AP Music Theory
Encyclopedia
Advanced Placement Music Theory
(or AP Music Theory, AP Music, or even Music AP) is a course and examination offered in the United States
by the College Board
as part of the Advanced Placement Program
to high school
students who wish to earn credit for a college level music theory
course.
, in-depth terminology, musical phrasing and composition, music history
, chord structure and cadence
s, and other areas of music theory. This course is recommended for students with particularly strong abilities in music and college music majors.
The listening-based part of the section contains two types of questions: melodic dictation, in which a one-part melody
is played two or three times, a starting pitch, time signature
, and key
are given on the answer sheet, and the student must accurately record both the pitch and length of the played notes. The student must record two melodies; generally, one melody is in a major key and in a compound meter while the other melody is in a minor key and in a simple meter. One melody is written in the treble clef and the other is in the bass clef. The first melodic dictation question is in simple meter, while the second melodic question is in compound time. The reason for this is to test candidate AP Music Theory students in their ability to distinguish between simple
and compound time signatures as well as being able to read bass clef and treble clef.
The second type of listening-based question is harmonic dictation. A four-part texture, traditional SATB
, is played four times. The key, starting pitch for each part, and time signature are given on the answer sheet. The student must accurately dictate only the bass and soprano lines, though the bass, tenor, alto, and soprano parts are being played on the recording. The student must also provide a Roman numeral analysis of the chords played in the progression played.
The part-writing part of section II requires that the student, using knowledge of "eighteenth century composition guidelines" (as indicated on CollegeBoard's latest rubric and on the released 2003-2006 exams on AP Central), "standard" chord progressions, cadences, voicing
, and part ranges, write a short (usually two or four measure) two- or four-part texture given starting pitches, a key, time signature, and another piece of information that varies with each question: figured bass
notation and completed bass part, Roman numeral notation, or a completed soprano line.
For the question with the supplied figured bass notation and completed bass line, the student must write the Roman numeral notation of each chord and fill in the remaining tenor, alto, and soprano lines. For the question with the supplied Roman numeral notation, the student must write all four parts of the texture. For the question with the supplied soprano line, the student must develop a chord progression based on the given soprano line and write only an accompanying bass part.
The sight-singing part of the exam requires the student to analyze a given melodic line and perform the line as accurately as possible. Students perform two melodies one at a time; the written starting pitch will be played, and the student will have 75 seconds to practice aloud any parts he or she desires. Once the 75 seconds have ended, the starting pitch will be played again, and the student will have 30 seconds to perform the piece. Transposition of the key is allowed for voice comfortability as stated on each year's directions. As with the melodic dictation part of the exam, one piece will generally be compound in meter and major in key, while the other will be simple in meter and minor in key. Students may sing the melody using solfège syllables, numbers or a random syllable (la,la,la...ta,ta,ta etc...)
The grade distribution for 2007 was:
Music theory
Music theory is the study of how music works. It examines the language and notation of music. It seeks to identify patterns and structures in composers' techniques across or within genres, styles, or historical periods...
(or AP Music Theory, AP Music, or even Music AP) is a course and examination offered in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by the College Board
College Board
The College Board is a membership association in the United States that was formed in 1900 as the College Entrance Examination Board . It is composed of more than 5,900 schools, colleges, universities and other educational organizations. It sells standardized tests used by academically oriented...
as part of the Advanced Placement Program
Advanced Placement Program
The Advanced Placement program is a curriculum in the United States and Canada sponsored by the College Board which offers standardized courses to high school students that are generally recognized to be equivalent to undergraduate courses in college...
to high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
students who wish to earn credit for a college level music theory
Music theory
Music theory is the study of how music works. It examines the language and notation of music. It seeks to identify patterns and structures in composers' techniques across or within genres, styles, or historical periods...
course.
The course
Some of the material covered in the course involves low sight readingSight reading
Sight-reading is the reading and performing of a piece of written music, specifically when the performer has not seen it before. Sight-singing is often used to describe a singer who is sight-reading.-Sight-reading:...
, in-depth terminology, musical phrasing and composition, music history
Music history
Music history, sometimes called historical musicology, is the highly diverse subfield of the broader discipline of musicology that studies the composition, performance, reception, and criticism of music over time...
, chord structure and cadence
Cadence (music)
In Western musical theory, a cadence is, "a melodic or harmonic configuration that creates a sense of repose or resolution [finality or pause]." A harmonic cadence is a progression of two chords that concludes a phrase, section, or piece of music...
s, and other areas of music theory. This course is recommended for students with particularly strong abilities in music and college music majors.
