AP Music Theory

AP Music Theory Rm. 116 Lynn Grimsley
Syllabus Phone: 803-364-2134

Email: lgrimsley@newberry.k12.sc.us

Course Overview

The AP Music Theory course at Mid-Carolina High School is designed to develop the student’s ability to recognize, understand, and describe the basic materials and processes of music as outlined in the AP Music Theory Course Description and Requirements. Through reading, notating, composing, singing, and listening to music, students will develop musical skills that will lead to a thorough understanding of music composition and music theory. The main emphasis of study is placed on standard Western tonal repertoire, but music of other stylistic periods will be studied as well.

General Course Content

1.) Review of the basic music fundamentals

2.) Introduction of the building blocks of music, including scales (major and minor), key

signatures, circle-of-fifths, chords, inversions, intervals

3.) Study of common tempo and expression markings

4.) Extended study of scales and modes

5.) Study of cadences (including authentic, plagal, half, and deceptive in major and

minor keys)

6.) Study of standard rhythms/meters

7.) Study of melody, line, phrasing, and basic musical forms such as binary, ternary,

theme and variation.

8.) Study of basic composition and arranging (including functional triadic harmony using

nonharmonic tones, seventh chords, and secondary dominants)

9.) Use of the basic rules that govern music composition to:

o analyze the chords of a musical composition by using Roman

and Arabic numerals to represent chords and their inversions

o compose a melody, with or without text, given specific parameters

o compose a bass line for a given melody, implying appropriate harmony

harmonize a melody with appropriate chords using good voice leading

realize a figured bass according to the rules of eighteenth century

chorale style

compose and arrange simple pieces for voice or instruments given specific parameters

arrange a simple folk melody or hymn for voices or instrumental ensemble

10.) Study of transposition

11.) Daily sight-singing using solfege

12.) Daily ear training, progressing from rhythmic and melodic to harmonic dictation

13.) Weekly drills in detection of pitch and rhythm errors in written music from given

aural excerpts

14.) Study of Western and some non-Western musical genres and styles

Textbooks and Materials

Primary sources:

Damschroder, David A. Listen and Sing: Lessons in Ear Training and Sight-Singing.

1^st ed. Belmont, CA: Schirmer, 1995

Kostka, Stefan, and Dorothy Payne. Tonal Harmony with an Introduction to Twentieth

Century Music, 5^th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill. 2004.

Additional Resources:

Burkhart, Charles. Anthology for Musical Analysis, 4^th ed. New York, New York: CBS

College Publishing, 1986.

Melcher, Robert A., and Willard F. Warch, and Paul B. Mast. Music for Study, 3^rd ed.

Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 2002.

Peters, Charles S., and Paul Yoder, Master Theory, Books 3,4,5 and 6. San Diego,

California: Neil A. Kjos, 1967.

Steinke, Greg A., and Paul O. Harder. Harmonic Materials in Tonal Music: A

Programmed course, 9^th ed. Parts 1 and 2. Boston: Prentice Hall, 2001.

Ottman, Robert W. Elementary Harmony: Theory and Practice, 5^th ed. Englewood

Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1998.

Ottman, Robert W. Music for Sight Singing, 2^nd ed., Englewood Cliffs, NJ:

Prentice-Hall, 1967

Politoske, Daniel T. Music, 4^th ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1988.

In addition to the above printed resources, students have access to a computer with midi keyboard and high quality stereo speakers. Sibelius 3 and Band in a Box are loaded on the computer for use in composition/arrangement assignments. Auralia 3 is loaded on another computer to be used for ear training activities. Music Ace 2 is loaded onto five computers in the Media Center for use during the first semester to reinforce basic rudiments and terminology of music, including notation, intervals, scales and keys, chords, meter, and rhythmic patterns.

Two websites, Teoria.com, and Ricci Adam’s musictheory.net, are also used for practice and reinforcement of learning in class. Students have access to these at home.

Student Materials

Textbook: Students are interviewed during the spring before Music Theory class starts in the fall. Since students come in to the class with varying abilities and backgrounds (chorus, band, private guitar or piano lessons), Master Theory books 2-6 are assigned for initial course work (based on student background) to review fundamentals and make sure that all students enter class with approximately the same level of understanding of basic music theory fundamentals. These are workbooks and cost approx. $3.95 a piece. Students are responsible for paying for the workbooks. Other texts and resources are provided by the school and district. Students have access to the teacher via email should questions arise.

Students are issued a copy of Tonal Harmony at the beginning of the school year.

Classes and homework exercises are assigned from the text, so it must be brought to class each day. Work is recorded in the Student Notebook (see below).

Additional resources are often used (see samples above in resource list) to provide alternate methodologies, listening examples, historical context, and enrichment (such as the unit on the Overtone Series in the Ottman, the chart and simplified explanations of nonharmonic tones in the Steinke, and the opportunities for composing for ensembles in the advanced levels of Master Theory.)

