Walsingham Academy
AP Music Theory Course Syllabus
Teacher: Mrs. Teresa Cobarrubia Yoder
e-mail: tyoder@walsingham.org
Office hours: Tuesday and Wednesday, 2:40 – 3:15
or by appointment
Brief Description of Course
Welcome to AP Music Theory. Equivalent to a college course, AP Music Theory
establishes a broad knowledge base and academic rigor. The students study not only
the what and how of music structure but will also engage in the richer, more evocative
why and what if. Skills ranging from sight-singing and aural recognition to visual analysis
and composition comprise the curriculum so that you may be able to integrate the
various skills into the whole study of music. Rewards for the students' successes are
great: gaining musical understanding and confidence in that understanding; enhancing
already-established performance skills; getting a head start on college-level study; and
satisfying and broadening natural curiosity.
Piano Proficiency
Quizzes, tests and exams will include a piano proficiency that includes major/minor
scales, chords and crossed hand arpeggios. Availability of various pianos/keyboards in
the school will depend on scheduling and need.
Homework
Assignments will be given at the beginning of the week and will be graded daily.
Computer Technology
Your purchased course materials include the Finale CD-Rom. You will also access
various exercises online. Students are expected to observe the in-school computer
usage as stated in the Student Handbook.
Quarter Grading
Tests and Compositions
Quizzes and Class work
60%
40%
Absences
The extent of information in this class will require you make every effort to make up tests
and quizzes within three days of an EXCUSED absence. If the test or quiz is not made
up within the required time, a zero will be given. It is your responsibility to arrange for
the make-up (before/after school and study). Make-up quizzes and tests will not be
administered during class time. Please be on time to class. All quizzes will be
administered at the beginning of class. The consequence for habitually tardy students is
not being able to make up their quizzes for unexcused lateness and receiving a zero.
Documented Disability
If you have a documented disability and anticipate needing accommodations in this
course, please make arrangements to meet with me soon.
CODA
If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please see me during my
scheduled planning time, make an appointment, write me a note (anonymously if you
like), or send me an e-mail (tyoder@walsingham.org).
Unit Information
First Quarter
Content and/or Skills Taught:
Content: Tonal Harmony, Chapters 1-4, Major and minor scales, key signatures, intervals, triads and inversions,
7th chords, inversions, figured bass symbols, diatonic triads, Roman numerals, simple forms (binary, rounded
binary and ternary), simple and compound meters, instrumental transpositions.
Written Skills: Workbook materials, other similar exercises, online exercises.
Ear Training Skills: Rhythmic dictation, melodic dictation (conjunct motion), some smaller skips with emphasis on
strategies for dictation, interval identification, triads, seventh cord identification.
Sight-Singing Skills: Melodies selected from various sources. Strategies for sight-singing, conjunct melodies with
smaller intervallic leaps, melodies in major and minor modes, treble and bass clefs.
Keyboard Skills: Major and minor scales, triads and inversions, seventh chords and inversions.
Major Assignments and/or Assessments:
Student Composition - 12 bar blues. Students composed a simple melody using conjunct and disjunct melodies in
a 12 bar blues form. Aurally, they were able to determine the function of tonic, subdominant and dominant
harmonies and cadence recognition.
Piano Proficiency
Quizzes, tests and exams will include a piano proficiency that includes major/minor scales, chords and crossed
hand arpeggios. Availability of various pianos/keyboards in the school will depend on scheduling and need.
Homework
Assignments will be given at the beginning of the week and will be graded daily.
Computer Technology
Students use Finale and various exercises online.
Audio Equipment
Bose system, Elmo with LCD projector and CD player and computer for audio examples.
Quarter Grading
Tests and Compositions 60%
Quizzes and Class work 40%
Second Quarter
Content and/or Skills Taught:
Content: Tonal Harmony, Chapters 5 – 10. Voice-leading, part-writing, harmonic progression, triads in first and
second inversions, cadences, phrases, strophic form, roman numeral progressions.
Written Skills: Workbook materials, original melody, harmonization, online exercises.
Ear Training Skills: Continue interval, triad, and seventh chord identification, melodic dictation (longer diatonic
melodies with larger leaps), harmonic dictation (strategies, soprano/bass lines, simple progressions), error
detection.
Sight-Singing Skills: Simple harmonic progressions.
Keyboard Skills Major and minor scales, triads and inversions, seventh chords and inversions.
