AP Music Theory Ultimate Guide (copy)

Pitch

Pitch

The highness or lowness of a sound determined by the frequency of the sound wave, measured in hertz (Hz).

Grand Staff

A system of two staves - top staff uses treble clef, bottom staff uses bass clef, connected by bar lines, brackets, or a brace.

Clefs

Symbols determining names of lines and spaces, including C clef, movable C clef, alto clef, tenor clef, treble clef, and bass clef.

Ledger lines

Small lines extending the staff while keeping the five lines and four spaces intact.

Dot and Tie

Symbols extending note duration, with a dot lengthening a note by half its value and a tie combining notes of the same pitch.

Half Steps and Whole Steps

Smallest and two-semitone distance between notes, respectively.

Intervals

Distance between pitches, described by quantity and quality, including perfect, major, minor, diminished, and augmented intervals.

Major Scales

Created using a pattern of whole and half steps, represented by a circle of fifths and key signatures.

Simple Meter

Represents beats per measure, e.g., 4/4 for common time, while compound meter represents subdivisions.

Downbeats and Upbeats

Downbeat is the first beat of a measure, anacrusis precedes the first full measure, syncopation displaces strong beats.

Tempo

Speed of the beat, indicated by terms like adagio, allegro, andante, largo, presto.

Dynamics

Volume or intensity of music performance, indicated by symbols like p, f, mf, mp, pp, ff, and terms like crescendo and decrescendo.

Articulation

Manner of playing notes, affecting sound, with types like staccato, legato, accent, marcato, tenuto.

Minor Scales

Natural, harmonic, and melodic forms, with differences in scale degrees and key signatures.

Relative Keys

Parallel and closely related keys sharing the same tonic note, distant keys with fewer common notes.

Modulation

Changing from one key to another, often to closely related keys with common chords.

Chromatic Scale

Symmetrical scale with pitches a half step apart, using sharps for ascending and flats for descending scales.

Whole-Tone Scale

Hexatonic scale with pitches a whole step apart.

Pentatonic Scale

Scale with five tones, providing a distinct sound in music.

Pentatonic scale

A scale with five tones, containing no half steps or active tones.

Major pentatonic

Built starting from C in the Circle of Fifths, consisting of 5 consecutive pitches.

Relative minor pentatonic

Shares the same pitches as C pentatonic but starts on A.

Interval

The distance between two pitches, described by quantity and quality.

Quality

Expressed by a number, determined by counting the distance between letter names.

Consonant intervals

Stable intervals in music.

Dissonant intervals

Unstable intervals creating tension or activity.

Inverted intervals

Lower note moved an octave higher or higher note an octave lower.

Simple intervals

Intervals one octave or smaller, expanded to compound intervals by adding seven.

Timbre

Sound quality determined by instrument, production method, and range.

Melody

Linear succession of notes forming a recognizable unit in music.

Conjunct

Melody using stepwise motion.

Disjunct

Melody using skipwise motion.

Motivic transformation

Altering the original motif through techniques like fragmentation or inversion.

Texture

Amount of musical activity at a given moment.

Monophonic

Texture with a single melodic line.

Homophonic

Texture with one melody and accompanying parts.

Polyphonic

Texture with multiple independent melodies.

Syncopation

Rhythmic displacement creating offbeat accents.

Figured bass

Bass line with numbers indicating intervals above to be played.

Harmonic Progression

A series of chords played in a specific order, related to the key of the piece, can be simple or complex, e.g., I-IV-V and ii-V-I.

Harmonic Rhythm

The rate at which chords change in music, fast creates tension, slow creates stability, used for contrast.

Cadences

Harmonic, melodic, and rhythmic conclusions to phrases, establish tonal center, e.g., Authentic, Plagal, Deceptive, Half, Phrygian.

Chordal Seventh

Seventh note added to a chord, creating a four-note chord, resolves melodically, adds complexity to harmony.

Predominant Function

Chords leading to the dominant, prepares for dominant chord, includes subdominant and supertonic chords.

Subdominant Chord

Built on the fourth scale degree, creates tension and release, often used in ii-V-I progression.

Supertonic Chord

Built on the second scale degree, used in ii-V-I progression, creates tension and release in composition.

Mediant

The third degree of a scale, functions as a weak predominant or dominant chord, creates harmonic ambiguity.

Modulation

Moving from one tonal center to another, occurs within a phrase, uses common chords between keys.

Cadential 6/4 Chords

Functions as dominant chord, resolves to tonic, includes pedal, passing, arpeggiating 6/4 chords.

Embellishments

Musical ornaments adding interest to a melody, e.g., trills, turns, mordents, grace notes, passing tones.

Unaccented Passing Tones

Passing tones occurring on a weak beat, enhancing melody flow.

Accented Passing Tones

Passing tones on a strong beat, creating tension in a melody.

Chromatic Passing Tones

Passing tones with chromatic alterations, adding dissonance.

Neighbor Tones

Non-chord tones a step away from a chord tone, for tension and release.

Upper Neighbor Tone

Neighbor tone above the original chord tone, adding tension.

Lower Neighbor Tone

Neighbor tone below the original chord tone, providing stability.

Preparation and Resolution

Approach and resolution of non-chord tones for tension and release.

Ornamentation

Use of non-chord tones to embellish a melody, adding complexity.

Anticipation Tones

Notes played before chord changes, creating tension and anticipation.

Escape Tones

Notes on weak beats resolving to chord tones, for tension and release.

Appoggiaturas

Non-chord tones resolving to chord tones, adding embellishment.

Pedal Points

Sustained notes against changing harmonies, creating stability.

Suspension

Held note from a chord resolving downward, creating dissonance and resolution.

Retardation

Held note from a chord resolving upward, creating tension and release.

Motive

Short musical idea repeated and developed in a piece for structure.

Motivic Transformation

Altering motives to create new musical ideas.

Melodic Sequences

Repeating note patterns in a melody for unity and coherence.

Harmonic Sequences

Chords following interval patterns for progression.

Minuet

Three-part musical form (ABA) with contrasting sections for structure.

Secondary Dominants

Dominant chords outside the primary key to tonicize secondary keys.

Regular Resolution

A type of resolution where the leading tone of a chord moves up to the tonic, creating stability and finality.

Irregular Resolution

A resolution where the leading tone of a chord moves down to a note other than the tonic, introducing tension and instability.

Deceptive Resolution

A resolution where the leading tone of a chord moves to a different chord than the expected tonic, creating surprise and unpredictability.

Secondary Leading Tone Chords

Chords borrowed from another key, indicated by a slash followed by the borrowed key's chord name.

Deceptive Motion

Harmonic motion that leads to an expected chord but plays a different one, often establishing a new key.

Modes

Different scale patterns like Ionian (major) and Aeolian (natural minor) used in music.

Pentatonic Scale

A scale with five tones, lacking half steps, and active tones, including major and relative minor versions.

Blues Scale

A six-note scale used in blues music, featuring specific notes like the flat third and fifth.

Ragas

Melodic frameworks in Indian classical music based on a seven-note scale with unique combinations for distinct moods.

Whole-Tone Scale

A hexatonic scale where each pitch is a whole step apart, creating a unique sound.

Musical Phrase

A complete musical thought formed by a group of musical ideas, varying in length and related in different ways.

Period

A musical idea consisting of two phrases, an antecedent creating tension and a consequent resolving it.

Common Formal Sections

Sections like Exposition, Interlude, Bridge, Verse, Chorus, Refrain, Coda, and Codetta found in musical compositions.