College Bowl:
 
Every student will be required to participate
in this year's most important event: College
Bowl 2010. The specific dates will be      posted  as soon as it becomes available. In past years it has taken place in late March. Stay tuned for a class announcement. Failure to appear will result in a zero.








 
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RESOURCES:
www.emusictheory.com
www.musictheory.net
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click below for
THIS WEEK’s LESSON PLANS
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read below for your current
ASSIGNMENTS

--9-2-09: Write ten different plagal cadences (I-IV-I). Due immediately.
--9-9-09: RE-DO Project
--9-11-09: Minor Plagal cadences. Due immediately.
--9-20-09: Authentic Cadences
--9-23-09: Imagine transcription/dictation
--9-24-09: i iv V7 vi ii0 i64 V7 i
-10-26-09: Ten counterpoint exercises. Obtain cantus firmus from www.emusictheory.com
-11-1-09: Secondary Dominants
-11-10-09: Re-do i v i
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Review Materials (CM1 and CM2)

ELEMENTS OF PITCH
Notation
The aspects of sound: pitch, amplitude, timbre, articulation, and duration
Aspects of notation as they relate to aspects of sound
The representation of pitch and the musical alphabet
The Keyboard and Octave Registers 
Knowledge of the keyboard as a visual and kinesthetic means of understanding the musical alphabet
Range identification and the influence of MIDI
Patterns of white and black keys
Notation of the Staff & Clefs
G clef vs. treble clef, etc.
Discuss the use of clefs as it relates to instrument range
Read and sing melodies in the various clefs
Transcribe melodies from one clef to the other
Evoking pitch memory
Introduction of solfege syllables
Scales, Keys, and Key Signatures
Scales covered are the major and three forms of the minor scale
Introduction of the scale as a pattern of half steps and whole steps and exploration of a variety of possibilities using the white keys of the piano
The pattern of the major scale
The position of the half steps and their “tendencies”
Using accidentals to make the scale conform to the “major” pattern
Exercises emphasizing aural recognition
Major key signatures
Mnemonic devices for key signatures, the circle of 5ths and accidental order
The pattern of the natural (pure) minor scale
Minor scale relationship to the major key signature and the concept of relative keys
Harmonic and melodic minor scales
Scale degree names
Relative and parallel key relationships
Intervals 
Quantity and quality as a means of relating two notes
Aural recognition and oral reproduction
Familiar contexts
Melodic vs. harmonic intervals
Written study – recognition of Perfect and Major intervals in relation to the major key signature
Other intervallic qualities (minor, Aug, dim, etc.)
Interval inversion
Compound intervals
Exercises: Singing, interval identification, intervallic tendencies as they relate to structural position
Harmonic Study: Prevalent chordal intervals, simple and compound intervals, inversion study
Singing and dictation of intervals


ELEMENTS OF RHYTHM
Definitions (duration, rhythm, meter, pulse, beat, tempo)
Durational symbols
Beat and tempo
Meter and Division of the Beat
Reading and writing rhythms, rhythmic groupings and metrical coordination
Oral and aural exercises
Simple Meter vs. Compound Meter
Rhythmic and metrical study of familiar songs (with and without the score)
Basics of conducting as they relate to rhythm and meter
Score study of rhythm, meter, and notation
Writing music in different meters


INTRODUCTION TO TRIADS AND SEVENTH CHORDS
Triads
The importance of the third in chordal construction
Using thirds and fifths to construct triads
Visual and aural recognition of chords
Seventh Chords
Use of the 5 common practice seventh chords
Using thirds, fifths and sevenths to construct seventh chords
Visual and aural recognition of chords
Inversions of Chords
Inversion symbols and figured bass
Lead sheet symbols
Recognizing chords in different textures
Diatonic chords in major and minor keys
Diatonic triads found in the major key, including V7, ii7, viiø7
Common diatonic triads found in the minor key, including V7, iiø7, viio7
Discuss scalar variants dependent upon scale form

Specific AP Content

INTRODUCTION TO PART-WRITING
The grand staff and vocal ranges
Vertical rules
Spacing and voice crossing
Standard doublings in major and minor triads, inversions and standard doubling 
Similar, contrary, and oblique motion, parallelisms
Horizontal rules
General concerns of contour
Conjunct vs. disjunct motion and characteristic motion for each of the four parts
Implications based upon bass line or melody line
Writing progressions
Dictation involving progressions
Singing progressions
Special uses of the 6-4 chord
Bass arpeggiation
Cadential 6-4, Passing 6-4, Pedal 6-4
Implications of figured bass and Roman numerals

HARMONIC PROGRESSION
Sequences and the Circle of 5ths
Chord progression chart based on most stable and most unstable chords
Analyzing and writing progressions using these chords
Proper resolution of tendency tones
Analysis and singing of appropriate melodies
Simple melodic harmonization
Beginning harmonic dictation


EXPANDING THE BASIC PHRASE
Progressions using the I, V and V7 and their inversions
The subdominant chord and introduction to the supertonic
The secondary chords from the main functional areas:  ii, ii7, vi, vii°, viiØ7 (their inversions and minor key equivalents)


CADENCES, PHRASES, AND PERIODS
Musical form
Comparing phrases and cadences to language structures
Comparing small forms to large forms
Cadences
Introduction of authentic and half cadences
Use of the plagal cadence
The vi as a substitute for I (deceptive cadence)
Cadences and harmonic rhythm
Aural exercises using different cadences
Motives and Phrases
Phrases vs. subphrases
Identifying phrases in familiar contexts
The importance of tempo and context to determine phrases
Similar and contrasting phrases
Period forms
Repeated phrases vs. parallel period
Periodic structure and familiar songs
Enlarged, expanded, and double periods (parallel and contrasting)
Phrase groups


