The AP Music Theory exam is approaching, make sure that you are using all of Fiveable resources to prepare! And check out a brief explanation of the exam below.

AP Music Theory Cheat Sheet PDF & Review Chart

This review chart will help guide your studying for the AP Music Theory exam

AP Music Theory

Learn the fundamentals of music in unit 1 of the AP Music Theory course. Explore the basics of pitch, rhythm, and music notation; major scales, key signatures and scale degrees; and simple and compound time signatures. By learning these fundamental music skills, you will set yourself up for a successful year of music theory study! 

Unit 1 – Music Fundamentals I (Pitch, Major Scales and Key Signatures, Rhythm, Meter, and Expressive Elements)

Cover minor scales, key signatures, and scale degrees; melodic, whole tone, and pentatonic scales; interval size, quality, and inversions; melodic features and transposition; and texture and rhythmic devices. You will advance your music fundamentals with these AP Music Theory Unit 2 resources!

Unit 2 – Music Fundamentals II (Minor Scales and Key Signatures, Melody, Timbre, and Texture)

Get a better understanding of unit 3 of AP Music Theory. This unit focuses on chords: triads and their qualities, diatonic chords and roman numerals notation, seventh chords, chord inversions, and figured bass. In this last part of music fundamentals, you will have all the tools in your music theory toolbox to ace the AP Music Theory exam! 

Unit 3 – Music Fundamentals III (Triads and Seventh Chords)

Explore unit 4 of AP Music Theory with these resources. Learn how the building blocks of music work together to form harmonic progressions, functional harmonies, and cadences. This unit also covers SATB voice leading rules with triads, seventh chords, and inversions. This is all you need to ace the part-writing portion of the AP Music Theory exam!

Unit 4 – Harmony and Voice Leading I (Chord Function, Cadence, and Phrase)

Check out these resources for unit 5 of AP Music Theory. We cover chord progressions, with examples and explanations, along with the process of harmony, and how to effectively voice lead (don't worry it's not that scary). These resources will make sure that you understand this unit!

Unit 5: Harmony and Voice Leading II: Chord Progressions and Predominant Function

Want to learn about harmonies? Well, discover all about them in unit 6 of AP Music Theory! These resources cover more details about harmonies and voice leading, while also diving into melodic devices and choices, and the importance of motive and embellishment.

Unit 6 – Harmony and Voice Leading III (Embellishments, Motives, and Melodic Devices)

Take a look at these resources to help you understand unit 7 of AP Music Theory with these resources. We continue to cover harmonies and voice leading with harmonic dictations, secondary chords, tonicization, tone chords and writing tone chords. These resources will help you understand AP Music Theory!

Unit 7 – Harmony and Voice Leading IV (Secondary Function)

Everything you need to know about unit 8 of AP Music Theory can be found using these resources. These resources cover modes and forms, along with phase relationships and their importance and common formal sections to make sure you understand unit 8 of AP Music Theory!

Unit 8 – Modes & Form

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn all about the AP Music Theory exam: MCQs with and without aural stimuli, and all the FRQs, including melodic dictation, harmonic dictation, figured bass, part-writing, harmonizing a melody, and sight singing. We review logistics, useful strategies, and helpful tips so you'll be attuned to all the little details on the exam!

Exam Skills

Exam Reviews

Want to know something from the tiniest details to the entire format? We've got you covered! In these comprehensive Q&A sessions, we'll be sure to clarify anything you're confused on or need help with. We'll cover the topics you need us to review so that you can feel confident and prepared to conquer the AP Music Theory exam! 

Q & A sessions

Study with these comprehensive reviews of the entire AP Music Theory course with helpful study guides and other useful resources are perfect from cramming, quick refreshers on the material, or detailed studying. You'll feel confident and prepared to ace the exam!

Big Reviews: Finals & Exam Prep

AP Cram Sessions 2021

First Unit

Reading Musical Notes

Musical Staffs

Reading in Treble Clef

Reading in Bass Clef

Drawing the Clefs 

Ledger Lines

Alto and Tenor Clefs

Measures

Accidentals

Introduction to Intervals and Melodies

Pitch and Pitch Notation

Dynamics

Articulation

Dynamics and Articulation

Counting in Music

Quarter Notes

Subdividing Beats

Longer Notes

Dots and Ties

More on Writing Music 

Rhythmic Values

Half Steps and Whole Steps

Intervals

Naming Intervals

Singing and Recognizing Intervals

Consonant and Dissonant Intervals

Major Scales

Major Scale Degrees

The Circle of Fifths 

Major Scales and Scale Degrees

Keys and Key Signatures

History Behind the Circle of Fifths

Notating and Singing Melodies in Major Keys

Major Keys and Key Signatures

Simple and Compound Meters 

Rhythm vs. Beat Division

Examples 

Simple and Compound Beat Division

Time Signatures

Duple, Triple, and Quadruple Meters

Commonly Used Time Signatures 

Strong Beats and Weak Beats

Anomalies in the Meter

Meter and Time Signature

Notating Rhythm

Rhythmic Styles Throughout History

Rhythmic Patterns

Changes in Tempo

Tempo

Three Types of Minors

When do we use the different minors?

