Music Theory 101
MUS-40054
A basic knowledge of music theory is one of the most important tools a musician can have, whether you play an instrument or want to compose your own music. This class for beginners will provide an introduction to the fundamentals of music.
Using a series of simple exercises, we will begin with how to read music: pitch, clefs, note values and rhythm (simple and complex); and progress to more complex subjects such as: major and minor scales, key signatures, intervals, chords, chord progression, counterpoint, and musical form.
Textbook: Tonal Harmony, 7th Edition, Stefan Kostka, Dorothy Payne, & Byron Almen (Textbook only); ISBN-13: 978-0078025143
Quarters Offered: Fall | Winter | Spring | Summer
Course Duration: 9 weeks
Prerequisite: None; no prior knowledge of music is necessary.
Course Information
Course sessions
Section ID:
Class type:
Textbooks:
Tonal Harmony 7th
by Stefan Kostka, Dorothy Payne, Byron Almen
ISBN / ASIN: 9780078025143
You may purchase textbooks via the UC San Diego Bookstore.
Policies:
- No refunds after: 4/9/2025
- Early Enrollment Discount: $290 ($315 if enrolled after 3/3/2025)
- Early enrollment advised
Note:
Schedule:
| Date | Day | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/2/2025 | Wed | 6:00 p.m. | 7:45 p.m. |
| 4/9/2025 | Wed | 6:00 p.m. | 7:45 p.m. |
| 4/16/2025 | Wed | 6:00 p.m. | 7:45 p.m. |
| 4/23/2025 | Wed | 6:00 p.m. | 7:45 p.m. |
| 4/30/2025 | Wed | 6:00 p.m. | 7:45 p.m. |
| 5/7/2025 | Wed | 6:00 p.m. | 7:45 p.m. |
| 5/14/2025 | Wed | 6:00 p.m. | 7:45 p.m. |
| 5/21/2025 | Wed | 6:00 p.m. | 7:45 p.m. |
| 5/28/2025 | Wed | 6:00 p.m. | 7:45 p.m. |
Instructor:
Tatev Amiryan
Dr. Amiryan has received such awards as the 1st Prize at the UMKC Conservatory Chamber Music Composition Competition; Winner of the Metropolitan Chorale of Kansas City’s Composition Contest; Winner of the Abundant Silence Composition Competition; Winner of the International Alliance for Women in Music Call for Scores; Winner of the Crossing Borders Music Call for Scores; Winner of the RMN Classical Call for Piano Works; Winner of the Juventas New Music Ensemble Call for Scores; and the 2nd Prize at New Ariel Recordings Fifth Piano Composition Competition. She has been commissioned by acclaimed organizations and performers: North German Radio NDR, Portland Youth Philharmonic, New Ariel Recordings, Access Contemporary Music ACM, Abundant Silence Music Publisher, and Lilith Ensemble. Her music has been broadcasted by many TV and Radio stations in Armenia and in the United States, including the Armenian Public TV H1, American Public Media, Iheart, WCNY and KPTZ radio stations’ classical music programs.
Dr. Amiryan has performed extensively throughout the United States, United Kingdom and Eastern Europe, at prestigious venues and institutions such as: Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, Preston Bradley Hall at Chicago Cultural Center, San Jose State University, Santa Clara University, Southern Connecticut State University, Rotwitt Theater at Rosemont College, UMKC Conservatory of Music, Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford, CT, Aram Khachaturian House-museum in Yerevan, Armenia, and Royal College of Music in London, UK. In 2022 she had her Carnegie Hall debut as a composer and pianist, presenting her original piano compositions and works for soprano and piano.
Dr. Amiryan has presented lectures and lecture-recitals at a number of international conferences and festivals including: Women in the Arts International Conference at University of Missouri-St. Louis; Women Composers Festival of Hartford at Hartt School of Music in Connecticut; London International Piano Symposium at Royal College of Music; the 12th Annual Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities in Honolulu, Hawaii; USF New Music International Festival at the University of South Florida; the 3rd Hildegard Festival of Women in The Arts at California State University, Stanislaus; and the IAWM International Alliance for Women in Music Conference at the Oregon State University in Corvallis. She has also presented guest lectures and lecture-recitals at Florida State University in Tallahassee, the University of Connecticut, UConn, and at Southern Connecticut State University as an artist in residence.
Aside from her active professional career as a composer and pianist, Dr. Amiryan has been engaged in music education for over fifteen years. She has taught at a number of higher institutions including: San Jose State University, University of Silicon Valley, University of Missouri, SAE Institute San Jose, and UMKC Community Music and Dance Academy.
Dr. Amiryan holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in both composition and musicology with a minor in piano performance from Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan, Armenia and a DMA Doctor of Musical Arts degree in composition from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance. She is a member of the Union of Composers of the Republic of Armenia, IAWM International Alliance for Women in Music, ASCAP American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, and MTAC Music Teachers Association of California.
To learn more about Tatev Amiryan, visit her website at: https://www.tatevamiryan.com.
