AP Music Theory 2017 2018 Syllabus Instructor: Patrick McCarty Hour: 7 Location: Band Room - 605 Contact: pmmccarty@olatheschools.org 913-780-7034 Course Overview AP Music Theory is a rigorous course designed to develop musical skills and understanding for those who are considering a music career as well as those who desire it for enrichment. At the conclusion of this course you will be prepared to take the AP Music Theory Exam and to take a college or university theory placement examination. Course Goal: The goal of music theory is to develop your ability to recognize, understand, and describe the basic elements and structures of musical compositions. You will primarily study techniques used in the music of the Common Practice period (1600 1750), although music of other stylistic periods will also be studied. To reach this goal, each class will focus on activities related to performing (singing and playing), composing, improvising, listening to, and analyzing music. Course Objectives: 1. Identify and notate pitch in four clefs: treble, bass, alto, and tenor 2. Notate, hear, and identify rhythmic patterns in simple, compound, and asymmetrical meter 3. Notate, hear, and identify the chromatic, major, and three forms of minor scales, as well as modes, whole-tone, pentatonic, and blues scales. 4. Name and recognize scale degree terms 5. Notate and identify all major and minor key signatures 6. Notate, hear, and identify all major, minor, diminished, and augmented intervals inclusive of an octave 7. Transpose a melodic line to or from concert pitch for any common band or orchestral instrument 8. Define and identify common tempo and expression markings 9. Detect pitch and rhythm errors in written music from given aural excerpts 10. Notate, hear, and identify triads and seventh chords 11. Analyze a four-part chorale style piece using Roman and Arabic numerals to represent chords and their inversions 12. Notate, hear, and identify authentic, plagal, half, Phrygian half, and deceptive cadences in major and minor keys 13. Notate a four-part chorale style piece using common practice principles of voice leading 14. Notate, hear, and identify the following non-harmonic tones: passing tone (accented and unaccented), neighboring tone, anticipation, suspension, retardation, appoggiatura, escape tone, changing tone (cambiata), pedal tone 15. Realize a figured bass according to the rules of eighteenth-century chorale style, major or minor key, using any or all of the following devices: diatonic triads, seventh chords, inversions, non-harmonic tones, and secondary-dominant and dominant seventh chords 16. Notate a melody from dictation, 4 to 8 bars, in a major key, mostly diatonic pitches, simple or compound time, three to four repetitions 17. Notate melody from dictation, 4 to 8 bars, in a minor key, chromatic alteration from harmonic/melodic scales, simple or compound time, three to four repetitions 18. Sight-sing a melody, 4 to 8 bars long, major or minor key, duple or triple meter, simple or compound time, using solfege, numbers, or any comfortable vocal syllable(s) 19. Notate and analyze simple 2-bar counterpoint in sixteenth- and/or eighteenth-century styles 20. Notate the soprano and bass pitches and the Roman and Arabic numeral analysis of a harmonic dictation, eighteenthcentury chorale style, seventh chords, secondary dominants, 4 to 8 bars in length, major or minor key, three to four repetitions 21. Harmonize a 4- to 12-bar melody by writing a bass line, chords and/or chord symbols, given specific directions about key, mode, phrasing, rhythmic and harmonic language 22. Compose a melody or expand a motive with or without text, 4 to 8 bars long, given specific directions about key, mode, phrasing, rhythm, and harmonic language. 23. Identify aurally and/or visually the following: modulation, transposition, melodic and harmonic rhythm, sequence, imitation, ostinato, augmentation, diminution, inversion, retrograde, and fragmentation 24. Recognize standard musical algorithms, i.e., standard melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic idioms that occur in music 25. Evaluate musical compositions and performances in terms of structural elements and historical characteristics.
