AP Music Theory Prep. Notes (Crash Course Videos)

Pitch

The perceived highness or lowness of a sound

Frequency

The number of vibrations per second, measured in Hertz (Hz)

Dynamics/Amplitude

The wave height, or loudness and softness of a sound

Timbre

The tone color or waveform, unique to each instrument and voice

Articulation

The envelope of the sound, including attack, sustain, and release

Duration

The length of time a sound is played or held

Intervals

The building blocks of music

Half Step

The smallest unit of measurement, equivalent to one semitone

Whole Step

Two half steps, or one full tone

Clefs

Symbols used to indicate pitch ranges

Accidentals

Symbols used to modify pitch

Stem

The vertical line of a note

Note Head

The oval part of a note

Beam

A horizontal line connecting notes

Measure

A division of the staff, separated by Bar Lines

Rhythm

The relationship and duration of notes and rests

Tempo

The speed of the beat, often indicated by Italian words

Meter

The organization of rhythms into groups of strong and weak beats

Anacrusis

A pickup note before the first measure of a piece

Scales

Pitches organized in whole and half step patterns

Chromatic Scale

A scale including all 12 half steps within an octave

Modes

Rotations of a major scale, such as Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, etc.

Harmony

The combination of multiple pitches sounding simultaneously

Intervals

The distance between two pitches, with size and quality components

Chords

Groups of three or more notes played simultaneously

Triads

Three-note chords made up of two thirds intervals

Inversions

Rearranging the notes of a chord

Cadences

Musical phrase endings that establish tonal center and tension release

Aural Skills

Ear training for identifying notes, pitches, rhythms, and intervals

Harmonic Dictation

Involves notating chords on a grand staff, focusing on soprano and bass in four-part voice harmony.

Harmonic Function

Understanding the tonic, predominant, and dominant functions in harmonic dictation.

Tonic Prolongation

Techniques like passing harmonies, neighbor harmonies, pedal in the bass, and arpeggiated harmonies for extending the tonic.

Implied Harmonies

Harmony suggested by a melody or progression, even if not explicitly stated, related to cadences like authentic, plagal, and deceptive.

Sight Singing

Last part of free response questions involving exercises in treble and bass clef, major and minor keys, and simple and compound meter.

Counterpoint

Relationship between two lines (bass and melody) in part writing, following stem direction and contrapuntal character.

Motion Types

Contrary, oblique, similar, and parallel motion in part writing to avoid parallel fifths and octaves, unequal fifths, and doubling tendency tones.

Harmonic Progression

Circle progression, progression by thirds/seconds, and types of chords like six-four chords and mode mixtures.

Secondary Dominance

Temporary tonic function indicated by a Roman numeral followed by a slash and another Roman numeral.

Harmonic Rhythm

Refers to changing chord roots, with rules on chord change frequencies and avoiding specific progressions for stability.