Batavia&High&School&Course&Syllabus!
!
Course&Name:&AP&Music&Theory!
!
Teacher:&&Mr.!Chris!Owen!
Course&Description:&AP Music Theory is designed for
students who will be entering careers in music, as well
as students who seek to enrich their knowledge of
music fundamentals. The purpose of this course is for
students to develop skills that will lead to a thorough
understanding of music theory and music
composition/arranging. While the main emphasis of
music studied in the course is placed on music of the
Common Practice period (1700-1875), music of other
stylistic periods will also be studied.!
Teacher&Contact&Info:&
Prerequisite:&
Sophomore, Junior or Senior status. Involved in a
curricular, performance-based music class at BHS.
Required(Materials:
Binder or Folder for organization
Staff Paper Notebook or loose staff paper
Dry erase maker for board work
Red pen for grading
Pencils (assignments will NOT be accepted in pen)
Headphones for music drills in computer lab
Course&Fee:&$40!
Textbook&Information:!
Barron’s AP Music Theory (by Nancy Scoggin):
provided in class through course fee!
Special&Dates:&&
AP Music Theory exam – Monday, May 12, 2014
[email protected]!
630.937.8640!&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&!
Essential&Learnings:!
1) To accurately perform music from notation and/or
by ear.
2) To recognize and identify elements of music from
sound and/or notation.
3) To critically analyze music.
4) To positively contribute to a musical ensemble!!
Grading/Assessments:!
!
Types&of&
Assessments:!
!
Daily Homework
Quizzes (Ear Training and!
Written)
Sight-Singing Quizzes
Tests
!
Grade&
Calculation:!
Daily Homework – 30%
Quizzes – 20%
Sight-Singing Quizzes – 10%
Unit Exams – 40%!
Special&Course&
Policies:!
None
BPS&Homework&
Policy:!
6:290!policy.bps101.net!
BPS&Grading&
Policy:!
6:280!policy.bps101.net!
!
Learner&Profile:&!
While students are graded on their academic
achievement, students and parents also receive
feedback on classroom behaviors and responsibility.
While these behaviors are not graded, we believe that
constructive feedback should be given. This feedback
is called our Learner Profile. More information is
available on the BHS website.
Extra&Learning&&&Help&Opportunities:!
Extra help is available by appointment.
Student&Expectations&for&this&Course:!
Sign up for and take the AP Music Theory test in May
if desired.
Participate in all classroom discussions and activities.
Complete your assignments on time.
Keep a notebook with all of your handouts,
assignments, and notes.
Characteristics&of&Successful&Students&in&this&
Course:!
Successful students in this class are organized, work
hard, and ask pertinent and timely questions.
Teacher&Expectations&for&this&Course:!
I will present the material in a fun, interesting manner
that will not only help you learn the AP Music Theory
curricula but also translate to your performance based
music class.
Remediation&Statement:&
Students may remediate Quizzes (not sight-singing) and
Tests. The student must initiate the remediation but
must do test/quiz corrections to “earn” the right to
take the remediation test.
Remediation must be requested within three days of the
date the corrected test/quiz is returned to the student.
!
Batavia High School Music
AP Music Theory
2013-2014, Semester 2
COURSE OUTLINE AND SYLLABUS
Instructors:
Contact Email:
Contact Phone:
Chris Owen
[email protected]
630-937-8640
Essential Learnings:
1) To accurately perform music from notation and/or by ear
2) To recognize and identify elements of music from sound and/or notation.
3) To critically analyze music.
4) To positively contribute to a musical ensemble
Course Goals:
Welcome to AP Music Theory! This class is designed for students who will be entering careers in music, as well as
students who seek to enrich their knowledge of music fundamentals. The purpose of this course is for students to
develop skills that will lead to a thorough understanding of music theory and music composition/arranging. While
the main emphasis of music studied in the course is placed on music of the Common Practice period (1700-1875),
music of other stylistic periods will also be studied. Students entering this course will be prepared to take the AP
Music Theory Exam in May.
At the end of the course, you will be able to:
• Notate pitch and rhythm following standard notation practices
• Read and notate melodies in treble, bass, and all C clefs
• Identify, write, sing, and play major scales and all 3 forms of minor scales
• Identify and write Church mode scales
• Identify and write whole tone, chromatic, octatonic, and pentatonic scales
• Recognize by ear and by sight all intervals within an octave
• Recognize by ear and by sight all triad and seventh chord types
• Use the basic rules that govern music composition
• Harmonize a melody in three and four parts with appropriate chords using good voice leading
• Analyze the chords of a musical composition using Roman numerals and chord names
• Recognize and realize figured bass notation in standard 18th century chorale style
• Identify, analyze, and write secondary function chords
• Transpose a composition from one key to another
• Express musical ideas by arranging and composing
• Understand and recognize basic large and small scale musical forms
• Translate aural rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic patterns into various notation systems
• Sing melodies by sight using solfege systems
Required Course Materials:
• Binder or Folder for organization
• Staff Paper Notebook or loose staff paper
•
•
•
•
•
Dry erase maker for board work
Red pen for grading
Pencils (assignments will NOT be accepted in pen)
Headphones for music drills in computer lab
Barron’s AP Music Theory (by Nancy Scoggin): provided in class through course fee
This is a college course!
AP classes are designed to provide college credit for university level courses. This class will be run with the rigor of
a college course, so remember these things:
• Stay organized and keep up with your work. Like in a college class, I will not always check to see that you
did the reading or finished an assignment. You get what you put in, and it will be obvious when you get to
each exam how much you put in.