Course Expectations: Be on time and prepared for each class with all necessary supplies and assignments Actively participate in all class activities, and ask questions and seek assistance with unfamiliar concepts Treat your surroundings and fellow classmates with care and respect Maintain a notebook with notes, assignments, handouts, and other materials used in this course. Texts and Supplemental Materials: Benward, Bruce and Marilyn Saker. Music in Theory and Practice, Vol. 7. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2003. Ottman, Robert W. and Frank D. Mainous. Rudiments of Music, 2 nd Ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1987. Spencer, Peter. The Practice of Harmony, 5 th Ed. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2004. www.musictheory.net and various handouts Additional readings and supplemental materials from a variety of sources will be used as necessary to help students master the content and skills presented in this course. Course Materials: 3-Ring Binder Pencils (work in pen will not be accepted in this class) Highlighter or Marker for marking text Music Manuscript Paper (will be provided) Access to a computer with an internet connection at home is desirable but not required Grading Policy: This course will utilize a mastery based grading system. Rather than earning points for completing various assignments and tests, students will be assessed on their mastery of skills and concepts related to the course. Assessments may take various forms: musical compositions, traditional written tests, timed tests, performances, and presentations. Mastery scores are based upon a rubric for each learning objective covered. Scores are based on the following scale: Score 4: Student demonstrates advanced mastery of the learning objective. Score 3: Student demonstrates mastery of the learning objective. Score 2: Student demonstrates a basic understanding of the learning objective. Score 1: Student demonstrates a developing understanding of the learning objective. Score 0: Student demonstrates no understanding of the learning objective. Score NA: No assessment of this learning objective has occurred. A score of.5 between each score level may be recorded when students demonstrate proficiency at the current level plus mastery of some components of the next level. At the conclusion of each grading period, the current mastery grades earned for each objective will be averaged and converted into a letter grade for reporting on grade cards and transcripts. Grades are cumulative through each semester. Please note that students may choose to be reassessed on any learning objective to show improvements in their understanding of the learning objective during the semester. Letter grades will be awarded based on the following averages: 3.5 4.0 = A 2.5 3.4 = B 1.5 2.4 = C 0.6 1.4 = D 0.0 0.5 = F Once an objective has been assessed, a score will be entered in the grade book, regardless of whether the student has completed that assessment yet or not. Again, students can ask to be re-assessed on any objective once they feel they have made sufficient progress to improve their score.
Homework / Absences / Late Work: Homework and other activities will be assigned to help students practice the various skills and concepts covered in class. Homework will be reviewed in class and feedback will be given to students, however, homework completion will not impact a student s grade. A temptation of students will be to skip over these assignments. The level of skill and experience that students must demonstrate on assessments to earn a mastery score cannot be developed without sufficient practice on the homework assignments. Students who are absent must check with the teacher to obtain any missing notes, handouts, or assignments when they return to class. Assessments will be made up if necessary at a mutually agreed upon time. Students who do not complete homework as assigned may continue to work on those assignments, however they may not receive the full benefit of in class discussions or review. Students who do not complete homework may be unprepared for upcoming assessments. Assessments: These are the graded activities that by which students will demonstrate mastery of the learning objectives. These may include written or aural exams, performance exams, compositions, timed tests, and other formats as appropriate. For many of the early learning objectives, speed and accuracy are important factors in the assessment. Students must build a strong foundation of the early course material in order to succeed in mastering the later objectives. Assessments will usually occur at the end of the unit of instruction, however, students may ask to be assessed sooner if they feel they are ready. Enrichment: For students who attain mastery of certain objectives at a faster pace, there will be opportunities to explore additional music related topics. Other Pertinent Information: w Certain class activities, such as sight-singing and keyboard playing, may be unfamiliar or uncomfortable at first to students. It is important to put forth good effort with activities as repeated experience will allow students to gain strength and confidence in these new skills. Regular practice with unfamiliar activities at home will greatly increase student skills. Students may ask for supplemental practice materials or assignments that can be completed at home.
