AP Music Theory
Course Syllabus
******************
4th period – M-F – Room: G2
Instructor
Mr. Koll
Email: mkoll@d155.org
Course Description
AP Music Theory is a college-level course for serious music students. The course is
equivalent to a first-semester music theory course for music majors, introducing the
student to aural musicianship, theory, musical materials, and procedures. Musicianship
skills such as dictation, sight-singing, and keyboard harmony are an important part of the
course. The student’s ability to read and write musical notation is fundamental to the
course. By the end of the course, the students will be able to demonstrate content mastery
in the following areas: Notation, Intervals, Scales, Chords, Melodic/Harmonic Dictation,
Metric Organization, Analysis, Form, & Part-Writing/Voice Leading.
About the AP Test
The AP Examination in Music Theory tests the student’s 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. The examination assumes fluency in reading musical notation
and a strong grounding in music fundamentals, terminology, and analysis. The elements
of the AP Test are:
 Section I: Multiple Choice (45% of Score)
o Part A – With Aural Stimulus
o Part B – Without Aural Stimulus
 Section II: Free Response (55% of Score)
o Part A – Part Writing, Melodic, and Harmonic Dictation (45%)
o Part B – Sight Singing (10%)
Textbook & Workbook
Kostka, S., & Payne, D. (2013). Tonal harmony. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Materials
Binder, staff paper, pencils, textbook, and workbook.
Course Layout
Aural Skills and Critical Theoretical Analysis make up the two distinct areas this course
will focus on. Most weeks we will spend three days on written theory and two days
working on aural skills development. “Theory days” will generally take the form of
lecture, discussion, and group application of theoretical principles being studied. “Aural
Skills days” involve practice in the identification and dictation of auditory musical
stimulus including: intervals, scales, chord classification and position, rhythmic dictation,
melodic dictation, harmonic analysis, cadences, non-harmonic tones, & sight-singing.
Grading Policy
At the beginning of each unit, a clear outline of due dates will be provided for
assignments (A generalized outline of assignment dates can be found on the course map).
Updated grades will be posted at the conclusion of each chapter of study.
Chapter tests may be retaken if the teacher approves. All homework for the given chapter
must be complete before the test can be retaken.
Classroom Expectations
 Tardiness will not be tolerated, and the District tardy policy will be enforced.
 Text book, Workbook, staff paper, notebook, and pencils will be required
everyday.
Extra Help
If you find yourself in need of extra help, feel free to ask me. I also encourage you to
work with your peers on assignments. You are expected to do your own work, but
consulting with your peers is a good way of furthering your musical knowledge. Copying
of homework and other assignments only hurts your musical advancement, and will result
in an automatic zero for the assignment in question.
Attached you will find the content and skill specific “District Master Map”
which outlines specific sequence of instruction, text and workbook assignments,
and formative assessments.
Month
Content and Essential
Questions
Aug/Sept
Key Outcomes:
As a result of taking AP Music
Theory (H), students will:
Skills
Musical Rhythm:
Recognition and application of:
Rhythms and meters
Assessment
Workbook pg. 1 - 10
Chapter 1 (a & b) Quiz
recognize, understand, and
describe beyond the basic
materials and processes of music
that are heard or presented in a
score.
address fundamental aural,
analytical, sight singing, and
compositional skills using both
listening and written exercises.
August/September: Unit I (Chap.
1-3)
Weeks 1-4
What are the elements of musical
rhythm and tonality?
Chapter 1: Elements of Pitch
Chapter 2: Elements of Rhythm
Chapter 3: Intro to Triads and 7th
Chords
Note values
Time signatures
Stems/Beaming/Dots
Tonality:
Recognition and application of:
Clefs, pitches, and accidentals
Key signatures, scales, and
modes
Intervals, triads, and seventh
chords
Basic melodic transposition
Aural Skills:
Dictation of rhythm
Workbook pg. 11-17
Chapter 2 Quiz
Workbook pg. 19-29
Chapter 3 Quiz
UNIT 1 Exam
Performance eval/aural
identification of:
triads
scales
major intervals
Recognition and singing of:
Scales, triads, and intervals
Basic rhythmic dictation
Introduction of:
Sight singing w/ solfege
October
October: Unit II (Chap. 4)
Weeks 5-9
What is the basis of harmonic
structure?
