Cabrillo High School Band and Auxiliary

AP Music Theory

M-F, 11:59 a.m.-12:48 p.m.

Fall 2009

Instructor

Mr. Pakaluk (742-3444) or pakalukm@lompoc.12.ca.us

Course Description

AP Music Theory teaches students basic musicianship, theory, harmony, dictation, and music appreciation.The course will integrate aspects of melody, harmony, texture, rhythm, form, musical analysis, elementary composition, and to some extent, history and style. Musicianship skills such as dictation and other listening skills, sight-singing, and keyboard harmony are also taught.

The ultimate goal of this AP Music Theory course is to develop the student’s ability to recognize, understand, and describe the basic materials and processes of music that are heard or presented in a score. The achievement of these goals may best be approached by initially addressing fundamental aural, analytical, and compositional skills using both listening and written exercises. Building on this foundation, the course should progress to include more creative tasks, such as the harmonization of a melody by selecting appropriate chords, composing a musical bass line to provide two-voice counterpoint, or the realization of figured-bass notation.

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Course Requirements

Open to upperclassmen (and underclassmen upon instructor approval), It is preferable that the student has acquired (or is acquiring) at least basic performance skills in voice or on an instrument.

The AP exam tests your understanding of musical structure and compositional procedures through recorded and notated examples. Strong emphasis is given to listening skills, particularly those involving recognition and comprehension of melodic and rhythmic patterns, harmonic functions, small forms, and compositional techniques. Most of the musical examples are taken from standard repertoire, although some examples of contemporary, jazz, pop music, or music beyond the Western tradition are included for testing basic concepts. The examination assumes fluency in reading musical notation and a strong grounding in music fundamentals, terminology, and analysis.

Course Policies

Class begins at (11:59) a.m. Chronic tardiness affects the learning of others, and will lower your grade. Bring all required materials to class every day.

You will need a three ring binder and paper for taking notes.

Texts

Benward, Bruce, and Gary White. Music In Theory and Practice, Vol I.. New York: McGraw Hill, 2008.

Duckworth, William. A Creative Approach to Music Fundamentals. New York: Thompson and Schirmer, 2007.

Ghezzo, Marta Arkozzy. Solfege, Ear Training, Rhythm, Dictation, and Music Theory – A Comprehensive Course. Tuscaloosa: The University of Alabama Press, 2005.

Kodaly, Zoltan. Pentatonic Music: 100 Hungarian Folk Songs. New York: Boosey and Hawkes, 1969.

Supplementary Online Sources:

GREAT Music Theory site

http://www.musictheory.net/

Music Dictionary

http://www.music.vt.edu/musicdictionary/

Jazz-Related Theory

http://www.thejazzguide.com/index.php

Basic Music Theory

http://www.gmajormusictheory.org/Fundamentals/workbooks.html

Grading Scale:

            Classwork       %10

            Homework      %10

            Quizzes           %10

            Projects           %15

Tests               %20

Final Exam     %25

The AP Music Theory Exam tests knowledge on the following content:

Musical Terminology

            Intervals

            Triads

            Scales

            Modes

            Seventh Chords

Notational Skills

            Rhythm and Meter

            Clefs and Pitches

            Key Signatures

            Scales and Modes

            Intervals and Chords

            Melodic Transposition

Rhythm and Meter

            Melodic construction

            Variation

            Cadences

            Phrase Structure

            Texture

            Small Forms

            Musical Performance

Basic Compositional Skills

            Four Voice realization of figured bass

            Roman Numerals

            Composition of a bass line

Score Analysis (with or without aural stimulus)

            Small scale and large scale harmonic procedures

                        Identification of cadence types

                        Roman Numeral and figured bass analysis, including non-harmonic tones, seventh chords, and secondary dominants.

