1

AP Music Theory


Course Description
Materials and Resources
Course Requirements
Course Outline
Six Weeks Projects


Music Theory Course Description

Music Theory is a comprehensive, college freshman level, music enrichment course that
is best suited for seniors with several years of choir, band, orchestra or guitar. Students
will get the fundamental knowledge of the materials of music and of the processes used
in creating musical works. Most of the emphasis will placed on music of the Common
Practice period (1600-1750), music of other periods will also be studied.

This course will be a calculated attempt to represent graphically the organization of, and
the sense behind the association of, sounds in time. One main objective is to prepare
students for the Advanced Placement Music Theory Test, thus the outline has been
developed from the AP Music Theory course requirements found at AP Central.


Materials and Resources

Kostka, Stefan, and Dorothy Payne. Tonal Harmony, 5
th
Ed. New York: McGraw-Hill,
2003.

Ottman, Robert. Music for Sightsinging, 6
th
ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall,
2004

Technology lab software: Auralia, Music Lab (Melody and Harmony), Musition,
Sibelius 3 notation software.

Scoggin, Nancy, B.M.E.. Barrons APMusic Theory, Barrons Educational Series, Inc.,
2010

Selected listening lessons come widely from the CDs that are provided with the Tonal
Harmony textbook and workbook as well as the Barrons Ap Guide textbook. Basic
music theory concepts will be reinforced in the context of a variety of Western tonal
music. Released AP Music Theory exams also provide additional music samples.

Test samples from past AP Music Theory exams are also used for lesson reinforcement:
Melodic dictation, harmonic dictation, 4-part writing, harmonization and sight-singing.
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Course Requirements

1. Students will bring a three-ring binder in which to keep notebook paper and staff
paper. Students will provide their own staff paper. Six dividers will be needed to
designate the following sections: study notes, homework/classwork, aural
training, analysis, tests/quizzes, and sight reading.
2. Students will bring a pencil, folder and workbook (provided) every day.


Course Outline Many of the day to day activities include sight-reading (playing and
singing, melody and harmony), melodic and harmonic ear training, and listening lessons
which mostly include, but are not limited to, instrumental and vocal music from the
Common Practice period. Listening lessons include melodic, harmonic, formal, rhythmic,
and expressive elements. These activities start at a simple and attainable level of
difficulty, but become increasingly challenging as the year progresses.

Unit 1: Notation
Prepared notation exercises
General notation practices
Copy a short hymn
The Piano Keyboard and Range Designation
Recognize octaves on piano, staff and aurally
The Staff and Clefs
Introduction of Solfege Syllables
Echo singing
Student led solfege exercises
Unit 2: Scales (Major, Minor, Modal, Pentatonic, Whole-Tone)
Sight-singing in major and minor keys (continuous activity)
Simple melodic dictation using prepared rhythmic structure
Keys and Key Relationships
Key Signatures
Circle of Fifths
Unit 3: Intervals
Quantity and Quality
Aural recognition and oral reproduction
Compound intervals
Unit 4: Triads, Seventh Chords and Their Inversions
Building and Recognizing Triads
Using thirds and fifths to construct triads
Sight-singing reinforces simple intervals
Melodic vs. harmonic use
Perfect and Major intervals
Other intervallic qualities
Interval inversions
Visual and aural recognition of triads
Analyze chords of a Bach chorale and listen to it; Discuss the
chordal relationships
Inversion of triads
3
Analyze simple hymn using Roman Numerals and Figured Bass
Realize Roman Numerals and Figured Bass
Create short harmonic progressions given a melody
Listen to Stevie Ray Vaughan (12-bar blues)
Building and Recognizing Seventh Chords
Five types of seventh chords used in common practice
Aural recognition of seventh chord types using Western tonal
musical examples including: the hymn Aurelia by Samuel Wesley,
the hymn O Sacred Head Now Wounded by Johann Sebastian Bach
Unit 5: Rhythm and Meter
Duration, rhythm, meter, pulse, beat, tempo
Recognize and write rhythmic patterns using textbook audio
examples of Western tonal repertoire: Air in F Major by
J.S. Bach, The Entertainer by Scott Joplin, Piano Sonata in Bb Major 3
rd

