AP Music Theory - Pearland ISD



AP Music Theory Syllabus

Roxan Silva, Instructor

Contact: 281-412-8826 silvar@

Course Overview

The ultimate goal of an AP 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 subject area is THEORY yet very little of what is taught is theoretical. The course teaches MUSIC LITERACY in that students learn to read, write, hear intelligently, and respond As is expected in a first-year college course in music theory, the course integrates aspects of melody, harmony, texture, rhythm, form, musical analysis, elementary composition, and, to some extent, history and style. A basic outline of the course is as follows:

1) Nearly daily ear-training study through sight-singing; rhythmic, harmonic, and melodic dictation; and aural analysis.

2) Fundamental terminology and notational skills:

a) Notate and identify pitch in G, F, and C clefs.

b) Notate and identify all major and minor key signatures.

c) Notate, hear, and identify chromatic and major scales, and the three forms of the minor scale.

d) Notate and hear the authentic modes.

e) Notate, hear, and identify all perfect, major, minor, augmented, and diminished intervals up to a perfect octave.

f) Notate, hear, and identify triads and seventh chords and their inversions.

g) Notate, hear, and identify simple and compound meter.

h) Define and identify all common tempo and expression marks.

3) Score Analysis:

a) Notate, hear, and identify all common cadences in major and minor keys.

b) Identify common non-harmonic tones.

c) Roman-numeral and figured bass analysis of a variety of scores.

d) Metric organization analysis.

e) Analysis includes the study of a variety of score types from a variety of time periods and styles.

4) Compositional Skills:

a) Realize given figured-bass or Roman-numeral progressions into four-part choral-style progressions consistent with that of the common practice period.

b) Compose a bass line or chorale for a given melody consistent with the practices of the common practice period.

Texts and Resources

Required Textbooks

Kostka, Stefan & Payne Dorothy (2013). Tonal Harmony with an Introduction to Twentieth-Century

Music. 7th ed. Burr Ridge, Ill.: McGraw Hill.

Kostka, Stefan & Payne Dorothy (2013). Tonal Harmony with an Introduction to Twentieth-Century

Music. 7th ed. Workbook, Burr Ridge, Ill.: McGraw Hill.

McGill, Stan & Stevens Jr., Morris H (2003). 90 Days to Sight Reading Success, A Singers Resource for Competitive Sight Singing. Houston, TX: AMC Publishers.

Scoggin, Nancy (2010), Barron’s AP Music Theory, Joshua, TX: Barron’s Educational Series Inc.

Other Resources

(2003). MacGAMUT 2003 for Mac and Windows. Columbus, OH: MacGAMUT Music Software. Web site:

Adams, Ricci (2006). Ricci Adams' . Retrieved December 27, 2006. Web site:

Blood, Dr. Brian (2002). Dolmetch online. Retrieved January 4, 2007. Website:

Frank, Robert J. (2000). Theory on the Web. Retrieved January 4, 2007. Website:

Hammel, Bruce (2002). Music Theory at Virginia Commonwealth University. Retrieved January 4, 2007. Website:

Course Outline

|Weeks |Unit of Study, Topics, and Student Objectives |Resources, Assessments, and Strategies |

|1-2 |NOTATION |Resources: |

| | |Teacher’s notes |

| |Topics: |Tonal Harmony Chapter 1 |

| |The Aspects of Sound: pitch, amplitude, timbre, envelope |Piano |

| |(articulation) and duration | |

| |Relation of Notation to Aspects of Sound |Assessments: |

| | |Pre-Test |

| |Objectives: | |

| |Pre-test to determine prior knowledge |Ear Training and Analysis Strategies: |

| |Understanding of relationship between “highness of sound” and a |Score analysis: Melodie |

| |note’s relative position on paper | |

| |Initial sight-singing strategies | |

|2-3 |PITCH and PITCH CLASS, PIANO KEYBOARD and RANGE DESIGNATION |Resources: |

| | |Tonal Harmony Chapter 1 |

| |Topics: |Teacher’s notes |

| |Introduction to piano keyboard |Keyboard representation |

| |Pitch Class and Range identification (C4, etc.) |Piano |

| |Influence of MIDI on range ID |Online resources |

| | | |

| |Objectives: |Assessments: |

| |Use of keyboard as a visual means of understanding the musical |Keyboard Quiz |

