publisher's website. Instead, click on the "Required text " link in the left-hand column on
Blackboard and purchase through the Blackboard interface.
Additional reading and assignments on Blackboard
Computer or tablet with Internet access

Due dates
Assignments are posted on Tuesdays at 9:00 am and are due by 9:00 a.m. the following Tuesday.
If, due to breaks or other situations such as cancellations due to inclement weather, in-person
classes do not meet on a Tuesday you will still have reading and/or assignments due in this course.

Because this class does not meet in person, the assignments are the only way I have to assess your
ongoing participation in the course. Assignments, therefore, will not be accepted after the due
date. The only exceptions to this policy are serious illness or other extenuating circumstances. If
you want to hand in an assignment after the due date you will need to submit documentation from
a medical professional or your advisor confirming that the circumstances were such that you could
not have completed the assignment on time.
 MUSI 106 Syllabus Fall, 2019 p. 2

Email Policy
To preserve student privacy, students must use their MasonLive email account to receive
communication related to this class. I will not respond to messages sent from nor will I send
messages to a non-Mason email address. Also, I will not share or reveal, and students must not
share or reveal, student email addresses with others inside or outside this class without students’
express permission.

Course Description and Objectives

This course is designed for students without prior formal training in music theory. The course will
meet online only.

On successfully completing the course, students will

• understand basic musical concepts of notation, meter, scales , intervals, chords, and
modality (major and minor)
• understand the historical backgrounds of Rock, Blues, and Jazz music
• be able to identify the genres by sound and describe characteristics of each one
• understand the influence of African music on these American genres
• understand the significance of Blues in the evolution of Rock and Jazz
• understand the basic Blues melodic and harmonic structure
• be able to compose an original Blues melody with lyrics in a statement-restatement-
conclusion structure

Core
George Mason University’s Mason Core is designed to complement work in a student’s chosen
area of study. These classes serve as a means of discovery for students, providing a foundation for
learning, connecting to potential new areas of interest and building tools for success in whatever
field a student pursues. Learning outcomes are guided by the qualities every student should
develop as they move toward graduating with a George Mason degree. Through a combination of
course, the Mason Core program helps students to become:
• Critical and Creative Scholars
Students who have a love of and capacity for learning. Their understanding of
fundamental principles in a variety of disciplines, and their mastery of quantitative and
communication tools, enables them to think creatively and productively. They are
inquisitive, open-minded, capable, informed, and able to integrate diverse bodies of
knowledge and perspectives.
• Self-Reflective Learners
Students who develop the capacity to think well. They can identify and articulate
individual beliefs, strengths and weaknesses, critically reflect on these beliefs and integrate
this understanding into their daily living.
• Ethical, Inquiry-Based Citizens
Students who are tolerant and understanding. They can conceptualize and communicate
about problems of local, national and global significance, using research and evaluative
perspective to contribute to the common good.

Mason courses in the film making, visual and performing arts stress generative, inquiry-based
learning through direct aesthetic and creative experience in the studio environment.
 MUSI 106 Syllabus Fall, 2019 p. 3

Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete a course in the Arts category must meet the first learning
outcome and a minimum of two of the remaining four learning outcomes. This course will focus
on the three learning outcomes listed below. For the full list of Mason Core Arts learning
outcomes visit https://catalog.gmu.edu/mason-core/#arts. For information relating these
outcomes to specific assignments, see Assignments and Learning Outcomes, below.

#1 Demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between artistic process, and a work's

underlying concept, and where appropriate, contexts associated with the work.

#2 Identify and analyze the formal elements of a particular art form using vocabulary and
critique appropriate to that form.

#5 Engage in generative artistic processes, including conception, creation, and ongoing critical
analysis.

