ADVANCED PLACEMENT MUSIC THEORY
AP Music Theory is an advanced course for students who plan to major in music at the university level or those who simply want to gain a deeper understanding of the inner workings of music. The study is by the development of the student’s aural, sight-singing, written, compositional, and analytical skills through the use of music literature. Students in this course take the Advanced Placement Examination in Music Theory in the spring.
Exam/Self-Practice Resources
COURSE TOPICS
Articulations & Other Performance Terms
Cadences
Chord Functions
Circle of Fifths
Counterpoint
Dynamics & Tempo Markings
Enharmonics
Figured Bass
Form
Four-Part Chorale Writing
Instrument Families and Transposition
Intervals
Key Signatures
Lead Sheet Notation
Melodic Devices
Meter
Modes
Motion
Motivic Development
Non-Harmonic Tones (Non-Chord Tones)
Notation
Other Scales
Secondary Dominants
Seventh Chords
Texture
Triads
Cadences
Chord Functions
- Egregious Chords
- Harmonic Function - solar system graphic
- Chord Progression Wheel
- Harmonic Expectations
- Cadential 6/4 chords
- Chord Functions - video
- Harmonic Sequences - disco parody video
Circle of Fifths
Counterpoint
Dynamics & Tempo Markings
Enharmonics
Figured Bass
Form
Four-Part Chorale Writing
Instrument Families and Transposition
Intervals
- Popular Songs - Ascending & Descending Intervals
- Intervals in Songs You Know
- Interval Chart
- Diatonic Intervals
- Chromatic Intervals
- Interval Inversion - Online Tutorial
- Interval Inversion - video
Key Signatures
- Using a Key Signature to Find Tonic or "Do" - video
- Key Signatures online tutorial
- Key Relationships - online study guide
- Online Key Signature Practice
- Relative Major & Minor Keys/Scales
Lead Sheet Notation
Melodic Devices
Meter
- Simple Meters
- Compound Meters
- Counting Compound Meters
- Compound Meter Rhythm Square
- Rhythmic Devices
- What is a Hemiola? - video
Modes
Motion
Motivic Development
Non-Harmonic Tones (Non-Chord Tones)
Notation
- A Brief History of Musical Notation
- Staves and Clefs
- Online Note-Reading Practice
- Scientific Pitch Notation
- Music Note Names: Organizing the Notes
- Pitch Notation Worksheet
Other Scales
Secondary Dominants
- Secondary Dominants - video #1
- Secondary Dominants - video #2
- Leading Tone chords - video
- Secondary Function practice
Seventh Chords
- Seventh Chords Crash Course - video
- Triad and Seventh Chord Inversions - video
- How to Resolve Seventh Chords - video
Texture
Triads