Course Description:
AP Music Theory is a comprehensive, college freshman/sophomore level music enrichment course that is best suited for juniors and seniors with several years of musical study. Most of the emphasis will be placed on music of the Common Practice period (1600-1750), however, music of other periods will also be studied. The ultimate goal of this course is increased music literacy in both the areas of Aural (contextual listening, melodic and harmonic dictation, and sight singing) and non-aural (analysis, part writing and melodic harmonization) skills.
To view the course syllabus, click on the Course Syllabus link above.
Instructional Objectives:
Students enrolled in AP Music Theory will work to improve their ability to recognize, understand, and describe the basic materials and processes of music that are heard or presented in a score. Aural, sight-singing, written, compositional, and analytical skills are developed through an integrated application of corresponding exercises. The result is students who understand how music works, can communicate meaningfully about music, and are able to use their knowledge in their own musical endeavors, be it composing music, performing, lecturing to an interested audience, or writing about music.
Required Materials and Resources for Purchase —Due by Tuesday, August 26th:
1. A three-ring binder for class material organization.
2. Notebook and staff paper (in loose or bound form).
3. Dry erase markers (dark colors preferred) for in class board activities.
4. Chromebook (charged)
5. Pencil (no pen!!!)
6. Eraser
Provided Materials and Resources:
Every student will have regular access to a school-owned copy of the following textbook:
Kostka, Stefan and Dorothy Payne. Tonal Harmony with an Introduction to 20th-Century Music. 6th ed., revised. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2008. Textbook (abbreviated “T.H.” in this document)
Benjamin, Thomas E., Michael Horvit, and Robert S. Nelson. 2013. Music for Sight Singing. 6th ed. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning
The teacher keeps a small library of the following texts used periodically as supplements:
Kostka, Stefan and Dorothy Payne. Tonal Harmony with an Introduction to 20th-Century Music. 6th ed., revised. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2008 Workbook
Clendenning, Jane Piper and West Marvin, Elizabeth. Theory and Analysis 3rd ed., New York; London: W.W. Norton & Company 2016
Scoggin, Nancy. Barron’s AP Music Theory. 3rd ed. Barron’s 2018
Berkowitz, Sol, et al. A New Approach to Sight Singing. New York: W. W. Norton.
Ottman, Robert W and Rogers, Nancy. Music For Sight Singing. 7th ed., Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall 2007
In addition, every student will have regular access to a class set of individual dry erase boards for “board work” activities (individual response activities).
Students are expected to maintain a notebook (in chronological order) with all handouts, returned homework, critiques, projects, etc., in the format of a portfolio of their work.
A number of resources are available to students to facilitate the development of aural skills and keyboard fluency, which are requirements of AP Music Theory:
Your school-issued Chromebook will be used for listening to repertoire and practicing aural skills, as well as recording and playing back sight-singing exercises and tests.
There are pianos available in the choir, orchestra, and band rooms. These pianos are available before and after school, and during 4C lunch. Just get a pass in the morning from any music teacher. In addition, the “pop up piano” on musictheory.net is a free and valuable digital resource. Go to musictheory.net/piano
It is highly recommended you download a music notation software program for completing homework and compositions. Dorico, Sibelius, and Cakewalk are ideal. Just download the free-trial versions. Noteflight is also a great option and it is totally free.
Hint: If you are using your cell phone to record your sight-singing and the file is too big to email, compress the file or create a temporary YouTube channel. You can also save your recording to your Google Drive and share it with Mr. Lewis.
AP Music Theory is a spiral curriculum based on a combination of content and skill. In this class, each new concept is built on mastery of the previous one. Think of music theory as a math course: without the skill of multiplication or addition, algebra would not be possible. These units are designed to scaffold the information from fundamental to advanced in increasingly complex steps. If there is a day you do not understand a concept, please come to my office hours that day for clarification.
Hint: Staying current on your AP Classroom assignments and homework will let you know if you don’t understand something!
Grading Criteria (Per Quarter):
Formative Assessments: (Homework/Classwork) 45%
A composite of all assignments collected. These may be from the workbook, the text, written assignments, singing exercises, etc.
Common Assessments: (Aural/Non-Aural Tests/Quizzes) 45%
Practical Application: (Sight Singing) 10%
TOTAL 100%
Course Requirements and Expectations
Students will be prepared for and participate fully in each class
Students will keep all materials organized and accessible daily.
Students will refrain from the use of technology except for approved purposes.
Course Outline
The daily structure of each 50 minute class will include three parts: 1) an aural activity (such as sight singing or dictation), 2) a non-aural activity (such as composition or analysis) and finally, 3) a second aural activity different from the initial aural component. The goal of all aural activities is to “pre-load” non-aural concepts before they are introduced.
Homework: EXPECT ASSIGNMENTS EVERY DAY!!! This statement is not designed to frighten you, merely to inform you that our course is skill-based and sometimes requires a lot of outside work (just like practicing your instrument). Honoring the commitment to daily work on the subject will ensure your chances for success.
Frequently, assignments will be brief and to the point, without much redundancy. At least once per week, there will be a large assignment. To maintain the proper weighting, some assignments may be worth two grades. Remember: Homework is worth 45% of your grade – It can make or break your letter grade.
You are encouraged to get a study partner but be advised: DO YOUR OWN WORK! Copying someone else’s homework never helps you. Besides the obvious similarities between papers, a pop quiz or in-class assignment will quickly show evidence of this issue. It only takes a few days to miss important concepts/skills, so if you try to “just get by” or “copy just this once” or “reward myself by not doing this homework assignment,” it won’t take long for you to fall behind.
School policy is that students who take an A.P. course are required to take the A.P. Exam. For the second semester, those taking the AP Test will receive full credit for their fourth grading period exam.