Chapter 4: Diatonic Chords in
Major and Minor Keys
Harmonic Structure:
Recognition and construction of:
Inversions of triads and seventh
chords
Four-voice realization of
figured-bass
Workbook pg. 31-34
Chorale composition
Chorale analysis
Realized figured bass
Analysis using:
Roman numerals
UNIT 2 Exam
Understand the function of:
Diatonic chords in major and
minor keys
Chapter 4 Quiz
Performance evaluation:
Sight-singing simple meter,
major keys
Understand the function of
Aural Skills:
Dictation of rhythm
Dictation of melody
Recognition and singing of:
Scales, triads, and intervals
Continuation of:
Sight singing
November
November: Unit III (Chap. 5-6)
Weeks 10-13
What are the elements of partwriting? Chapter 5: Principles of
Voice-Leading
Recognition and application of
voice leading:
Rhythm
Harmony
Contour
Leaps
Workbook pg. 35-40
Chapter 5 Quiz
Workbook pg. 41-50
Chapter 6: Root Position PartWriting
Tendency tones
Chapter 6 Quiz
Recognition and application of
four-voice part-writing:
Crossed voices
Open and close structure
Parallelism
Spacing
Vocal ranges
UNIT III Exam
Continuation of Aural Skills:
Dictation of rhythm
Dictation of melody
Performance evaluation of:
sight-singing compound meter,
minor keys
Recognition and singing of:
Scales, triads, and intervals
Harmonic dictation of basic
progressions in root position
Continuation of:
Sight singing
Understanding and application
of harmonic progression:
Standard harmonic chord
sequence
Functional movement of diatonic
chords
Function of chord inversions in a
progression
December
December: Unit IV (Chap. 7-9)
Weeks 14-17
What are the essential elements
of harmonic progression?
Chapter 7: Harmonic Progression
Chapter 8: Triads in First Inversion
Chapter 9: Triads in Second
Inversion
Understanding and application
of harmonic progression:
Standard harmonic chord
sequence
Functional movement of diatonic
chords
Function of chord inversions in a
progression
Chapter 7 Quiz
Workbook pg. 61-69
Chapter 8 Quiz
Workbook pg. 71-77
Chapter 9 Quiz
SEMESTER I Exam
Continuation of Aural Skills:
Dictation of rhythm
Dictation of melody
Recognition and singing of:
Scales, triads, and intervals
January
Workbook pg. 55-60
January: Unit V (Chap. 10-12)
Weeks 18-20
Continuation of:
Sight singing
Understanding and application of
cadence and non-chord tones:
What are the essential elements
of cadences and non-chord
Recognition and construction of:
all cadences, all non chord tones
Melodic Dictation in major and
minor keys
Harmonic Dictation of basic
progressions, and introduction
of first inversion chords
Workbook pg. 79-80
In-class cadence assignments
Cadence quiz (created)
Workbook pg 87-88
Workbook pg. 93-96
(harmonic) tones?
Chapter 10: Cadences, Phrases, &
Periods
Chapter 11: Non-chord Tones 1
Chapter 12: Non-chord Tones 2
Correct part-writing using
tendency tones in a given cadence
(functional tendencies of nonchord tones)
In-class non-chord tone
assignments
Chapter 11quiz
Chapter 12 quiz
UNIT V Exam
Introductory Analysis of Form
Continuation of Aural Skills:
Dictation of rhythm
Dictation of melody
Recognition and singing of:
Scales, triads, and intervals
February
February: Unit VI (Chap. 13-15)
Weeks 21 – 23
What are the essential elements
of part writing for seventh
chords?
Chapter 13: The V7 Chord
Chapter 14: The II7 & VII7 Chords
Chapter 15: Other Diatonic 7th
Chords
Continuation of:
Sight singing
Understanding and application
of part writing for seventh
chords:
Dominant seventh chord in root
position and inversion
Proper part writing using tendency
tones in a dominant seventh chord
(ti-do and fa- mi tendencies)
Doubling rules for inverted
dominant seventh chords
Seventh chords and the circle of
fifths
Discuss frequency of use of
diatonic seventh chords in both
major and minor keys
Continuation of Aural Skills:
Dictation of rhythm
Dictation of melody
Basic harmonic dictation
Recognition and singing of:
Scales, triads, and intervals
Continuation of:
Sight singing
Harmonic dictation including
inversions, minor keys
Performance evaluation of
sight-singing (AP testing
equivalent)
Workbook pg. 99-101, 103,
107-109, 111-113
In-class dominant seventh
chord assignments
Chapter 13 quiz
Workbook pg. 117-118, 121123, 125-126
In-class non-dominant diatonic
seventh chord assignments
Chapter 14-15 Quiz
UNIT VI Exam
Harmonic Dictation of
supertonic triad, inversions of
V7
Performance evaluation of
sight-singing (AP testing
equivalent)
March
March: Unit VII (Ch. 16-17)
Weeks 24-27
What are the essential elements
of secondary functions?
