MUSIC THEORY @ PYCO School of Music
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Instructor: Jeff Weston, Ph.D. (ABD)
Days: Monday and Thursday Evenings Location: PYCO School of Music Length: 6 weeks (6 classes) Ages: 10 and up (under 10 with approval) Tuition: $200 Registration: Download the placement exam found below. Complete and return it to the PYCO School of Music. Payment: Can be made at the PYCO Music Store. 
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PYCO School of Music offers a comprehensive sequence of music theory courses for student musicians. The broad range of these classes is intended for the beginning student who is looking to learn and apply the fundamentals of Western music or advanced students who are seeking a primer for undergraduate theory.
To determine your theory class level, all students are required to take a placement test. More information on the theory sequence can be found in the course descriptions below or by contacting Jeff Weston, director of music theory, at mr.jeffweston@gmail.com. | ||
Course Descriptions
Level 1:
Music Theory Level 1 provides an introduction to the basic fundamentals and analysis of Western common practice music. This course is aimed at the musician who has little to no theory background. The class serves as the perfect primer for those students who are enrolling in AP music theory or are planning on attending college-level theory classes. Through written assignments, group activities, lively games, and analysis of appropriate literature, each student will have rote knowledge of scales, key signatures, intervals, triads and seventh-chords by the course conclusion. An advanced version of the class is offered to students who have mastered select fundamentals but need guided practice and reinforcement before moving to Level 2. Prerequisite: none
Level 2:
Music Theory Level 2 is an intermediate class focusing on classical sonata form, extended tertian harmony, and chromaticism. This course is aimed at the musician who has gained a solid understanding of fundamental theory and analysis concepts such as scales, key signatures, intervals, triads and seventh-chords. Through written assignments, group activities, lively games, and analysis of appropriate literature, each student will have rote knowledge of sonata form, sentences, periods, augmented seventh chords, and the roots of extended harmony and embraced chromaticism in the Western common practice style. A sample syllabus can be provided upon request. Prerequisite: Level 1 or suggestion by instructor
Level 3:
Music Theory Level 3 is an advanced class focusing on the breakdown of tonality, examination of post-tonal analysis techniques, and survey of music created after 1945. This course is appropriate for the musician who has a solid foundation of common practice theory and analysis techniques (as described in the course descriptions of Theory 1 and Theory 2), but little to no experience with post-tonal analysis and composing on their own. In this course, the student will be introduced to 20th and 21st century musical styles and techniques through listening, analysis, and composition. Topics covered include whole-tone, pentatonic, and octatonic pitch collections, atonality, serialism, minimalism, timbral analysis, microtonality, spectrality, noise, FLUXUS, post-minimalism, and sound art as represented in the works of Debussy, Schoenberg, Webern, Stravinsky, Bartok, Partch, Reich, Ligeti, Cage, Maciunas, Ablinger, Andriessen, among others. Students will develop their analytical and compositional skills through weekly listening, reading, analysis, and composition assignments. A sample syllabus can be provided upon request. Prerequisite: Level 2 or suggestion by instructor
Royal Conservatory Certificate Program in Music Theory:
Music theory classes are available for every level of The Royal Conservatory Certificate Program, from elementary to advanced. In these classes, we utilize the Royal Conservatory of Music's Celebrate Theory curriculum to build music literacy from the very first lesson and deepen student's enjoyment and understanding of the music they hear and play. In this course you will practice melody writing, directed listening, explore repertoire, and take practice exams to prepare for your level's official exam. By integrating music theory with practical study, students develop well-rounded musicianship skills in an interactive and engaging way. More information about the Royal Conservatory of Music's Music Development Certificate Program can be found here. Prerequisite: none
AP Music Theory Preparation:
