Useful links
Unit of study_
MCGY5605: Methods of Music Analysis
2025 unit information
This unit is designed to equip students with a working knowledge of current creative and analysis practice, to impart analytical skills that can be applied across a broad spectrum of creative activities and diverse musical genres and types, and to develop an understanding of related concepts such as what analysis actually is, different types of analysis (functional, descriptive, surface, contextual, aural/perceptual vs score based) and to facilitate an understanding of working at different levels of abstraction.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Sydney Conservatorium of Music
| Study level | Postgraduate |
|---|---|
| Academic unit | Analysis, History and Cultural Studies |
| Credit points | 6 |
|
Prerequisites:
?
|
None |
|---|---|
|
Corequisites:
?
|
None |
| Prohibitions:
?
|
None |
| Assumed knowledge:
?
|
Traditional chordal nomenclature (e.g. roman numeral and figured bass) and standard methods of analysing Western Art Music will be assumed |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. Demonstrate familiarity with a range of approaches to analysing harmony, form and meter in Western Art Music
- LO2. Identify key recent developments in the discipline and be aware of major works of scholarship
- LO3. Relate analytical approaches to other sorts of musicological and humanistic concerns
- LO4. Apply analytical techniques in a personal research project
- LO5. Contribute actively to the learning of others through peer interactions in class
Unit availability
This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.
The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.
Find your current year census dates
Modes of attendance (MoA)
This refers to the Mode of attendance (MoA) for the unit as it appears when you’re selecting your units in Sydney Student. Find more information about modes of attendance on our website.
