AP Music Theory at the CareerCenter
Chris Garmon, Instructor - 336.727.8181
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“Some people say music theory is like dissecting a frog: you learn a lot, but you kill the frog. I like to think of it more like … exploratory surgery”
Text: Tonal Harmony, 6th Ed. Kostka and Payne (provided)
Tonal Harmony 6th Ed. Workbook, Kostka and Payne (not provided)
A New Approach to Sight Singing, 4th Ed. Ed. Berkowitz, et al. (provided)
Modus Vetus, Edland, Lars; trans. Alan Stout(provided)
MacGamut 6 – ear training software (not provided)
Barron’s AP Music Theory (recommended)
Objectives:
- To develop your ability to recognize and understand the basic functions and processes in ANY music heard or written.
- To obtain college credit by successfully passing the Advanced Placement Music Theory Exam (Test Date: Monday, May 13, 2012)
Materials:
- One 2” three ring binder with regular paper and staff paper (8.5X11)
- Tonal Harmony 6th Ed. Workbook ($60.00)*
- MacGamut 6 ear training software ($32.00)*
- Pencils (mechanical .5 mm recommended) NO CREDIT FOR WORK DONE IN PEN
- USB Flash Drive 1 gig minimum
Grading Scale:
AP MusicTheory Syllabus, CareerCenterHigh School, Chris Garmon, instructor
AP Music Theory at the CareerCenter
Chris Garmon, Instructor - 336.727.8181
-
Quizzes25%
Quarter Tests30%
Homework15%
Performance20%
A = 93 – 100 Superior Performance
B = 85 – 92 Good Performance
C = 77 – 84 Satisfactory Performance
D = 70 – 76 Poor Performance
F = 69 & below Failing
AP MusicTheory Syllabus, CareerCenterHigh School, Chris Garmon, instructor
AP Music Theory at the CareerCenter
Chris Garmon, Instructor - 336.727.8181
-
Welcome to the wonderful world of Music Theory! This is a challenging, yet rewarding class both in “book” work and ear training. Material is presented by lecture and software. There is a large amount of drill and practice, but with endurance, students will achieve at a high level.
Keys to Success in AP Music Theory
Organization
Participation
Communication
Persistence
*Check for materials ($92.00) payable to “The Career Center” and due on or before August 31, 2012.
Course Outline – First Quarter (9-Weeks) Aug. 2 – Nov. 2
Week(s) / Chapter / Concepts / Aural Skills / Performance Skills / Compositional Skills1-2 / 1 / Elements of Pitch: major scales, minor scales, modal scales, pentatonic scales, and whole tone scales / Simple step-wise dictation 3, 5, 7, & 10 note patterns in major mode and treble cleff / Sight-singingsimple melodies with conjunct motion in major mode with solfege in treble cleff, sing major and minor scales / Notation, key signatures, major and minor scales, scale degree names, intervals (P, M, m, +, °), simple and compound intervals, inversions of intervals
3-4 / 2 / Elements of Rhythm and Meter
Duration symbols, meter, time signatures, etc… / Rhythmic dictation, melodic dictation, scale and interval identification / Sight-Singing with conjunct motion featuring small intervallic leaps, bass and treble cleffs / Symbols of duration, beat, tempo, meter, time signatures , rhythmic notation and patterns
5 - 6 / 3 / Triad and 7th Chord Construction
Inversions, Figured bass, etc… / Melodic dictation, scale and interval identification, triad and 7th chord identification / Sight-singing mostly conjunction motion with larger skips, simple rhythms, treble and bass cleffs, major and minor modes / Triads and 7th chords and inversions, inversion symbols and figured bass, lead sheet symbols, various chord textures
7 - 9 / 4 / Diatonic Chords in Major and Minor Keys / Melodic dictation (some larger skips, simple and compound meters, treble and bass clefs, major and minor modes / Melodies featuring conjunct motion with larger intervallic leaps, melodies in major and minor modes, simple meter, treble and bass cleffs, / Triads and 7th chords, diatonic chords in major and minor, Roman numerals, figured bass, realization of figured bass and of Roman Numeral progressions
Course Outline – Second Quarter (9-Weeks) Nov. 5 – Jan. 18
