AP Music Theory 2016-2017 Course Overview: The AP Music Theory course corresponds to two semesters of a typical introductory college music theory course that covers topics such as musicianship, theory, musical materials, and procedures. Musicianship skills including dictation and other listening skills, sight-singing, and keyboard harmony are considered an important part of the course. Through the course, students develop the ability to recognize, understand, and describe basic materials and processes of music that are heard or presented in a score. Development of aural skills is a primary objective. Performance is also part of the learning process. Students understand basic concepts and terminology by listening to and performing a wide variety of music. Notational skills, speed, and fluency with basic materials are emphasized. PREREQUISITE: There are no prerequisite courses for AP Music Theory. Students should be able to read and write musical notation, and it is strongly recommended that the student has acquired at least basic performance skills in voice or on an instrument. Resources Kostka, Stefan, and Dorothy Payne. Tonal Harmony with an Introduction to Twentieth- Century Music. 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008. (Textbook and Workbook) Clendinning, Jane P. and Marvin, Elizabeth W. The Musician s Guide to Theory and Analysis. 2 nd ed. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2011. (Textbook, Workbook, Aural Skills 1 & 2, and Anthology) Ottman, Robert. Music for Sight-Singing, 6 th Ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 2004 Scoggin, Nancy. Barron s: AP Music Theory, 2 nd ed. Joshua, Texas: Barron s, 2014. Websites www.teoria.com www.musictheory.net www.emusictheory.com www.good-ear.com Class Meeting Times 5 th Period Anchor Days (45 min.) and Red Days (105 min.) Student Evaluation Students will be graded on a points system. Points will be awarded for the following. Weekly Grade: 10% Assignments: 30% Ear Training: 20% Quizzes: 40%
Course Objectives: By the end of this course students should be able to: Fluently read and write pitches and rhythms of Western Tonal Music Read melodies in treble, bass and movable C clefs Understand and construct major, minor, chromatic, whole tone, and modal scales Identify, by ear and sight, and sing or play all intervals within an octave Sing simple diatonic melodies at sight which include secondary notes Write simple rhythmic, melodic and harmonic dictation Analyze harmonic structure of a composition letter name and Roman numeral Harmonize a melody with appropriate chords using good voice leading Compose a piece in four-part texture Identify basic musical forms: binary, rounded binary, ternary, etc. Course Planning: This schedule is approximate. The class may move faster or slower depending on student progress. Each week, students will practice progressively more difficult sight-singing, ear training, and composition both in and out of class. 1 st Quarter Aural Skills Interval Identification Triad and Seventh Chord Identification Scales and Mode Identification Meter Identification Rhythmic Patter Identification Melodic dictation based on primarily stepwise melodies in simple meter within the range of a fifth. Web-based assignments on www.musictheory.net; www.teoria.com; www.emusictheory.com Note: this is an ongoing practice assessment on scales, key signatures, intervals, triads, and seventh chords Practica Musica drills (Note: this is an ongoing practice assessment) Sight-Singing Sing simple/frequent scale patterns using solfege Sing all intervals Sing all triads and seventh chords in root position and in inversions Sing simple diatonic melodies in simple meter Perform simple-complex rhythmic patterns in both simple and compound meters Composition Compose simple rhythmic patterns for sight-reading practice in class Compose simple melodies in simple meter for sight-singing practice in class Unit #1
