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Advanced Placement
Music Theory
Andy Magana, Instructor
Course
Description:
The Advanced Placement (AP) Music Theory
course enables highly motivated students to do college level work in the
areas of reading and analyzing notated music and aural training.
Particular emphasis will be placed upon developing listening skills,
sight singing ability and knowledge of rhythm, melody, harmony, form and
other compositional devices. The successful student will be endowed with
the skills necessary to function intelligently in any musical situation.
The work of the course will emphasize preparation for the advanced
placement music theory examination.
Course
Objectives:
The ultimate goal of the Advanced
Placement Music Theory course is to develop a student’s ability to
recognize, understand, and describe the basic materials and processes of
music that are heard or presented in a score. The achievement of this
goal may be best promoted by integrated approaches to the student’s
development of:
·
Aural skills – through
listening exercises
·
Sight-singing skills –
through performance exercises
·
Written skills – through
written exercises
·
Compositional skills –
through creative exercises
·
Analytical skills –
through analytical exercises
The AP Music
Theory Exam
This course is designed to prepare you for the AP Music Theory Exam in
May 2007. Taking the AP test is not required, although it is
recommended.
The AP Examination in Music Theory tests the student's understanding of
musical structure and compositional procedures through recorded and
notated examples. Strong emphasis is given to listening skills,
particularly those involving recognition and comprehension of melodic
and rhythmic patterns, harmonic functions, small forms, and
compositional techniques. Most of the musical examples are taken from
standard repertoire, although some examples of contemporary, jazz, or
vernacular music, or music beyond the Western tradition are included for
testing basic concepts. The examination assumes fluency in reading
musical notation and a strong grounding in music fundamentals,
terminology, and analysis.
The AP Music Theory Exam is about two and a half hours long and consists
of two sections. Section I consists of 75 multiple-choice questions,
some of which are based on aural stimulus. Section II consists of
written free-response questions and sight-singing exercises.
GRADING
PARTICIPATION 10%
-active participation, punctuality and attentiveness, being prepared for
class.
TESTS/QUIZZES 50% -announced/unannounced quizzes,
written/performance exams
ASSIGNMENTS 40% - class work, homework, projects, papers
Many of our in-class assignments and homework will be drill and practice
types of assignments offered to help you master new skills. These will
be graded on a pass/fail type of point system. Other assignments and
tests will be standard assessment style assignments given to measure
your level of mastery. These will be graded using a letter grade on a
standard percentage point scale.
LATE WORK
—Projects and papers will be accepted late but will be docked 10% for
the first day and 50% after that.
MAKE-UP WORK - It is YOUR responsibility to find out what you missed
when you were absent. Homework is due 2 classes after the date of
absence. All exams missed due to excused absences must be made up
within a week of the date of the absence. Written portions of exams will
be administered during tutorials of after school on Tuesdays. Portions
of the test requiring performance or listening will be administered by
appointment tutorial or after school.
MATERIALS
NEEDED
NOTEBOOK & PENCILS –
Each student should have a pencil and eraser as well as a three-ringed
binder to organize class materials. PAD OF MANUSCRIPT PAPER, 8 or 10
staves per page.
TEXTS
- The texts that will be used during the course of this year may
include, but are not limited to:
·
Music in Theory and Practice Volume 1, Sixth Edition by Benward and
White
·
Music in Theory and Practice, Volume 1 Workbook by Benward and White
·
Harmonic Materials in Tonal Music by Greg
A Steinke
·
Music for Sight Singing by Robert Ottman
·
Lies my Music Teacher Told Me by Gerald Eskelin (SUPPLEMENTAL READING)
SOFTWARE
·
Finale, Finale Notepad, or PrintMusic notation software. You can
download a free version of Finale Notepad at www.makemusic.com. Many of
our assignments will require that you use a notation program.
