Japan 高校（専門学科）1〜3年 Music (specialist)
Chapters: 8
1. Music Theory
Music theory and musical forms · Harmony · Counterpoint
- Music Theory Basics: The Language of Music – Music theory explains how music is built. Pitch is how high or low a note is; the seven note names repeat every octave, where the frequency doubles. Rhythm is how sounds are placed in time over a steady beat, counted in note values and grouped into bars by a time signature. Scales follow step patterns (major: T T S T T T S), and chords stack notes such as the 1st, 3rd and 5th. Dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture and form complete the elements of music.
- Harmony: How Notes Sound Together – Melody is notes one after another. Harmony is notes sounding together. The basic chord is a triad: a root, a third and a fifth, stacked by skipping one letter (C–E–G). A major triad has gaps of 4 then 3 semitones (bright); a minor triad has 3 then 4 (darker). In a key, each chord has a job: I is home (tonic), IV moves away (subdominant), V pulls back home (dominant). A chord progression is a chain of chords. A cadence is a musical full stop: perfect (V–I), plagal (IV–I), imperfect (ends on V) and interrupted (V–vi). To harmonise a tune, pick chords that contain its main notes and move voices by small steps. Counterpoint is two or more independent tunes at once; a canon is one tune that chases itself. Harmony grew from modes, through major/minor functional harmony, to richer chromatic and jazz chords.
2. Music History
History of Japanese music · History of Western and world music
- Music History: From Chant to Pop – Music is older than writing. Every culture grew its own music, often passed on by ear, like Indian raga, African drumming and gamelan. In the Western tradition the main eras are Medieval (chant, about 500–1400), Renaissance (polyphony, 1400–1600), Baroque (1600–1750), Classical (1750–1820), Romantic (1820–1910) and the 20th century to today (jazz, recording, film, pop, electronic). Each era changed the texture (how many lines sound together), the size of the group and music's place in society.
3. Performance Studies
Interpretation and performance based on period and regional styles · Interpretation and performance based on composers' styles · Interpretation and performance based on voice and instrument features · Diversity of musical interpretation
- Musical Interpretation – Interpretation is how a performer turns written notes into expressive music. The main tools are dynamics (loud and soft), tempo and rubato (speed and its flexible stretching), articulation (legato, staccato, accents), phrasing (shaping notes like sentences) and tone colour. A good interpretation respects the style and history of the piece, and the performer can justify each choice. Transposition and improvisation are practical skills that let a musician adapt a piece and create in the moment.
4. Solfège
Sight-singing · Sight-reading · Ear training (dictation)
- Aural Skills: Ear Training and Sight-Singing – Aural skills are listening skills for music. Ear training teaches you to hear and name pitch, intervals, rhythms and chords. Sight-singing is singing a written tune at first sight using solfa (do re mi or Sa Re Ga). Dictation is the reverse: you hear music and write it down. Both get better with short, daily practice.
5. Vocal Music
Solo singing · Ensembles of various forms
- Singing Technique: Posture, Breathing, Voice and Choir – Good singing rests on five things: a tall, relaxed posture; low, steady breathing with the diaphragm; vocal folds that vibrate freely; clear vowels and consonants; and careful listening so you sing in tune. Faster vibration of the vocal folds gives a higher pitch, and each voice type (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) has its own comfortable range. In a choir the parts sing different notes that fit together in harmony, following the conductor's gestures. Warm up before singing, drink water and never shout or strain.
- Ensembles of Various Forms – An ensemble is a group of people making music together. It can be one voice (solo), two (duet), three (trio), four (quartet), a choir of singers, or a band or orchestra of instruments. Each part has a job: melody, harmony, bass or rhythm. A good ensemble listens, blends and keeps a shared beat.
6. Instrumental Music
Solo on keyboard instruments · Solo on string instruments · Solo on wind instruments · Solo on percussion instruments · Solo on Japanese instruments · Ensembles of various forms
- Solo on Keyboard Instruments – A keyboard solo means playing alone on piano, organ, harpsichord or electronic keyboard. Good playing needs a calm posture, a rounded hand, numbered fingers (1 thumb to 5 little finger), a controlled touch that sets loudness, careful pedalling and smooth scales where the thumb passes under.
- Solo on String Instruments – A string instrument makes sound when a stretched string shakes. A shorter, tighter or thinner string gives a higher pitch. The left hand picks the note by shortening the string; the right hand (bow or fingers) decides loudness and style. Halving the length gives the note one octave higher.
- Solo on Wind Instruments – A wind instrument makes sound when the air inside a tube vibrates. The player blows to start the vibration. Opening finger holes (or using valves and slides) shortens the vibrating air column and raises the pitch. Breath push sets loudness, and the tongue starts and separates notes.
- Solo on Percussion Instruments – A percussion solo is a piece played by one player on drums, tuned bars (xylophone, marimba), cymbals or a mix. The soloist controls four things: which instrument, where to strike, how hard to strike, and which rhythm pattern to play. Tuned percussion gives clear notes; untuned percussion gives rhythm and colour. A good solo has a plan: a theme, repeats, variations, a build-up and a clear ending. Steady beat, clean strokes and careful practice make a solo sound confident.
- Ensembles of Various Forms – An ensemble is a group of people making music together. It can be one voice (solo), two (duet), three (trio), four (quartet), a choir of singers, or a band or orchestra of instruments. Each part has a job: melody, harmony, bass or rhythm. A good ensemble listens, blends and keeps a shared beat.
7. Composition
Works in various forms
- Musical Form: How a Piece of Music Is Planned – Form is the plan of a piece of music. Music is built from phrases (musical sentences) that end with cadences. Letters name the parts: same letter = same music. Binary is AB, ternary is ABA, rondo is ABACA, theme and variations is A A1 A2 A3. Sonata form has exposition, development and recapitulation. Songs use strophic, through-composed and verse-chorus forms. Dances and vocal genres each have their own typical forms.
8. Appreciation Studies
Research on works and composers · Research on regional and cultural background · Music and media · Music criticism
- Music History: From Chant to Pop – Music is older than writing. Every culture grew its own music, often passed on by ear, like Indian raga, African drumming and gamelan. In the Western tradition the main eras are Medieval (chant, about 500–1400), Renaissance (polyphony, 1400–1600), Baroque (1600–1750), Classical (1750–1820), Romantic (1820–1910) and the 20th century to today (jazz, recording, film, pop, electronic). Each era changed the texture (how many lines sound together), the size of the group and music's place in society.
- Music Appreciation: How to Listen and Understand Music – Music appreciation means listening with attention, noticing what is happening in the music, and being able to talk about it. Every piece is built from a few elements: pitch and melody, rhythm and tempo, dynamics (loud and soft), timbre (tone colour), texture (how many layers) and form (the plan of the piece). Knowing these words helps you compare music from any culture, from a symphony to a raga to a film song, and explain why you like it.
- Music Technology: from Sound to Digital Music – Music technology turns sound into signals and numbers we can record, edit and share. A microphone changes air vibrations into a voltage; an audio interface samples it many thousands of times a second (sample rate) and stores each sample as a number (bit depth). A DAW arranges audio and MIDI tracks, and mixing sets each track's level, pan and effects before the music reaches speakers, films, games or streaming.
- Music Criticism – Music criticism is giving a reasoned judgement about a piece or performance, backed by evidence from the music. A good critic follows five stages: listen closely, describe what is heard with music words, analyse how the parts create effects, interpret meaning using context (who, when, where, why), and evaluate with clear criteria. Personal taste is allowed, but it must be explained, fair, and kept separate from facts.