Other Activities: Take released AP Music Theory Exam and discuss in class.
Major Assignments and/or Assessments:
"For Unto Us a Child is Born" or "Hallelujah Chorus" by Handel. Students make connections with performance of
one of these selections in their Christmas concert with critical theoretical analysis. Their study will include four part
polyphonic and homophonic textures, sightsinging, ear training, and cadential use. Note: "For Unto Us a Child is
Born" is presented in the even years (2004, 2006, 2008...) and "Hallelujah Chorus is presented in the odd years
(2005, 2007...).
Piano Proficiency
Quizzes, tests and exams will include a piano proficiency that includes major/minor scales, chords and crossed
hand arpeggios. Availability of various pianos/keyboards in the school will depend on scheduling and need.
Homework
Assignments will be given at the beginning of the week and will be graded daily.
Computer Technology
Students use Finale and various exercises online.
Audio Equipment
Bose system, Elmo with LCD projector and CD player and computer for audio examples.
Quarter Grading
Tests and Compositions 60%
Quizzes and Class work 40%
Third Quarter
Content and/or Skills Taught:
Content: Tonal Harmony, Chapters 11 – 15. Nonchord tones, diatonic seventh chords, two-part counterpoint.
Written Skills: Workbook materials, original composition using nonchord tones and diatonic seventh chords.
Ear Training Skills: Continue interval, triad, and seventh chord identification, melodic dictation (diatonic melodies
with more challenging rhythm), harmonic dictation (more challenging progressions including diatonic seventh
chords), error detection.
Sight-Singing Skills: Continue applying strategies to original melodies and those selected from various other
sources.
Keyboard Skills: Harmonic progressions using diatonic seventh chords and nonchord tones.
Other Activities: Take released AP Music Theory Exam and discuss in class.
Major Assignments and/or Assessments:
Compare and contrast music of the Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods. A concise survey of form and
analysis while learning a sample of each historical period's major composers and their works (Vivaldi,
Bach,Handel, Hayden, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Berlioz,Smetana, Mussorgsky, Wagner)
broadened the students' understanding of musical form and genre (art song, lieder, program music, rondo,
scherzo, sonata, sonata-allegro form, tone poem, etc.).
Piano Proficiency
Quizzes, tests and exams will include a piano proficiency that includes major/minor scales, chords and crossed
hand arpeggios. Availability of various pianos/keyboards in the school will depend on scheduling and need.
Homework
Assignments will be given at the beginning of the week and will be graded daily.
Computer Technology
Students use Finale and various exercises online.
Audio Equipment
Bose system, Elmo with LCD projector and CD player and computer for audio examples.
Quarter Grading
Tests and Compositions 60%
Quizzes and Class work 40%
Fourth Quarter
Content and/or Skills Taught:
Content: Tonal Harmony, Chapters 16 - 19. Secondary dominant, secondary leading tone chords and
modulations.
Written Skills: Workbook materials, short compositions using secondary dominant or leading-tone chords.
Ear Training Skills: Notate the Soprano and Bass pitches and Roman and Arabic numeral analysis of a harmonic
dictation, 18th century chorale style, seventh chords, secondary dominants, 2-5 bars long, major or minor key, 4
playings.
Sight-Singing Skills: Continue from previous quarters.
Keyboard Skills: Harmonic progressions using secondary function chords.
Other Activities Intense review and preparation for the AP Music Theory Exam; exploration of careers in
music(after exam in May).
Major Assignments and/or Assessments:
Project (after AP exam): Cadential Practices of Various Composers. Students will compare and contrast the
cadential practices of selected Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Jazz composers with their own preference of
contemporary composers of various genres (classical, country, pop, rock-n-roll, heavy metal, etc.). From that, they
are to determine what, if any, comparisons or contrasts of their selected contemporary musicians with that of the
past. Information will be stored on a class database file created in 2004 for ongoing research in this area.
Piano Proficiency
Quizzes, tests and exams will include a piano proficiency that includes major/minor scales, chords and crossed
hand arpeggios. Availability of various pianos/keyboards in the school will depend on scheduling and need.
Homework
Assignments will be given at the beginning of the week and will be graded daily.
Computer Technology
Students use Finale and various exercises online.
Audio Equipment
Bose system, Elmo with LCD projector and CD player and computer for audio examples.