movement by Franz Schubert, Unquiet Thoughts by John Dowland, and
Blessed Assurance by Phoebe Palmer Knapp.
Sight-singing exercises reflect familiar rhythmic patterns
Oral and aural exercises
Basics of conducting
Count rhythmic exercises at sight
Re-bar given rhythmic exercises using different meters
Compose short rhythmic exercises for class dictation
Unit 6: Chords in a Diatonic Context
Diatonic triads and sevenths in the Major key
Diatonic triads and sevenths in the minor key
Create different bass lines (implied harmony) to a familiar tune
Scalar variants
Unit 7: Introduction to Part Writing
The grand staff and vocal ranges
Vertical rules (melodic contour especially in counterpoint with
bass)
Horizontal rules (voice spacing, doubling norms, and parallels)
Writing progressions with the I, I6, and I6-4 chords
Realize a figured bass utilizing the I, I6, and I6-4 chords
Unit 8: Progressions Using the I, V and V7 and their Inversions
Scale degrees and their function and relative tension
Use of the harmonic minor scale in building the dominant chord
Introduction of authentic and half cadences
Tendency tones (Voice leading)
Realize a figured bass utilizing the I, V and V7 chords and
their inversions
Unit 9: The Subdominant Chord and Introduction to the Supertonic
The subdominant function
Harmonic rhythm
The relation of IV to ii
Aural recognition of harmonic progressions (I, IV & V)
Compose a bass line using I, IV and V chords (include inversions)
Begin discussion of phrase structure
Realize a figured bass using the ii chord
Unit 10: The Secondary Chords from the Main Functional Areas
4
Relationship between IV, ii and ii7. Quality differences in the
minor keys
The prevalence of the ii6 and ii6-5
The submediant chord and its function
The deceptive cadence
The vii, vii7 and vii 7. Relation to the dominant
Listen to 20
th
Century horror movie music (selected excerpts from
Psycho Movie score by Bernarnd Herrmann)
Resolution to the tonic or tonic related chords
Compose a bass line using the vii or vii7 chords
Unit 11: The Mediant Chord and its Chameleon-Like Nature.
The functional dichotomy of the mediant
The use of inversion and doubling
The association of the mediant and submediant chords
Realize figured bass using the mediant chord
Unit 12: Non-Chord Tones
Add appropriate Non-Chord tones to a realized figured bass
Analyze for Roman Numerals, Figured Bass and Non-Chord Tones
Unit 13: Scalar Variants and Mode Mixture
Unit 14: Melodic Composition-Phrase Structure, Cadences and Periodic Structure
Conjunct vs. Disjunct melodies
Motives/Themes/Leitmotifs/Motivic treatment and Variation
(Musical examples include: Piano Sonata in A. Op. 11 by
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Minuet in G Minor by J. S. Bach,
Woodworth by William B. Bradbury, O Sacred Head Now
Wounded by J.S. Bach)
Comparing phrases and cadences to language structures
Identifying phrases in familiar contexts
Phrases vs. sub-phrases: the importance of tempo and context
Periodic structure and familiar songs
Enlarged, expanded and double periods
The binary nature of periodic structures
Small forms
Rounded binary, simple ternary, theme & variations, strophic
Listen to Pachelbel, Canon, Bryn Terfel, Loviest of Trees,
And Winton Marsalis, Variations on a Neapolitan Song
Analyze written music for roman numerals, figured bass, cadences,
form and non-chord tones
Analyze the form of listening examples of Western tonal
music including: Cranham by Gustav Holst, The Easy
Winners by Scott Joplin, Air, From Suite No. 3 in D by J. S.
Bach, Fugue for String Quartet, Op. 137 by Ludwig van
Beethoven.
Other 20
th
Century compositional devices
Whole Tone, Chromatic, and Pentatonic scales
Listen to Debussy, Reverie
Unit 15: Other Diatonic Seventh Chords and Sequences (Harmonic and Melodic)
Differentiation of seventh and non-chord tones
The melodic sequence, identification and labeling
The harmonic sequence as a root pattern
5
Unit 16: Secondary Dominant and Secondary Leading-Tone Chords
Review of dominant function and tonicization through the leading-
tone and fifth
Identifying and constructing secondary dominants
Review of the leading-tone chord and its resolution
Identifying and constructing secondary leading-tone chords
Unit 17: Diatonic Modulation
What is a modulation?
Closely related keys
Review of progressional norms
The pivot chord
Write a progression with a modulation to a closely
related key
Regions or areas
Modulatory progressions
Unit 18: Neapolitan and Augmented 6
th
Chords
Function and typical usage of both
Special spelling and analysis
Normal resolution of N6 root
Normal resolution of 4
th
and 6
th
degrees in Aug 6
th
.


Six Weeks Projects

1
st
Six Weeks Write Major Scales (Ionian mode) according to system of half and
whole steps. Key Signatures are by-product of scales. Write
Pentatonic and Whole Tone Scales starting on various pitches and
in various clefs.

2
nd
Six Weeks Write Relative Minor Scales. Natural Minor (Aeolian mode)
according to system of half and whole steps, and then create
Harmonic and Melodic minor scales. Write Modal Scales
according to their systems of whole steps and half steps. (Dorian,
Phrygian, Lydian, Mixalydian, Locrian)

3
rd
Six Weeks Make a melody instrument from scratch, on which you will
perform an original melodic composition. Be able to perform
diatonic chords on your instrument that can accompany a simple
childrens song.

4
th
Six Weeks Define given music theory terms using complete sentences.
Prepare this project as a computer-generated document. Attach
musical excerpts which represent at least ten (10) of the terms.
The same example may not be used for more than one vocabulary
term. Besides the regular sources, you may also use the choral
library.

5
th
Six Weeks Compose an original short 4 part chorale in the common practice
style under the following criteria. (4-8 measures)
1. Use eighth, quarter, and half notes, except in measure 4 where whole
6
note should be used.
2. Use at least two different kinds of cadences. Label all cadences. The Last
should be a PAC.
3. Melody should be conjunct avoiding large leaps of a 5
th
+, and have a
focal point.
4. Dynamics should be used including p, mp, mf, f, or ff as you see
appropriate.
5. Use at least two seventh chords
6. Show Roman Numerals and Figured Bass.
8. Use simple quadruple meter.

6
th
Six Weeks Compose a 16-measure piece in Common Practice style. Use the
following criteria.
1. Use eighth, quarter, and half notes, except in measures 8 and 16 where whole
notes should be used.
2. Use at least two different kinds of cadences. Label all cadences.
3. Use the Double Period form, either parallel or contrasting. (see book, pp.
160-161 for a review)
4. Use, sparingly and tastefully, at least two different types of NCTs. Label all
NCTs.
5. Use at least one secondary function.
6. You MAY use N6 or +6 chords.
7. You MAY modulate. Careful, it needs to make harmonic sense.
8. Show Roman Numerals and Figured Bass.
9. Explain any uncommon doublings.
10. Use simple quadruple meter.