Minor Scale Degrees

Practice with Minor Scales 

Sight-Singing in Minor

Minor Scales: Natural, Harmonic, and Melodic

Melodic Transposition in Motivic Analysis 

Melodic Transposition

Counterpoint

General Counterpoint Rules 

Contrapuntal Species

Other Musical Textures

Texture and Texture Types

Texture in the Bass Line 

Texture Devices

2.13: Rhythmic Devices

Meter Types

Rhythmic Devices

Major and Minor Modes

Parallel and Relative Keys

Minor Key Signatures

The Circle of FIfths for Minor Keys

Relative Keys: Determining Relative Minor Key and Notating Key Signatures

Parallel Keys

Closely Related Keys

Distantly Related Keys

Introduction to Modulation

Key Relationships: Parallel, Closely Related, and Distantly Related Keys

Chromatic Scales 

Whole Tone-Scale

Pentatonic Scales 

Other Scales: Chromatic, Whole-Tone, and Pentatonic

Interval Inversion 


Consonant and Dissonant Intervals

Interval Size and Quality

Interval Inversions

Compound Intervals 

Interval Inversion and Compound Intervals

Transposing Instruments

Describing Timbre 

Timbre

Motivic Analysis 

Melodic Features

Triads

Looking Ahead: Seventh Chords

Identifying Triads and Seventh Chords by Ear

Triad and Chord Qualities (M, m, d, A)

3.2: Diatonic Chords and Roman Numerals

Diatonic Chords and Roman Numerals

3.3: Chord Inversions and Figures: Introduction to Figured Bass

Chord Inversions and Figures: Introduction to Figured Bass

3.4: Seventh Chords

Seventh Chords

3.5: Seventh Chord Inversions and Figures

Seventh Chord Inversions and Figures

4.1: Soprano-Bass Counterpoint

Harmony and Voice Leading I

4.2: SATB Voice Leading 

SATB Voice Leading

4.3: Harmonic Progression, Functional Harmony, and Cadences

Harmonic Progression, Functional Harmony, and Cadences

4.4: Voice Leading with Seventh Chords

Voice Leading with Seventh Chords

4.5: Voice Leading with Seventh Chords in Inversions

Voice Leading with Seventh Chords in Inversions

5.1: Adding Predominant Function IV (iv) and ii (ii0) to a Melodic Phrase

Adding Predominant Function IV (iv) and ii (ii0) to a Melodic Phrase

5.3: Predominant Seventh Chords

Predominant Seventh Chords

5.4: The iii (III) Chord

The iii (III) Chord

5.5: Cadences and Predominant Function

Cadences and Predominant Function

5.6: Cadential 6/4 Chords

Key Concepts to write a cadential 6/4:

Cadential 6/4 Chords

5.7: Additional 6/4 Chords 

Additional 6/4 chords

Unit 7, Harmony and Voice Leading IV: Secondary Function 

7.1: Tonicization through Secondary Dominant Chords

7.2: Part Writing of Secondary Dominant Chords

7.3: Tonicization through Secondary Leading Tone Chords

7.4 - Part-Writing of Secondary Leading Tone Chords 

Harmony and Voice Leading IV: Secondary Function

Part 1: Questions with Aural Stimuli

Tips Specifically for Aural-Stimuli

Part 2: Questions without Aural-Stimuli

How to Ace the AP Music Theory Multiple Choice

Conclusion

AP Music Theory Multiple Choice Help (MCQ)

Overview of the FRQ Section

Melodic Dictation

Harmonic Dictations

Figured Bass

Part-Writing

Harmonizing a Melody

Sight Singing!

AP Music Theory Free Response Help - FRQ/LEQ

Your guide to the 2022 AP Music Theory exam

Format of the 2022 AP Music Theory exam

When is the 2022 AP Music Theory exam and how do I take it?

How should I prepare for the exam?

Pre-work: set up your study environment

AP Music Theory 2022 Study Plan

🎶 Unit 1: Music Fundamentals I: Pitch, Major Scales and Key Signatures, Rhythm, Meter, and Expressive Elements

🎶 Unit 2: Music Fundamentals II: Minor Scales and Key Signatures, Melody, Timbre, and Texture

🎻 Unit 3: Music Fundamentals III: Triads and Seventh Chords

🎹 Unit 4: Harmony and Voice Leading I: Chord Function, Cadence, and Phrase

🎸 Unit 5: Harmony and Voice Leading ii: Chord Progressions and Predominant Function

🎺 Unit 6: Harmony and Voice Leading iii: Embellishments, Motives, and Melodic Devices

🎤 Unit 7: Harmony and Voice Leading iv: Secondary Function

🎷 Unit 8: Modes and Form

2022 AP Music Theory Exam Guide

Download AP Music Theory Cheat Sheet PDF Cram Chart

Download AP Music Theory Cheat Sheet PDF Cram Chart

AP Music Theory 🎶

Get Ready for the AP Music Theory Exam

Multiple Choice Section

Free Response Section

AP Music Theory Cheat Sheet PDF & Review Chart

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