Making Sense of Music

Programme details

This course begins on the 17 Sep 2026, which is when course materials are made available to students. Students should study these materials in advance of the first live meeting, which will be held on 24 Sept 2026, from 15:30-16:30 (UK time).

1. What is music and why does it mean so much to us?
2. Identifying musical ideas and their development
3. Music as physical and emotional movement
4. Music as proportion and structure
5. Tempo, metre, rhythm and expression
6. Melody and language 
7. Harmony and musical expression.
8. Texture and the “surface” of the music
9. Instrumental colour
10. Music as a journey

Level and demands

This course is open to all, and no prior knowledge is required.

This course is offered at FHEQ level 4 (first year undergraduate level), and you will be expected to engage in independent study in preparation for your assignments. Our 10-week Short Online Courses come with an expected total commitment of 100 study hours.

English Language Requirements

We do not insist that applicants hold an English language certification, but we warn that they may be at a disadvantage if their language skills are not of a comparable level to those qualifications listed on our website. If you are confident in your proficiency, please feel free to enrol. For more information regarding English language requirements, please see here.

Course aims

This course aims to:

• Enable students to discern individual musical ideas within a piece of music.
• Enable students to identify and follow the development of musical ideas within a piece of music.
• Provide students with the knowledge and confidence to listen to unfamiliar music and evaluate it in terms of its composition

IT requirements

Any standard web browser can be used to access course materials on our virtual learning environment, but we recommend Google Chrome. We also recommend that students join the live webinars on Microsoft Teams using a laptop or desktop computer rather than a phone or tablet due to the limited functionality of the app on these devices.

Programme details

This course begins on the 17 Sep 2026, which is when course materials are made available to students. Students should study these materials in advance of the first live meeting, which will be held on 24 Sept 2026, from 15:30-16:30 (UK time).

1. What is music and why does it mean so much to us?
2. Identifying musical ideas and their development
3. Music as physical and emotional movement
4. Music as proportion and structure
5. Tempo, metre, rhythm and expression
6. Melody and language 
7. Harmony and musical expression.
8. Texture and the “surface” of the music
9. Instrumental colour
10. Music as a journey

Teaching methods

This course takes place over 10 weeks, with a weekly learning schedule and weekly live webinar held on Microsoft Teams. Shortly before a course commences, students are provided with access to an online virtual learning environment, which houses the course content, including video lectures, complemented by readings or other study materials. Any standard web browser can be used to access these materials, but we recommend Google Chrome. Working through these materials over the course of the week will prepare students for a weekly 1-hour live webinar you will share with your expert tutor and fellow students. All courses are structured to amount to 100 study hours, so that on average, you should set aside 10 hours a week for study. Although the course finishes after 10 weeks, all learning materials remain available to all students for 12 months after the course has finished.

All courses are led by an expert tutor. Tutors guide students through the course materials as part of the live interactions during the weekly webinars. Tutors will also provide individualised feedback on your assignments. All online courses are taught in small student cohorts so that you and your peers will form a mutually supportive and vibrant learning community for the duration of the course. You will learn from your fellow students as well as from your tutor, and they will learn from you.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course students will be expected to:

1. Possess the background knowledge and theory to discern individual musical ideas within a piece of music, and be able to follow their development through the composition
2. Be able to discern and follow the structure of a piece of music after listening to it several times
3. Be able to listen to music with a deeper sense of engagement and communicate aspects of its composition verbally and through writing

Assessment methods

You will be set a portfolio of up to five pieces of work to complete over the duration of the course, one or more of which might be submitted for the purposes of feedback only and will not count towards your final outcome. The other pieces will be submitted for formal assessment at the end of the course. The assessed work is marked pass or fail.

Mr Jonathan Darnborough

Jonathan Darnborough is Director of Studies in Music and Departmental Lecturer in Music at Oxford University Department for Continuing Education. He is a composer and pianist and has worked in continuing education throughout his career. He was a prize-winner in the 1992 Franco-Italian Piano Competition in Paris and he has performed throughout Britain, as well as in Europe, the USA and Indonesia.

Assessment methods

You will be set a portfolio of up to five pieces of work to complete over the duration of the course, one or more of which might be submitted for the purposes of feedback only and will not count towards your final outcome. The other pieces will be submitted for formal assessment at the end of the course. The assessed work is marked pass or fail.

Level and demands

This course is open to all, and no prior knowledge is required.

This course is offered at FHEQ level 4 (first year undergraduate level), and you will be expected to engage in independent study in preparation for your assignments. Our 10-week Short Online Courses come with an expected total commitment of 100 study hours.

English Language Requirements

We do not insist that applicants hold an English language certification, but we warn that they may be at a disadvantage if their language skills are not of a comparable level to those qualifications listed on our website. If you are confident in your proficiency, please feel free to enrol. For more information regarding English language requirements, please see here.

Fees

Module code: O26P733MSZ

Please use the ‘Book now’ button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an enrolment form.

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