AP MUSIC THEORY
SYLLABUS
2014-2015 School Year
COURSE OVERVIEW
The AP Music Theory course meets five days per week, 49 minutes each period. It is
designed to follow the regular section of music theory, offered to underclassmen.
Students should have a working knowledge of music theory prior to entering the course.
PRIMARY TEXTS
ALL STUDENTS MUST PURCHASE Barron’s AP Music Theory. Available for $26
on Amazon.com. Please purchase as soon as possible.
(Why do we use a Barron’s book? Your success in this course depends just as much on
becoming familiar with the format of text questions as it does on your theory knowledge.
The Barron’s book is second-to-none in providing sample questions, which we will use
throughout the year, along with audio CDs).
Kostka, Stefan, and Dorothy Payne. Tonal Harmony with an Introduction to TwentiethCentury Music. 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2004.
Ottman, Robert. Music for Sight Singing, 5th ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall,
2001.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
At the conclusion of the AP Music Theory course, prior to taking the AP examination,
students will be able to:
 Understand basic music theory terminology and definitions
 Construct all scales, chords, and triads
 Aurally recognize all scales, chords, triads, and rhythms
 Sight-sing diatonic melodies of varying lengths and complexities
 Analyze harmonic structure by writing Roman numerals and figured bass
 Compose, with proper voice-leading techniques, a four-part harmony
when given Roman numerals and figured bass
 Recognize form, structure, and cadences
Students will study and comprehend all subject matter as listed in the AP Music Theory
Course Description.
COURSE CALENDAR (this is subject to alteration based on the abilities of the class)
Week #
1-2
Content
Elements of Pitch
 Notation of the staff
 Major Scale
 Major Key Signatures
 Minor Scales
 Minor Key Signatures
 Scale Degree Names
 Intervals
 Inversion of Intervals
 Consonant vs. Dissonant Intervals
3-4
Elements of Rhythm
 Durational symbols
 Beat/Tempo
 Meter
 Division of the Beat
 Simple vs. Compound Time Signatures
5-6
Triads and Seventh Chords
 Introduction to Triads
 Introduction to Seventh Chords
 Inversions of Chords
 Inversion Symbols and Figured Bass
 Lead Sheet Symbols
 Recognizing Chords in Various Textures
 Structure of Tonality
 Tertian Sonority
7-8
Diatonic Chords in Major and Minor Keys
 The Minor Scale (and it’s various forms)
 Diatonic Triads in Major
 Diatonic Triads in Minor
 Diatonic Seventh Chords in Major
 Diatonic Seventh Chords in Minor
9-10
Voice Leading
 The Melodic Line
 Notating Chords
 Voicing a Single Triad
 Parallel Motion
11-12
Root Position Part Writing
 Four-Part and Three-Part Writing with Repeated Roots
 Four-Part and Three-Part Writing with Roots a 4th Apart



Four-Part and Three-Part Writing with Roots a 3rd Apart
Four-Part and Three-Part Writing with Roots a 2nd Apart
Instrumental Ranges and Transpositions
13-14
Harmonic Progression
 Sequences and the Circle of Fifths
 Functions of Individual Chords (I through IV)
 Harmonizing a Simple Melody
 Progressions Involving Seventh Chords
15-16
Triads in First Inversion
 Bass Arpeggiation
 Substituted First Inversion Triads
 Parallel Sixth Chords
 Part Writing First Inversion Triads
 Soprano-Bass Counterpoint
17-18
Triads in Second Inversion
 Bass Arpeggiation
 Six-Four Chords (Cadential, Passing, Pedal)
 Part Writing Second Inversion Triads
19-20
Cadences, Phrases, and Periods
 Introduction to Musical Form
 Cadences
 Cadences and their Relationship to Harmonic Rhythm
 Motives and Phrases
 Period Forms
21-22
Non-Chord Tones
 Classification of Non-Chord Tones
 Passing Tones
 Neighboring Tones
 Suspensions and Retardations
 Appoggiaturas
 Escape Tones
 Neighbor Groups
 Anticipations
 Pedal Point
 Problems When Analyzing Non-Chord Tones
23
Diatonic Seventh Chords
 The V7 Chord (including all inversions)
 The II7 Chord
 The VII7 Chord
 Seventh Chords and their Relationship to the Circle of Fifths
24-25
Secondary Functions






26-27
Form




Chromaticism and Altered Chords
Recognizing and Spelling Secondary Dominants
Secondary Leading-Tone Chords
Recognizing and Spelling Secondary Leading-Tone Chords
Modulatory Techniques
Common-Chord Modulation
Binary Forms
Tenary Forms
Rounded Binary Forms
Larger/Expanded Forms
28
Sixth Chords
 Neapolitan
 Italian
 German
 French
29
20th Century Compositional Techniques
 Whole-tone scales
 Chromaticism
 20th Century chord structure
 20th Century composers
 Jazz and Blues
 Rock/Pop music
30-32
Review for AP Examination
 Utilize AP Central for Previous Free-Response Questions
 Continue to Emphasize Sight-Singing and Aural Practice
 Utilize Previous Released AP Examinations to Familiarize
Students with the Format of the Examination
STUDENT EVALUATION
Students’ grades are broken down as follows:



Participation
30%
Homework
20%
Quizzes/Tests
50%