Weeks: 1-2 Topics: Pitch staff and clefs, notation, scale degree names Intervals Intervals and their inversion symbol Rhythm rhythm vocabulary and durational symbols Meter simple, compound, and asymmetric time signatures Readings: Theory and Analysis Chapters 1-4 & 6 Assignments: Theory and Analysis Workbook Chapters 1-4 & 6 Ear Training: 100 minutes of interval ear training Assessment: Quiz on Pitch, Rhythm, and Meter Unit #2 Weeks: 3-4 Topics: Triads and Seventh Chords in root position and all inversions Readings: Theory and Analysis Chapters 7 & 8 Assignments: Theory and Analysis Workbook Chapters 7 & 8 Ear Training: 150 minutes of interval ear training Assessment: Quiz on Triads, Seventh Chords, and all inversions Unit 3 Weeks: 5-6 Topics: Scales, Keys, and Modes Major scales and key signatures Minor scales and key signatures Whole Tone Scale Circle of Fifths Relative major and minor keys Pentatonic Scales Readings: Theory and Analysis Chapters 3 & 5 Assignments: Theory and Analysis Workbook Chapters 3 & 5 Ear Training: 100 minutes of scale ear training. Assessment: Quiz on scales Unit 4 Weeks: 7-9 Topics: Triads and 7 th Chords in Diatonic Context Figured Bass Roman numeral analysis and realization Harmonic Function Part-Writing Rules parallels, doubling rules, voice-leading, etc. Writing a Melody Readings: Tonal Harmony Chapters 4 & 5 Theory and Analysis Chapter 9 Assignments: Tonal Harmony Workbook Chapters 4 & 5 Theory and Analysis Workbook Chapter 9 Activities: Part-writing error detection, realizing simple root-position figured bass & roadmaps which include all doublings and voice leading Melodic Composition Ear Training: 150 minutes of single-line melodic dictation Assessment: Quiz #4
2 nd Quarter Aural Skills Interval, scale, triad, and seventh chord identification review Melodic dictation of four-bar phrases, expanded to eight-bar phrases Introduction to harmonic dictation beginning with isolated bass line dictation and progressing to 2-part dictation, and chord quality identification Harmonic dictation of diatonic root position chords progressions Rhythmic dictation of four-bar phrases, expanded to eight-bar phrases in simple and compound meters Melodic and rhythmic error detection Review contextual listening: identifying intervals, chord qualities, rhythmic figures, and meter through music literature. Non-chord tone identification Sight-singing Sing melodic cadences Sing more complicated and expanded melodic phrases using larger intervals Unit #5 Weeks: 1-2 Topics: Cadences PAC, IAC, Plagal, Phrygian, Half, Deceptive Harmonic Progression Tonic, Dominant, Tonic Readings: Theory and Analysis Chapters 12, 15; Tonal Harmony Chapter 10 Assignments: Theory and Analysis Workbook Chapters 12 & 15 Ear Training: 100 minutes of Cadences Assessment: Quiz #5 Unit #6 Weeks: 3-4 Topics: Instrument Families and their history, Instrument Transposition, Articulations Readings: Student Research Assignments: Group Projects on Instrument Families. Ear Training: 100 minutes of instruments or review Assessment: Project Unit #7 Weeks: 5-7 Ear Training: 250 minutes of single-line melodic dictation Topic A Winter Song Project Individually choose and analyze Winter Song for cadences, large form, small form, and basic harmonic analysis Student Research Topic B: Adding the Predominant Area to Harmonic Progression Week: 5 Reading: Theory and Analysis Chapter 13 Assignments: Theory and Analysis Workbook Chapter 13
Assessment: Quiz #6 Topic C: Expanding the Tonic and Dominant Areas Week: 6 Reading: Theory and Analysis Chapter 14 Assignments: Theory and Analysis Workbook Chapter 14 Assessment: Quiz #7 Topic D: Non-Harmonic Tones Week: 8 Reading: Theory and Analysis Chapter 16 Tonal Harmony Chapters 11 & 12 Assignments: Theory and Analysis Workbook Chapter 16 Assessment: Quiz #8 Students will create their own embellishments to a piece Unit #8 Weeks: 8-11 Topic A: Group Presentation on the Baroque Period Individually choose and analyze Baroque piece for cadences, phrase structure, form, motivic analysis, and basic harmonic analysis Individually present on composer of piece chosen Student Research Topic B: Forms. Binary and Ternary Forms, Inventions, Fugues, & Motivic Analysis Readings: Theory and Analysis Chapters 18, 23, 24; Tonal Harmony Chapter 10 Assignments: Theory and Analysis Workbook Chapters 18, 23 & 24 Ear Training: 250 minutes of melodic dictation Assessment: Quiz #9. Mid-Term. Review of all topics covered. 