AP Music Theory Syllabus

2009-1010
Room Assignment: Band Room
Block: A4

General Overview of AP Music Theory

Students in AP Music Theory will be expected to accomplish a high level of basic
musicianship skills. The AP Music Theory curriculum is designed to prepare each student
to take the AP Music Theory Exam, given in the spring of the year. Rewards for the
successful AP Music Theory student are great, gaining musical understanding and
confidence in that understanding, enhancing their performance skills thereby getting a
head start on college-level study. The course includes a wide range of music literature to
be studied from standard Western tonal repertoires with an emphasis on 18th century
chorale style analysis and harmonization. Other styles of music including 20th century
compositions will be studied and students will be required to complete minor exercises
displaying their understanding of these compositional procedures.

Evaluation:
Tests and Quizzes- 50% (written, aural and oral) includes sight singing and ear training
Homework, classwork and pop quizzes- 25%
Class Participation- 25%

Materials:

Three-ring binder
Notebook paper
Music staff paper
Pencils

Texts:
Issued to Students:
Ottman, Robert. Elementary Harmony, Theory and Practice, 5th Edition. Upper Saddle
River, Princeton, NJ Printice Hall, 1998.
Resources:
Benward, Bruce and J. Timothy Kolosick. Ear Training:A Technique for Listening, 4th
edition. Wm. C. Brown Publishers.1991.
Kostka, S., and Payne, D. Tonal Harmony: With an Introducation to Twentieth Century
Music, 5th edition. McGraw-Hill Higher Education. 2004.
Kostka, S., and Payne, D. Tonal Harmony Workbook, 5th edition. McGraw-Hill Higher
Education. 2004
Ottman, Robert. Music For Sight Singing, 6th edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ. Prentice
Hall, 1998.
Course Overview:

First nine weeks:

• Visually identify standard musical notation symbols.
• Accurately notate music using accepted conventions.
• Visually and aurally identify rhythmic values.
• Visually identify all major and minor scales and key signatures.
• Visually identify piano keyboard octave register designations.
• Aurally identify all major and minor scales, including modes.
• Visually and aurally identify all major, minor, augmented, and diminished intervals and
their inversions.
• Accurately notate all major, minor, augmented, and diminished intervals.
• Visually and aurally identify all major, minor, augmented, and diminished triads and
seventh chords, in root position and inversions.
• Accurately notate all major, minor, augmented, and diminished triads and seventh chords.

Second Nine Weeks:

• Visually and aurally identify melodies and their use of typical melodic tendencies.
• Compose melodies using typical melodic tendencies.
• Visually and aurally identify melodic embellishments including non-harmonic tones.
• Aurally identify and notate melodies in a variety of keys and modes.
• Identify implied harmonies to given melodies.
• Compose melodies to given harmony.
• Visually and aurally identify common chord progressions (Tonic – Dominant; Tonic –
Subdominant).
• Visually identify vocal and keyboard scoring and open and closed position.
• Accurately construct and notate 4-part triads and their inversions following appropriate
spacing and doubling guidelines.
• Accurately realize figured bass.
• Demonstrate proper voice leading procedures.

Third Nine Weeks:

• Visually identify major and minor key major and minor triads and seventh chords and
their inversions using Roman Numeral analysis and figured bass.
• Accurately notate major and minor key diatonic progressions following applicable chord
construction and voice leading guidelines.
• Visually and aurally identify and notate Perfect Authentic, Imperfect Authentic, Half,
Plagal, Phrygian and Deceptive cadences.
• Visually and Aurally identify and notate secondary dominant and secondary leading tone
chords.
• Accurately realize major and minor key diatonic figured bass progressions in four-part
harmony.
• Accurately harmonize major and minor key soprano melodies using diatonic triads and
seventh chords in four-parts.
• Aurally identify and accurately notate bass and soprano voices from a four-part
homorhythmic texture.
• Visually and aurally identify motives, phrases, and periods and their component parts.
 • Identify parallel, contrary and oblique motion between two or more voices.

