Music Theory Length of Course: 1 Year Credits: Credit: 1 Credit
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School District of Marshfield Course Syllabus Course Name: AP Music Theory Length of Course: 1 Year Credits: Credit: 1 Credit The objectives below have been adapted from the Expanded Course specifications posted on the AP Music Theory Page on AP Central. [C1] Course Objectives: - Understand, identify and construct major, minor, augmented and diminished intervals and triads. [C2] - Understand, identify and notate scales, intervals, triads, rhythms, and melodies. [C2] - Sing simple diatonic melodies at sight.[C15] - Analyze harmonic structure utilizing Roman numerals and figured bass. [C3, C4] - Construct compositions in four part texture. [C8] - Write simple rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic dictation. [C14, C16] - Understand basic musical forms.[C13] Course Planner: The course is sequential and comprehensive. Once a critical competency is introduced, it is used in each subsequent chapter. Therefore, from this point forward the critical competency will be placed in a text box only once. Content is as follows: Written Theory: Most of the written theory is done using the Spencer text. Each chapter begins with explanations and examples suitable for discussion and lecture. The last portion of each chapter has many exercises pertaining to the specific musical concept introduced. [C16] At the completion of each chapter, there will be a written assessment of the concepts presented. Ear Training, dictation, and sight-singing: All ear training, dictation and sight-singing are sequential, starting with the most basic rhythm patterns, then advancing to rhythm with pitch. [C11, C14, C15] Passive listening will accompany all work time in class. Music will be from standard Western tonal repertoire using the following schedule: 1st Quarter- Early music and Baroque period. 2nd Quarter- Classical period. 3rd Quarter- Romantic period. 4th Quarter- 20th century and Jazz. [C19] Page 1 of 10 Detailed Topic/Content Outline-Units and Themes: Week 1 1. Written skills: Clefs and basic Notation A. Spencer: Chapter 1 B. Through identification and written exercises, the students will understand the musical notation system. [C2] 2. Ear Training: Identify perfect intervals A. Adams.[C2, C9, C14] 3. Dictation: Simple rhythms patterns A. Students will write played rhythm patterns using proper notation. [C11] Week 2 1. Written Skills: Scales- major and 3 forms of minor. A. Spencer: Chapter 2 B. Exercises include identifying scales according to the organization of half and whole steps, and writing scales on a given pitch. [C2, C9, C16] 2. Ear Training: perfect and major intervals. Major and minor scales, ascending and descending. A. Adams. [C2, C9,C14] 3. Dictation: Simple rhythm patterns. [C11] Week 3 & 4 1. Written Skills: Key Signatures and Scale degrees. A. Spencer. Chapter 3 B. Students will be able to identify key signatures and construct scales using appropriate accidentals where necessary. They will also identify the pitches of the appropriate scale degree in a given key (e.g., subdominant, mediant, tonic etc.). [C2, C16] 2. Ear Training: Identify major, minor and perfect intervals A. Adams. [C2, C9,C14] 3. Dictation: Simple rhythm patterns. [C11] Week 5 1. Written Skills: Intervals. A. Spencer. Chapter 4 B. Students will understand the following: Precise names of the intervals, correct spelling of intervals and the number of half steps an interval contains. [C2, C16] 2. Ear Training: Identify major, minor and perfect intervals, as well as the tritone. Enharmonic intervals. A. Adams. [C2, C9, C14] Page 2 of 10 3. Dictation: Rhythmic phrases including ties and dotted rhythms. Simple meters. [C11] Week 6 & 7 1. Written skills: Triads: A. Spencer. Chapter 5 B. Identify and construct major, minor, augmented and diminished triads.[C2, C16] 2. Ear Training: Week 6- Identify major, minor triads i. Week 7- Identify major, minor, augmented and diminished treads. B. Adams. [C2, C9, C14] 3. Dictation: Rhythmic phrases including ties and dotted rhythms. Compound and simple meters. [C11] Week 8- Review 1. Written Skills: Identification and construction of scales, key signatures, and triads.[C2, C16] 2. Ear Training: All intervals, scales and triads. a. Adams. [C2, C9, C14] 3. Dictation: Rhythmic phrases in simple and compound meters.[C11] 4. Sight-singing: a. Phelps. Level One b. Sing basic 4 measure diatonic step-wise melodies in the key of C major, using solfege. [C15] Week 9 1. Written Skills: Four part vocal writing. A. Spencer. Chapter 7 B. Basic chordal construction using appropriate ranges of SATB. Open and closed position using primary triads. [C2,C4, C16] 2. Ear Training: Intervals , scales and triads. A. Adams. [C2, C9, C14] 3. Dictation: 2 measure stepwise melodic examples. A. Students are given the meter, key and first pitch, after which the melody is played. [C1, C2, C12] 4. Sight-singing: A. Phelps. Level One [C15] Week 10 & 11 1. Written Skills: Primary Triads in root position. A. Spencer. Chapter 8 B. Students will study the identification and construction of primary Page 3 of 10 triads and the rules of voice leading. They will also identify common cadences associated with these chords. They will also compose a bass line for a given melodic passage implying the 3 primary chords.