sign in sign up
<<
Home , Lead sheet

Greenwich High School Advanced Placement Theory Mr. Patrick Taylor, Instructor [email protected] 203-863-8809

2014-2015 Course Syllabus

Objective of Course

This course is a comprehensive investigation of the 18th-century harmonic practices that have come to form the foundation for our Western system of music. Beginning with the most basic of fundamentals and moving rapidly to more advanced topics, students in this course will strive to attain mastery of notational concepts, compositional techniques and aural skills to a degree that is commensurate with a first-year collegiate course.

Required Materials

Pencil (mechanical pencils are best) PENS MAY NOT BE USED IN THIS CLASS Dedicated 3-Ring binder (with hard cover) Music manuscript paper (must use that which is provided in class)

Grading Policy

Quarter grades will be given in accordance with the following formula: Class participation 25% Homework 25% Quizzes & Tests 50%

Quizzes and Tests: Some classes will begin with a quiz on recently covered material. Students missing the quiz due to unexcused tardiness will not be allowed to make up the quiz. Quizzes will combine to represent a test grade at the end of the quarter. Major tests are given at the end of significant sections of the course and during GHS mid-term week.

Course Content

Part I: Fundamentals of Pitch The Keyboard Half and Whole Steps Flats, Sharps and Naturals Chromatic Scale Whole Tone Scale The Staff Treble and Bass Clefs Octave Registers C Clefs

AP Music Theory Mr. Taylor Course Content (continued)

Part II: Fundamentals of Rhythm vs. Meter Notes, Note Heads, Stems Rests Flags and Beams Beat and Subdivision of the Beat Measures and Bar Lines Simple Meter Simple Time Signatures Compound Meter Compound Time Signatures Dots, Ties Repeat Signs, First and Second Endings, , , Coda

Part III: Tonality Tetrachords The Major Scale The Pentatonic Scale Scale Degree Names Major Key Signatures Circle of Fifths Perfect, Major, and Minor Intervals Augmented and Diminished Intervals Interval Inversion Consonant and Dissonant Intervals Modes Forms of the Minor Scale Minor Key Signatures Relative Major/Minor Keys Parallel Major/Minor Keys

Part IV: Chords Triads Chords Inversions of Triads & Seventh Chords Inversion Symbols Lead Sheet Symbols Roman Numerals Diatonic Triads in Major Keys Diatonic Triads in Minor Keys Diatonic Seventh Chords in Major Keys Diatonic Seventh Chords in Minor Keys

AP Music Theory Mr. Taylor Course Content (continued)

Part V: Part Writing Voice Parts Principles of Chord Doubling Voicing a Single Triad Harmonic Motion Position Part Writing Harmonic Progression The Cadence Sequences and the Circle of Fifths Progression Differences in the Minor Mode Using Seventh Chords Using First Inversion Chords The Cadential Six-Four The Passing Six-Four The Neighboring Six-Four Using Third Inversion Chords

Part VI: Non-chord Tones Passing Tone Neighbor Tone Escape Tone (Échapeé) Changing Tone Anticipation Suspension and Retardation

Part VII: Changing Keys Tonicization Secondary Dominant Chords Major/Minor Modulation Picardy Third Diatonic Modulation Chromatic Modulation

Part VIII: Melodic Contour Qualities of Good Basic Melody Writing Harmonizing a Melody Transposing a Melody Alberti Bass Melody with

AP Music Theory Mr. Taylor Course Content (continued)

Part IX: Form Phrases and Periods Motives Binary, Rounded Binary and Ternary Forms Forms Compositional Forms in Classical Music Texture, Instrumentation and 12-Bar Other Formal Designs

Part X: Test Preparation Course Review Practice Exams ADVANCED PLACEMENT MUSIC THEORY EXAM - Monday, May 11, 2015

Part XI: Additional Topics (time permitting, to be selected from the following) Acoustics Overtones and the Harmonic Series Species Counterpoint Instrument Ranges & Techniques Chord Alterations Secondary Leading-Tone Chords Impressionism Synthetic Scales Atonality Serialism, including 12-tone composition Aleatory and Chance Music

Ear Training

Regularly taking place alongside all of the above will be exercises to help develop the musical ear. In addition to demonstrating thorough knowledge of the topics and techniques listed above, students taking the AP exam will also be expected to demonstrate aural skill both on paper and through the use of their voice, which will be recorded and judged solely on pitch content (not tone quality). Class ear- training exercises will include melodic and rhythmic dictation, sight-singing, scale, interval and chord quality recognition and listening strategies to aid in the identification of harmonic progressions. Instrumentalists will need to become comfortable with the use of their singing voice. Regularly singing along with recorded music of class is an excellent way to learn to use the voice confidently and to learn ones own vocal limitations. Boys with changed voices must learn to sing in the correct octave which may require the use of falsetto. This and other basics of vocal production will be demonstrated in class. No student will be required to sing alone in front of the class in this course.