| |alphabet. | |

| |Identify pitch-class and range aurally and on a piano | |

|3-4 |THE STAFF and CLEFS; INTRODUCTION TO SIGHT-SINGING |Resources: |

| | |Tonal Harmony Chapter 1 |

| |Topics: |Teacher’s notes |

| |Reasons for clefs and their relationship to instrumental range |Online resources |

| |Development of clefs | |

| |Ledger lines and what we do to avoid them (clef) |Assessments: |

| |Introduction to sight-singing systems: sol-fa syllables vs. |Transcribe melody from one clef to another |

| |numbers |Class sight-singing |

| | |Homework, daily work, and worksheets |

| |Objectives: |Exam: Notation, Pitch, and Clefs |

| |Introduction to sight-singing | |

| |Continued development of knowledge of the musical language and |Ear Training and Aural Analysis Strategies: |

| |relative pitch |Sight-singing: Stepwise, major, simple meter |

| | |Use of different sight-singing systems |

| | |Melodie (further analysis) |

| | |Nature’s Way aural/visual analysis |

|5-6 |SCALES and MAJOR KEYS |Resources: |

| | |Tonal Harmony Chapter 1 |

| |Topics: |Teacher’s notes and lecture |

| |Chromatic and Diatonic Collections |Online resources |

| |Scales and scale degrees | |

| |The Major Scale: pattern of half and whole steps and their |Assessments: |

| |tendencies |Quizzes for memorization |

| |Using accidentals to conform to the pattern, development of key |Drilling on |

| |signatures |Homework |

| |Identifying a key from a key signature | |

| |Introduction to various mnemonic devices |Ear Training and Aural Analysis Strategies: |

| | |Sight-singing: Stepwise and leaps in the tonic, major, simple |

| |Objectives: |meter |

| |Identify and build key signatures from memory | |

| |Understanding of half- and whole-step tendencies | |

| |Recognition and use of major scales | |

|6-8 |MINOR KEYS and DIATONIC MODES |Resources: |

| | |Tonal Harmony Chapter 1 |

| |Topics: |Teacher’s notes and lecture materials |

| |Pattern of half- and whole-steps in (natural) minor scales |Online resources |

| |Relationships between minor and major scales | |

| |Relative and parallel keys |Assessments: |

| |Harmonic and melodic forms of the minor scale |Homework |

| |Introduction and derivation of scale-degree names (tonic, |Daily classwork and group work |

| |supertonic, etc.) |Quizzes |

| |Derivation of diatonic modes |Exam: Keys and Modes |

| | | |

| |Objectives: |Ear Training and Aural Analysis Strategies: |

| |Understanding of all major and minor keys and the relationships |Sight-singing: Stepwise, major and minor, simple meter |

| |between them |Aural recognition of forms of the minor |

| |Understanding of modes |Listening to music for major or minor key and modulations |

| |Understanding of scale-degree names |Singing back simple pitch collections given by teacher |

| | |(intermediate step to dictation) |

|8-9 |PITCH INTERVALS |Resources: |

| | |Tonal Harmony Chapter 1 |

| |Topics: |Teacher’s notes and lecture materials |

| |Quantity and quality as a means of relating two notes. |Online resources |

| |Aural recognition and oral reproduction | |

| |Familiar contexts (i.e. mnemonics) |Assessments: |

| |Melodic vs. Harmonic use |Nine Weeks Exam |

| |Recognition of Perfect and Major intervals in relation to the |Classwork and homework |

| |major key signature |MacGAMUT drill results |

| |Counting half-steps vs. using key signatures to identify |Interval identification in four-part chorales |

| |intervals |Interval identification in various repertoire |

| |Other intervallic qualities (minor, augmented, diminished, etc.)|Students generate a simple melody on Finale for the class to |

| |Interval Inversion |sight-read |

| |Compound Intervals | |

| |Introduction to Finale music notation software |Ear Training and Aural Analysis Strategies: |

| | |MacGAMUT drilling for interval recognition |

| |Objectives: |Singing back simple melodies, then writing them on paper (simple|

