AP Music Theory

Syllabus

Course Overview

Primary Texts

I carefully chose texts for this course so that the class will be able to cover all of the requirements of the AP Music Theory curriculum. The Tonal Harmony with an Introduction to Twentieth Century Music give me excellent materials to work with including a teachers guide, student workbook, and recorded musical examples of a great variety of choral and instrumental music. Each chapter of the book contains “checkpoints” for understanding, self-tests and a chapter summary. Sight-singing is part of every class, utilizing Melodia.

Kostka, Stefan, and Dorothy Payne. 2004. Tonal Harmony with an Introduction to Twentieth-Century Music, 5^th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Cole, Samuel W. and Leo R. Lewis. 1909. Melodia A comprehensive Course in Sight Singing( Solfeggio) King of Prussia, PA: Theodore Presser.

Course Outline

The syllabus follows the sequence of the texts. Weekly written assignments are drawn for the text or are of my own design. Tests and quizzes are designed by me and closely follow the quizzes provided in the Instructor’s Manual for the text. The text includes many excellent written and recorded examples to accompany each chapter.

Sight-Singing begins every class. Weekly dictation practice and written exercises that parallel the text are employed. Homework contains work in four-part writing, analysis and creative assignments. Melodic, rhythmic and harmonic dictation is employed throughout the course.

Our school utilizes a “modified block schedule”. On “block” days the periods are 85 minutes in length, which enables the class to participate in two to three in depth activities per class. “Block” days also have a built in remediation period which the students can take advantage of for extra help.

AP Music Theory is the culminating course in a three-tiered group of courses. Students must have a final grade of “B” in both Music Theory I and Music Theory II classes to enroll in the AP Music Theory Class. September is devoted to a review of materials and concepts from these classes. Music Theory I and II are semester classes. AP Music Theory meets daily for the entire academic year.

September

The year begins with a review. I use the AP Music Theory Course Description as a guide throughout the year so I can be sure to cover all of the concepts covered on the AP Music Theory Exam

Sight Singing:

Book I, First Series – One-part diatonic exercises in step-wise melody; G and F clefs; all major keys to B and D flat. All representations of notes and rests of whole-beat length and multiples thereof; Elementary presentation of the divided beat.

Chapter 1: Review of fundamentals

            Keyboard and Octave registers

            Notation on the staff

            Ledger Lines

            Grand Staff

            Whole Steps and Half Steps

            Treble and Bass Clefs

            Major Scales and Key Signatures

            Minor Scales (Natural, Harmonic and Melodic)

            Minor Key Signatures

            Relative and Parallel Minor

            Scales Degree Names

            Intervals (Perfect, Major, Minor, Augmented and Diminished)

            Inversion of Intervals

            Consonant and Dissonant Intervals

            Introduction to Solfegio

Chapter 2: Elements of Rhythm

            Durational Symbols

            Meter

            Division of the Beat

            Simple Meter Signatures

            Compound Meter Signatures

Chapter 3: Introduction to Triads and Seventh Chords

            Triads

            Seventh Chords

            Inversions of Chords

            Inversion Symbols and Figured Bass

            Lead Sheet Symbols

            Recognizing Chords in Various Textures

October

This month continues with review and the introduction of new material. Special attention is given to the correct voicing of triads and seventh chords as well as smooth voice leading to different triads and seventh chords.

Sight Singing:

Book I, Second Series - Two-part exercises in step-wise melody; Keys to B and D flat inclusive; all representation of notes in First Series with greater variety and length of rests; the divided beat in fuller presentation.

Chapter 4: Diatonic Chords in Major and Minor Keys

            Diatonic Triads in Major

            Diatonic Triads in Minor

            Diatonic Seventh Chords in Major

            Diatonic Seventh Chords in Minor

Chapter 5: Principles of Voice Leading

            Melodic Line

            Notating Chords

            Voicing a Single Triad

            Parallel Motion

Chapter 6: Root Position Writing

            Root Position Writing with Repeated Roots

            Root Position Writing with Roots a 4^th (5^th) Apart

            Root Position Writing with Roots a 3^rd Apart

            Root Position Writing with Roots a 2nd Apart

            Three and Four Part Textures

            Instrumental Ranges and Transpositions

November

This month is devoted to the conventional use of diatonic triads as employed during the common practice period. Students begin to have assignments to write original material. They also have assignments in the realization of figured bass and analysis using the traditional Roman Numerals.

Sight Singing:

Book I, Third Series – One-part exercises in step-wise melody in all keys; Graded presentation of all chromatic tones except flat 2 and flat 5; Development of the minor; The dotted note involving division of the beat; Triple and quadruple division of the beat.

Chapter 7: Harmonic Progression

            Sequences and the Circle of Fifths

            Chord Classification System

            The I and V Chords

          The II Chord

            The VI Chord

            The III Chord

            The VII Chord

            The IV Chord

            Common Exceptions to the Chord Classification System

            Chord Progressions with Seventh Chords

            Harmonizing a Simple Melody

Chapter 8: Triads in Inversion

            Bass Arpeggiation

            Substituted First Inversion Triads

            Parallel Sixth Chords

            Part Writing First Inversion Triads

                        Three and Four Part Textures

            Composing Soprano-Bass Counterpoint

Chapter 9: Triads in Second Inversion

            Bass Arpeggiation and the Melodic Bass

            The Cadential Six-four

            The Passing Six-Four

            The Pedal Six-Four

            Part Writing for Second Inversion Triads

December

Students are exposed to a variety of micro and macro forms. Assignments include composing original phrases and periods. Recorded examples, as well as examples played in class by me, are utilized to illustrate the different forms. The students are exposed to non-chord tones (non-harmonic tones). They learn to define, identify all of the standard non-chord tones. They also learn to embellish a simple melodic line.

