AP Music Theory Unit 1 Cheatsheet: Music Fundamentals I - Pitch, Major Scales and Key Signatures, Rhythm, Meter, and Expressive Elements

Start with the first 4 sections of the Unit 1 one-page cheatsheet below. The full sheet is a PDF you can print.

Pitch Notation & Clefs

Staff & Clefs: Treble, bass, alto, tenor clefs assign letter names to lines and spaces
Octave: Distance from a pitch to the next pitch of the same letter name
Accidentals: Sharps (#), flats (b), naturals (♮) drawn left of notehead
Enharmonic equivalents: Same pitch, different spellings (C# = Db)
Key principle: Notated pitches should match performed pitches (except improvisation/ornamentation styles)

Half Steps & Whole Steps

Half step (semitone): Smallest distance between two pitches
Whole step: Distance of two half steps
Function: Build scales and define pitch patterns
On keyboard: Half step = adjacent key (black or white); whole step = skip one key

Major Scales & Scale Degrees

Major scale pattern: W–W–H–W–W–W–H (whole and half steps)
Scale degrees (1–8) in major: tonic, supertonic, mediant, subdominant, dominant, submediant, leading tone, tonic (octave)
Tonic: Central pitch; all degrees function relative to it
Sight-singing: Transposed melodies retain intervals and characteristic sound
Performance tip: Sustain cadential notes for full duration

Major Keys & Key Signatures

Key: A major or minor scale used prominently with a central pitch (tonic)
Key signature: Grouping of sharps or flats in specific order; appears at start of staff
Diatonic: Pitches belonging to the key
Chromatic: Pitches outside the key
Circle of fifths: Visual diagram showing relatedness of keys; closely related keys appear near each other
Dictation rule: Spell pitches correctly in the given key; place in proper octave

The rest of the Unit 1 sheet

6 more sections are on the one-page PDF:

Rhythmic Values & Duration
Simple vs. Compound Meter
Time Signatures Decoded
Rhythmic Patterns & Notation
Tempo & Expressive Markings
Dynamics & Articulation

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Unit 1: Music Fundamentals I - Pitch, Major Scales and Key Signatures, Rhythm, Meter, and Expressive Elements on one page, aligned to the 2026-2027 course. Made and checked by the Fiveable Content Team.

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