AP Music Theory Course Syllabus

Texts: Music in Theory and Practice, Benward & Saker Ear Training- A Technique for Listening- Benward, Kolosick Sightsinging Complete Benward, Bruce, & Maureen A.Carr. Websites: www.musictheory.net, www.mhhe.com/socscience/music/benward7/index.htm www.gmajormusictheory.org Software: Sibelius, Garage Band, Finale Notepad, iTunes, Wiretap Pro, iMovie

AP Theory Website: http://tinyurl.com/mtamusictheory

Course Outline First Quarter

Reading Music in Theory and Practice, Chapters 1-3 Notation,- staff; letter names; clefs, octave identification; accidentals; intervals; enharmonic equivilents; half-step motion; duration; ties & dots; irregular division of notes; rhythm; meter; dynamic markings Scales- Diatonic scales; solfeggio syllables; major scale, transposition, minor scales, scale relationships, tonality, key, other scales Tonality- Perfect, major and minor intervals, consonance & disonance, augmented and diminished intervals, enharmonic intervals, inversion of intervals, compound intervals Written Skills End of Chpater Assignments; Related Workbook assignments and other similar exercises Ear Training From Ear Training- A Technique for Listening. Rhythmic dictation, melodic dictation (conjunct motion), some smaller skips with emphasis on strategies for dictation, interval identification, triads, seventh chord identification Sight-Singing Sight Singing Complete, strategies for sight-singing, conjunct melodies with smaller intervallic leaps, melodies in major and minor modes, treble and bass clefs Keyboard Skills Major and minor scales, triads and inversions, seventh chords and inversions

Second Quarter

Reading Music in Theory and Practice, Chapters 4-6 Chords - Harmony; chord; triads; triad roots; major, minor, diminished & augmented triads; triad inversions Cadences and Nonharmonice Tones- Phrase; harmonic cadence; rhythmic cadence; nonharmonic tones Melodic Organization- Motive; sequence; phrase; period; melodic structure Written Skills Workbook materials, original melodies and harmonization Ear Training Continue interval, triad, and seventh chord identification, melodic dictation (longer diatonic melodies with larger leaps), harmonic dictation (strategies, soprano/bass lines, simple progressions), error detection. Sight-Singing Simple harmonic progressions Other Activities Take released 1989 AP Music Theory Exam and discuss

Third Quarter

Reading Music in Theory and Practice, Chapters 7-8 Texture and Textural Reduction- Monophonic, polyphonic, homophonic & homorhythmic texture; density; range; secondary melodies Voice Leading in Two Voices- Voice leading; species counterpoint, the Cantus firmus; motion between voices

Written Skills Workbook materials and original compositions using non-chord tones and diatonic seventh chords Ear Training Continue interval, triad, seventh chord identification, melodic dictation (diatonic melodies with more challenging rhythm), harmonic dictation (more challenging progressions including diatonic seventh chords), error detection Sight-Singing Continue applying strategies to original melodies and those selected from Introduction To Sightsinging and Ear Training Keyboard Skills Harmonic progressions using diatonic seventh chords and non chord tones Other Activities Take released AP Music Theory Exam and discuss Fourth Quarter

Reading Music in Theory and Practice, Chapters 8-10 Voice Leading in Four Parts- Four voice texture; stylistic practices, root position, first inversion, & second inversion movement; Harmonic Progression and Harmonic Rhythm- Harmonic progression; chordal relationships; harmonic rhythm; harmonizing a melody Written Skills Ear Training Continue from previous quarters Sight-Singing Continue from previous quarters Keyboard Skills harmonic progressions using secondary function chords Other Activities Review and preparation for the AP Music Theory Exam

Throughout the course, written and aural musical examples are analyzed and discussed with relation to concepts covered in class.