Course Planner Semester 1 The outline below is intended as a basic outline of the course. Depending on mastery of concepts, topics may be covered more or less quickly than indicated. Semester 1/First 9 Weeks: Week Unit(s) 1 Overview of Course; Pre-Test Assessment 2 Fundamentals of Music: Elements of Music; Pitch - (Benward Intro., App. D, Spencer Ch. 1, Ottman Ch. 2) Aural Skills: Pitch Matching; Discerning stepwise relationships 3 & 4 Fundamentals of Music: Rhythm and Meter - (Benward Chapter 1, Spencer Ch. 6, Ottman Ch. 3, 5, 7, 9, 11) Aural Skills: Reading Rhythms; Rhythmic Dictation (Ottman Chapters 1, 4.1, and 4.4) 5 & 6 Fundamentals of Music: Scales and Keys (Benward Chapter 2, Spencer Ch. 2, Ottman Ch. 10, 15) Aural Skills: Singing and Identifying Scales (Supplemental) 7 & 8 Fundamentals of Music: Intervals (Benward Chapter 3, Spencer Ch.4, Ottman, Ch. 17, 18) Aural Skills: Singing and Notating Intervals (Supplemental) 9 Wrap-up and review of material; special topics Semester 1/Second 9 Weeks: 10 & 11 Musical Structures: Melody (Benward Chapter 6) Melodic Composition Exercises Aural Skills: Melodic Sight-Singing and Dictation (Ottman Ch. 2) 12 & 13 Musical Structures: Triads and Seventh Chords - (Benward Ch. 4, Spencer Ch. 5, Ottman Ch. 19) Aural Skills: Melodic Sight-Singing and Dictation (Ottman Ch. 2) 14 & 15 Harmonic Functions: Tonal Relationships (Benward Ch. 4 and Appendix A, Ottman Ch. 19) Aural Skills: Triad Identification (Supplemental) 16 Harmonic Functions: Figured Bass (Benward Ch. 4 and Appendix C) Aural Skills: Triad Identification (Supplemental) 17 & 18 Harmonic Functions: Cadences and Intro to Part Writing (Benward Ch. 5 and Ottman Ch. 7, 8) Aural Skills: Melodic Sight-Singing and Dictation (Ottman Ch. 4 and 5) 19 Wrap-up and review of material; special topics Throughout the course students will also participate in exercises related to keyboard (piano) playing; sight-singing; melodic dictation; and harmonic dictation. The sequence and pace of these activities will depend on the level of student proficiency and will be adjusted according to each student s needs throughout the course.
Course Planner Semester 2 A revised, detailed syllabus for second semester will be distributed in January. Changes may be made depending on the quickness with which topics were mastered the previous semester. Semester 2/First 9 Weeks: Week Topic 1 Semester 1 Review and Practice Aural Skills: Scales / Intervals / Rhythms 2 Musical Structures: Melody (Benward Chapter 6) Musical Analysis: Form and Texture - (Benward Chapter 7) Aural Skills: Review of Sight-Singing and Rhythmic Dictation 3 & 4 Harmonic Functions: Figured Bass (Benward Ch. 4 and Appendix C) Harmonic Construction: Voice Leading in Two Voices (Species 1 Counterpoint) (Benward Chapter 8) Aural Skills: Melodic Sight-Singing / Interval ID and Rhythmic Dictation 4 & 5 Harmonic Construction: Voice Leading in Four Voices Triads and Inversions - (Spencer Ch. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11) Aural Skills: Melodic Sight-Singing and Dictation 6 & 7 Harmonic Construction: Harmonization of Melodies (Spencer Ch. 12) Aural Skills: Melodic Sight-Singing and Dictation 8 & 9 Harmonic Construction: Nonchord Tones - (Spencer Ch. 13, 14) Composition Project #1 - Chorale Aural Skills: Melodic Sight-Singing and Dictation 10 Wrap-up and review of material; Special topics Semester 2/Second 9 Weeks: 11 & 12 Harmonic Construction: Harmonization of Melodies II / Piano Writing - (Spencer Ch. 16, 17) Aural Skills: Dictation of Bass and Soprano Lines 13 Advanced Harmonic Concepts: Secondary Dominants - (Spencer Ch. 18, 19) 14 Advanced Harmonic Concepts: Modulation (Spencer Ch. 21, 24, 25) 15 Musical Analysis: Form and Texture - (Benward Chapter 7) 16 Musical Analysis: Binary and Ternary Forms - (Benward Chapter 16 and 17) 17 AP Exam Review and Preparation; Special Topics 18 Review and Final Exam AP Exam Monday, May 14 at 8:00 AM 19 Wrap-up and final review of material; Final presentation of projects and Final Assessments
Throughout the course students will also participate in exercises related to keyboard (piano) playing; sight-singing; melodic dictation; and harmonic dictation. The sequence and pace of these activities will depend on the level of student proficiency and will be adjusted according to each student s needs throughout the course.