Fourth nine Weeks:

• Visually and aurally identify binary, rounded binary, ternary and theme and variations
musical forms.
• Visually and aurally identify 12-bar blues, song form (AABA), bridge/chorus/verse
musical forms.
• Experience music within the context of culture, music history and the study and practice
of music theory in 20th Century music.
• Visually and aurally identify monophonic, homophonic, heterophonic and polyphonic
textures.
• Visually and aurally identify ostinatos, canons and fugues.
• Visually and aurally identify modulations using diatonic common chords.
• Visually and aurally identify other forms of modulation.
• Aurally identify common instrument families and ensembles.
• Visually interpret musical scores for various performance genres.

Terms:
FORM 13. Rhythmic transformation
Cadence 14. Sequence
Cadential extension 15. Sequential repetition
Coda 16. Shortened version
Codetta 17. Transposition
Contour 18. Truncation
Countermelody 19. Motive
Elision (phrase elision) 20. Period
Fragment (fragmented motive) a. Antecedent
Introduction b. Consequent
A. Jazz and pop terms c. Contrasting period
1.Bridge d. Double period
2. Chorus e. Parallel period
3. Song form (AABA) 21. Phrase group
4. Turnaround 22. Refrain
5. Twelve-bar blues 23. Small forms
B. Melodic procedures a. Binary
1. Augmentation b. Rounded binary
2. Conjunct c. Ternary
3. Diminution 24. Solo, soli
4. Disjunct 25. Stanza
5. Extended version 26. Strophic
6. Fragmentation 27. Theme
7. Internal expansion a. Thematic transformation
8. Inversion, melodic inversion 28. Through-composed
9. Literal repetition 29. Tutti
10. Motivic transformation 30. Variation
11. Octave displacement 31. Verse
12. Retrograde