The ultimate goal of this AP Music Theory course is to develop a student’s ability to recognize, understand, and describe the basic materials and processes of music that are heard or presented in a score to a point in which they can pass the AP Music Theory Exam with a score of 4 or higher. The achievement of this goal is best promoted by integrated approaches to the student’s development of aural, sight-singing, written, compositional, and analytical skills. First, this course instills the mastery of theory rudiments such as a pitch, key signatures, triads, intervals, and chords; and then progresses to include more sophisticated and creative tasks, such as melodic and harmonic dictation, composition of a bass line for a given melody, realization of a figured bass, realization of a Roman numeral progression, analysis of repertoire, and sight singing. This course is highly recommended for those students wishing to major in music. Prerequisite: Level 3 or suggestion by instructor
Music Theory Level 1 provides an introduction to the basic fundamentals and analysis of Western common practice music. This course is aimed at the musician who has little to no theory background. The class serves as the perfect primer for those students who are enrolling in AP music theory or are planning on attending college-level theory classes. Through written assignments, group activities, lively games, and analysis of appropriate literature, each student will have rote knowledge of scales, key signatures, intervals, triads and seventh-chords by the course conclusion. An advanced version of the class is offered to students who have mastered select fundamentals but need guided practice and reinforcement before moving to Level 2. Prerequisite: none
Level 2:
Music Theory Level 2 is an intermediate class focusing on classical sonata form, extended tertian harmony, and chromaticism. This course is aimed at the musician who has gained a solid understanding of fundamental theory and analysis concepts such as scales, key signatures, intervals, triads and seventh-chords. Through written assignments, group activities, lively games, and analysis of appropriate literature, each student will have rote knowledge of sonata form, sentences, periods, augmented seventh chords, and the roots of extended harmony and embraced chromaticism in the Western common practice style. A sample syllabus can be provided upon request. Prerequisite: Level 1 or suggestion by instructor
Level 3:
Music Theory Level 3 is an advanced class focusing on the breakdown of tonality, examination of post-tonal analysis techniques, and survey of music created after 1945. This course is appropriate for the musician who has a solid foundation of common practice theory and analysis techniques (as described in the course descriptions of Theory 1 and Theory 2), but little to no experience with post-tonal analysis and composing on their own. In this course, the student will be introduced to 20th and 21st century musical styles and techniques through listening, analysis, and composition. Topics covered include whole-tone, pentatonic, and octatonic pitch collections, atonality, serialism, minimalism, timbral analysis, microtonality, spectrality, noise, FLUXUS, post-minimalism, and sound art as represented in the works of Debussy, Schoenberg, Webern, Stravinsky, Bartok, Partch, Reich, Ligeti, Cage, Maciunas, Ablinger, Andriessen, among others. Students will develop their analytical and compositional skills through weekly listening, reading, analysis, and composition assignments. A sample syllabus can be provided upon request. Prerequisite: Level 2 or suggestion by instructor
Royal Conservatory Certificate Program in Music Theory:
Music theory classes are available for every level of The Royal Conservatory Certificate Program, from elementary to advanced. In these classes, we utilize the Royal Conservatory of Music's Celebrate Theory curriculum to build music literacy from the very first lesson and deepen student's enjoyment and understanding of the music they hear and play. In this course you will practice melody writing, directed listening, explore repertoire, and take practice exams to prepare for your level's official exam. By integrating music theory with practical study, students develop well-rounded musicianship skills in an interactive and engaging way. More information about the Royal Conservatory of Music's Music Development Certificate Program can be found here. Prerequisite: none
AP Music Theory Preparation:
The ultimate goal of this AP Music Theory course is to develop a student’s ability to recognize, understand, and describe the basic materials and processes of music that are heard or presented in a score to a point in which they can pass the AP Music Theory Exam with a score of 4 or higher. The achievement of this goal is best promoted by integrated approaches to the student’s development of aural, sight-singing, written, compositional, and analytical skills. First, this course instills the mastery of theory rudiments such as a pitch, key signatures, triads, intervals, and chords; and then progresses to include more sophisticated and creative tasks, such as melodic and harmonic dictation, composition of a bass line for a given melody, realization of a figured bass, realization of a Roman numeral progression, analysis of repertoire, and sight singing. This course is highly recommended for those students wishing to major in music. Prerequisite: Level 3 or suggestion by instructor
About the Instructor
Jeff Weston
Jeff Weston
