ap-music-theory-course-overview.pdf

A P ®  M U S I C T H E O R Y About the Advanced Placement Program ® (AP®) TheAdvancedPlacementProgram ®enableswillingandacademicallypreparedstudentstopursuecollege-levelstudies—withtheopportunity toearncollegecredit,advancedplacement,orboth—whilestillinhighschool.AP ®ExamsaregiveneachyearinMay.Studentswhoearna qualifyingscoreonanAPExamaretypicallyeligibletoreceivecollegecreditand/orplacementintoadvancedcoursesincollege.Everyaspect ofAPcourseandexamdevelopmentistheresultofcollaborationbetweenAPteachersandcollegefaculty.TheyworktogethertodevelopAP coursesandexams,setscoringstandards,andscoretheexams.CollegefacultyrevieweveryAPteacher’scoursesyllabus.

AP Music Theory Course Overview TheAPMusicTheorycoursecorrespondstotwosemestersofa typicalintroductorycollegemusictheorycoursethatcoverstopics suchasmusicianship,theory,musicalmaterials,andprocedures. Musicianshipskillsincludingdictationandotherlisteningskills, sight-singing,andkeyboardharmonyareconsideredanimportant partofthecourse.Throughthecourse,studentsdevelopthe abilitytorecognize,understand,anddescribebasicmaterials andprocessesofmusicthatareheardorpresentedinascore. Developmentofauralskillsisaprimaryobjective.Performance isalsopartofthelearningprocess.Studentsunderstandbasic conceptsandterminologybylisteningtoandperformingawide varietyofmusic.Notationalskills,speed,andfluencywithbasic materialsareemphasized.

 PREREQUISITE TherearenoprerequisitecoursesforAPMusicTheory.  Studentsshouldbeabletoreadandwritemusicalnotation,anditis stronglyrecommendedthatthestudenthasacquiredatleastbasic performanceskillsinvoiceoronaninstrument. 

AP Music Theory Course Content TheAPMusicTheorycoursesupportsmasteryoftherudimentsand vocabularyofmusic,includinghearingandnotating:  •  Pitc Pitches hes  •  Intervals  •  Scalesan Scalesandkeys dkeys  •  Chords  •  Meter  •  Rhythm Buildingonthisfoundation,thecourseprogressestoinclude complexandcreativetasks,suchasmelodicandharmonic dictation;compositionofabasslineforagivenmelody,implying appropriateharmony;realizationofafiguredbass;realizationof aRomannumeralprogression;analysisofrepertoire,including melody,harmony,rhythm,texture,andform;andsight-singing. Studentslearntoidentifyauralandvisualproceduresbasedin common-practicetonality,suchas:  •  Functionaltriadi Functionaltriadicharmony charmonyintraditi intraditionalfour onalfour-voicetext -voicetexture ure (withvocabularyincludingnonharmonictones,seventh chords,andsecondarydominants)   •  Cadences  •  Melodicandharmon Melodicandharmoniccompos iccompositionalp itionalprocesses(e.g rocesses(e.g., ., sequence,motivicdevelopment)   •  Standard Standardrhythmsan rhythmsandmeters dmeters  •  Phrasestru Phrasestructure(e.g. cture(e.g.,contrastin ,contrastingperiod gperiod,phraseg ,phrasegroup) roup)  •  Smallforms(e.g.,rou Smallforms(e.g.,roundedbi ndedbinary, nary,simpleterna simpleternary,th ry,themeand emeand variation,strophic)  •  Modulati Modulationtoclo ontocloselyrelated selyrelatedkeys keys

AP Music Theory Exam Structure AP MUSIC THEORY EXAM: 3 HOURS

Assessment Overview The AP Music Theory Exam evaluates students’ understanding of musical structure and compositional procedures through recorded and notated examples. Listening skills are emphasized, particularly those involving recognition and comprehension of melodic and rhythmic patterns, harmonic functions, small forms, and compositional techniques. Most of the musical examples are from standard repertoire; some examples of contemporary,  jazz, vernacular music, or music beyond the Western tradition are included for testing basic concepts. The exam requires fluency in reading musical notation and a strong grounding in music fundamentals, terminology, and analysis.

Format of Assessment Section I:

Multiple Choice | 75 Questions | ~ 80 Minutes | 45% of Exam Score

 • Questionsbasedonauralstimuli  • Questionsnotbasedonauralstimuli  • Discretequestions  • Questionsinsets Section II:

Free Response | 9 Exercises | ~ 80 Minutes | 55% of Exam Score

 • MelodicandHarmonicDictation  • PartWritingfromRomanNumeralsandFiguredBass  • CompositionofaBassLine  • Sight-Singing

AP MUSIC THEORY SAMPLE EXAM QUESTIONS Sample Multiple-Choice Question

Thecorrectanalysisofthechordaboveis (A)ii 65inA-flatmajor (B)V65inE-flatmajor (C)ii42inD-flatmajor (D)V 42inB-flatmajor

CorrectAnswer:A

Sample Free-Response Question Suggestedtime—10minutes Writethefollowingprogressioninfourvoices,followingeighteenth-centuryvoice-leadingprocedures.Continue logicallyfromthespacingofthefirstchord.DonotaddembellishmentsunlessindicatedbytheRomanandArabic numerals.Useonlyquarterandhalfnotes.

Educators:apcentral.collegeboard.org/apmusictheory Students:apstudent.collegeboard.org/apmusictheory

©2014TheCollegeBoard.

13b-7589 (Updated June 2014)