3 rd Quarter Aural Skills Melodic Dictation including Secondary Function Soprano and Bass Lines dictation Secondary Function in musical context Cadence identification in musical context Modulation identification in musical context Sight-singing Sing melodies with secondary function Continue singing melodies with more challenging rhythms, harmonies, and intervals Unit #9 Weeks: 1-2 Ear Training: 150 minutes of dictation Topic A: Classical Period Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven Activities: Student Research and Group Presentations Topic B: Analysis of a Variety of Repertoire Harmonic, Phrase, and Form Analysis o Visual Score analysis and Aural Analysis Review: Barron s Chapters 1-4 including Aural Unit 1
Music Fundamentals, Rhythm, Meter, Scales, Keys, Modes, Aural Skills based on a variety of repertoire Students will complete all activities Unit #10 Weeks: 3-4 Ear Training: 150 Minutes of Melodic and Harmonic Dictation Topic: Sonata Form Introduction; Exposition: 1 st Theme, Transition, 2 nd Theme, Closing Material; Development Section; Recapitulation. Readings: Theory and Analysis Chapter 32 Activities: Individual student presentations of symphonies or piano sonatas of their classical composer. Presentation includes harmonic analysis, sonata form Homework: Theory and Analysis Chapter 32 Review: Barron s Chapters 5-7 and Aural Unit 2 Harmonic Organization I: Intervals, Triads, and 7 th Chords Harmonic Organization II: Chords in Diatonic Context including Inversion symbols and figured bass Harmonic Organization III: Function and Cadences Students will complete all activities Unit #11 Weeks: 5 Ear Training: 75 minutes of Melodic and Harmonic Dictation Topic: Rondo Form and Theme and Variations Readings: Theory and Analysis Chapter 31 Homework: Theory and Analysis Workbook Chapter 31 Review: Barron s Chapter 9 & 21 Harmonic Progression and Harmonizing a melody Students will complete all activities Unit #12 Weeks 6-7 Ear Training: 150 Minutes of Melodic and Harmonic Dictation Topic: Vocal Forms Song Form Strophic, Through-composed, 3-part Operatic Numbers, Through-composed, Recitative, Singspiel Readings: Theory and Analysis Chapter 27 Activities: Individual Student Presentations of form and harmonic analysis of a song. Homework: Theory and Analysis Workbook Chapter 27 Review: Barron s Chapters 10-11 & 19 Melodic Composition Building blocks of melodic form, melodic structure, non-chord tones Melodic Dictation Understand the Melody and Rhythm Strategies for Melodic Dictation Unit #13 Weeks 8-9 Ear Training: 150 minutes of Ear Training Topic: Modulation
Activities: Students individually and as a class present Harmonic, Phrase, and Form Analysis of a variety of repertoire. Especially focusing on modulations and Secondary Dominants Review: Barron s Chapters 12-13 and Aural Unit 3 Unit #14 Weeks 10-11 Ear Training: 150 Minutes of Harmonic Dictation Topic: Harmonic Composition and Dictation; Activity: Review for AP Test Review: Barron s Chapters 14-15 & 20 4th Quarter Unit #15 Week 1-2 Topic: Review for AP Test Reading: Barron s Chapters 16-18 & 22 Activity: Take Two Practice AP Exams Take the AP Music Theory Exam Monday, May 8 th at 8:00am Unit #16 Weeks: 3-4 Topic: Arranging Students will arrange an instrumental piece of their choice for a different instrumentation. Students will arrange a solo song of their choice for chorus. Unit #17 Weeks: 5-6 Topic: Composition Students will compose their own piece in Sonata form and then perform it for the class Unit #18 Weeks: 7-9 Topic: Popular Music History Activity: Students will present the history of an era of popular music AP Exam Section I: Multiple Choice Aural Stimulus Questions Non-Aural Stimulus Questions Section II: Free Response 2 Questions on Melodic Dictation 2 Questions on Harmonic Dictation 1 Question on Part-Writing from Figured Bass 1 Question on Part-Writing form Roman Numerals 1 Question on composition of a bass line Sight-Singing
Students will sing and record two brief, primarily diatonic melodies (4-8 bars) o 75 seconds to examine and practice each melody and 30 seconds to perform it. Taken by one student at a time and is worth 10% of the total exam grade.