CLASS WEBSITE
The THS Instrumental Music Department website will have a page dedicated
to the AP Music Theory class with assignments, schedules, examples and
links. The site is found at www.tesoroinstrumentalmusic.org
  
AP Music
Theory - Course Syllabus
September
Introduction: Physics of Sound: Overtone series, Properties of Sound,
Vibration Elements of Music: Melody, Timbre, Meter, Harmony, Texture,
Rhythm
Chapter One: Rhythm and Pitch: Meter, basic notation, clefs,
accidentals, enharmonic equivalents, grand staff, writing music
manuscript
Chapter Two: Scales and Modes: Major, minor, other, relative
keys, parallel keys, tonality, circle of 5ths
Chapter Three: Intervals and inversions
Ear Training: Melodic and harmonic intervals, rhythm patterns
October
Chapter Four: Harmony, chord spelling, triads and inversions,
roman numerals, scale degree names, figured bass, analysis symbols,
seventh chord symbols
Chapter Five: Cadence types, non-harmonic tones
Ear Training: Chords and Chord Inversions
Sight singing: Introduction to melody and chords
November
Chapter 8: Voice Leading in Two Voices, Species Counterpoint
Chapter 7: Texture and texture types
Chapter 6: Melodic Organization: Motive, Sequence, Phrase, Period,
Melodic Structure
Ear Training: Cadences, Simple progressions
Sight singing: Simple chord progressions, more complex or longer
melodies including skips and more advanced rhythms by group and
individually
AP Practice Test #1
December
Chapter 9: Voice leading rules, soprano/bass lines,
four-part texture, doubling, parallelism, 6/4 chords, common chord
progressions, harmonic analysis
Chapter 10: Harmonic progressions, root relationships,
descending 5th relationships, harmonization of melody
Ear Training: Cadences, simple progressions
Sight singing: Simple chord progressions, more complex or longer
melodies including skips and more advanced rhythms by group and
individually
January
Chapters 11 - 13: Seventh chords and resolutions
Ear Training: More Melodic dictation and chord progressions
Sight singing: More melodies including minor
Exam review and AP Practice Test #2
End of January, February
Chapter 14: Modulation, pivot chords, other types of
modulation
Chapter 15: Secondary Dominants, secondary leading tone chords
Ear Training: Melodic and harmonic dictation
Sight singing: Individual and group
March/April
Chapter 16: Binary form
Chapter 17: Ternary Form
Ear Training: Dictation from previous AP exams
Sight singing: From previous AP exams
May/June
Review for AP Exam
Practice
AP Exam #2
AP Music Theory
Exam on May 12th, 2008
Composition & Arranging Project/Final Exam - Students choose to
either compose or arrange a work for piano, vocal, string or wind
ensemble. Students may choose from a wide range of musical styles and
genres.
Project Due Dates
Lead sheet, rough
sketch due May 22nd
Draft 1 due June 2nd
Draft 2 due June 9th
Final draft and
midi/wav/mp3 file due June 16
Final class meeting
and Student Project Showcase
CLASSROOM RULES
FOOD
- No food or drink in the classroom, with the exception of bottled
water.
TARDINESS - Be on time and ready to learn when the bell rings. Tardiness
will result in loss of participation points, resulting in a lowered
grade.
RESPECT – Respect the teacher, your peers, and others’ property.
CLASSROOM
PROCEDURES
PERSONAL NEEDS
- Take care of all personal needs before class. Students will be allowed
restroom privileges with permission from the teacher and use of the hall
pass.
BEGINNING OF CLASS –
Come into the classroom on time, in a civil manner and ready to learn.
END OF CLASS –
Class is dismissed when the teacher, not the bell, dismisses you.
EXTRA HELP - I am available most tutorials for extra help. Please make
an appointment with me first. You can find me in my office in the band
room.
Tesoro HS Academic
Integrity Statement
Quizzes, tests, and exams are to be the
sole work of the individual, with no written, verbal, or other aid,
whether planned or accidental. In no case will students be allowed to
have in their possession, on their person, or in their immediate and
visible vicinity any item or material with information pertinent to any
test, quiz, or similar activity without the direct permission of the
teacher of the course. Students should meticulously plan to avoid any
such instance, knowing that should such occur, it is a major violation
of school policy and will be treated as seriously as cheating.
Homework provides a good opportunity to
discuss work with a classmate. Working together is permitted only with
the approval of the teacher, and all work submitted must be the
student's own. Copying is considered to be a violation of the standards
of academic honesty. Of course, the primary source of extra help should
be the classroom teacher.
Students are required to sign the Honor
Code at the beginning of the year. Furthermore, students are required to
pledge their honor at the end of every graded assignment to underscore
their understanding of the Honor Code.
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