| |Aural and visual recognition of intervals |melodic dictation) |

| |Oral reproduction of given intervals |Sight-singing: Stepwise, major and minor, simple meter |

| |Proper understanding of interval inversion and compound | |

| |intervals | |

| |Continued reinforcement of key signatures | |

| |Basic uses of music notation software | |

|10-13 |TRIADS, SEVENTH CHORDS and their INVERSIONS |Resources: |

| | |Tonal Harmony Chapter 3 |

| |Topics: |Teacher’s Notes and Lecture |

| |Importance of the third in common practice period composition |Online resources |

| |Triad construction in stacked root position | |

| |Chord members: root, third, and fifth |Assessments: |

| |Triad qualities: Major, minor, etc. |Quizzes |

| |Constructing and recognizing inversions |Classwork and homework |

| |Derivation of inversion symbols and figured bass, and building |Chord Exam |

| |chords from each indication |Harmonic analyses of various works and styles (focusing |

| |Melodic implications of inversions (hint at smooth voice |primarily on hymns and the like) |

| |leading) |Group project: Coke bottles to create intervals and chords |

| |Seventh chord qualities in the common practice period | |

| |Consonance vs. dissonance |Ear Training and Aural Analysis Strategies: |

| |Various nomenclature of chords and inversions |Aural identification of qualities of chords |

| |Understanding chord symbols in popular music |Aural recognition of root vs. inverted position |

| | |Sight-singing: Stepwise, major and minor, simple meter |

| |Objectives: |Additional Sight-singing student-generated melodies |

| |Visual and aural recognition of chords and inversions |Continued practice of melodic dictation |

| |Continued reinforcement of intervals | |

|14-16 |RHYTHM and METER |Resources: |

| | |Tonal Harmony Chapters 2 |

| |Topics: |Teacher’s notes and lecture |

| |Definitions: duration, rhythm, meter, pulse, beat, tempo, |Online resources |

| |subdivision, syncopation | |

| |Duration symbols |Assessments: |

| |Derivation of meter from language |Individual and group score study of meter, rhythm, and notation |

| |Simple meter and compound meter structures |Quizzes |

| |Duple, triple, and quadruple meter structure and strong-weak |Homework and classwork |

| |tendencies |Rhythmic and Melodic Analysis of Desperado |

| |Conducting patterns for meter | |

| |Complex meter systems (7/8, etc.) |Ear Training and Aural Analysis Strategies: |

| |Beaming patterns and rules |Sight-singing and dictation: simple or compound meters, major or|

| | |minor, mostly stepwise |

| |Objectives: |Rhythmic dictation |

| |Visual and aural recognition of meter and metric structure | |

| |Understanding of meter signature and beaming practices | |

|16-18 |CHORDS IN A DIATONIC CONTEXT |Resources: |

| | |Tonal Harmony Chapters 3, 4, 5 |

| |Topics: |Teacher’s notes and lecture |

| |Roman numerals for scale-degree triads |Online resources |

| |Diatonic triads found in the major key (including ii7, V7, and | |

| |viio7 |Assessments: |

| |Common diatonic triads found in the minor key: I, ii o, III, iv,|Figured-bass analyses of various musical examples, including |

| |V, VI, vii o, and above seventh chords |music with arpeggiated bass figures and figured bass. |

| |Scalar variants dependent upon minor scale form: III+, v, and |Quizzes |

| |VII. |Homework and classwork |

| |Arpeggio and Alberti bass figures |Exam: Rhythm, Meter, and Diatonic Chords |

| | |Semester Exam |

| |Objectives: | |

| |Objective |Ear Training and Aural Analysis Strategies: |

| |Objective |Sight-singing and dictation: simple or compound meters, major or|

| | |minor, larger intervals in the tonic and dominant |

|18-19 |INTRODUCTION TO PART-WRITING |Resources: |

| | |Tonal Harmony Chapters 5, 6 |

| |Topics: |Teacher’s notes and lecture materials |

| |Explanation of part-writing in the common practice period and |Online resources |

| |expectations (not what you can do, but what they would have | |

| |done) |Assessments: |

| |Grand staff and vocal ranges |Harmonizing given progressions |

| |Vertical rules: spacing; voice-crossing; standard doublings; |Individual sigh-singing tests |

