MUS2640 – Sensing Sound and Music

Course content

You will be introduced to fundamental principles of acoustics, psychoacoustics, and perception. This includes knowledge about how sound is produced in instruments, reflected in space, and perceived by humans. This is the foundation for how we experience pitch, timbre, harmony, and rhythm in music. You will also learn about computer-based representations of sound and music, and get an overview of digital audio, sound synthesis and analysis. The course provides theoretical knowledge and practical skills for further studies of music psychology and technology.

Learning outcome

Having completed the course, you will:

• be familiar with principles of how musical sound is produced and perceived
• understand relationships between sound-theoretical and music-theoretical concepts
• be able to process, synthesize, and analyze sound

Admission to the course

Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.

If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.

Teaching

• 8 double hour lectures
• 4 triple hour seminars/workshops

Obligatory activities:

• Attendance in 5 out of 8 lectures
• Attendance in 2 out of 3 seminars/workshops
• 3 qualification assessments

Information about the assignments and the deadlines will be given during the teaching and in Canvas. You have to hand in the assignments within the deadlines, and you are responsible for familiarising yourself with the requirements for the compulsory activities.

The compulsory activity is only valid within the current semester. All compulsory activities must be approved in order for you to sit the exam. You are responsible for keeping track of any absences, and for checking that you have everything approved.

This is how you apply for a valid absence from compulsory activity/compulsory attendance.

Examination

• 4-hour school exam

You have to fulfill the requirements of the compulsory activities to sit the exam.

Language of examination

You may write your examination paper in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English.

Grading scale

Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.

More about examinations at UiO

• Use of sources and citations
• Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
• Withdrawal from an exam
• Illness at exams / postponed exams
• Explanation of grades and appeals
• Resitting an exam
• Cheating/attempted cheating

You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.