NON-CHORD TONES
Classification of Non-Chord Tones
Use of passing tones and neighbor tones to embellish a simple texture
Suspensions and retardations
Classification of suspensions
Use of suspensions as implied by figured bass
Introduction of appoggiaturas and escape tones (also neighbor group)
Anticipations and pedal point
Problems in the analysis of non-chord tones
Recognizing non-chord tones in common-practice period scores
Writing non-chord tones within a four-voice texture as implied by figured bass


SECONDARY FUNCTIONS
Secondary dominants
General considerations of spelling and resolutions of V7 chords
Identifying and constructing secondary dominants
Study of music using secondary dominants (harmonization and analysis)
Four-part writing with secondary dominants
Aural practice
Secondary leading tone chords
General considerations of spelling and resolutions of viio(7) chords
Identifying and constructing secondary leading tone chords
Study of music using secondary leading tone chords (harmonization and analysis)
Four-part writing with secondary leading tone chords
Aural practice
Sequences involving secondary functions

DIATONIC MODULATIONS
Modulation vs. change of key vs. tonicization
Key relationships
Modulation to closely related keys
Common-chord or Pivot-chord modulation
Writing and analyzing modulations to closely related keys
Aural progressions modulating to closely related keys


OTHER MODULATIONS
Other modulatory techniques
Altered chords as common chords
Sequential modulation
Modulation by common tone
Monophonic modulation
Direct modulation
Writing and analyzing other modulatory techniques
Aural progressions involving other modulatory techniques


BINARY, TERNARY, AND OTHER LARGE FORMS
Binary Forms
Sectional vs. continuous
Two-reprise
Balanced vs. unbalanced
Aural and visual examples from the common practice period
Ternary Forms
Sectional vs. continuous
Two-reprise
Minuet-trio-minuet
Aural and visual examples from the common practice period
Rounded Binary Forms
Sectional vs. continuous
Two-reprise
Aural and visual examples from the common practice period
Other Formal Designs
12-Bar Blues
American Ballad Form
Sonata Form
Rondo Form


CHROMATICISM
Modal Mixture
Use of borrowed chords in minor keys
Use of the lowered sixth scale degree in major keys
Modulations involving mode mixture


INTRODUCTION TO 20TH CENTURY MUSIC
Scales
Modes, pentatonic scales, and other modern scales
Visual and aural representation
Introduction to 20th Century composition techniques
Serialism
Aleatoric music
Electronic music

Teaching Strategies/Student Activities:

Aural Skills:  Students perform various activities to strengthen their aural skills.  For instance, melodic dictation skills are built using singing first.  All students in my class must learn solfege in addition to scale degree names and numbers.  After students understand the concept of using solfege for scale degrees, I sing three to four note patterns on solfege and the students echo the patterns back on solfege.  On the staff paper in front of them, I ask them to notate one of the patterns.  This continues as I sing, they echo, and then they notate.  The next step in the process is thus:  I sing on a neutral syllable, students echo in solfege, and then they notate.  As they begin to master this, the patterns get longer and begin to resemble melodies from past AP Music Theory exams.  My singing is eventually replaced by different instrumental sounds, and the students will audiate the patterns rather than sing out loud.  This process also helps students notate the soprano and bass lines in harmonic dictation exercises.

Analytical Skills:  Students begin looking at scores from the first day of class.  It is important that students see a variety of scores with different instrumentation, clefs, and notation.  Students in my class are expected to analyze piano music, orchestral scores, string quartets, solo vocal or instrumental music, choral music, and even popular music.  Even if the students are unable to identify every element in a score, they can point out significant musical elements from the very beginning.  I will usually focus their attention on a particular clef, measure, staff, marking, chord, passage, etc. to guide their learning.  They must discuss what they see, sometimes in small student-directed groups, sometimes as a class.  Even in the most complicated score, as the year progresses, students are able to make sense of the music, discussing Roman numerals, inversions, chord spellings, non-chord tones, voice leading, form, cadences, etc.

Composition Skills:  Students have frequent practice realizing figured bass examples, part writing from a Roman numeral progression, and harmonizing a melody.  To expand these basic composition skills, students are given a lead sheet of a folk melody and asked to write a variation of the melody with harmonization for the instrumental or vocal ensemble of their choice using Finale music software.  Students have chosen to write for solo piano, brass quartet, string quartet, choir, and various other instrumental and vocal combinations.  They write their variations by altering the mode, adding appropriate chromatic chords, embellishing the melody with non-chord tones, expanding harmonic progressions, modifying the form, and other compositional techniques they have studied throughout the year.  This is an excellent way for the students to synthesize and apply their knowledge creatively.

Performance Skills:  Students perform in class daily, usually singing melodies or chorales at sight.  Occasionally, students are asked to bring their instruments to class.  One activity using instruments also involves realization of a figured bass.  Students are grouped, not necessarily by like instruments, and given a bass line with figures.  They must work as a group to realize the figured bass correctly with proper chord spellings, voicings, and voice leading.  After all the groups have completed their realizations, they perform their realizations for the class.  The different timbres of the instruments bring out the individual lines and students are better able to hear both errors and successful part-writinqweqweqweqweqweg. http://duilio.onlinestoragesolution.com/btw/lessonplansAP.pdf http://www.emusictheory.com shapeimage_2_link_0shapeimage_2_link_1