AP Music Theory Syllabus

Antioch High School

Mr. Scott E. Miller, instructor

Welcome to AP Music Theory at Antioch High School! The goal of this course is to
improve musicianship through a workable knowledge of Music Theory. The concepts
covered are very similar to a freshman music theory class at the university level with a
large emphasis on ear training. There are a number of texts and other resources that we
will use in the class. They have been procured through a number of means that have aged
me beyond my years. Some will be assigned to you from the school; others will stay in
the classroom. Please treat all of these precious resources as if they are your own.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Each student will need to buy their own personal copy of MacGamut for Mac and
Windows by Ann Blombach. When you receive your copy please go to
www.macgamut.com for further instructions and software updates. MacGamut is an
excellent ear training program and you should use it in the practice mode as much as
possible. Please see the weekly syllabus below for dates that I will need for everyone to
email their start file to me as an attachment to see if you have mastered a particular level
which has been previously assigned. Some of you may want to work ahead. This is
perfectly acceptable and encouraged. Please see my late assignment policy below for
completion of assignments after the due date.

Sight-singing is the key to ear training. So much so, that every student will be required to
sight-sing one minor and one major selection on tape for the AP exam. Because of this,
we will sight-sing almost every day. We will also have periodic singing exams. We will
begin with assigned singing exams to get comfortable with the process and then we will
move on to sight-singing exams. Remember, everyone will make mistakes in the class-
it is the only way we can learn. You will not be graded on the quality of your voice-
only your ability to reproduce pitches.

There will be periodic assignments from the Theory and Analysis workbook and the aural
skills book. Everyone will be responsible for purchasing their own T&A workbook as
many assignments will come directly from it. Your aural skills book will be assigned to
you with CD. Please be careful with the CDs as there will be periodic listening
assignments that you will have to use them.
CLASSROOM POLICIES:

All school rules apply in the AP Music Theory classroom. Other particular rules are:

1. Treat each other and me with respect.

2. No eating, drinking or gum is allowed in the room..

Grading policies:

Your grade will be a combination of:

1. Any in-class quizzes or tests

2. T&A workbook assignments
3. MacGamut ear-training assignments
4. Aural skills book assignments
5. Singing exams

Each nine-weeks, all of these items will be divided into 50% written Theory and 50%
Aural Theory. Your average of both of these scores will be your grade.

AP Music Theory is a course much like an advanced mathematics course. Each

assignment or concept is a building block for the next one. Because of this, if you miss
one key concept it could lead to missing many more in the future. To make sure that we
all move together as a class, I need to receive your work on time. Please get assignments
to me on their due date by 2:00 PM. Assignments after that will be penalized 20 points
each day until they have been received.

AP Music Theory at Antioch can be an enjoyable class! Stay focused and on-track with
assignments and it might even be fun! I am available before and after school by
appointment if you ever need extra help. Sometimes hours can vary for me according to
the Antioch High School band calendar. Please see a general weekly working calendar
for the academic school year below.

Mr. Miller’s contact info:

Email: [email protected]

School: 615-641-5400 ext.1011

Home: 615-300-2637

Good Luck!
 Primary Texts and Materials Used in AP Music Theory

Clendinning, Jane Piper, and Elizabeth West Marvin. The Musican's Guide to Theory and
Analysis. New York, N.Y.: W.W. Norton and Company, 2005.

Ottoman, Robert W. Music for Sight Singing. 6th. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice
Hall, 2004.

Phillips, Joel, Jane Piper Clendinning, and Elizabeth West Marvin. The Musician's Guide
to Aural Skills. New York, N.Y.: W.W. Norton and Company, 2005.

Clendinning, Jane Piper, and Elizabeth West Marvin. The Musician's Guide to Theory
and Analysis Workbook. New York, N.Y.: W.W. Norton and Company, 2005.

Clendinning, Jane Piper, and Elizabeth West Marvin. The Musician's Guide to Theory
and Analysis Anthology. New York, N.Y.: W.W. Norton and Company, 2005.

Clendinning, Jane Piper, and Elizabeth West Marvin. The Musician's Guide to Theory
and Analysis Recordings. New York, N.Y.: W.W. Norton and Company, 2005.

AP Music Theory Syllabus Timeline

This timeline will consist of information covered from the three main texts. They are
presented with the Theory and Analysis (T&A) first, Aural Skills (AS) second, and the
Sight-Singing (SS) third. I also include any aural skills mastery, sight-singing exams or
written T&A quizzes as they occur. Additional materials may be added if extra practice is
needed in any chapter.

Week One:

This week will be a study of the basic principles of Music Notation, i.e. how to properly
notate music.

Week Two:

T&A: Ch. 1 – Pitch and Class

AS: Ch.1 – Pitch
- half steps
- whole steps
- singing scales
MacGamut Intervals Level 1
SS: Ch. 1 – Rhythm: Simple Time (Meter); the beats and its division
Singing Test 1

This week will also be a continuation of the study of music notation.