Week(s) / Chapter / Concepts / Aural Skills / Performance Skills / Compositional Skills10 - 12 / 5, 6 / Voice Leading, Root Position Part Writing / Short harmonic dictation (S-B only with chord symbols), develop a strategy for harmonic dictation / Melodies featuring conjunct motion with larger intervallic leaps, melodies in major and minor modes, other church modes, and pentatonic scales simple meter, treble and bass cleffs / Melodic line (including contour, harmonization of the melody, rhythm, appropriate leaps, and tendency tones), notating a chord, voicing a single triad, spacing, parallel motion, unequal fifths and octaves, root-position writing in 4-voice texture
13 – 15 / 7, 8, 9 / Harmonic Progression, Triads in First Inversion, Triads in Second Inversion / Simple harmonic dictation in major and minor keys, continued identification of intervals, triads, and 7th chords / Longer diatonic melodies, larger intervals (6th), major and minor, simple and compound meters, treble and bass clefs / Sequences and the Circle of Fifths progression, part writing triads in first and second inverstions, realization of Roman numeral progressions, analysis of Bach Chorales
16 - 17 / 10 / Cadences, Phrases, and Periods / 2 – phrase melodic and harmonic dictation in major and minor, identification of cadences, phrase structure / 2-voice sight-singing melodies, major and minor, authentic melodies from music literature / Cadences, phrase structure, motives, part-writing practice in groups, part writing in minor, harmonization practice
18 / Catch up and Review for Semester exam, harmonization project / Practice sight singing modal, pentatonic, and whole tone scales and melodies derived from these scales. / Introduce modal and pentatonic scale, whole tone scale, compositional exercises in melodies using modal, pentatonic, and whole tone scales
Course Outline – Third Quarter (9-Weeks) Jan 23 – Mar. 27
Week(s) / Chapter / Concepts / Aural Skills / Performance Skills / Compositional Skills19 – 20 / 11, 12 / Non Chord Tones / Melodic dictation featuring non-chord tones / Melodies featuring non-chord tones / Passing tones, neighbor tones, suspensions, retardations, appoggiaturas, escape tones, neighbor groups, anticipations, pedal point, analysis of literature and identification of non chord tones
21 – 22 / 13 / The V7 Chord / Harmonic dictation featuring V7 / Melodies with chromatic alterations / V7 chord in root and inverted positions, voice leading considerations
23 / 14 / The II7 and VII7 chords / Harmonic dictation featuring V7, II7 and VII7 / Sight-singing released exam items
Analysis of released examples / More practice with V7, II7 and VII7 chords in root and inverted positions, completeino of released exam examples including analysis
24 – 25 / 16, 17 / Secondary Functions / Harmonic dictation featuring secondary dominant chords and secondary leading-tone chords / Melodies from released exams, practice in language lab in treble and bass clefs, major and minor modes, simple and compound meters, diatonic and chromatic non-chord tones / Secondary dominant chords (spelling and recognizing), secondary leading-tone chords (spelling and recognizing), deceptive resolutions of secondary dominants
26 – 27 / 18 / Modulations Using Diatonic Common Chords / Melodic dictation featuring common-chord modulations / Continued exam practice / Modulation and change of key, modulation and tonicization, key relationships, common-chord modulation, analyzing common-chord modulations
Course Outline – Fourth Quarter (9-Weeks) Apr. 8 – May 24th
Week(s) / Chapter / Concepts / Aural Skills / Performance Skills / Compositional Skills28 / Complete 2008 Released Exam
29 / 20 / Binary and Ternary Forms / Practice and review interval, triad 7th, chord identification, melodic and harmonic dictation / Continued Practice with released exam examples / Binary and ternary forms, rounded binary forms, 12-bar blues, rondo, strophic, theme and variations, analysis of music literature
31 – 32 / Continued Review and Practice for Exam
33 / AP Exam, Monday May 14, 2012
34-36 / Final Projects
AP MusicTheory Syllabus, CareerCenterHigh School, Chris Garmon, instructor