AP Music Theory
Course Overview
Advanced Placement Music Theory is a four credit course intended for 10th, 11th and 12th grade students who are interested in careers in music fields or in expanding their musical knowledge. It is designed to prepare the student to perform successfully on the College Board Advanced Placement Music Theory Examination. The course will develop the student’s ability to recognize, understand, and describe the basic materials and processes of music that are heard or presented in a score. The course will focus on the development of aural, sight-singing, written, and analytical skills. Emphasis is placed on development of compositional skills and the creation of student compositions. In addition to this, students will understand in greater detail the music that they are studying privately, or in chorus and band.
Course Objectives
1. To prepare the student to perform successfully on the College Board Advanced Placement Music Theory Examination.
2. To develop refined listening skills.
3. To improve understanding of the underlying mechanics of music composition.
4. Develop critical thinking skills by observing, describing, analyzing, interpreting, and making judgments about the content, form, and style of music.
5. Develop personal values in music based on knowledge of aesthetic principles.
6. Develop a knowledge of the historical, cultural, and social contributions of the arts through experience in music.
7. Improve music reading ability, performance skills and interpretation of literature.
8. Develop stylistic comprehension and awareness regarding various styles of music such as (but not limited to): Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Modern, Popular and Jazz.
9. Develop self-expression through non-verbal, written musical compositional techniques.
10. Analyze the works of various composers to better understand the applied rules of musical structure.
Textbooks
Kostka, Stefan, and Dorothy Payne. Tonal Harmony with an Introduction to Twentieth-
Century Music. 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2004.
Berkowitz, Sol, Gabriel Fontrier and Leo Kraft. A New Approach to Sight Singing. 3rd ed.
New York: W.W. Norton and Co., 1986.
Other Resources
Flat for Education
Burkhart, Charles. Anthology for Musical Analysis, 6th ed. New York: Schirmer, 2003
Web Sites: www.musictheory.net
www.teroia.com
Materials
Students are asked to have a three ring binder and to please complete all of there work in pencil.
Course Planner
This is a rough approximation of when materials will be covered. The pace of the course will vary from year to year depending upon the number of students enrolled and the musical background those students bring. Course work consists mainly of written class work and homework as well as small group and individual projects. Usually, at least 20 minutes per class is devoted to aural skills.
Weeks:
1-2 - basic musical terminology
- basic keyboard recognition
- notation in treble, bass and alto clefs
- durational symbols
- key signatures
- circle of fifths
- major/minor scales
- relative and parallel keys
3 - modes
- intervals through octave
4 - beat and tempo
- beat division
- time signatures
5 - triads
- seventh chords
6 - inversions
- inversion symbols and figured bass
- lead sheet symbols
7 - diatonic triads major/minor
- diatonic seventh chords major/minor
8-10 - chord voicing
- voice leading
- root position part writing
11-13 - Harmonic Progression (Kostka & Payne, Ch. 7)
- Roman Numeral analysis
14-16 - first inversion triads
- second inversion triads
- figured bass
17-19 - Cadences, Phrases & Periods (Kostka & Payne, Ch. 10)
- motives
- musical form
- period forms
20-21 - Binary and Ternary forms (Kostka & Payne, Ch. 20)
- Variation and Rondo
22-24 - melodic line
- harmonization
25-26 - non-chord tones
27-29 - secondary functions
- modulations
30-31 - chromaticism
- Introduction to 20th century composing techniques (Kostka & Payne, Ch. 28)
32 - Exam Review
33-36 - original compositions
Teaching Strategies
In the past I have had students of widely varying previous experience taking the course. However, I have found it beneficial to cover the basics in depth with everyone. I drill key signatures until the students can easily recall them form memory as I find it difficult to tackle intervals and triads without a solid base in at least major key signatures and scale construction.
Classroom time is spent doing as much practical application as possible. Visual and aural examples are used to reinforce concepts. Examples will be completed on the board individually and we will also do them as a group. I often have the students evaluate each others work and discuss various solutions that are acceptable to specific problems.
Through use of the Tonal Harmony text book and its accompanying CD’s, basic music theory elements such as Roman numeral analysis and harmonic progression are addressed with the use of a variety of Western vocal and instrumental music.
Beginning with discussions of major/minor tonality and intervals, the practice of aural skills is introduced to the class. From this point, at least 20 minutes of each class is devoted to sight-singing and the development of listening skills. Students are drilled using harmonic and melodic examples.
Other than preparing for the AP Exam the culmination of the course are the original composition projects. There are both individual and group projects each highlighting various styles of music from four part choral to jazz and into popular music. Students avail themselves of the available technologies including Finale and various recording equipment.
Student Evaluation
The student’s grades are comprised of the following:
Class Participation – 20%
Homework/Classwork – 20%
Quizzes – 40%
Quarterly Exam – 20%
When it comes to evaluating my students I tend to shy away from quizzes and tests. The bulk of there work comes from in class assignments and homework. I often give students opportunities to correct mistakes for extra credit. Students complete individual and group compositional projects in the second half of the year.