                        Identification of key centers and key relationships

                        Recognition of Modulation

Melodic organization and developmental procedures

            Scale types

            Modes

Motivic Development

            Inversion

            Retrograde

Sequence

            Imitation

Rhythmic Organization

            Meter

            Duple

            Triple

            Quadruple

            Simple and Compound

Rhythmic Devices

            Augmentation

            Diminution

            Hemiola

Texture

            Types (monophony, homophony, polyphony)

            Devices (canon, round, imitation)

Formal Devices and Procedures

            Phrase Structure

            Phrases in Combination

            Small Forms

Aural Skills

            Sight – Singing

                        Major and Minor modes

                        Treble and Bass Clefs

                        Diatonic and Chromatic Melodies

Melodic Dictation

                        Major and Minor modes

                        Treble and Bass Clefs

                        Diatonic and Chromatic Melodies

            Harmonic Dictation

                        Notation of Soprano and Bass Lines

            Harmonic Analysis in a four voice texture

Identification of isolated pitch and rhythmic patterns

Detection of errors in pitch and rhythm

            One voice

            Two Voices

Identification of processes and materials in the context of music representing a broad spectrum of genres, media, and styles

Melodic Organization

Harmonic Organization

Tonal organization

Meter and Rhythmic patterns

Instrumentation and timbre

Texture

Formal Procedure

As we cover these different concepts, we will check them off in order to maintain a record of our progress.

Course Planner

First Semester

Part 1: Fundamentals of Music Theory

Week 1            Overview of AP Music Theory Course Description handbook

                        Class Expectations

                        Chapter 1 - Pitch and Pitch Classes

                                    Sight-Singing: Introduction to Solfege

                                                            Simple Call and Response Patterns

                        Quiz: What do we know as a class?

Week 2            Chapter 2 – Rhythm I: Simple Meter

Beat, Meter, and Rhythm: Simple Meters

                                    4/4 (Common Time), Ύ, 2/4, Cut time

                                    Simple Duple Meter and Triple Meter

Quiz: Time Signatures, Simple meter, Rhythmic Dictation

Week 3            Chapter 3 – Rhythm II: Compound Meter

                                    Compound Meter, Ties, Syncopation, Repeat Signs

6/8, 3/8, 9/8, 5/8, 7/8

                                    Compound Duple and Triple

                                    Rhythm sheet clapping exercises

                        Quiz: Compound Meter, Ties, Syncopation, Repeat Signs

Week 4            Chapter 4 – Pitch:

                                    Enharmonic Pitches, ledger lines, octaves, stems, dynamics

                                    Sight-Singing: Scale line melodies, simple meter

                                    Review for Test on Chapters 1-4.

Test #1 Chapters 1-4

Week 5            Chapter 5 – Major Scales:

                                    Scales as interval patterns, scale degrees, building the scale

Sight-Singing: Scale line melodies, simple meter

                        Quiz: Build a major scale in any key

Week 6            Chapter 6 – Major Key Signatures

                                    The Key signatures, circle of fifths                    

                                    Sight-Singing: Scale line melodies, simple meter

                        Quiz: Create and Identify the key signature for any major key

Week 7            Chapter 7 –Intervals

Interval identification, perfect, major/min intervals

Interval inversion

Identifying intervals by ear

Sight-Singing: Identifying Intervals by ear

                                                            Using Instruments and Voices

                                    Trainer: www.musictheory.net

                        Quiz: Ear training and interval identification on paper

Week 8            Chapter 8 – Minor Key Signatures:      

Related keys, minor key signatures, parallel keys

Circle of fifths in minor

                        Quiz: Identify minor key signatures

Week 9            Chapter 9 – Minor Scales:       

Natural minor, harmonic minor, melodic minor

Using solfege in minor

                        Quiz: Identify and build all minor scales

                        Test #2: Chapters 5-9

Week 10          Chapter 10 – Constructing other Scales:           

                                    Pentatonic Scales, maj/min, Blues scale, Whole tone

                                    Origins of Jazz

                        Quiz: Other scales, origins of jazz

Week 11          Chapter 11 – Triads

                                    Maj, Min, Aug, Dim, Closed and open positions, inversions

                                    Hearing triads by ear

                        Quiz: Identify by sight and by ear triads of all qualities

Week 12          Chapter 12 – Triads in a musical context:         

                                    Roman numeral analysis, chord symbols, seventh chords

                        Chapter 13 – Chord Progressions

                                    Tendency tones, Cadences, Simple Chord Progressions

                        Play a four part Bach Chorale and sing the part of your choice

Sing in 3-4 parts using solfege

Quiz: Analyze a Bach Chorale

Test #3: Chapters 10-13

Final Exam       Part One Review and Exam on Chapters 1-13

By the end of the first semester, the student should be able to do the following:

Identify all scale types and be able to construct them.

Identify all interval/triad qualities and be able to construct them.

Analyze chord progressions using Roman numeral analysis and cadence identification.

Sight-sing a variety of melodies in both major and minor modes.