Week Three:

T&A: Continue Ch. 1

AS: Continue Ch. 1
SS: Continue Ch. 1

Week Four:

T&A: Ch. 2 – Beat, Meter, and Rhythm (Simple Meter)

AS: MacGamut Intervals Level 2
Class Interval Game
SS: Ch. 2 – Melody: Scale-line Melodies. Sections 1-2

Week Five:

T&A: Ch. 3 – Major Scales

Test on the first 6 Major Scales of the Circle of Fifths
AS: Ch. 2 – Rhythmic Elements
- Notating Rhythm
- Simple Meter Rhythms
- Beat, Meter and Rhythm (Simple)
MacGamut Intervals Level 3
SS: Ch. 2 – Melody: Scale line Melodies. Sections 3-4
Singing Test 2

Week Six:

T&A: Ch. 4 – Minor Scales and Modes

Test over all 12 Major Scales around the Circle of Fifths
AS: Ch. 3 – Tetra Chords, Penta Chords, Scales, Major Scales as Melody, Pentatonic
Scales, (Pitch Collections, Scales and Major Keys)
MacGamut Intervals Level 4
SS: Ch. 3 – Melody: Intervals from the Tonic Triad, Major Keys
Rhythm: Simple Time
Sections 1-2
Sight Singing Test 1
Week Seven:

T&A: Ch. 5 – Beat, Meter, and Rhythm (Compound Meter)

Quiz over Minor Scales (all three forms)
Written Exam 1
AS: Ch. 4 – Sound is Minor, Minor Scales, Diatonic Scales, Minor Scales as Melody
(Minor Keys and Diatonic Modes)
Mac Gamut Melodic Dictation 1
SS: Ch. 3 – Melody: Intervals from the Tonic Triad, Major Keys
Rhythm: Simple Time
Sections 3-6

Week Eight:

T&A: Continuation of Ch.5

Scale Test – Majors, Minors, and Modes
AS: Continuation of Ch. 4
SS: Continuation of Ch. 3

Week Nine:

T&A: Ch. 6 – Pitch Intervals

Quiz – Modes, Pentatonic, and Whole Tone Scales
AS: MacGamut Melodic Dictation 2
SS: Ch. 4- Melody: Intervals from the Tonic Triad, Major Keys.
Rhythm: Compound Time; Beat division in 3 parts
Week Ten:

T&A: Ch. 7 – Triads and Seventh Chords-

Introduction to Roman numeral Analysis
Realization of Roman Numeral Progression
AS: Class exercises
SS: Ch. 5 – Melody: Minor Keys; Intervals from the Tonic Triad
Rhythm: Simple and Compound Time
Sight Singing Test 2

Week Eleven:

T&A: Ch. 8 – Two-Voice Composition

Written Exam 2
AS: Ch. 5 – Compound Meter, Hearing Compound Meter Beat Patterns (Beat, Meter, and
Rhythm: Compound)
MacGamut- Melodic Dictation 3
SS: Ch. 6 – Melody: Intervals from the Dominant Triad (Maj/Min Keys)
Rhythm: Simple and Compound Time
Week Twelve:

T&A: Ch. 9 – Melodic and Rhythmic Embellishment in Two Voice Composition

AS: Ch. 6 – Major, Minor, and Perfect Intervals, Inversion of Intervals (Pitch Intervals)
Review
SS: Ch. 7 – The C Clefs; Alto and Tenor
Sight Singing Test 3

Week Thirteen:

T&A: Ch. 10 – Notation and Scoring

AS: MacGamut- Practice Mode
SS: Ch. 8 – Melody: Further Use of Diatonic Intervals
Rhythm: Simple and Compound Time

Week Fourteen:

T&A: Ch. 11 – Voicing Chords in Multiple Parts

AS: Ch. 7 – Triads and Four Note Chords
- Major Triads
- Minor Triads
- Augmented Triads
- Diminished Triads
- Seventh Chords
SS: Ch. 9 – Melody: Intervals from the Dominant Seventh Chord; Other Diatonic
Intervals of the Seventh
Sight Singing Test 4

Week Fifteen:

T&A: Ch. 12 – The Basic Phrase Model: Tonic and Dominant Voice-leading
Written Exam 3
AS: Continue Ch. 7
SS: Ch. 10 – Rhythm: The subdivision of the beat; the simple beat in 4 parts, the
compound beat in 6 parts

Week Sixteen:

T&A: Ch. 13 – Embellishing Tones

AS: Continue Ch. 7
MacGamut – Melodic Dictation Level 4
SS: Ch.11 – Melody: Intervals from the Tonic and Dominant Triads
Rhythm: Subdivision of Simple and Compound Time
Week Seventeen:

T&A: Ch. 14 – Chorale Harmonization and Figured Bass

Realization of a Figured Bass
AS: Ch. 8 – Hearing Contrapuntal Lines, Embellishing Triads, Chromatic Solfege
Syllables and Scale Degree Numbers (Intervals in action: 2 voice composition)
SS: Ch. 12 – Melody: Further use of Diatonic Intervals
Rhythm: Subdivision of Simple and Compound Time

Week Eighteen:

This week we will be a comprehensive review for the semester exam, which will be taken
from all texts.