Understanding and application
of secondary functions:
Tonicization, specifically aurally
and visually identifying when a
chord is tonicized
Workbook pg. 135, 137-140,
145
In-class secondary dominant
assignments
Chapter 16: Secondary Functions 1
Chapter 17: Secondary Functions 2
Mar/April
April: Unit VIII (Ch. 18-19)
Weeks 28-29
What are the essential elements
of modulation in change of key?
Chapter 18: Modulations Using
Diatonic Common Chords
Chapter 19: Other Modulatory
Techniques
April
April: Unit IX (Ch. 20)
Weeks 30-31
What are the essential elements
of small forms?
Chapter 20: Binary, Ternary, Small
Form
Part-writing and resolving
secondary dominants in root and
inversion
Part-writing and resolving
secondary leading tone in root and
inversion
Chapter 16 Quiz + Chapter 17
Quiz
Continuation of Aural Skills:
Dictation of rhythm (advanced)
Dictation of melody (advanced)
Advanced harmonic dictation
Recognition and singing of:
Scales, triads, and intervals
Harmonic Dictation of all
diatonic triads
Continuation of:
Sight singing
Understanding and application
of modulation:
Key relationships: Enharmonically
equivalent keys, relative, parallel,
foreign, closely related
Identify and create common
chord modulations
Identify sequential modulation
Identify modulation by common
tone
Identify monophonic modulation
Identify direct modulation
Workbook pg. 149, 155, 157158
In-class secondary leading
tone assignments
Performance evaluation of
sight-singing (AP testing
equivalent)
Workbook pg. 163-164 a1,
165, 171, 173
In-class common tone
modulation assignments
Workbook pg. 179-180 ex. 2,
183
In-class modulation
assignments
Chapter 18 Quiz + Chapter 19
Quiz
Continuation of Aural Skills:
Dictation of rhythm (advanced)
Dictation of melody (advanced)
Advanced harmonic dictation
Harmonic Dictation of all
diatonic triads
Recognition and singing of:
Scales, triads, and intervals
Performance evaluation of
sight-singing (AP testing
equivalent)
Continuation of:
Sight singing
Understanding and application
of small forms:
Recognition and labeling of:
Terms relating to small forms,
binary (rounded, sectional, &
continuous, balanced vs.
unbalanced), ternary, rounded
binary, 12 Bar Blues, theme &
variation, & strophic
Continuation of Aural Skills:
Dictation of rhythm (advanced)
Dictation of melody (advanced)
Advanced harmonic dictation
Wkbk: pg. 187-193
In-class examples from
literature (traditional &
contemporary)
Chapter 20 Quiz
Harmonic Dictation of all
diatonic triads
Recognition and singing of:
Scales, triads, and intervals
Performance evaluation of
sight-singing (AP testing
equivalent)
Continuation of:
Sight singing
April/May
April: Unit X
Week 32-33
Understanding and application
of 20th c. scales, chordal
structures, & compositional
processes:
Wkbk: pg. 279-280, 289, 291292, 294, 299 (No more than 4
of the above, unless time
permits)
What are the essential elements
of 20th century music?
Chapter 28: An Introduction to
20thc. Music
Identify diatonic church modes
Identify various pentatonic &
whole tone scales
Introductory understanding of
ultra-chromaticism, impressionism
Introductory understanding of
extended-tertian harmony,
polyharmony, quartal & secundal
harmony
Introduction to Parallelism
No Chapter Quiz in lieu of
above wkbk. compositional
projects
Continuation of Aural Skills:
Dictation of rhythm (advanced)
Dictation of melody (advanced)
Advanced harmonic dictation
Harmonic Dictation of all
diatonic triads
Recognition and singing of:
Scales, triads, and intervals
Performance evaluation of
sight-singing (AP testing
equivalent)
Continuation of:
Sight singing
May
May: Unit XI (depending on date
of AP exam)
Review and AP practice sets
May: Unit XI
Special composition project or
extended learning per the
specific interest of the students –
as calendar permits