| |inversions; similar, contrary, and oblique motion; and |Dictation exercises |

| |parallelisms. |Individual and group work |

| |Horizontal rules: general concerns of contour; conjunct vs. | |

| |disjunct motion; characteristic motion for each of the four |Ear Training and Aural Analysis Strategies: |

| |parts; implications based upon bass line or melody line. |Sight-singing and dictation: simple or compound meters, major or|

| |Writing progressions with the I, I6, and I6-4 (major and minor |minor, larger intervals in the tonic and dominant |

| |keys) given Roman numerals or figured-bass | |

| |Dictation strategies | |

| | | |

| |Objectives: | |

| |Working understanding of part-writing rules | |

| |Mastery of harmonic progressions involving only the tonic chord | |

| |and its inversions | |

|19-20 |PROGRESSIONS USING THE I, V, AND V7 CHORDS AND THEIR INVERSIONS |Resources: |

| | |Tonal Harmony Chapter 7 |

| |Topics: |Teacher’s notes and lecture materials |

| |Scale degree function |Online resources |

| |Function and relative tension of scale-degrees | |

| |Tritone as cornerstone of intervallic motion. |Assessments: |

| |Review of harmonic minor scale and its use in building the |Harmonic progressions |

| |dominant chord |Dictation exercises |

| |Introduction of authentic and half cadences | |

| |Uses of a 6-4 chord (if breached in class) |Ear Training and Aural Analysis Strategies: |

| |Proper resolution of tendency tones |Continued aural and visual analyses of various works, |

| | |appropriate to study |

| |Objectives: |Sight-singing and dictation: simple or compound meters, major or|

| |Mastery of harmonic progressions using I, V, and V7 chords |minor, intervals in the tonic and dominant |

| | |Dictation of outer voices in given progressions |

|21-22 |THE SUBDOMINANT CHORD and INTRODUCTION to the SUPERTONIC |Resources: |

| | |Tonal Harmony Chapter 6, 7, 13 |

| |Topics: |Teacher’s notes and lecture materials |

| |The subdominant chord and its function within progressions |Online resources |

| |Plagal cadences | |

| |Concept of harmonic rhythm |Assessments: |

| |Relation of IV to ii |Harmonic progressions |

| |I – IV – V progressions in popular music |Dictation exercises |

| |Scale degree function | |

| |Non-chord tones: passing tones and neighbor tones |Ear Training and Aural Analysis Strategies: |

| | |Continued aural and visual analyses of various works, |

| |Objectives: |appropriate to study |

| |Mastery of harmonic progressions using I, IV, V, and V7 chords |Sight-singing: simple or compound meters, major or minor, any |

| |(including inversions) |intervals |

| | |Dictation of outer voices in given progressions |

| | |Solfege Matrix to improvise melodies |

|22-23 |THE SECONDARY CHORDS FROM THE MAIN FUNCTIONAL AREAS: ii, ii7, |Resources: |

| |vi, viio, and viiø7 (their inversions and minor key equivalents)|Tonal Harmony Chapters 14-15 |

| | |Teacher’s notes and lecture materials |

| |Topics: |Online resources |

| |Relationships between IV, ii, and ii7, their functional | |

| |similarities, and substitution. |Assessments: |

| |Quality differences in minor keys |Harmonic progressions |

| |Prevalence of the ii6 and the ii6-5, reasons, and influence on |Individual sight-singing tests |

| |doubling |Dictation |

| |Introduction to nonharmonic tones: introducing passing tones and| |

| |neighbor tones to students’ progressions |Ear Training and Aural Analysis Strategies: |

| |Submediant chord in major and minor |Harmonic dictation using taught progressions. |

| |Submediant as a substitute for tonic, and the deceptive cadence |Sight-singing: simple or compound meters, major or minor, |

| |The viio, viio, and viiø7 |including V/V and modulation to the key of the dominant |

| |Relation to the dominant |Individual improvisation within given harmonic progressions |

| |Resolution to the tonic or tonic-related chords |(solfege matrix) |

| |Common uses before major and minor chords of resolution |Continued analyses of music appropriate to current unit |

