LISTENING & PRACTICAL SKILLS - 2023/4
Module code: TON1030
Module Overview
This module is intended to develop your practical skills and both technical and musical listening skills. You will be given opportunities to reinforce some of the signal flow and microphone knowledge presented in other Tonmeister modules, and to encounter a wide range of recordings, repertoire and technical recording attributes.
Module provider
Music & Media
Module Leader
WARBURTON John (Music & Med)
Number of Credits: 15
ECTS Credits: 7.5
Framework: FHEQ Level 4
Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A
Overall student workload
Workshop Hours: 12
Independent Learning Hours: 80
Lecture Hours: 1
Seminar Hours: 30
Guided Learning: 25
Captured Content: 2
Module Availability
Year long
Prerequisites / Co-requisites
TON1028 Audio Engineering and Recording Techniques 1
Module content
Indicative content includes:
- Equalisation and frequency content
- Compression and limiting
- Reverb and mixing perspective
- Stereo imaging and spatial audio
- Noise, distortion and interference
- Orchestral recordings and repertoire
- Piano and chamber recordings and repertoire
- Singer and choral recordings and repertoire
- Musical theatre/big band and singer and repertoire
- Jazz/folk/world music recordings and repertoire
- Pop/rock recordings and repertoire 1960s to present
- Practical microphone rigging skills
- Practical signal paths in studios 1 and 2
- Practical basic stereo microphone techniques on piano
- Practical microphone placement for drums and voice/guitar duo
- Practical basic pop mixing
- Practical basic classical editing and production
Assessment pattern
| Assessment type | Unit of assessment | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Practical based assessment | Continuous assessment (musical aural training) | 35 |
| Practical based assessment | Continuous assessment (technical ear training) | 35 |
| Practical based assessment | Listening assessment | 30 |
Alternative Assessment
N/A
Assessment Strategy
The assessment strategy is designed to provide you with the opportunity to work at your own level and demonstrate improvement in both technical and musical listening skills (coursework items 1 and 2). It is also intended to ensure that you are able to identify a range of common audio faults and features in order to support your practical recording skills at levels HE5 and HE6 (examination).
Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:
- Coursework – two blocks of continuous assessment using aural training software (addressing learning outcome 8) and technical ear training software (addressing learning outcomes 1 to 7); and
- Listening assessment – aural and written assessment (addressing learning outcomes 9 and 10).
Formative assessment:
Formative feedback from a member of staff will be given during all practical studio sessions where students will have opportunities to practice rigging microphones and explore basic techniques (addresses learning outcomes 11 to 13).
Class tests during the module will be used to give formative feedback on the student's existing skills and progress. Formative feedback will be given on the student’s use of the aural and technical ear training software packages at the end of the first semester.
Module aims
- To develop your technical listening skills in order to support your practical recording work in HE5 Recording Techniques and HE6 Portfolio of Recordings
- To develop your awareness of microphone techniques and signal flow in order to support your practical recording work in HE5 Recording Techniques and HE6 Portfolio of Recordings
- To develop your awareness of recording styles and how they are used to enhance a wide variety musical repertoire in preparation for HE5 Recording Techniques and HE6 Portfolio of Recordings
- To develop your music aural skills in order to support your music production work in preparation for HE5 Recording Techniques, HE5 Production and Score Studies and HE6 Portfolio of Recordings
Learning outcomes
| Attributes Developed | ||
| 001 | Aurally identify analogue and digital distortion and its possible source | KCP |
| 002 | Aurally identify analogue and digital noise and interference and its possible source | KCP |
| 003 | Aurally identify problems in the frequency domain, the frequency range involved and the possible source(s) | KCP |
| 004 | Aurally identify compression flaws such as pumping and breathing and identify the probable cause | KCP |
| 005 | Aurally identify reverb characteristics such as pre-delay, prominent early reflections, reverb time, reverb tonal quality | KCP |
| 006 | Suggest suitable reverb choices in terms of characteristics and balance depending on musical genre | KC |
| 007 | Aurally identify problems and features of stereo and spatial imaging such as image width, stability, focus, panning, depth and perspective | KCP |
| 008 | Aurally identify musical features such as melodic and harmonic intervals, rhythmic values and chord progressions | KCP |
| 009 | Identify the common musical characteristics of a wide range of musical genres through classical western music, musical theatre, jazz, folk and pop | KCP |
| 010 | Identify the important elements of common recording styles that have evolved to enhance the musical impact of a wide range of musical genres | KCP |
| 011 | Correctly handle and rig microphones and cables so that they are safe | P |
| 012 | Correctly rig a pair microphones to produce a useful stereo signal | P |
| 013 | Correctly use an aux send and returns to make use of an external reverb unit | P |
Attributes Developed
C - Cognitive/analytical
K - Subject knowledge
T - Transferable skills
P - Professional/Practical skills
Methods of Teaching / Learning
The learning and teaching strategy is designed to develop practical listening skills, knowledge, and listening experience across a wide range of repertoire and recording styles.
The listening skills will be introduced in weekly listening sessions in a critical listening environment in groups of approximately 15 which will allow for plenty of discussion and interaction.
The development of musical aural skills and technical ear training will be supported by regular use of software packages outside the weekly sessions.
Guided listening playlists will be provided to support the development of wider listening experience and repertoire knowledge.
Practical studio skills will be explored over 6 sessions in groups of 7/8.
The learning and teaching methods include:
- Regular one hour listening sessions
- Regular monitored use of aural software and technical ear training software which forms part of the assessment
- Guided repertoire listening
- Monthly two hour practical studio sessions
Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.
Reading list
https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: TON1030
Other information
N/A
Programmes this module appears in
| Programme | Semester | Classification | Qualifying conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Music and Sound Recording (Tonmeister) BSc (Hons)(CORE) | Year-long | Core | Each unit of assessment must be passed at 40% to pass the module |
| Music and Sound Recording (Tonmeister) BMus (Hons)(CORE) | Year-long | Core | Each unit of assessment must be passed at 40% to pass the module |
Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2023/4 academic year.