AP Music Theory/

IB Music 3283
Mr. Colbourne
Ms. Huys

Course Overview
AP Music Theory is designed for the
music student who has an understanding
of the fundamentals of music. The
student will gain advanced knowledge of
music theory, increased sight-singing
ability, ear training and composition.
The course will provide a solid
foundation in interval identification, scale
structures, rhythmic patterns, and
terminology. This course will serve to
prepare the student for the Advanced
Placement Music Theory exam on May
9th, 2016

AP Music Theory Goals:

To develop the students 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 students
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 course will first seek to instill mastery of the

rudiments and terminology of music, including
hearing and notating:

Pitches
Intervals
Scales

and keys
Chords
Meter
Rhythm

Building on this foundation, the course should

progress to include more sophisticated and creative
tasks, such as:

Melodic and harmonic dictation

Composition of a bass line for a given melody,
implying appropriate harmony
Realization of a figured bass
Realization of a Roman numeral progression
Analysis of repertoire, including melody,
harmony, rhythm, texture, and form
Sight-singing

Grade Breakdown:

60% major grades: tests/projects/midterm

40% minor grades: quizzes written or aural, analysis, and
vocabulary, participation, daily work, homework etc.
Tentative Schedule for 2015-2016 ALL DATES APPROXIMATE
UNIT 1: Sept 8-Oct 16
UNIT 2: Oct 19- Nov 30
UNIT 3: Dec 1- Jan 30th
UNIT 4: Feb 1- March 15
UNIT 5: March 15- May 9

Fundamentals of Music
Notation
Scales, Tonality, Key

ex. F# Harmonic Minor Scale

Modes
ex. Phrygian, Mixolydian, Ionian

Intervals

P1

M2

M3

P4

P5

Chords
Major
Minor
Augmented
Half-diminished
Fully-diminished
7th and extended chords

M6

M7

P8

The Structural Elements of

Music

Cadences and Non harmonic Tones

Melodic Organization
Texture and Textural Reduction
Counterpoint
Voice leading in Four-Part Chorale Writing
Harmonic Progression and Harmonic
Rhythm
Modulation
Form

Figured Bass
Same figured bass
harmonized in four-part
harmony:

Figured bass as it
appears originally:

6
4

Roman Numeral Analysis

Crger: Herr, ich habe missgehandelt (Lord, I
have transgressed), mm. 1-9.

i6

iv

V7

IB MUSIC
Units Covered
Unit 1- Music Listening and Analysis
Unit 2
-Music Theory
Unit 3- Renaissance Music
Unit 4-Baroque Music
Unit 5- Classical Music
Unit 6- Romantic and 21st century music
Unit 7- World Music overview

Evaluation
30 %- Tests/Quizes
30% -Choral Music Rubric
40 % -Assignments (including final MLI)

LOCAL COURSE VS.IB COURSE

Semester

Dates

Class Expectations

Semester 1
IB MUSIC 3383

September 2015January 2016

3 Classes per week + Ensemble

Semester 2
IB MUSIC 3383

February 2016May 2016

0 Classes per week + Ensemble

Semester 3
IB MUSIC 4383

September 2016January 2017

6 Classes per week + Ensemble

Semester 4
IB MUSIC 4383

February 2017May 2017

3 Classes per week+ Ensemble

(Students will work on MLI (to be graded and submitted as part of the
Provincial mark in March)

Percent
50 % (75
hours)
30 % (75
hours)
20 %

Evaluation
Group Performance*

Internal/External
Internal

Final Musical Exam

External

Musical Links Investigation

External

Adjusted grades

Band

Provincial

0-29

30-49

50-59

60-74

75-84

85-94

95100