Musical Analysis
MIT OpenCourseWare offers this introduction to the analysis of tonal music, building on techniques from the prior 21M.301-21M.302 sequence. Students examine rhythm and form, harmony, melodic line, and motivic relationships at both local and large-scale levels of musical structure. Coursework centers on three written papers totaling twenty pages, including one revised paper, plus a required oral presentation. Materials are drawn from MIT's Music and Theater Arts curriculum and include course readings and assignment guidelines as published on OCW. The course assumes prior grounding in tonal harmony and is aimed at students who already have some analytical vocabulary, rather than absolute beginners. As with other MIT OCW offerings, all course materials are free to access, with no certificate offered.