[C2, C3, C8, C9, C16] 2. Ear Training: A. Melodic dictation: 4 measure phrases in major and minor. [C2, C11, C12, C16] B. Harmonic dictation: 2 measure phrases of primary chords in root position. C. Students are given the key, meter and starting pitch for bass and soprano, after which the phrase is played. [C2, C8, C11] 3. Sight-singing: A. Phelps. Chapter 3 B. Sight-sing with simple rhythms introducing conjunct melodies. Melodies are in the key of C Major and a minor. [C15] 4. From this point forward, written exercises in each chapter will include composition of bass line [C3], realization of figured bass [C4] and realization of Roman numeral progression [C5]. Week 12 1. Written skills: Primary Triads in First inversion A. Spencer. Chapter 9 B. Students will follow standard practice rules for 4 part writing. [C3, C4, C5] 2. Ear Training: A. Melodic dictation: 4 measures, major and minor. B. Harmonic dictation: 4 measures, major and minor. Primary chords in root position. [C2,C3,C8, C11, C12, C16] 3. Sight-singing: A. Phelps. Level 3 [C15] Week 13 1. Written Skills: Primary triads in second inversions. A. Spencer. Chapter 10 B. Understand the function of second inversion chords. Harmonize given figured bass and melodic lines using primary chords in root position and inversions. [C2, C3, C4, C5, C12, C16] 2. Ear Training: A. Melodic dictation: 4 measures, major and minor B. Harmonic dictation: 4 measures, major and minor. Primary chords in root position. [C2,C3,C8, C11, C12, C16] 3. Sight-singing: A. Phelps. Level 3 [C15] Page 4 of 10 Week 14 & 15 1. Written skills: Secondary triads. A. Spencer. Chapter 11 & 12 B. Understand the purpose of secondary triads, strength of certain root movement, and begin to harmonize figured bass and given melodies using primary and secondary chords in root position and inversions.[C2, C3, C4, C5, C12, C16] 2. Ear Training: A. Aurally identify intervals and triads. B. Adams. [C2, C14] C. Melodic dictation: 4 measures, major and minor, including leading tone. D. Harmonic dictation: 4 measures, major and minor. Primary chords in root position.[C2,C3,C8, C11, C12, C16] 3. Sight-singing: A. Phelps. Level 3 [C15] Week 16 1. Written Skills: Non-chord tones. A. Spencer. Chapters 13 & 14 B. Oxford Book of Carols C. Understand the use of non-chord tones and harmonize given figured bass and melodic lines employing the appropriate use of non-chord tones..[C2, C3, C4, C5, C12, C16] D. Roman numeral analysis of hymns and carols. [C6, C18, C19] 2. Ear Training: A. Melodic dictation: 4 measure phrases, major and minor. B. Harmonic dictation: 4 measure phrases, primary root position..[C2,C3,C8, C11, C12, C16] 3. Sight-singing: A. Phelps. Level 3 [C15] Week 17- Review Week 18 1. A.P. Released Exam 1998- Test is administered during 4 class periods. The 5th class is used to discuss the results. Week 19 & 20 1. Written Skills: Diatonic Seventh Chords. A. Spencer. Chapter 15 & 16 B. Oxford Book of Carols C. Introduce diatonic seventh chords and inversions. Students will Page 5 of 10 learn proper voicing and resolution of the seventh chords in root position and inversions.[C2, C3, C4, C5, C12, C16] D. Roman numeral analysis of hymns and carols. [C6, C18, C19] 2. Ear Training: A. Melodic dictation: 4 measure phrases, major and minor. B. Harmonic dictation: 4 measure phrases, primary chords in root position and inversions.[C2,C3,C8, C11, C12, C16] 3. Sight-singing: A. Phelps. Level 3 [C15] Week 21 1. Written Skills: Writing for the Piano A. Spencer. Chapter 17 B. Oxford Book of Carols C. Study and employ two basic chordal styles of piano writing, using our present harmonic vocabulary. .[C2, C3, C4, C5, C12, C16] D. Harmonic analysis of hymns and carols.[C6, C18, C19] 2. Ear Training: A. Melodic dictation: Major and minor with accidentals. B. Harmonic dictation: Primary and secondary chords in inversions.[C2,C3,C8, C11, C12, C16] 3. Sight-singing: A. Phelps. Level 5 B. Moveable Do. Students will now sight-sing in different keys. [C9, C15] Week 22 1. Written Skills: Secondary dominants A. Spencer. Chapter 18 B. Oxford Book of Carols C. Introduce secondary dominant chords and inversions. Students will learn proper voicing and resolution of these chords as well as the necessity of accidentals to construct these chords.[C2, C3, C4, C5, C12, C16] D. Harmonic and phrase analysis of hymns and carols. [C6, C13, C18, C19] 2. Ear Training: A. Melodic dictation: Major and minor with accidentals. B. Harmonic dictation: Primary and secondary chord in inversions..[C2,C3,C8, C11, C12, C16] 3.