SEMESTER EXAM

Week Nineteen:

Welcome Back!

T&A: Review Ch. 14

AS: Review Ch. 8
MacGamut Chords Level 1
SS: Review Ch. 12

Week Twenty:

T&A: Ch. 15 – Leading Tone, Predominant and 6/4 Chords

AS: Ch. 9 – Embellishing 7th Chords and Suspensions, (Melodic and Rhythmic
Embellishment in Two Voice Composition)
SS: Ch. 13 – Chromaticism (I): Chromatic Non-harmonic Tones, Dominant of the
Dominant Harmony, Modulations to the Dominant [Section 1]

Week Twenty-One:

T&A: Ch. 16 – Further Expansion of the Basic Phrase: Tonic Expressions

AS: Ch. 10 – Performing in Keyboard/SATB styles, Mixing Beat Divisions (Notation
and Scoring)
SS: Continue Ch. 13
Sight Singing Test 5
Week Twenty-Two:

T&A: Ch. 17- The Interaction of Melody and Harmony: More on Cadence, Phrase and
Melody
Written Exam 4
AS: Ch. 11 – Transposing Instruments (Voicing Chords in Multiple Parts:
Instrumentation)
SS: Ch. 13 – Melody: Chromaticism (I): Chromatic Non-harmonic Tones, Dominant of
the Dominant Harmony, Modulations to the Dominant [Sections 2-3]

Week Twenty-Three:

T&A: Ch. 18 – Diatonic Sequences

AS: Continue Ch. 11
MacGamut Chords Level 2
SS: Ch. 14 – Chromaticism (II): Modulation to closely related keys; additional secondary
dominant harmony

Week Twenty-Four:

T&A: Ch. 19 – Secondary Dominants and Leading Tone Chords

AS: Ch. 12 – Hearing V-I and V7-I, Creating Phrases at the Keyboard (The Basic Phrase
Model: Tonic/Dominant Voice Leading)
SS: Ch. 15 – Rhythm: Syncopation [Sections 1-4]
Sight Singing Test 6

Week Twenty-Five:

T&A: Ch. 20 Phrase Rhythm and Melodic Analysis

Written Exam 5
AS: MacGamut Chords Level 3
SS: Ch. 15 – Rhythm: Syncopation [Sections 5-8]

Week Twenty-Six:

T&A: Ch. 21 – Tonicizing Scale Degrees other than V

AS: Ch. 13 – (Embellishing Tones) Prolongation and Melodic Embellishments,
Embellishments with passing and neighbor tones.
SS: Ch. 16 – Rhythm and Melody: Triplet Division of undotted values, and duplet
division of dotted values
Week Twenty-Seven:

T&A: Ch. 22 – Modulation to Closely Related Keys

AS: Ch. 14 – Chorale harmonization/Figured Bass), Creating Phrases at the Keyboard
MacGamut Chords Level 4
SS: Ch. 17 – Rhythm and Melody: Changing Time Signatures; the Hemiola; Less
Common Time Signatures
Sight Singing Test 7

Week Twenty-Eight:

T&A: Ch. 23 – Binary and Ternary Forms

AS: Ch. 15 – Expanding the Basic Phrase: Leading Tone, Cadential 6/4, and Passing
Chords
SS: Ch. 18 – Rhythm and Melody: Further Subdivision of the Beat; Notation in Slow
Tempi

Week Twenty-Nine:

T&A: Ch. 24 – Color and Drama in Composition

Written Exam 6
AS: Ch. 16 – Further Expansions of the Basic Phrase: Predominants, 6/4 Chords and
other Diatonic Chords
MacGamut Harmonic Dictation Level 1
SS: Ch. 19 – Melody: Chromaticism (III): Additional uses of Chromatic Tones; Remote
Modulation

Week Thirty:

T&A: Ch. 27 – Variation in Rondo

AS: Ch. 17 – Interaction of Melody and Harmony: Cadence, Phrase and Melody
SS: Ch. 20 – Melody: The Medieval Modes

Week Thirty-One:

T&A: Ch. 28 – Sonata Form (Movements)

AS: Ch. 18 – Diatonic Sequences
MacGamut Harmonic Dictation Level 2
SS: Ch. 21 – Twentieth Century Melody
Sight Singing Test 8
Week Thirty- Two:

T&A: Ch. 29 – Chromaticism

AS: Ch. 19 – Intensifying the Dominant: Secondary Dominants and Secondary Leading-
tone Chords; new Voice Leading Chords
MacGamut Harmonic Dictation Level 3
SS: Duet projects

Week Thirty- Three:

T&A: Written Exam 7

AS: Ch. 20 – Phrase Rhythm and Motivic Analysis
MacGamut Harmonic Dictation Level 4
SS: Teacher’s choice- Any excerpt from the book

Week Thirty- Four to the end:

This will complete the information covered for the AP examination. We will begin a
comprehensive review for the exam. We will also take the released 2003 practice exam.
This will be your final exam for the course.