AP Music Theory MCQs
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AP Music Theory practice questions by unit
Fiveable has 9,955 AP Music Theory multiple-choice practice questions across 8 units, plus 170 stimulus-based question sets built around a source. Practice one unit or topic at a time.
- Unit 1 – Pitch, Major Scales and Key Signatures, Rhythm, Meter, and Expressive Elements: 1,981 multiple-choice questions, 10 stimulus sets
- Unit 2 – Minor Scales and Key Signatures, Melody, Timbre, and Texture: 1,973 multiple-choice questions, 70 stimulus sets
- Unit 3 – Triads and Seventh Chords: 753 multiple-choice questions, 40 stimulus sets
- Unit 4 – Chord Function, Cadence, and Phrase: 1,704 multiple-choice questions, 10 stimulus sets
- Unit 5 – Chord Progressions and Predominant Function: 1,092 multiple-choice questions, 10 stimulus sets
- Unit 6 – Embellishments, Motives, and Melodic Devices: 1,498 multiple-choice questions, 10 stimulus sets
- Unit 7 – Secondary Function: 426 multiple-choice questions, 10 stimulus sets
- Unit 8 – Modes and Form: 528 multiple-choice questions, 10 stimulus sets
Sample AP Music Theory practice question
Which combination of tied note values represents the exact duration of a dotted quarter note in 4/4 time?
A quarter note tied to an eighth note
A quarter note tied to a sixteenth note
A half note tied to an eighth note
An eighth note tied to a sixteenth note
Explanation
Analyzing the components of a dotted note reveals its duration. An augmentation dot adds one-half of the original note's value to its duration; since a quarter note equals one beat and an eighth note equals half a beat, their sum (1.5 beats) equals a dotted quarter note.