| | | |

| |Objectives: | |

| |Further mastery of harmonic progression | |

| |Growing understanding of tendencies among intervals, scale | |

| |degrees, and chords to move from one place to another | |

|24 |THE MEDIANT CHORD—THE CHAMELEON and SUSPENSIONS |Resources: |

| | |Teacher’s notes and lecture materials |

| |Topics: |Online resources |

| |Functional dichotomy of the mediant chord and the use of | |

| |inversion and doubling |Assessments: |

| |The mediant chord as the relative major |Harmonic progressions |

| |The association of the mediant and submediant chords |Harmonic dictation |

| |Non-chord tones: the suspension |Short composition assignment using harmonic vocabulary thus far,|

| | |within given parameters. |

| |Objectives: | |

| |Further mastery of harmonic progression |Ear Training and Aural Analysis Strategies: |

| |Proper use of suspensions with other non-chord tones |Sight-singing and dictation: simple or compound meters, major or|

| | |minor, modulation to closely related keys and additional |

| | |secondary dominants |

| | |Individual improvisation within given harmonic progressions |

| | |Continued analyses of music appropriate to current unit |

|25 |SCALAR VARIANTS and MODE MIXTURE |Resources: |

| | |Tonal Harmony Chapter 21 |

| |Topics: |Teacher’s notes and lecture materials |

| |Derivations and functional deviation of the scalar variants |Online resources |

| |(review from first semester) | |

| |Mode mixture (borrowed chords), its use and recognition—a |Assessments: |

| |coloristic expansion of familiar functional progressions |Drill with chord symbols, figured bass and analysis |

| |Non-chord tones: retardations, anticipations, and pedal points |Appropriate harmonic progressions |

| | |Harmonic dictation |

| |Objectives: |Sight-singing tests |

| |Recognition of borrowed chords in music | |

| | |Ear Training and Aural Analysis Strategies: |

| | |Sight-singing and dictation: simple or compound meters, major or|

| | |minor, chromaticism, syncopation |

|26 |AP EXAM TEST-TAKING SKILLS |Resources: |

| | |Released AP Exam |

| |Topics: |College Board AP Music Teachers Guide, Appendix B |

| |Preparation for multiple choice section | |

| |Test preparation and test-taking strategies |Assessments: |

| |Take a practice exam |Overview of test results (not graded) |

| | |Nine Weeks Cumulative Exam |

| |Objectives: | |

| |Improve AP Exam Scores |Ear Training and Aural Analysis Strategies: |

| | |Sight-singing and dictation: simple or compound meters, major or|

| | |minor, chromaticism, syncopation |

|27-28 |PHRASES and CADENCES and PERIODIC STRUCTURE |Resources: |

| | |Tonal Harmony Chapters 10 |

| |Topics: |Teacher’s notes and lecture materials |

| |Compare phrases and cadences to language structures |Online resources |

| |Identify phrases in familiar contexts | |

| |Phrases vs. sub-phrases, and the importance of tempo and |Assessments: |

| |context. |Compositions |

| |Period structure and familiar songs |Structure analysis of commonly-known music |

| |Enlarged, expanded, and double periods, and terminology |Classwork and Homework |

| |conflicts. | |

| |The binary structure of periodic structures and stylistic |Ear Training and Aural Analysis Strategies: |

| |observations within the language of the common practice period. |Sight-singing and dictation: simple or compound meters, major or|

| | |minor, chromaticism, syncopation |

| |Objectives: | |

| |Recognize and identify phrasing and structure in a variety of | |

| |compositions. | |

|29 |OTHER DIATONIC SEVENTH CHORDS and SEQUENCE (HARMONIC AND |Resources: |

| |MELODIC) |Tonal Harmony Chapter 15 |

| | |Teacher’s notes and lecture materials |

| |Topics: | |

| |Differentiation between seventh chord and chord with non-chord |Assessments: |

