AP Music Theory

Review of ear training exercises such as rhythmic/melodic dictation and interval identifying. Followed by an introduction to building triads.

Review of Ear Training and Building Triads

A review of rhythmic dictation from last week as well as introduction to intervals, finishing out with a few melodic dictation examples.

Ear Training (Intervals and Dictations)

What knowledge do we have of music that we can use to apply to the basics of music theory? Join Lily as we discuss the basics of Music Theory and answer some questions about the fundamentals of the course!

TA Led Q&A session

Want to learn more about Fiveable Courses? Join us for our first ever Fiveable Open House! Each teacher will be hosting a session where you can learn more about who they are, why they teach, and what you can expect to learn from their course this fall. Open Houses are open to everyone—prospective students and parents are welcome to attend!

AP Music Theory Open House

General

🎶 AP Music Theory - 5-Hour Cram Finale

Hey-o! If you are starting to get just a little bit nervous about your upcoming AP® Music Theory exam, you have come to the right place! Here at Fiveable, we want to make sure all of your exams are, well, Fiveable, and we are going to start here with Music Theory by tackling the first portion of the exam: the multiple-choice.

If you have taken an AP exam before, you are probably familiar with the overarching format of exams: the multiple-choice section (often referred to as MCQ) and the free-response questions (FRQs for short). The AP Music Theory exam is also like this but has subsections for each half. Right now, we are only going to cover the multiple-choice questions, but if you want some advice on how to ace the free-response portion of the exam, you can find some of that info here.

The multiple-choice section for AP Music Theory is split into two parts: aural-stimulus questions and non-aural stimulus questions. Let’s go in-depth for what some of these questions might look like before we tackle how you can outsmart the exam and do your absolute best!

If you are otherwise unfamiliar with how the AP Music Theory exam works, the concept of aural stimuli may seem intimidating or completely foreign or possibly even some combination of both. A large part of success within music theory is a strong foundation in “ear training”, or understanding what you are listening to when listening to a piece of music. The aural stimuli is how the exam assesses your personal “ear training” skills.

To assess aural skills, the four answer options will be a musical phrase or scale notated on a staff, and the correct answer will be whichever corresponds to the audio sample. Here’s an example of what this might look like:

Example AP Music Theory Aural-Stimulus Question
Image Courtesy of

There will also be questions with only an audio stimulus, and no written score available for reference. Don’t worry, this exam does not assume that you have perfect pitch! These kinds of questions will be less oriented around pitch and rhythmic accuracy and more about overall understanding, such as form and texture of any given piece.

This is the section of the multiple-choice that is less about skills and more on your understanding of content through score-study and analysis. Most stimuli within this section will be some sort of musical score; instrumentation can range anywhere from a solo instrument, piano accompaniment, a string quartet, etc. (Pro tip: You will definitely want to be comfortable reading in treble, alto, and bass clef, You will be expected to read all three, and having some familiarity with tenor clef can’t hurt, either.)

How to Ace the AP Music Theory Multiple Choice

The absolute best thing you can do for yourself is to take a lot of practice tests. This way, you will begin to understand what aspects of the content and skills are most difficult for you, and you will only get better through further practice. Keep these tips in mind and develop your own system, and we are completely confident that you will destroy that exam and get that 5!

AP Music Theory Multiple Choice Help (MCQ)

Hey there! Are you stressing about the AP® Music Theory exam? You shouldn’t be because our team here at Fiveable has you covered! We have all the study guides and test prep content you could ever need!
If you’re worried about the exam itself (which definitely seems a bit overwhelming at first), then you have come to the right place. This discussion will be focusing solely on the AP Music Theory Free Response Questions (or FRQs) and how you can ace them!

Before we get into some top tips on how to do your absolute best on this portion of the exam, let’s take a look at what the Free-Response Question section includes. (Spoiler alert: it’s a lot!)

The AP Music Theory FRQ section is comprised of 7 questions, in which you will have 1 hour and 10 minutes to complete. These 7 questions will be worth 45% of your overall score. After the FRQ (written) section, there will be two passages that you will have to sight-sing. You will have 10 minutes to submit both (more info on that later).

The first two FRQs you will encounter will involve melodic dictation. This is when a short, simple melody is played, and you will have to accurately write the corresponding notes and rhythms. One example will be in treble clef, and the other will be in bass clef. The concept of melodic dictation may sound overwhelming, but with some practice and our top tips, you will be an expert in no time!

Harmonic dictations will be the third and fourth questions within the FRQ section. It is similar to melodic dictation, but instead of listening to a melody, you will listen to a four-part chorale, and be expected to fill in the soprano and bass lines. The roman-numeral chordal analysis (including inversion) will be included, as well.

Need a little midway freakout? Me too. Don't worry, we'll get through this! 
Image courtesy of

The fifth FRQ is figured bass. Using part-writing rules, you will fill in the tenor, alto, and soprano lines based off of a given bass line and (roman-numeral) chord progression. There is no aural stimulus, so you are able to take your time within each line. Keep in mind that the entire section is timed, however.

