All students enrolled in a university or conservatory music program are required to take ear-training courses. Ear-training courses are designed to help the student develop her ability to sight-sing music and aurally identify intervals, scales, chords and progressions. The final semester of theory usually requires students to dictate a four-part harmony. Students develop their ear through classes that meet several times per week. They sing melodies from the literature and tap rhythms that progressively become more complex.
Music theory is typically a two-year program that teaches students the elements of tonal harmony and then in the final segment teaches 20th-century music. Every musician is required to take theory, whether studying music history, performance, composition or education. Theory is the basis for understanding the structure behind musical systems. Students are required to identify the written component of the same elements learned in ear training -- intervals, scales, chords and progressions.
According to CraftOfMusic.com, the definition of counterpoint is "note against note." In counterpoint, students learn how to combine two-, three-, four- and five-part harmony in a way that creates multiple independent musical lines. By learning voice-leading principles, students learn to write melodies that are both balanced and adhere to standard chord progressions. This subject is usually reserved for advanced composers and musicians. Not all schools require music students to take counterpoint, but usually it is a recommended elective.
All students of music must take basic courses in Western art music. From Ancient Greece to modern times, students learn about the composers, musical works, techniques, styles and social significance of each time period. Students are usually required to identify by ear works from specific time periods including title, date of composition and composer. This information serves as a general overview of music so that students have a broad understanding of the music they will perform.