Advanced Placement Music Theory is a four credit course intended for 10th, 11th and 12th grade students who are interested in careers in music fields or in expanding their musical knowledge. It is designed to prepare the student to perform successfully on the College Board Advanced Placement Music Theory Examination. The course will develop the student’s ability to recognize, understand, and describe the basic materials and processes of music that are heard or presented in a score. The course will focus on the development of aural, sight-singing, written, and analytical skills. Emphasis is placed on development of compositional skills and the creation of student compositions. In addition to this, students will understand in greater detail the music that they are studying privately, or in chorus and band.
Course Objectives
1. To prepare the student to perform successfully on the College Board Advanced Placement Music Theory Examination.
2. To develop refined listening skills.
3. To improve understanding of the underlying mechanics of music composition.
4. Develop critical thinking skills by observing, describing, analyzing, interpreting, and making judgments about the content, form, and style of music.
5. Develop personal values in music based on knowledge of aesthetic principles.
6. Develop a knowledge of the historical, cultural, and social contributions of the arts through experience in music.
7. Improve music reading ability, performance skills and interpretation of literature.
8. Develop stylistic comprehension and awareness regarding various styles of music such as (but not limited to): Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Modern, Popular and Jazz.
9. Develop self-expression through non-verbal, written musical compositional techniques.
10. Analyze the works of various composers to better understand the applied rules of musical structure.
Textbooks
Kostka, Stefan, and Dorothy Payne. Tonal Harmony with an Introduction to Twentieth-
Century Music. 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2004.
Berkowitz, Sol, Gabriel Fontrier and Leo Kraft. A New Approach to Sight Singing. 3rd ed.
New York: W.W. Norton and Co., 1986.
Other Resources
Flat for Education
Burkhart, Charles. Anthology for Musical Analysis, 6th ed. New York: Schirmer, 2003
Web Sites: www.musictheory.net
www.teroia.com
Materials
Students are asked to have a three ring binder and to please complete all of there work in pencil.
Course Planner
This is a rough approximation of when materials will be covered. The pace of the course will vary from year to year depending upon the number of students enrolled and the musical background those students bring. Course work consists mainly of written class work and homework as well as small group and individual projects. Usually, at least 20 minutes per class is devoted to aural skills.
Weeks:
1-2 - basic musical terminology
- basic keyboard recognition
- notation in treble, bass and alto clefs
- durational symbols
- key signatures
- circle of fifths
- major/minor scales
- relative and parallel keys
3 - modes
- intervals through octave
4 - beat and tempo
- beat division
- time signatures
5 - triads
- seventh chords
6 - inversions
- inversion symbols and figured bass
- lead sheet symbols
7 - diatonic triads major/minor
- diatonic seventh chords major/minor
8-10 - chord voicing
- voice leading
- root position part writing
11-13 - Harmonic Progression (Kostka & Payne, Ch. 7)
- Roman Numeral analysis
14-16 - first inversion triads
- second inversion triads
- figured bass
17-19 - Cadences, Phrases & Periods (Kostka & Payne, Ch. 10)
- motives
- musical form
- period forms
20-21 - Binary and Ternary forms (Kostka & Payne, Ch. 20)
- Variation and Rondo
22-24 - melodic line
- harmonization
25-26 - non-chord tones
27-29 - secondary functions
- modulations
30-31 - chromaticism
- Introduction to 20th century composing techniques (Kostka & Payne, Ch. 28)
32 - Exam Review
33-36 - original compositions
Teaching Strategies
In the past I have had students of widely varying previous experience taking the course. However, I have found it beneficial to cover the basics in depth with everyone. I drill key signatures until the students can easily recall them form memory as I find it difficult to tackle intervals and triads without a solid base in at least major key signatures and scale construction.
Classroom time is spent doing as much practical application as possible. Visual and aural examples are used to reinforce concepts. Examples will be completed on the board individually and we will also do them as a group. I often have the students evaluate each others work and discuss various solutions that are acceptable to specific problems.
Through use of the Tonal Harmony text book and its accompanying CD’s, basic music theory elements such as Roman numeral analysis and harmonic progression are addressed with the use of a variety of Western vocal and instrumental music.
Beginning with discussions of major/minor tonality and intervals, the practice of aural skills is introduced to the class. From this point, at least 20 minutes of each class is devoted to sight-singing and the development of listening skills. Students are drilled using harmonic and melodic examples.
Other than preparing for the AP Exam the culmination of the course are the original composition projects. There are both individual and group projects each highlighting various styles of music from four part choral to jazz and into popular music. Students avail themselves of the available technologies including Finale and various recording equipment.
Student Evaluation
The student’s grades are comprised of the following:
Class Participation – 20%
Homework/Classwork – 20%
Quizzes – 40%
Quarterly Exam – 20%
When it comes to evaluating my students I tend to shy away from quizzes and tests. The bulk of there work comes from in class assignments and homework. I often give students opportunities to correct mistakes for extra credit. Students complete individual and group compositional projects in the second half of the year.