Music | AP Music Theory
There are no prerequisite courses for AP Music Theory. However, students should be able to read and understand musical notation and have basic performance skills with voice or an instrument.
AP Music Theory is a college-level course designed to cultivate an understanding of music and how it is structured. Students will analyze performed and notated music and explore the concepts of pitch, rhythm, form, and musical design. Although this course will focus on music theory that is based on Western European notation, it is just one of many ways of listening and writing music, so other styles and genres will be studied for context and comparison. Students will prepare for the AP Music Theory exam in May, and their final project will be an in-depth study of a piece of music and attendance at a live performance of that piece in the Seattle area. Please note: Although there are no official prerequisites for AP Music Theory, prospective students should be able to read and understand musical notation and have basic performance skills with voice or an instrument in order to successfully keep up with the rigor of this course.