Topics and class schedule

Date Theory (Musician’s Guide to Fundamentals) History and style (Blackboard)

8/27 Chapter 1: pitch notation, the grand staff Syllabus

Homework: assignments 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 Homework: Syllabus Quiz

9/03 Chapter 2: accidentals, half and whole steps Birth of the Blues
Homework: assignments 2.1, 2.2

9/10 Homework: assignment 2.3 Homework: Old and New

9/17 Chapter 3: simple meters Jazz: National American Treasure

Homework: assignments 3.1, 3.2

9/24 Chapter 4: beat subdivisions and syncopation Rock and Roll is Here to Stay
Homework: 4.1

10/01 The British Invasion

Homework: assignment 4.2, 4.3

10/08 Chapter 5: major scales and keys Straight, Swing, and Shuffle feels
Homework: assignments 5.1, 5.2 Homework: Straight and Swing

10/15 Homework: assignments 5.3, 5.4 Homework: What Genre Is It?

10/22 Chapter 7: minor scales and keys

Homework: assignments 7.1, 7.2 Homework: Major and Minor
 MUSI 106 Syllabus Fall, 2019 p. 4

10/29 Make Music B, the blues scale Major and Minor Blues
Homework: assignment 7.3

11/05 Chapter 8, intervals Song forms

Homework: assignments 8.1, 8.2 Homework: What Form Is It?

11/12 Homework: assignments 8.3, 8.4 Homework: When Is a Blues Not a Blues?

11/19 Chapter 9: triads and seventh chords Blues lyrics

Homework: assignments 9.1, 9.2 Homework: What’s My Line?

11/26 Homework: assignments 9.3, 9.4 Homework: You Got the Blues

12/03 Final project (due 12/17)

Assignments and learning outcomes

Old and New. Listen to the two versions provided of a Blues song. One is the original version, the
other is a cover. Identify at least one way in which they are the same and at least one way in which
they are different. (Learning outcome 1)

Straight and Swing. For each song, identify whether it is a straight or swing feel. (Learning
outcome 2)

What Genre Is It? Listen to the audio provided. For each song, identify its genre and briefly
explain (list one or two reasons) why you chose that genre (Learning outcome 2)

Major and Minor: For each song identify whether it is in a major key or a minor key. Give your
opinion of how the story or mood of a song is supported by the song being in a major or minor
key. For example, would sad lyrics work in a major key song? Do they work better in a minor key
song? Make your best guess as to which comes first—melody, harmony, or lyric—and explain
why. (Learning outcomes 1, 2)

What Form Is It? (Song forms, part 1). Define the song forms for the audio provided (all three
genres, instrumentals and vocals). The possibilities are blues, AABA, ABAC, verse-chorus, or
through-composed. (Learning outcomes 1, 2)

When Is a Blues Not a Blues? (Song forms, part 2). Listen to the two audio examples for each
question. Although they both have the word "Blues" in the title, one is in the blues form and the
other is not. For each pair, identify which one is in the twelve-bar blues form and briefly describe
musical characteristics that helped you decide which one was a blues and which was not. (Learning
outcome 1)
 MUSI 106 Syllabus Fall, 2019 p. 5

What's My Line? (Blues lyrics, part 1). You will be given the first two lines of a blues lyric and
must choose the most appropriate third line from several possibilities. Give at least one reason you
chose the one you did. (Learning outcome 5)

You Got the Blues (Blues lyrics, part 2). Write three sets of blues lyrics in classic statement-
restatement-conclusion form, with the last line rhyming the first two. (Learning outcome 5)

Final Project. 1) Compose an original blues melody, one that could be performed over a classic
twelve-bar blues harmonic form. Be mindful of the African influences on the blues, particularly in
the form of blue notes (f3, f5, and f7), and try to incorporate them into your melody. 2) Write a
set of lyrics to go with the melody. Use a classic statement-restatement-conclusion format for the
lyric, and be sure the last line rhymes with the first two. Remember that, historically, blues lyrics
were often designed to express personal emotions, tell a story, or provide social commentary, and
ty to write a lyric that reflects one of those contexts. (Learning outcome 5)

Grading
Theory assignments 60%
History/style assignments 20%
Final project 20%

Grade scale and quality points equivalents

A+ 98–100 (4.00) A 93–97 (4.00) A- 90–92 (3.67)
B+ 87–89 (3.33) B 83–86 (3.00) B- 80–82 (2.67)
C+ 77–79 (2.33) C 73–76 (2.00) C- 70–72 (1.67)
D 60–69 (1.00)
F 0–59 (0.00)
 MUSI 106 Syllabus Fall, 2019 p. 6

Mason information

General education
The mission of George Mason University’s General Education Program is to educate, liberate,
and broaden the mind, and to instill a lifelong love of learning. In conjunction with each student’s
major program of study and other electives, minors, or certificates, this program seeks to produce
graduates with intellectual vision, creative abilities, and moral sensibility, as well as the skills to
assure a well-rounded and useable education.