Here’s some top tips for how to succeed on figured bass:

The sixth question within the FRQ section takes figured bass to another level. Based on only a roman-numeral chord progression, you will have to write all four lines; bass, tenor, alto, and soprano.

For the final FRQ, you will be asked to write a bass line based off of a given melody. You will also want to write in the chord symbols to show the harmonic structure and cadences.
It might be easier to start out by writing chord stacks and identify the given cadences. From there, fill in the cadences for the rest of the section based on the melodic phrases. Before you start writing out the bass point, remember to consider an appropriate harmonic rhythm, and to pay attention to chord inversions!

Once you have all your references ready, start to write out a counterpoint bass line. Beware of parallelism, and remember that contrary motion is a safer bet than similar motion. When you have finished this and double-checked your work, then you’re all done with the written FRQ section!

Last, but certainly not least, you will have to submit a recording of yourself sight-singing two melodies. One will be in a major key, the other in a minor key. Similarly, one melody will be in treble clef, and the other will be in bass clef. Note that you do not have to sing either melody at the written pitch; if the melody is properly transposed (i.e. all intervals are sung correctly), you can still receive full points.

The free-response section of the AP Music Theory exam is a beast. There are a lot of different skills you are expected to master, and it can definitely be overwhelming. Do not, and I repeat DO NOT, freak out. The best thing you can do is practice, practice, and then practice some more. Make some mistakes and learn from them, so by the time you get to the exam you know what to do and what not to do. Use these tips to guide you, and you’ll figure it out in no time. You got this!

AP Music Theory Free Response Help - FRQ/LEQ

Remember those rules of part-writing we need to follow? Introducing seventh chords into the harmonic mix requires us to follow three main rules:

➡️ Chordal sevenths should be approached by common tone OR by step
When the voice-leading context doesn’t allow this, chordal sevenths may be approached by ascending leap or, rarely, by a descending leap of a 3rd.

➡️ All chordal sevenths should resolve by a descending step, to avoid an unresolved seventh. The chordal seventh in a V-4/3 chord may move up by a step when appearing in a I-(V-4/3)-I6 progression. In some cases, the chordal seventh may stay in the same voice before resolving down by a step.

➡️ The fifth of a root-position dominant seventh chord may be omitted if it helps the voice leading. When the fifth is taken out in a root position 7th chord, the root should be doubled. All inverted 7th chords, however, must be spelled completely in writing the chord.

🦜 Polly wants a progress tracker: how do you resolve a seventh chord?  

Voice Leading with Seventh Chords

4.3: Harmonic Progression, Functional Harmony, and Cadences

For the AP test, all of our work with harmony will assume that our music is 

What does it mean for music to be tonal? All pitch content is organized around a central pitch that we call the 

It might sound complicated, but all it means is that your tonic note is a focal point to the music. Usually, it's also the end "goal" for the melody. All the other pitches function in relation to that tonic pitch. For example, B-flat major and B-flat minor both share B-flat as the tonic pitch, but the other pitches in relation to the tonic are different (major vs. minor scale).

Tonality got really popular in music right around 1650—and it's still a big hit with modern pop artists. Western classical music veered away from tonality for a while around 1900, but tonal organization is still central to other genres such as folk and jazz.

Remember when we learned that each diatonic pitch and chord has a name? 

 These diatonic chords usually occur in a predictable sequence called a 

Harmonic progressions can be described in writing using Roman numerals with appropriate markings for inversions 

. The pace at which these harmonies change is called 

Harmonic progressions give music a sense of direction and help it arrive at a harmonic goal. In tonal music, this goal is the 

, which is built on the first degree of the scale for the key. For example, in the key of E major, the tonic would be an E major chord. The tonic chord is labeled with the Roman numeral I.

All other diatonic chords play a role in helping music arrive at the tonic. There are two main functions that these chords can have: dominant and predominant.

function usually immediately precede the tonic, and movement from a dominant chord to a tonic chord often creates a feeling of resolution. There are two chords that typically have a dominant function: the V and the vii. 

(Note: even in a minor key, dominant chords will only be V and vii, not v or VII.)

Why do these two chords lead to the tonic with such a sense of finality? Consider the pitches that make up each chord. 

The V chord has scale degrees 5, 7, and 2, and the vii chord has scale degrees 7, 2, and 4. Scale degrees 7 and 2 can both resolve to the strong tonic note (scale degree 1) by a step, so we call them tendency tones. Scale degree 7 is a 

The V chord is a stronger dominant than the vii chord because of a physics phenomenon called overtones. You won't need to know this for the AP exam, but you 

 need to know that scale degree 5 wants to resolve to scale degree 1, which also makes the V chord want to resolve to the I chord.