Sight Singing:

Book II, Fourth Series – Two-part exercises in step-wise melody in all keys; Chromatic tones, modulatory and ornamental; Development of incidental and extended modulation; Syncopation; Double and triple division of the beat.

Chapter 10: Cadences, Phrases and Periods

            Introduction to Musical Form

            Cadences

            Cadences and Harmonic Rhythm

            Motives and Phrases

            Period Forms

Chapter 11: Non-Chord Tones 1

            Classification of Non-Chord Tones

            Passing Tones

            Neighboring Tones

            Suspensions and Retardations

            Figured Bass and Lead Sheet Symbols

            Embellishing a Simple Texture

Chapter 12: Non-Chord Tones 2

            Appoggiaturas

            Escape Tones

            The Neighboring Group

            Anticipations

            Pedal Point

            Special Problems in the Analysis of Non-Chord Tones

January

The students are exposed to the concept of modulation and the traditional uses of the 7^th chords.

Sight Singing:

Book II, Fifth Series – One-part exercises; Systematic treatment of intervals, beginning with the larger; Skips to and from chromatic tones having obvious key relationship; Augmented and diminished intervals.

Chapter 13: The V7 Chord

            General Voice-Leading Considerations

            The V7 in Root Position

            The V7 in Three Parts

            Other Resolutions of the V7 (deceptive cadences)

            The Inverted V7 Chord

                        The 6/5 Chord

                        The 4/3 Chord

                        The 4/2 Chord

            The Approach to the 7^th

Chapter 14: The II7 and VII7 Chords

            The II7

            The VII7 Chord in Major

            The VII7 Chord in Minor

Chapter 15: Other Diatonic Seventh Chords

            The IV7 Chord

            The VI7 Chord

            The I7 Chord

            The III7 Chord

            Seventh Chords and the Circle of Fifths Progression

February

Students are exposed to sophisticated uses of chromatic harmony in modulation.

Sight Singing:

Book III, Sixth Series – Two-part exercises embodying all intervals treated in Fifth Series; more elaborate development of rhythmic difficulty, especially in syncopation; Lengthy exercises from German, French and English sources; Canon and fugue.

Chromaticism 1                 

Chapter 16: Secondary Functions 1

            Chromaticism and Altered Chords

            Secondary Functions

            Secondary Dominant Chords

            Spelling Secondary Dominants

            Recognizing Secondary Dominants

            Secondary Dominants in Context

Chapter 17: Secondary Functions 2

            Secondary Leading-Tone Chords

            Spelling Secondary Leading-Tone Chords

            Recognizing Secondary Leading-Tone Chords

            Secondary Leading-Tone Chords in Context

            Sequences Involving Secondary Functions

            Deceptive Resolutions of Secondary Functions

Chapter 18: Modulations Using Diatonic Common Chords

            Modulations and Change of Key

            Modulations and Tonicization

            Key Relationships

            Common-Chord Modulations

            Analyzing Common-Chord Modulations

March

Students utilize advanced modulation techniques; further study of musical form.

Sight Singing:

Book III, Seventh Series – On-part exercises; Systematic treatment of skips to, from and between chromatic tones; Introductory study of passages whose chromatics “deny” the key signature; Advanced exercises from a variety of foreign sources.

Chapter 19: Other Modulatory Techniques   

            Altered Chords as Common Chords

            Sequential Modulation

            Modulation by Common Tone

            Monophonic Modulation       

            Direct Modulation

Chapter 20: Binary and Ternary Forms

            Formal Terminology

            Binary Forms

            Ternary Forms

            Rounded Binary Forms

            12-Bar Blues

            Other Formal Designs

Chromaticism 2

Chapter 21: Mode Mixture

            Borrowed Chords in Minor

            The Use of the Flat 6^th in Major

            Other Borrowed Chords in Major

            Modulations Involving Mode Mixture

April

Students are introduced to the Neapolitan Sixth chord and the Augmented Sixth Chords.

Sight Singing:

Book III, Eighth Series – Two-part exercises involving all the difficulties treated in the Seventh Series and fully reviewing the rhythmical problems treated earlier; Maximum difficulties of modulation; Special studies in the development of independence of parts.

Chapter 22: The Neapolitan Chord

            Conventional Use of the Neapolitan

            Other Uses of the Neapolitan

Chapter 23: Augmented Sixth Chords

            The Interval of the Augmented Sixth

            The Italian Augmented Sixth Chord

            The French Augmented Sixth Chord

            The German Augmented Sixth Chord

            Other Uses of Conventional Augmented Sixth Chords

May

Students are exposed to a variety of twentieth-century compositional techniques. Creative assignments allow them to experiment with techniques such as Serial, Pandiatonic and expanded tertian harmonies.

Sight Singing:

Book IV, Ninth Series – One-part exercises; Typical passages from early and more recent composers of difficulty ranging from medium to difficult; Full exposition of chromatics which “deny” the key signature.

            Introduction to Twentieth- Century Techniques including non-traditional scales,    chords, and compositional techniques by analysis of examples form literature.

            Careers in Music

            Review and Preparation for the AP Exam

            AP Exam

June

Students use their accumulated knowledge and experience to create final project compositions which are performed by students in class

Sight Singing:

Book IV, Tenth Series – Two-part exercises represent excerpts from early and recent composers embodying maximum difficulties in pitch and rhythm as well as the utmost independence of parts.

            Composing and arranging individual student compositions with performances in    class