this article offers a detailed methodology to combat such results, which manifests at its core as a set of graduated, restrictive guidelines for both students and teachers. the rules are cast in negative valence—e.g., “endeavor to not do this or that”— to counter the outcomes that result from classes being afforded too many freedoms in technique too early in their development. such unrestricted analyses—which highlight phenomenally-dubious shapes, over- or under-analyze long stretches of music, and inconsistently relate ideas to each other—often fail to communicate a clear view of pieces. the utility of the method is supported by critiques of fabricated student analysis and teacher assignments centering on pieces by fanny hensel, wolfgang amadeus mozart, and edvard grieg.

this article joins a developing tradition of seeking to develop ways and means to make this skill more manageable, palatable, and effective for both students and teachers. i first present a detailed literature review discussing methods and projects used by music theory instructors; these approaches feature a variety of learning outcomes, and projects range from “simple” content summary to analytical papers to metacognitive writing and other applications. these projects vary greatly in size and scope, presenting a wealth of ideas for implementation and providing feedback to students. i then present the design and implementation of two writing assignments i have used in my own classrooms: a series of small-scale analytical papers and a series of weekly journal entries which cover both content/fact-based approaches and reflective writing.

the dictation answer key is available by contacting the journal at jmtp@lipscomb.edu

this lesson is appropriate for undergraduate or high school theory students, or for anyone desiring a review of modes. during the lesson an acknowledgement of the system of assigning modes to specific white-key groups on the piano may be made (dorian as d to d, lydian as f to f, and mixolydian as g to g), but the lesson focuses more on the altered pitches compared to the nearest major or minor scale, so students will be able to identify modes on any tonic/key center. this lesson was originally delivered via zoom, and a copy of the slideshow used is included.