The exam
The exam itself is divided into two broad sections: Section I, the multiple-choice section, and Section II, the free-response section. In turn, each section is divided into parts.Section I - multiple choice
Section I of the exam consists of four-choice multiple choice questions; the total amount varies each year. The first half of the section is listening-based; the proctor will begin playing a provided CD, and the exam will begin. Each question or group of questions is based on a musical selection or an auditory stimulus. The selection or stimulus will be played, and the student must answer as many of the questions as possible. Each musical selection or auditory stimulus is usually played two or three times for each question or group of questions, though the exact amount differs from question to question.Section II - free response
Section II of the exam consists of three different parts, all of which are student-produced responses. One part of the section is listening-based, one part is part-writing, and one part is sight-singing.The listening-based part of the section contains two types of questions: melodic dictation, in which a one-part melody
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
is played two or three times, a starting pitch, time signature
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
, and key
Key (music)
In music theory, the term key is used in many different and sometimes contradictory ways. A common use is to speak of music as being "in" a specific key, such as in the key of C major or in the key of F-sharp. Sometimes the terms "major" or "minor" are appended, as in the key of A minor or in the...
are given on the answer sheet, and the student must accurately record both the pitch and length of the played notes. The student must record two melodies; generally, one melody is in a major key and in a compound meter while the other melody is in a minor key and in a simple meter. One melody is written in the treble clef and the other is in the bass clef. The first melodic dictation question is in simple meter, while the second melodic question is in compound time. The reason for this is to test candidate AP Music Theory students in their ability to distinguish between simple
Simple
Simple may refer to:- Technology :*SIMPLE, an instant messaging protocol*SiMPLE, a programming development system*SIMPLE algorithm, a widely used numerical procedure...
and compound time signatures as well as being able to read bass clef and treble clef.
The second type of listening-based question is harmonic dictation. A four-part texture, traditional SATB
SATB
In music, SATB is an initialism for soprano, alto, tenor, bass, defining the voices required by a chorus or choir to perform a particular musical work...
, is played four times. The key, starting pitch for each part, and time signature are given on the answer sheet. The student must accurately dictate only the bass and soprano lines, though the bass, tenor, alto, and soprano parts are being played on the recording. The student must also provide a Roman numeral analysis of the chords played in the progression played.
The part-writing part of section II requires that the student, using knowledge of "eighteenth century composition guidelines" (as indicated on CollegeBoard's latest rubric and on the released 2003-2006 exams on AP Central), "standard" chord progressions, cadences, voicing
Voicing (music)
In music composition and arranging, a voicing is the instrumentation and vertical spacing and ordering of the pitches in a chord...
, and part ranges, write a short (usually two or four measure) two- or four-part texture given starting pitches, a key, time signature, and another piece of information that varies with each question: figured bass
Figured bass
Figured bass, or thoroughbass, is a kind of integer musical notation used to indicate intervals, chords, and non-chord tones, in relation to a bass note...
notation and completed bass part, Roman numeral notation, or a completed soprano line.
For the question with the supplied figured bass notation and completed bass line, the student must write the Roman numeral notation of each chord and fill in the remaining tenor, alto, and soprano lines. For the question with the supplied Roman numeral notation, the student must write all four parts of the texture. For the question with the supplied soprano line, the student must develop a chord progression based on the given soprano line and write only an accompanying bass part.
The sight-singing part of the exam requires the student to analyze a given melodic line and perform the line as accurately as possible. Students perform two melodies one at a time; the written starting pitch will be played, and the student will have 75 seconds to practice aloud any parts he or she desires. Once the 75 seconds have ended, the starting pitch will be played again, and the student will have 30 seconds to perform the piece. Transposition of the key is allowed for voice comfortability as stated on each year's directions. As with the melodic dictation part of the exam, one piece will generally be compound in meter and major in key, while the other will be simple in meter and minor in key. Students may sing the melody using solfège syllables, numbers or a random syllable (la,la,la...ta,ta,ta etc...)
Grade distribution
In the 2007 administration 13,194 students took the exam from 2,265 schools. The mean score was a 2.97.The grade distribution for 2007 was:
| Score | Percent |
|---|---|
| 5 | 16.8% |
| 4 | 17.2% |
| 3 | 25.8% |
| 2 | 26.7% |
| 1 | 13.7% |