Sing using solfege and play a 4-part bach chorale while singing one part.

Transcribe from dictation a variety of appropriate melodies.

The following is a summary of the material to be covered and skills to be mastered in the AP Music Theory course in preparation for the AP Music Theory Examination. Topic headings are listed in the order presented in the 2009-2010 Course Description.

I. Musical Terminology and II. Notational Skills:

1. Notate and identify pitch in four clefs: treble, bass, alto, and tenor.
2. Notate, hear, and identify simple and compound meters.
3. Notate and identify all major and minor key signatures.
4. Notate, hear, and identify the following scales: chromatic, major, and the three forms of the minor.
5. Name and recognize scale degree terms, e.g., tonic, supertonic, etc.
6. Notate, hear, and transpose the following modes: Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, and Mixolydian (authentic forms only).
7. Notate, hear, and identify whole tone and pentatonic scales.
8. Notate, hear, and identify all perfect, major, minor, diminished, and augmented intervals inclusive of an octave.
9. Notate, hear, and identify triads and seventh chords including inversions.
10. Define and identify common tempo and expression markings.

III. Basic Compositional Skills:

1. Compose a bass line for a given melody to create simple two-part counterpoint in seventeenth- and/or eighteenth-century style; analyze the implied harmonies.
2. Realize a figured bass according to the rules of eighteenth-century chorale style, major or minor key, using any or all of the following devices: diatonic triads and seventh chords, inversions, nonharmonic tones, and secondary-dominant and dominant seventh chords.
3. Realize a four-part chorale-style progression from Roman and Arabic numerals.

IV. Score Analysis (with or without aural stimulus):

1. Identify authentic, plagal, half, Phrygian half, and deceptive cadences in major and minor keys.
2. Identify in score the following nonharmonic tones: passing tone (accented and unaccented), neighboring tone, anticipation, suspension, retardation, appoggiatura, escape tone, changing tone (cambiata), and pedal tone.
3. Small-scale and large-scale harmonic procedures, including:
1. identification of cadence types
2. Roman-numeral and figured-bass analysis, including nonharmonic tones, seventh chords, and secondary-dominant chords
3. identification of key centers and key relationships; recognition of modulation to closely related keys
4. Melodic organization and developmental procedures:
1. scale types; modes
2. melodic patterning
3. motivic development and relationships (e.g., inversion, retrograde, sequence, imitation)
5. Rhythmic/metric organization:
1. meter type (e.g., duple, triple, quadruple) and beat type (e.g., simple, compound)
2. rhythmic devices and procedures (e.g., augmentation, diminution, hemiola)
6. Texture:
1. types (e.g., monophony, homophony, polyphony)
2. devices (e.g., textural inversion, imitation)

NOTE: Scores for analysis may include two-stave piano scores, single-voice melodies, solo voice with piano accompaniment, trio, quartet or other standard instrumental scores written at concert pitch, which may include an alto or tenor clef line, or other standard score types.

V. Aural Skills:

1. Detect pitch and rhythm errors in written music from given aural excerpts.
2. Notate a melody from dictation, 6 to 8 bars, major or minor mode, mostly diatonic pitches, simple or compound time, treble or bass clef, 3 to 4 playings.
3. Notate melodies from dictation, 6 to 8 bars, major or minor mode, chromatic alteration from harmonic/melodic scales, simple or compound time, treble or bass clef, 3 to 4 playings.
4. Sight-sing melodies, 4 to 8 bars long, major or minor key, duple or triple meter, simple or compound time, treble or bass clef, using solfege, pitch names, numbers, or any comfortable vocal syllable(s).
5. Hear the following nonharmonic tones: passing tone (accented and unaccented), neighboring tone, anticipation, suspension, retardation, appoggiatura, escape tone, changing tone (cambiata), and pedal tone.
6. Notate the soprano and bass pitches and Roman and Arabic numeral analysis of harmonic dictations in eighteenth-century chorale style. Features may include seventh chords, secondary dominants, major or minor key, 3 to 4 playings.
7. Identify processes and materials in the context of music literature representing a broad spectrum of genres, media, and styles:
1. melodic organization (e.g., scale-degree function of specified tones, scale types, mode, melodic patterning, sequences, motivic development)
2. harmonic organization (e.g., chord function, inversion, quality)
3. tonal organization (e.g., cadence types, key relationships)
4. meter and rhythmic patterns
5. instrumentation (i.e., identification of timbre)
6. texture (e.g., number and position of voices, amount of independence, presence of imitation, density)
7. formal procedures (e.g., phrase structure; distinctions among literal repetition, varied repetition, and contrast; small forms)

Second Nine Weeks

Part 2: Linking Musical Elements in Time

Weeks 1-2       Chapter 8 – Intervals in Action (Two-Voice Counterpoint Supplement with Chapter 8: Voice Leading in Two Voices (from Bruce Benward’s Music in Theory and Practice).