Sight singing: Listen and Sing and Sing at First Sight will be used regularly for sight singing and ear training.

Although these are paperback books, they are not to be written in. All dictation exercises will be notated in the student notebook.

Student Notebook: Students are required to maintain a sectioned 3-ring binder with notebook paper as well as staff paper for music theory materials. The first section of the binder should contain class notes. Written evaluations of listening selections and concerts are kept in this section as well. A second section of the binder is for vocabulary. Students must define/describe/give examples of the terms and symbols used in the AP Exam as suggested in the Teacher’s Guide to the Advanced Placement Course in Music Theory and found in music studied. A third section contains dictation, composition exercises, and arrangements. The fourth section of the notebook is for written exercises and homework.

Teaching Strategies and Evaluation

Students are graded in four areas: written/textbook material/notebook (30%),

aural skills (15%), sight singing (15%), projects (15%), quizzes (25%).

Part of the semester exam is designed to duplicate the types of questions asked on the AP exam. The exam includes written examples with aural stimulus, written examples without aural stimulus, sight-singing, and simple melodic and harmonic dictation.

According to school policy, the exam counts 20% of the semester grade. Final exams are formatted in the same manner, although students may exempt the final exam based on grade in school and music theory grade at the end of the fourth nine weeks. Students are given multiple opportunities during the third and fourth nine weeks to take sample AP tests from previous years, discuss test-taking strategies, and work on deficiencies.

Written/textbook/notebook assignments include written exercises from the text, additional short composition activities assigned in class, and vocabulary. Enrichment activities including the use of actual musical scores (choral, solo vocal and instrumental, anthologies, and examples listed in resources) are used to help students apply written concepts to music they actually perform and hear in concert. Students study, sing, listen to, and compare and contrast examples in order to understand content studied in each unit. Students are required to attend one concert each nine weeks. Students write an analysis of each concert, describing the concert and performers, using appropriate music vocabulary. Three specific selections performed on the concert must be evaluated as well. Notebooks are checked weekly.

Aural skills include rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic dictation, recognition of intervals, chords, inversions, scales (including major, minor, whole tone, pentatonic, and modes), error detection, and other activities in the Listen and Sing text. Students will also be given examples from the Politoske Music text to listen for compositional devices such as form, sequence, cadences, change of meter, and change of mode. Students practice listening skills each class period and are evaluated weekly.

Sight-singing will include sight-singing melodies, rhythms, multi-part examples with other classmates, scales, and chords. Students sight sing each class period and are evaluated weekly.

Projects include composition, arranging, and written analysis of performances by others. Students are given specific directions for each project and a grading rubric. Examples of projects are listed below.

At the beginning of the year, students will create simple stepwise sight singing examples for each other to perform in class using common time, 4-8 measures, step-wise or Do, Mi, So.

Second nine weeks, students will compose a melody harmonized with I-IV-V (V7) on a Halloween or Thanksgiving theme given specific parameters. Students may add lyrics or compose for a specified instrument.

Second semester, students will choose a folk melody, hymn, or children’s song and develop it using a theme and variation format (including for example, transposition, inversion, diminution, augmentation, ornamentation, retrograde, change of meter)

At the end of the third nine weeks, students will choose another simple melody and create a four-part arrangement using at least four different examples of nonharmonic tones. Students must title their compositions and add appropriate tempo and expression markings. Students will present their compositions to the class, explaining the nonharmonic tones and compositional devices used.

All compositions and arrangements from the beginning of the year to the end will be printed in Sibelius. Sibelius is also used for importing public domain chorales and pieces for study and arranging. Students have the option to use Band-in-the-Box to combine their own melodic and rhythmic ideas with pre-recorded sounds and rhythmic motives. At the end of the year, students can evaluate their own progress as young composers.

Quizzes: Quizzes are based on musical elements presented through the study of Tonal Harmony and are given at the end of each chapter.

Special Considerations for Independent Study AP Music Theory-

(Classroom rules and procedures.) Students will follow classroom rules, procedures, and safety policies as posted in the classroom and found in the MCHS agenda. Assignments for the week will be placed in an AP Music Theory planbook. Students should check the planbook at the beginning of each class. Due dates will be listed by each assignment. Missed assignments (due to illness) will be due the next class period the student attends unless other arrangements are made via email or phone. Students will also need to meet with Miss Grimsley each week during a time that chorus is not being taught. This may be a pre-assigned lunch period, after school, or during a free period. During this time, students will receive explanations of new content, perform dictation and sight-singing, and receive clarification of work. Students may work on technology assignments at home and on special programs in the Media Center. During March, April, and early May, extended time will be required to take practice AP tests. Our scheduling will be flexible and can be worked around other student activities, but the practice tests must be completed and discussed before students take the actual test. They are very helpful preparation tools.