Honor Code
To promote a stronger sense of mutual responsibility, respect, trust, and fairness among all
members of the George Mason University community and with the desire for greater academic
and personal achievement, we, the student members of the university community, have set forth
this honor code: Student members of the George Mason University community pledge not to
cheat, plagiarize, steal, or lie in matters related to academic work. Visit
https://oai.gmu.edu/mason-honor-code/ to download the full honor code document or for
detailed definitions of cheating, plagiarism, and subcategories thereof.

Disability Accommodations
If you have a documented learning disability or other condition that may affect academic
performance please make sure this documentation is on file with Disability Services to determine
the accommodations you need. All academic accommodations must be arranged through that
office. The student is responsible for informing the instructor of any accommodation needs at the
beginning of the semester.

The Disability Services office is located in room 4205, SUB I. Phone: 703-993-2474.
Website: http://ds.gmu.edu

Diversity and Inclusion

George Mason University promotes a living and learning environment for outstanding growth and
productivity among its students, faculty, and staff. Through its curriculum, programs, policies,
procedures, services and resources, Mason strives to maintain a quality environment for work,
study and personal growth.

An emphasis upon diversity and inclusion throughout the campus community is essential to
achieve these goals. Diversity is broadly defined to include such characteristics as, but not limited
to, race, ethnicity, gender, religion, age, disability, and sexual orientation. Diversity also entails
different viewpoints, philosophies, and perspectives. Attention to these aspects of diversity will
help promote a culture of inclusion and belonging, and an environment where diverse opinions,
backgrounds and practices have the opportunity to be voiced, heard and respected.
 MUSI 106 Syllabus Fall, 2019 p. 7

The reflection of Mason's commitment to diversity and inclusion goes beyond policies and
procedures to focus on behavior at the individual, group, and organizational level. The
implementation of this commitment to diversity and inclusion is found in all settings, including
individual work units and groups, student organizations and groups, and classroom settings; it is
also found with the delivery of services and activities, including, but not limited to, curriculum,
teaching, events, advising, research, service, and community outreach.

Acknowledging that the attainment of diversity and inclusion are dynamic and continuous
processes, and that the larger societal setting has an evolving socio-cultural understanding of
diversity and inclusion, Mason seeks to continuously improve its environment. To this end, the
University promotes continuous monitoring and self-assessment regarding diversity. The aim is to
incorporate diversity and inclusion within the philosophies and actions of the individual, group
and organization, and to make improvements as needed.

Please inform me of your preferred form of address, such as Ms., Mx., Mr., or your full name, to
be used in email communication.

Sexual Harassment, Sexual Misconduct, and Interpersonal Violence

George Mason University is committed to providing a learning, living and working environment
that is free from discrimination and a campus that is free of sexual misconduct and other acts of
interpersonal violence in order to promote community well-being and student success. Students
who feel that they have been sexually harassed, assaulted or subjected to sexual misconduct are
encouraged to seek assistance and support. University Policy 1202: Sexual Harassment and
Misconduct speaks to the specifics of Mason’s process, the resources, and the options available to
students.

As a faculty member, I am designated as a “Responsible Employee,” and must report all

disclosures of sexual assault, interpersonal violence, and stalking to Mason’s Title IX Coordinator
per University Policy 1412. You may seek assistance from Mason’s Title IX Coordinator, Jennifer
Hammat, by calling 703-993-8730 or email [email protected]. If you wish to speak with someone
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703-993-2380. The 24-hour Sexual and Intimate Partner Violence Crisis Line for Mason is 703-
380-1434.

Undergraduate Course Repetition

Beginning fall 2018, there is a limit of three graded attempts for this course. A W does not count
as a graded attempt. Please see AP. 1.3.4 in the University Catalog and consult with your
academic advisor if you have any questions.