• Be very proactive and contact me for help anytime you feel that you are struggling or falling behind. The
best way to contact me is by my email. No questions are silly or stupid. It’s a tough class!
• Your fellow classmates are also a great resource. Everyone has their own unique strengths and weaknesses
so work together use these to your advantage.
• Extra help is available by appointment.
Expectations for Students:
•
•
•
•
Sign up for and take the AP Music Theory test in May if desired.
Participate in all classroom discussions and activities.
Complete your assignments on time.
Keep a notebook with all of your handouts, assignments, and notes.
Guidelines for Homework:
• You can expect to have homework almost every day in this course.
• Homework is due on the day listed on the assignment sheet at the beginning of class. Place your homework in
the silver tray as you walk in the door unless otherwise specified.
• Many assignments (but not all!) will be graded based on completion. If I can see that you worked out the
exercises, you will receive credit! It is in your best interest to complete all of your homework, even if you have a
question about something. We will talk through your questions in class.
• Make-up work:
• You are responsible for all make-up work.
• Make-up work is due the number of days you were consecutively absent plus one, after the day you come
back. For instance, if you were absent 2 days, the homework assignment(s) would be due 3 days from the day
you returned.
• Late work:
• Completed assignments that are turned in any time after the beginning of the period they are due will receive
a maximum 50% grade.
• Late work that is incomplete will not receive any credit.
• Do not be embarrassed to hand in work late, some points are better than none!
Learning Activities in AP Music Theory:
In AP Music Theory, you can expect to see the following:
• Ear Training Activities: Call and response singing, sight-singing alone and in parts, transcribing bass lines and
melodies by ear, recognizing intervals and chords and their inversions by ear, transcribing harmonic progressions
by ear
• Score Analysis: Using real music examples (of all musical styles) to understand theoretical concepts in context
• Oral Quizzes: Sight-singing, solfege drills, question and answer on various concepts
• Composition/Arranging Activities: Transposing clefs and keys, composing melodies and basslines,
realizing figured bass notation, part writing in 3 or 4 voices
• Error Detection: Viewing a score and listening to an incorrect recording of it, identifying the errors in
pitch and rhythm based on what you hear
• Sight-Singing: Applying solfege system to notated melodies to sing on sight
Grading:
Daily Assignments, Homework
Quizzes (Ear Training and Written)
Sight-Singing Quizzes
Unit Exams (Including Term 1 Exam)
30%
20%
10%
40%
Course Planner:
This schedule is approximate, as classes may move slower or faster than the schedule listed below. Written
homework and reading assignments will be assigned on a regular basis. Students will also be assigned internet-based
aural training assignments, which are designed to drill ear training outside of class time. In general, at least one third
of each class meeting will be devoted to ear training on a daily basis.
Weeks 1-2, Chapter 1
Written Skills:
Notation systems and guidelines, piano keyboard and ranges, staff and clefs
Ear Training:
Introduction to solfege systems, warm-up drills, call and response short patterns
Assessment:
Music Notation and Fundamentals
Weeks 3-4, Chapters 2-4
Written Skills:
Accidentals, scale degrees, major and minor scales, key signatures, relative and parallel keys, modal scales,
meter, pulse, beat, tempo
Ear Training:
Call and response scales, rhythms, and melodies on solfege, melodic dictation, intervals, sight-singing on solfege
Assessment:
Major and Minor Key Signatures, Modes, Foundations of Rhythm
Weeks 5-6, Aural Unit 1, Chapter 5
Written Skills:
Intervals and inversions, compound intervals, simple and compound meter, other meter types
Ear Training:
Call and response scales and melodies on solfege, melodic dictation, intervals, basslines, sight-singing melodies on
solfege
Assessment:
Intervals and Meter Types
Weeks 7-8, Chapter 5-6, 11
Written Skills:
Triads and seventh Chords, chords in a diatonic context, Roman numeral analysis
Ear Training:
Call and response scales, rhythms, and melodies on solfege, melodic dictation, intervals, basslines and melodies,
triads and seventh chords, sight-singing melodies on solfege
Assessment:
Triads and Seventh Chords, Chords in Diatonic Context, Roman Numerals
Weeks 9-10 (End Term 1), Chapter 7
Written Skills:
Chord inversions, chord function, cadences, phrases
Ear Training:
Call and response scales, rhythms, and melodies on solfege, melodic dictation, intervals and chords, basslines and
melodies
Assessment:
Term 1 Exam—CUMULATIVE (Written Skills + Ear Training)
Weeks 11-12 (Begin Term 2), Aural Unit 2, Chapters 8-10, 15
Written Skills:
Part writing, figured bass, cadences, non-chord tones
Ear Training:
Call and response scales, rhythms, and melodies on solfege, melodic dictation, intervals and chords, harmonic
dictation
Assessment:
Part Writing and Chord Analysis
Weeks 13-14, Chapters 12-14, 16, Aural Unit 3
Written Skills:
secondary function chords, phrases, cadences, periods, large-scale forms
Ear Training:
Call and response scales, rhythms, and melodies on solfege, melodic dictation, intervals and chords, harmonic
dictation
Assessment:
Secondary Function Chords, Form
Weeks 15-16, Chapter 17
Visual Score Analysis
Ear Training:
Call and response scales, rhythms, and melodies on solfege, melodic dictation, intervals and chords, harmonic
dictation
Weeks 17-19, Chapter 18-21
Final Projects and Final/AP Exam Prep
Assessment:
Semester 1 Exam—CUMULATIVE (Written Skills + Ear Training)
Leading up to the AP test in May, help sessions will be held for students to refresh their skills and
prepare for the AP test.