The V chord also resolves to the I chord especially well because it shares a pitch. The root of a V chord is the fifth of a I chord, so the voice leading from V to I is often very smooth and aesthetically appealing.


chords usually appear—you guessed it—before dominant chords. Lots of different chords can serve a predominant function in different cases, and they're a bit more complicated than dominant chords. We'll learn more about these in Unit 5. <hyperlink to unit 5.1> For now, though, it's useful to know that IV and ii chords often act as predominant chords.

The most basic harmonic progression in the CPP is tonic-dominant-tonic. Usually, this looks like I-V-I or i-V-i (depending on whether you're in a major or minor key). 

Take the Happy Birthday song, for instance. 

The harmonic progression over each phrase is I-V-V-I-IV-V-I. Since some of these are repeated, you could also simplify it to I-V-I-IV-V-I. In one case, the predominant briefly sets up the dominant, but the song mostly alternates between I and V.

This is super common across tonal music, and you'll find it in everything from Bach to Taylor Swift. 

In the wild west of music, you'll find tonal music with lots of different harmonic progressions, but most will be some variation of tonic-predominant-dominant-tonic. Movement in the opposite direction (for example, tonic to dominant or dominant to predominant) is called a 

At the end of a musical phrase, the harmonic progression is called a 

. There are four main types of cadences: half cadence; deceptive; plagal; and authentic.

 occurs when a musical phrase ends on a V chord. Because the V chord has a dominant function, the half cadence usually feels unresolved or unfinished. Phrases that end in a half cadence sound a bit like a question, which is then answered by another phrase that ends with a stronger cadence.

 has a V chord that sounds like it should resolve nicely to a I/i chord, but instead progresses to a different chord. In many cases, deceptive cadences move to a vi/VI chord or a IV/iv chord, but any non-tonic chord can end a deceptive cadence.

(sometimes also called an "amen" cadence, since it is common in hymns) moves from the IV/iv chord to the tonic I chord. Although there is no dominant chord, plagal cadences are usually considered pretty strong resolutions.

 (IAC). Both involve the dominant V chord (or dominant-functioning chord, such as a vii chord) resolving to the tonic I chord, but the PAC is stronger because both chords are in root position (where they are more stable), and the soprano voice ends on scale degree 1. If either the V chord or the I chord are inverted or if the soprano ends on a non-tonic pitch, then the cadence is an IAC.

Here is the Imperfect Authentic Cadence (IAC):

Here is a Perfect Authentic Cadence (PAC):

You can categorize these cadences as either 

based on their strength and finality. Inconclusive cadences are usually followed by more music, while conclusive cadences are often reserved for the end of a piece, movement, or other large music structure. Half, deceptive, and inauthentic perfect cadences are inconclusive, while plagal and perfect authentic cadences are conclusive.

Some cadences are so iconic that they have their own special name. The most common of these is the 

 quality of the tonic chord) in a musical work that is in a minor key. 

🦜 Polly wants a progress tracker: In Roman numerals, what are the four possible harmonic progressions that follow the tonic-dominant-tonic convention? (Hint: don't forget both major and minor!) 

Harmonic Progression, Functional Harmony, and Cadences

Don't know yet? Not a problem. However, it will be helpful to get to know your voice range if you haven't already. On the AP Music Theory test, you 

 be able to transpose a written piece of music into your range. If you haven't done much singing before, it's time to start clearing out those cobwebs in your vocal chords!

Musical lines, whether in instrumental or vocal pieces, may be described using the vocal parts: soprano, alto, tenor, bass. 

When we examine a composition in four-part harmonies, we will be using the SATB texture to complete a Roman-numeral Analysis <hyperlink to unit 3.3>.

(aka analyze) the figured bass of a composition, all chords must be spelled correctly, with all necessary accidentals, and have a correct Roman-numeral analysis. 

When filling in the chord tones of a Roman-numeral analysis, 

, there are certain chord tones that are good to double, and those that are 

🦜 Polly wants a progress tracker: Which voice part is typically a higher male voice? Which voice part is typically a lower female voice?  

SATB Voice Leading

AP Music Theory Exam

AP Music Theory Exam Prep 2020 | Reviews + Free Study Help | Fiveable

Free Reviews

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

AP Music Theory Exam Prep 2020-21

browse by unit

Free Reviews

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

Exam Skills

Blogs

creators

Tán Ho

Harrison Burnside

Mickey Hansen

Samantha Himegarner

Lily Ouillette

AP Music Theory Exam Prep 2020-21

browse by unit

Free Reviews﻿

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

Exam Skills﻿

Blogs﻿

creators

Tán Ho﻿

Harrison Burnside﻿

Mickey Hansen﻿

Samantha Himegarner﻿

Lily Ouillette﻿

Free Reviews

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

Exam Skills

Blogs

Tán Ho

Harrison Burnside

Mickey Hansen

Samantha Himegarner

Lily Ouillette