Introduction to Musicology
Code: 100660 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Musicology | FB | 1 |
Contact
- Name:
- Diego Alonso Tomás
- Email:
- diego.alonso@uab.cat
Teaching groups languages
You can view this information at the end of this document.
Prerequisites
There are no specific prerequisites, although having a high level of musical theory is recommended.
Objectives and Contextualisation
- To be aware of the objectives and methodology of the main branches and subdisciplines of musicology, both in the present and throughout history.
- To know and apply the main techniques and methods of musicological research.
- To understand the historical changes in the interests and methodologies linked to musicology.
- To appreciate the latest methodological trends within the field of musicology, from the 1980s to the present.
- To improve oral and written expression in relation to the field of musicology.
Competences
- Make changes to methods and processes in the area of knowledge in order to provide innovative responses to society's needs and demands.
- Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
- Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
- Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
- Take sex- or gender-based inequalities into consideration when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
Learning Outcomes
- Analyse a situation and identify points for improvement.
- Analysing the recipients of an artistic phenomenon in a specific cultural context.
- Apply knowledge acqured in emerging areas of musicology, both in the field of historical musicology and in that of urban , popular tradition and non-western music.
- Communicate using language that is not sexist or discriminatory.
- Conceptually analysing a work of the subject matter.
- Drawing up an academic text using the discipline's specific vocabulary.
- Identify situations in which a change or improvement is needed.
- Identify the main trends in current musical research.
- Link periods of the history of music with periods of the history of art
- Put into practice the methodological knowledge acquired in the first phase of bibliographical and documentary research.
- Recognise in musical praxis element of different cultures and different historical periods.
- Recognise the main models and their application in musical works.
- Relate concepts and information from different humanistic, scientific and social disciplines, especially the interactions established between music and philosophy, history, art, literature and anthropology
- Relate musical creations with their different contexts, discriminating between the different social funtions of the music, its role and that of the musician in society and in relation to other artistic manifestations.
- Summarising acquired knowledge about the origin and transformations experienced in its several fields of study.
Content
1. What is musicology? Definitions, fields and sub-disciplines
2. Techniques and methods of musicological research
3. History of the discipline
4. The "new" musicology
5. (Ethno)musicology in the 21st century
Activities and Methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Seminars on specific aspects of musicological research | 3 | 0.12 | 3, 8, 10 |
| Theoretical-practical sessions | 44 | 1.76 | 5, 2, 3, 8, 12, 11, 13, 14, 9 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Individual and/or group tutorials | 4 | 0.16 | 15 |
| Mandatory readings | 28.5 | 1.14 | 6, 10, 13, 14, 15, 9 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Organization of notes and class material | 20 | 0.8 | 13, 15 |
| Search of bibliographic information | 21 | 0.84 | 10, 15 |
| Study of the subject of the course | 25 | 1 | 5, 2, 3, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 9 |
The main part of the course will consist of face-to-face theory sessions in the format of lectures by the lecturer, oral presentations by the students, as well as sessions combining theory and practice.
Use of AI permitted: In this course, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is allowed as an integral part of the development of the work, provided that the final result reflects a significant contribution from the student in analysis and personal reflection. The student must clearly identify which parts have been generated using this technology, specify the tools employed, and include a critical reflection on how these have influenced the process and the final outcome of the activity. Lack of transparency in the use of AI will be considered an act of academic dishonesty and may result in a penalty on the activity grade, or more severe sanctions in serious cases.
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Assessment
Continous Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assigment | 30% | 1.5 | 0.06 | 5, 2, 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 7, 10, 12, 11, 13, 14, 15, 9 |
| theory test | 35% | 1.5 | 0.06 | 5, 2, 3, 6, 8, 10, 12, 11, 13, 14, 15, 9 |
| Written Test (readings) | 35% | 1.5 | 0.06 | 5, 2, 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 7, 10, 12, 11, 13, 14, 15, 9 |
In order to pass the course, a total average of 5/10 must be obtained.
The following evaluable activities will be carried out:
- Written test (readings).
- Theory test on the theoretical contents worked in class and compulsory readings.
- Exposition of a research work on the theoretical contents worked in class.
The results of the assessable tests will be delivered through the UAB Virtual Campus service. Any revision will be done during the timetable established for this purpose (always by appointment).
Requirements to be able to take the course re-evaluation on the date set by the Faculty:
- To have presented the work in accordance with the guidelines set by the teacher and on the dates stipulated for this purpose.
- To have obtained a minimum average of 4/10 in the total of the evaluation elements.
The maximum mark to be awarded for the recovery activities is 5/10.
The fact that the student hands in one of the assignments, or takes one of the written tests, will be considered as a 'presential' act in the course. Therefore, only those students who have not taken any assessment test during the course can be considered as "non-assessable".
In the event of any type of irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade of a given assessment test, this will be graded with a 0, regardless of the disciplinary process that may result from this. In the event that several irregularities are verified in the assessment acts of the same subject, the final grade for this subject will be 0.
Use of AI permitted: In this course, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is allowed as an integral part of the development of the work, provided that the final result reflects a significant contribution from the student in analysis and personal reflection. The student must clearly identify which parts have been generated using this technology, specify the tools employed, and include a critical reflection on how these have influenced the process and the final outcome of the activity. Lack of transparency in the use of AI will be considered an act of academic dishonesty and may result in a penalty on the activity grade, or more severe sanctions in serious cases.
Bibliography
Beard, David and Gloag, Kenneth. Musicology: the Key Concepts (London/New York: Routledge, 2005.
Carreras, Juan José. “Hijos de Pedrell. La historiografía musical española y sus orígenes nacionalistas (1780-1980)”, Il Saggiatore musicale Vol. 8, No. 1, (2001), pp. 121-169
López Cano, Ruben. “Decolonizar el Canon en la Música Clásica 1, Sonus Litterarum 2 (noviembre 2021).
López Cano, Ruben. “Decolonizar el Canon en la Música Clásica 2, Sonus Litterarum 2 (enero 2022).
Chiantore, Luca; Domínguez, Aurea; Martínez, Silvia. Escribir sobre música. Barcelona: Musikeon, 2016.
Cook, Nicholas et al (eds.). The Cambridge companion to music in digital culture. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2019.
Cook. Nicholas. Music. A Very Short Introduction. 2nd edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2020.
Harper-Scott, J. P. E. and Samson, Jim. An Introduction to Music Studies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.
Mendívil, Julio. En contra de la música. Herramientas para pensar, comprender y vivir las músicas. Buenos Aires: Gourmet Musical 2016.
Ramos, Pilar. Feminismo y música: Introducción crítica. Madrid: Narcea, 2003.
Shuker, Roy. Popular Music. The Key concepts. 2nd edition. London and New York: Routledge, 2005.
Tagg, Philip. Music’s Meanings. A modern musicology for non-musos. MMMsp Publications, 2015.
Rice, Timothy. Ethnomusicology. A very short introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014.
Rodríguez Suso, Carmen. Prontuario de Musicología. Música, sonido y sociedad. Barcelona: Clivis, 2002.
Software
No necessary
Groups and Languages
Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.
| Name | Group | Language | Semester | Turn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (PAUL) Classroom practices | 1 | Spanish | second semester | morning-mixed |
| (TE) Theory | 1 | Spanish | second semester | morning-mixed |