                                    Sight-Singing: 2 part canons and rounds

                                    Composition # 1: Compose a 2 – Part Canon that is at least 16

                                                bars in length. Can be in major or minor.

Week 3            Chapter 9 – Melodic and Rhythmic Embellishment in Two-Voice Composition

Week 4            Chapter 10 – Notation and Scoring

                                    Introduction to Sibelius

Weeks 4-5       Chapter 11 – Voicing Chords in Multiple Parts: Instrumentation

                        Instrumental arranging projects are assigned. Each piece must have at least two transposing instruments (not counting octave displacements). All work must be saved to disk. Sibelius notation software must be used.

Week 5            Composition # 1 due. Student performances in class.

Week 6            Chapter 12 – the Basic Phrase Model: Tonic and Dominant Voice-Leading.

                                    Improvising using Tonic and Dominant functions

                                    Roman numeral system

Week 7            Chapter 13 – Embellishing Tones

Sight-Singing: Quiz

Week 8            Chapter 14 – Review for final exam

Week 9            Semester Final Exams – No Regularly Scheduled Classes

Third Nine Weeks

Part 3: Chordal Harmony, Roman Numeral System, and Voice-Leading

Week 1            Chapter 14 – Chorale Harmonization and Figured Bass

                                    Use of Roman Numeral System for all scale degrees

                                    Realization of a Roman Numeral Progression

Chord Inversions, Figured Bass

Realization of a Figured Bass  

Week 2            Chapter 15 – Expanding the Basic Phrase: Leading-Tone, Predominant, and 6/4 Chords

                        Chapter 16 – Further expansions of the basic Phrase: Tonic Expansions, Root progressions, and the Mediant Triad

Week 3            Chapter 17 – The Interaction of Melody and Harmony: More on Cadence, Phrase, and Melody

Sight-Singing: 3 and 4 part chorales with instrumental support

Week 4            Chapter 18 – Diatonic Sequences

Compose a 16-bar chord progression in a major key

Write and label a cadence at the 8^th and 16^th bar of the piece

            (PAC, IAC, Plagal, etc.)          

Week 5            Chapter 19 – Intensifying the Dominant: Secondary Dominants and Secondary Leading-Tone Chords; New Voice-Leading Chords

                        Chapter 20 – Phrase Rhythmic and Motivic Analysis

                        Quiz #3

Part 4: Musical Form and Interpretation

Week 6            Chapter 26 – Popular Song and Art Song

Week 7            Chapter 27 – Variation and Rondo

                        Chapter 23 – Binary and ternary Forms (from Part 4)

Week 8            Chapter 28 – Sonata-Form Movements

Week 9            Quiz #4

Fourth Nine Weeks

Part 5: Further Expansion of the harmonic Vocabulary

Week 1            Chapter 21 – Tonicizing Scale Degrees Other Than 5

                        Chapter 22 – Modulation to Closely Related Keys

Week 2            Chapter 24 – Color and Drama in Composition

Weeks 1-6       Preparation for AP Exam

                                    Sample Tests

Weeks 1-6       Dictation exercises – melodic and harmonic

Weeks 1-6       Free-response question exercises

Weeks 1-6       Recorded sight-singing exercises

Weeks 1-6       In-depth aural analysis of literature – class work/discussion

Weeks 1-6       Students complete teacher-designed exams based on AP Released Exam materials

Weeks 3          Complete AP Music theory Released Exams

and 5                All Students are administered two recorded sight-singing tests comparable to those used on the AP Exam.

Weeks 7-9       Student arranging assignments

                                    Small ensembles with mixed or homogenous instrumentation

                                    Student final compositions due

                                    Performances of student compositions

            Composition must fulfill the following requirements:

                        Be at least 1 minute in length

                        Have at least 4 independent parts

                        Demonstrate knowledge of tonal harmony, cadences, and instrumentation