II. HARMONY
A. Cadence Types
1. Conclusive Cadence
a. Authentic
i. Imperfect authentic
ii. Perfect authentic
b. Plagal Cadence
2. Inconclusive cadence
a. Half
b. Deceptive
c. Phrygian half
B. Chord Quality
1. Triads
a. Augmented
b. Diminished
c. Major
d. Minor
2. Seventh Chords
a. Major seventh
b. Dominant seventh
c. Major-minor seventh
d. Minor seventh
e. Half-diminished seventh
f. Fully-dimished seventh
C. Functions and Progressions
1. Scale Degrees/Diatonic chord names
a. Tonic
b. Supertonic
c. Mediant
d. Subdominant
e. Dominant
f. Submediant
g. Subtonic
h. Leading tone
2. Functions
a. Tonic function
b. Dominant function
c. Predominant function
Circle of Fifths
Deceptive progression
Harmonic rhythm
3. Modulation
a. Common tone modulation
b. Phrase modulation
c. Pivot chord modulation
Neighboring chord
Rate of harmonic change
Retrogression
Secondary dominant
Secondary leading tone chord
Tonicization
4. Second Inversion (6/4 triads)
a. Arpeggiating 6/4
b. Cadential 6/4
c. Neighboring or pedal 6/4
d. Passing 6/4
5. Non-harmonic tones
a. Anticipation
b. Appoggiatura
c. Embellishment
d. Escape tone (echappee)
e. Neighboring Tone (auxiliary
tone, embellishing tone, neighbor note)
1.) Double neighbor
2.) Lower neighbor
3.) Upper neighbor
4.) Neighbor group
(cambiata, changing tones, changing notes)
5.)
Ornament
a. Passing tone
b. Pedal Point
c. Preparation
d. Resolution
e. Retardation
f. Suspension
1.) Rearticulated suspension
2.) Suspension chain
6. Spacing/Voicing/Position
a. Alto
b. Bass
c. Close position
d. Doubling
e. First inversion
f. Open position
g. Root
h. Root position
i. Second inversion
j. Soprano
k. Tenor
 l. Third Inversion h. Unison (prime)
i. Whole step (whole tone)
7. Voice Leading III. PERFORMANCE TERMS
a. Common tone A. Antiphonal
b. Contrary motion B. Articulation
c. Cross relation (false relation) 1.Arco
d. Crossed voices (voice 2. Legato
crossing) 3. Marcato
e. Direct fifths (hidden fifths) 4. Pizzicato
f. Direct octaves (hidden octaves) 5. Slur
g. Oblique motion 6. Staccato
h. Overlapping voices 7. Tenuto
i. Parallel motion C. Call and Response
1.) Parallel intervals D. Dynamics
2.) Objectionable 1. Crescendo
parallels 2. Diminuendo
3.) Parallel fifths 3. Terrace dynamics
4.) Parallel octaves 4. Pianissimo
j. Similar motion 5. Piano
k. Tendency tone 6. Mezzo piano
l. Unresolved leading tone 7. Mezzo forte
m. Unresolved seventh 8. Forte
n. Voice exchange 9. Fortissimo
8. Miscellaneous Harmonic Terms E. Improvisation, improvisatory
a. Arpeggio, arpeggiation F. Phrasing
b. Chromatic G. Tempo
c. Common Practice Style 1. Adagio
d. Consonance 2. Allegro
d. Diatonic 3. Andante
e. Dissonance 4. Andantino
f. Figured Bass 5. Grave
g. Flatted fifth 6. Largo
h. Lead sheet 7. Lento
i. Picardy third 8. Moderato
j. Resolution 9. Presto
9. Intervals 10. Vivace
a. Compound interval 11. Accelerando
b. Half step (semitone) 12. Ritardando
c. Interval 13. Ritenuto
d. Inversion, inversion of an 14. Rubato
interval
e. Numerical names (i.e., third, IV. RHTHYM/METER/TEMPORAL
fifth, octave) ORGANIZATION
f. Quality or type (e.g.) perfect, Accent
major, minor, diminished, augmented) Agogic accent
g. Tritone Dynamic accent
 Metrical accent Phrygian
Anacrusis (pick-up, upbeat) Lydian
Asymmetrical meter Mixolydian
Augmentation Aeolian
Bar line Locrian
Beat Modality
Beat type Parallel key, parallel major or minor
Compound Pentatonic
Simple Relative key, relative major or minor
Changing meter (multimeter) Tetrachord
Cross rhythm Tonal
Diminution Tonality
Dot, double dot Tonic
Dotted rhythm Whole-tone scale
Duplet
Duration V. TEXT/MUSIC RELATIONS
Hemiola Lyrics
Irregular meter Melismatic
Meter Stanza
Duple Syllabic
Quadruple
Triple VI. TEXTURE
Note value Alberti bass
Polyrhythm Canon
Pulse Canonic
Rhythm Chordal accompaniment
Swing rhythm Contrapuntal
Syncopation Counterpoint
Tempo Imitation
Tie Imitative polyphony
Time signature (meter) Nonimitative polyphony
Triplet Countermelody
Fugal imitation
SCALES/KEYS/MODES Heterophony, heterophonic
Accidental Homophony, homophonic
Chromatic, chromaticism Chordal homophony
Diatonic Chordal texture (homorhythmic)
Key signature Melody with accompaniment
Major Instrumentation
Minor Brass
Harmonic minor Continuo
Melodic minor Percussion
Natural minor (Aeolian) Rhythm section
Mode Strings
Ionian Timbre
Dorian Woodwinds
Melody Art song
Monophony, monophonic Concerto
Obbligato Fugue
Ostinato Genre
Polyphony, polyphonic Interlude
Register Opera
Solo, soli Prelude
Tessitura Postlude
Tutti Sonata
Walking bass Song
String quartet
VII. OTHER TERMS THAT MAY BE Symphony
USED ON EXAM
Aria

Additional Resources:
• AP Central homepage for Music Theory:
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/article/0,3045,151-165-0-2261,00.html
• www.musictheory.net
• www.emusictheory.com
• www.apmusichtheoryhelp.org
• Scales, Intervals, Keys, Triads, Rhythm and Meters, by John Clugh, Joyce Conley,
and Claire Boge
• Understanding Music, by Jeremy Yudkin
• Personal Music Collections

Technological Resources
• Alfred’s Music Trainer
• Finale Notepad
• Practica Musica
• Sibelius Music Notation Software
• SmartMusic
• Band in a Box

Teaching Strategies:
I firmly believe in teaching to mastery. Up to ¼ of any given class may be spent in working at the
blackboard. We work out many problems together as a class and I encourage students to work in
pairs both quizzing and assisting each other through difficult concepts. We often take guided
exercises and have multiple students work them out in front of the class demonstrating diverse
correct avenues to proceeding with the same harmonic proposition.

Since mastery is what I desire students to achieve, my policy is that any daily or homework
sheets may be corrected for a return to the student of ½ of the original value. This seems to
encourage truly getting the concepts as well as negating their fears of first efforts.