Quarter Grading
Tests and Compositions 60%
Quizzes and Class work 40%
Textbooks/Course Materials (You will purchase the items that are in
bold)
Textbooks
Author:Kostka, Stefan
Second Author:Dorothy, Payne
Title:Workbook/Tonal Harmony
Publisher:McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages
Published Date:15 August, 2003
Author:Kostka, Stefan
Second Author:Payne, Dorothy
Title:Tonal Harmony
Publisher:McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages
Published Date:10 June, 2003
Author:Benward, Bruce
Second Author:J. Timothy, Kokosick
Title:Ear Training: A Technique for Listening, 7th ed.
Publisher:McGraw Hill
Published Date:2005
Description:Resource for Ear Training
Author:Steve Prosser
Title:Essential Ear Training For Today’s Musician
Publisher:Berklee Press, Published Date: 2000, Description: Ear Training Resource
Other Course Materials
Material Type:Audiovisual Materials
Description:Tonal Harmony CD Set (ISBN 0-07-285262-3)
Material Type:Audiovisual Materials
Description:Music! Its Role and Importance in Our Lives, CD set
Material Type:Software
Description:Finale Software
Material Type:Software
Description:Sibelius Software
Material Type:Primary Source
Description:College of William and Mary Composition and Theory teachers (guest speakers)
Material Type:Audiovisual Materials
Description:3500+ audio examples of various genres and historical periods
Material Type:Audiovisual Materials
Description:Selection of podcasts
Material Type:Primary Source
Description:The New Grove of Music and Musicians, 1 ed., published 1995. ISBN 1-56159-229-3
Material Type:Audiovisual Materials
Description:Elmo and LCD projector and screen for powerpoint presentations and films
Material Type:Audiovisual Materials
Description:Bose sound system with surround sound technology
Material Type:Other
Description:4 Classroom computers with M-audio keyboards
Material Type:Audiovisual Materials
Description:Mixing Board
Websites
URL:http://www.quia.com/pages/wapmusictheory.html
Description:Walsingham Academy AP Music Theory class page developed and maintained by the instructor.
URL:http://www.musictheory.net/
Description:Theory lessons and practice
URL:http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072852607/s
Description:Tonal Harmony online exercises
URL:http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/mus
Description:Official College Board site for AP Music Theory
URL:http://teoria.com/
Description:Tutorials and practices - both aural and "written"
URL:http://www.mutopiaproject.org/
Description:Primary resource for music anthology- used for analysis
URL:http://woz.cs.duke.edu:16080/~sarah/itheoryhome.ht
Description:Duke University has designed a wonderful ear training resource for owners of iPods called
"iTheory." iTheory is a beginning music theory ear-training program for the iPod which allows on-the-go
users to practice interval recognition, scale recognition, chord recognition, and perfect pitch. This program is
a complex network of over 600 interactive text notes with links to over 200 audio clips. All iPods with the
Notes feature – 3rd, 4th, and 5th generation iPods, as well as the iPod mini and iPod nano – are able to use
iTheory.
Summer Work
Be SUCCESSFUL with summer preparation.
The Minimal
1. Tonal Harmony, Chapter 1: Elements of Pitch
a. Read pages 3 – 24
b. Workbook exercises:
i. 1-1, p.1
ii. 1-2, p. 3-4
iii. 1-3, p. 5-6
iv. 1-4, p.8
v. 1-6, p. 9-10
2. Install your Finale software from Tonal Harmony on your computer.
Figure out the melody to “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” and use your
software to write the melody in simple quadruple time.
3. Access URL:http://www.musictheory.net/ and distinquish the harmonic and
melodic intervals: P5, M2, m2, M3, m3.
4. Prepare a piece of music with voice or instrument to perform for the
class.
Advantage Choice
5. Keyboard or Guitar Skills
a. Play the C, G, and D scale on the piano or the guitar
Yoderisms:
“If you learn to do it right, you won’t do it wrong!”
“Never double the leading tone!”
“If you can do it in “C,” you can do it in any key!”
“The circle-of-fifths is the secret to life!”
“KEY SIGNATURES are our friends!!!”
“When in doubt write: ii6, I6/4, V7, I.”
“No “drive-by” six-fours allowed.”
“A hemiola is not a malady of the digestive tract.”
“I’m not teaching music theory, I’m teaching you to think!”
Student’s signature ___________________________________
Parent’s signature ____________________________________
Date: ______________________________________________