Basic notation skills are required for musicians of multiple levels of expertise. For instance, even children who are beginning to learn how to read and play music should know how to draw notes and even the staff and clefs. For high school and college music programs, the level of notation will be more advanced. These students should learn how to notate rhythms up to 32nd notes; how notes are laid out on a piano; how to notate whole steps and half steps, sharps and flats and enharmonics; and understand key signatures and time signatures.
Rhythm and meter are two basic musical concepts that even young students should understand. Beginners should understand basic meters like 2/4, 3/4 and 4/4, and more advanced students can explore meters like 6/8, 5/8, 7/8, 12/8 and so forth. Many beginning students will understand the rhythms of quarter, half and whole notes, and advanced students should be able to understand and count more complex rhythmic patterns. Course objectives would include being able to correctly identify and notate rhythms and meters.
Much of a high school or collegiate course in music fundamentals will cover the functions of melody and harmony. Course objectives in this category include identifying intervals, key signatures, scales, chords and inversions, Roman numeral labeling of chord function and cadences. The ability to understand and identify these musical concepts will enable a student to recognize and appreciate these elements as they encounter them while studying on an instrument.
When a student can identify the elements of melody and harmony, he can begin to understand and analyze form and function in music. Beginning and intermediate students can spot simple structures like ABA form, and more advanced students can learn more specifics about such a form. A study of music history and style can be included in a music fundamentals course.
Many courses in music fundamentals also include aural skills, basic piano studies and simple composition. Sight reading and sight singing are two possible components of a course; two possible objectives could be that a student will be able to sight-sing a simple melody or sight-read a chord progression and melody on the piano. Compositional studies may also be included, and course objectives could consist of writing a melody and harmony and arranging it with proper voice leading. This creative process can help students understand the fundamentals they are learning in the course while also improving their musicianship.