Timeline for study

(Times are approximate, depending on level of class and times class meets per week.

Students meet class every other day on an alternating block schedule. Primary texts are listed below. Other resources are added to correspond with learning.

Texts are abbreviated as follows: Tonal Harmony (TH)

First Nine Weeks

Weeks 1–2 (5 class meetings)

Written skills: notation, key signatures, time signatures,

scales and modes; TH: Chapters, 1 and 2,

Ear training: melodic dictation, 3-5 note patterns, sing scales.

Weeks 3–4 (5 class meetings)

Written skills: intervals including inversions, continue to drill scales and key signatures, review TH: Chapters 1 and 2

Ear training: write short stepwise melodies (7-12 notes); introduce intervals based on the major triad.

Weeks 5–6 (5 class meetings)

Written skills: triads and seventh chords.

Ear training: continue to drill scales and short stepwise melodies, recognize triad quality and inversion; TH: Chapters 3 and 4

Weeks 7–9 (7–8 class meetings)

Written skills: triad and chord identification, introduction to part- writing and

harmonic progression; TH Chapters 5 and 6

Ear training: continue to drill scales, triad quality, and intervals, short stepwise

melodies.

Composition: short sight singing melodies moving by step or by outlining the

primary triad in root position.

Second Nine Weeks

Weeks 10–13 (10 class meetings)

Written skills: writing short progressions with given soprano, or bass, concentrating on primary triads in root position. TH: Chapters 6 and 7

Discuss writing good melodies, including lessons on melody writing using simple soprano-bass counterpoint. Recognition of harmonic intervals, parallel fifths and octaves and writing melodies that are mostly conjunct with good shape.

Ear training: Evaluate basic skills on triad and scale identification, identify all intervals, drill short melodies and sing stepwise melodies with small skips.

Weeks 14–15 (5 class meetings)

Written skills: extend length of progressions, add first inversion triads.

TH: Chapter 8.

Ear training: More challenging melodies and harmonic progressions using I and V. Sight-singing includes mostly stepwise melodies with small skips.

Composition: Original melody on theme following specified parameters.

Weeks 16–18 (7–8 class meetings)

Written skills: introduce second inversion triads; TH Chapter 9.

Ear training: Harmonic progressions add the IV triad. Melodic dictation adds small

skips.

Third Nine Weeks

Weeks 19–21 (7–8 class meetings)

Written skills: introduce V⁷and inversions. TH: Chapter 13.

Ear training: Harmonic dictation continues to concentrate on primary triads and V⁷, but inversions are added.

Composition/arranging: Students study transposition of instruments and arrange melodies for voices or instruments (Master Theory, Book 5)

Weeks 22–23 (5 class meetings)

Written skills: introduce secondary triads and their inversions.

TH: review chapter 7

Ear training: harmonic dictation adds the ii triad. Melodic dictation

and sight-singing remain the same.

Composition: students will choose a folk melody, hymn, or children’s song and develop it using a theme and variation format (including for example, transposition, inversion, diminution, augmentation, ornamentation, retrograde, change or meter)

Week 24 (2–3 class meetings)

Written skills: introduce nonharmonic tones, including

figured-bass exercises with limited nonharmonic tones.

TH: Chapters 11 and 12; Steinke, chapter 9.

Ear training: introduce identification of nonharmonic tones. Other dictation continues with the same skills.

Weeks 25–26 (5 class meetings)

Written skills: all triads and nonharmonic tones, drill part-writing skills.

TH: review Chapters 7–13

Ear training: harmonic dictation starts to add other triads. Other dictation continues with the same skills.

Composition: melody harmonized in four parts using at least four different nonharmonic tones using given parameters.

Week 27 (2–3 class meetings)

Review of vocabulary on test and defined in student notebooks.

First practice AP Exam.

Fourth Nine Weeks

Weeks 28–29 (5 class meetings)

Written skills: introduce secondary functions (secondary dominant and secondary leading tone chords) and phrase structure; TH: Chapter 17

Ear training: harmonic dictation includes all triads. Melodic dictation and sight-singing become more complex.

Week 30 (2–3 class meetings)

Written skills: introduce modulation to closely related keys, introduce contrapuntal devices, and review melody writing. Add a Bach chorale analysis project. TH: Chapter 18;

Ear training: more of the same; play melodies on different instruments to expose students to something other than piano sounds. Play examples from music literature and in Politoske Music examples to discuss form, compositional techniques, mode, transposition, cadences, and phrasing

Week 31 (2–3 class meetings)

Second practice AP Exam.

Weeks 32–33 (5 class meetings)

AP style free-response problems, vocabulary review

Weeks 34–36 (5–8 class meetings, depending on final exams and the school calendar)

After the AP exam, students investigate 20^th century composition, including serialism, quartal harmony, and other contemporary styles through listening activities and simple composition activities.

AP Music Theory