| |tone |Harmonization of progressions |

| |Study of music using choral sevenths. |Aural reinforcement |

| |Harmonic sequence as a root pattern |Classwork and Homework |

| |Magic number three and structural meaning | |

| | | |

| |Objectives: | |

| |Understand and recognize diatonic sequences | |

| |Use seventh chords to create diatonic sequence | |

|30-31 |SECONDARY DOMINANT and SECONDARY LEADING-TONE CHORDS |Resources: |

| | |Tonal Harmony Chapters 16 |

| |Topics: |Teacher’s notes and lecture materials |

| |Review of dominant function and tonicization through the LT and | |

| |5th |Assessments: |

| |Drill on dominant-root relation |Harmonization of appropriate progressions |

| |Identify and construct secondary dominants |Aural reinforcement |

| |Review the leading tone chord and its resolution |Classwork and Homework |

| |Drill on leading tone-root relation | |

| |Identify and construct secondary dominants | |

| | |Ear Training and Aural Analysis Strategies: |

| |Objectives: | |

| |Mastery using and identifying secondary dominants | |

|32 |DIATONIC MODULATION |Resources: |

| | |Tonal Harmony Chapter 18-19 |

| |Topics: |Teacher’s notes and lecture materials |

| |What is modulation? | |

| |Closely related keys |Assessments: |

| |Review of progressional norms. |Aural and written recognition of modulation |

| |The pivot chord. |Modulatory progressions |

| | |Classwork and Homework |

| |Objectives: |Practice open-ended section of AP Test |

| |Mastery of modulations | |

| | | |

| | |Ear Training and Aural Analysis Strategies: |

| | |Testing strategies for open-ended section of AP test |

|33 |FORM (binary and tertiary) |Resources: |

| | |Tonal Harmony Chapter 20 |

| |Topics: |Teacher’s notes and lecture materials |

| |Binary form | |

| |Phrase design |Assessments: |

| |Tonal structure |Aural and written recognition of various forms in music |

| |Simple ternary form |Class arranging project |

| |Composite ternary form | |

| |Marches and ragtime |Ear Training and Aural Analysis Strategies: |

| | |Aural recognition of forms…repeated sections, codas, etc. |

| |Objectives: |Aural analysis of longer literature |

| |Understand and recognize form | |

|34 |CHROMATIC APPROACHES TO V: THE NEOPOLITAN SIXTH AND AUGMENTED |Resources: |

| |SIXTHS |Tonal Harmony Chapter 22-24 |

| | |Teacher’s notes and lecture materials |

| |Topics: | |

| |N6 Voice-leading and resolution | |

| |Writing Neapolitan Sixths |Assessments: |

| |Voice-leading and resolution of augmented sixth chords |Arranging project (continued) |

| |Writing It6, Fr6, and Gr6 | |

| | |Ear Training and Aural Analysis Strategies: |

| |Objectives: |Continued daily sight-singing and dictation |

| |Mastery of these chromatic approaches | |

|35-36 |INTRODUCTION TO 20TH CENTURY COMPOSITIONAL PRACTICES |Resources: |

| |Topics: |Tonal Harmony Chapter 28 |

| |Pitch Collections and Scales, including whole-tone, pentatonic, |Teacher’s notes and lecture materials |

| |and octatonic | |

| |Jazz Harmonies and Scales |Assessments: |

| |Structure in popular music and jazz |Final Exam |

| | | |

| |Objectives |Ear Training and Aural Analysis Strategies: |

| |Brief introduction to 20th and 21st century compositional |Preparation for final exam |

| |techniques | |

|36 |FINAL REVIEW |Resources: |

| | |Teacher’s notes and lecture materials |

| |Topics: | |

| |Preparation for final exam |Assessments: |

| | |Final Exam |

| | | |

| | |Ear Training and Aural Analysis Strategies: |

| | |Preparation for final exam |

Student Evaluation

Student’s grades are determined as follows:

Homework assignments and quizzes 60 percent

Written, Aural, and Sight-singingExams 40 percent

Teacher Resources

Biringer, Gene (2006). Worksheets for music theory fundamentals. Retrieved December 27, 2006, from Gene Biringer's Home Page, Lawrence University Web site:

Benjamin, T., Horvit, M., & Nelson, R. (2003). Techniques and materials of music from the common practice period through the twentieth century. Belmont, CA: Thomson Schirmer.

Clendenning, Jane Piper, and Elizabeth West Marvin. 2005. The Musician’s Guide to Theory and Analysis. New York: W. W. Norton.

Ferrandino, Blaise et al. (2002). The AP vertical teams guide for music theory. The College Board.

Ottman, Robert. 2004. Music for Sight-Singing, 6th ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall.

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