AP Music Theory

Dear Students of APMT, These are your pre summer and summer assignments to get you ready for the fun-filled semester of music theory you have coming your way. Dont worryyou will not recognize a lot of terms at first, but in time you will come to learn all of the terms necessary for the semester. If singing frightens you, do not worry. There will be plenty of opportunities to work on that. If you have any questions over the summer, please email me at tbaumgartner@wood-ridgeschools.org. Keep in mind in preparing for the course that the coursework is heavy. You will have homework every night at first, only to continue to prepare you for the final examination. Reading is intensive! It is important that you spend time outside of school on this material! Mrs. Baumgartner Overview AP Music Theory is the equivalent of a first-year college-level theory and musicianship block, covering rudiments in the first semester and introduction to tonal harmony in the second. Participation in the AP program demonstrates a commitment to perform at a high level of academic rigor. Satisfactory performance on the AP examination may result in college credit, advanced placement, and/or advanced standing. Music theory is the study of melody, harmony, texture, rhythm, form, musical analysis, and composition. Through an understanding of the tangible aspects of music that we can analyze, we learn to better appreciate the abstract aspects of music that we cannot explain. Aural and keyboard skill lab drills and relevant innovations in music history are integrated into the theoretical coursework. The course draws primary examples from the standard vocal and instrumental repertoire, exposing students to the diversity of the Western musical tradition.

Pre-AP Music Theory Summer Assignment - DUE June 1, 2012

You will choose from one of the two assignments listed below: 1. Write a 3-5 page research paper on: Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig Van Beethoven, Hector Berlioz, Benjamin Britten, Bela Bartok, George and Ira Gershwin, or John Cage. The paper should include a biographical section and famous works (musical selections). Also include a picture of the subject and a biblio.graphy (sources will be checked!). The paper should be typed in a standard 12 font and have a cover. 2. Attend a professional orchestral, band, jazz, or choral performance at a venue such as NJPAC, Bergen PAC, Lincoln Center, William Paterson University, etc. Write a 2 page critique of the performance using musical terms such as: intonation, balance/blend, improvisation, technique, stage presence, phrasing, dynamics, phasing, etc. If you are not sure of these definitions......Look them up! Font size should be a 12 and use standard English class protocol to write the essay. Your critique will not be accepted without an attached ticket stub.

Summer Assignments

DUE September 7th, 2012

1. Visit the website www.teoria.com and click on Tutorials. You will need to study the materials under the categories Reading Music, Intervals, Scales, Chords, and Musical Form. If you would like to practice some of these skills, you may click on Exercises, but that is not required.

AP Music Theory Pre Summer & Summer Assignments

2. Visit the website www.musictheory.net. On this website you will see 3 scrolls: Lessons, Trainers, and Utilities. Lessons covers a lot of the same material from Teoria.com, but also covers some new topics. Revisit that information. More importantly, you need to work with the Trainers. a. Note Trainer: You need to work with all 4 clefs, so click on Settings and click on all clefs to able them. Click Return to previous page when completed. b. Key Trainer: Under settings, click on all keys! You will need to work with all key signatures in treble and bass clef. You can only work with one clef at a time, so be sure change your settings to switch clefs from time to time. c. Interval Trainer: You will need to master recognition of intervals. d. Triad Trainer: Not required, but good to look at! e. Keyboard Trainer: Knowledge of the piano is essential! Study this section! f. Interval Ear Trainer: This will be a challenge at first, but you should master this by the end of the first semester of school. Click Play Mode until you see 4 notes (one melodic interval and one harmonic interval). Listen to the interval then click the correct label. Other websites to browse: www.gmajormusictheory.org this has downloadable worksheets! www.good-ear.com another ear-training website http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~rhu/practiceindexpage.html You should be well-versed in the following items. You will have a quiz in the first week of school on these terms/concepts: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. Staff/Grand Staff Clef Treble Bass Note names on staff Rhythm Note/Rest recognition and values Meter Time Signature Bar lines Common vs. Cut time Music Symbols and terminology - The list is not comprehensive but is a start. These words/terms are the basic vocabulary for the class. Please define and give musical examples for each term be certain you are actually learning the concept for most as you go along. Organize the terms in categories to make it easier on you and more useful for the semester. (ie. Dynamics: p, pp, f, etc, or scales/modes: Phrygian, etc.) Repeat Sign Fermata and Caesura Endings Accents Ties and Slurs Coda, Fine Da Capo, Dal Segno Dynamics Chord Spelling Translation Steps Half Whole Scales Major vs. Minor (all 3) - Scales and modes: Learn all keys and modes, be able to sing them: identify on paper by: key signatures, accidentals, and in music. Practice them often!! Ledger Lines Staccato vs. Legato Accidentals Flat/Sharp/Natural 2

12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30.

AP Music Theory Pre Summer & Summer Assignments

31. Double Accidental 32. Enharmonic 33. Solfege Syllables of the Major Scale - Learn all syllables for major, chromatic, and minor scales; also learn the arpeggios and inversions in solfege: find 7 EASY tunes and apply solfege to them to practice pick songs that are easily recognizable. PRACTICE often!!! You will use this info daily!!! Music History: Put 10 songs from each of the following time periods on a CD. Medieval Baroque Classical Romantic 20th Century Write a synopsis of each of the four time periods about composers, types of music, historical information, and famous musical selections. Every music library has a great listening catalog spend some time there with a friend!!

AP Music Theory Pre Summer & Summer Assignments