Course Description: AP Music Theory is a college level course that is designed to prepare students with the musical skills necessary to excel and thrive in a college music environment. Upon completion of the course, students are expected to take the AP®Music Theory Exam when they have completed the course. Students will have a level of mastery sufficient to warrant college credit and / or the ability to enroll in advanced music theory course, subject to the policies of the individual colleges’ policies regarding AP coursework. This course focuses on complete integration of the written and aural music traditions of ‘Western Music’, its history and performance practices as well as an analysis of World Music.

Major Content/Concepts: AP Music Theory is a course designed to develop a student’s ability to recognize, understand, and describe the basic materials and processes of music that are heard or presented in a score.  The achievement of this goal may be best promoted by integrated approaches to the student’s development of aural skills, sight-singing skills, written skills, compositional skills, and analytical skills.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of the course, students should be able to:

• Identify and manipulate basic elements of pitch and rhythm
• Link musical elements in time
• Expand harmonic vocabulary
• Identify and create musical forms and interpretations
• Indicate in manuscript accurate music dictation and sight singing
• Listen and respond to examples of music from the World Community

Course Philosophy: AP Music Theory is designed for both the college-bound music major and students desiring a rigorous addition to the normal performance-based music curriculum. Our course focuses on complete integration of the written and aural music traditions of ‘Western Music,’ world music, history, and performance practices.

Last Revised: March 15, 2007