#AP Music Theory: Your Ultimate Night-Before Guide

Hey there, future music maestro! 🎶 Feeling a little nervous about the AP Music Theory exam? Don't worry, I've got your back. This guide is designed to be your go-to resource for a quick but thorough review. Let's make sure you're feeling confident and ready to rock this exam!

#Vocal Ranges & SATB Harmony

#Understanding Voice Parts

Remember those hand-raising exercises? Knowing your voice range is super helpful, especially for the FRQs where you'll need to sing and transpose. If you haven't explored your vocal range yet, now's the time!

Soprano

Tenor

• Soprano: Highest vocal range.
• Alto: Lower female voice.
• Tenor: Higher male voice.
• Bass: Lowest vocal range.

#Four-Part Harmony

In choral music, these four parts create a rich sound through four-part harmony, where each voice has its own melody that harmonizes with the others.

#Voice Leading

Voice leading is how these parts move in relation to each other. Good voice leading creates smooth and interesting textures.

#Roman Numeral Analysis

We'll use SATB texture to complete Roman numeral analysis, figuring out each chord's diatonic function and inversion.

#Figured Bass Realization

#What is Figured Bass?

Realizing a figured bass means taking those figures and turning them into actual music. It's like decoding a musical puzzle!

• Figured bass was used in the Baroque period to indicate harmonies, but not specific voicings.

• You'll need to make creative decisions about voicing and notes, based on the figures.

#Voice Leading Rules: Soprano & Bass

Let's review the rules for the soprano and bass lines. These are the foundation of good voice leading.

#Soprano Line Rules

1. Mostly Stepwise Motion: Avoid excessive leaps.
2. Common Tones: Keep common tones in the same voice when possible.
3. SATB Order: Maintain soprano-alto-tenor-bass from high to low to avoid voice crossing.
4. Avoid Parallel Fifths: If a perfect fifth isn't immediately repeated, don't move to another perfect fifth.
5. Avoid Parallel Octaves/Unisons: Same rule as above, but for octaves and unisons.
6. Melodic Intervals: Stick to major/minor seconds, thirds, perfect fourths, and perfect fifths. Avoid augmented/diminished intervals and leaps larger than a perfect fifth.
7. Leading Tone Resolution: Leading tones in outer voices should always resolve up by step.
8. Leading Tone Doubling: Don't double leading tones in outer voices.

#Bass Line Rules

1. Harmonic Sense: Bass notes must allow the soprano notes to make harmonic sense.
2. Acceptable Progressions: Use tonic, supertonic, subdominant, and dominant triads.
3. Repeated Harmonies: Acceptable on strong beats, or weak beats at the start of a phrase.
4. Melodic Interest: Balance upward and downward motion, steps and leaps.
5. Leaps: Bass lines use more leaps than upper voices.
6. Allowable Leaps: Thirds, perfect fourths/fifths, sixths, octaves, and descending diminished fifths (if resolved).
7. Octave Leap Direction: Change direction after an octave leap.
8. Triad Outlines: Successive leaps can outline a triad.
9. Repeated Bass Notes: Acceptable on strong beats, or weak beats at the start of a phrase or if the second note is a suspension.
10. Rhythmic Value: Quarter notes are most frequent, but half and eighth notes are also used.

#Doubling Rules

#How to Double Notes

When writing four-part harmony, you'll need to double one note in triads (since they only have three notes). Here's how to choose:

1. Root Doubling: Double the root of a triad whenever possible.
2. Thirds/Fifths Doubling: Double thirds or fifths if it leads to good voice leading.
3. Non-Tendency Tones: Always double non-tendency tones (not leading tones or chordal sevenths).
4. Root-Position V7: If the fifth is omitted, double the root.
5. 6/4 Chords: Always double the bass.

#Tendency Tones

Tendency tones need to resolve a certain way. The leading tone goes up to the tonic, and the chordal seventh goes down to the third.

#More Voice Leading Rules

#Intervals Between Voices

• Avoid Parallel Fifths/Octaves: Not just in outer voices, but between any voices. These are called direct fifths and direct octaves.

• Similar Motion to Perfect Intervals: If outer voices move to a perfect interval by similar motion, the upper voice should move by step.

• Avoid Parallel Thirds/Sixths: Don't have three parallel thirds or sixths.

• Unequal Fifths: Avoid resolving a diminished fifth to a perfect fifth (except in a I - V 4/3 - I6 progression).

#Spacing Between Voices

• No Voice Crossing: Don't let voice ranges cross.

• Upper Voice Spacing: Spacing between soprano, alto, and tenor should be less than an octave.

• Bass Voice Spacing: Bass can have a larger spacing.

#Final Exam Focus

Okay, let's get down to the nitty-gritty. Here's what you need to prioritize for the exam:

#High-Priority Topics

• Voice Leading: Master those rules!

• Roman Numeral Analysis: Practice identifying chords and inversions.

• Figured Bass: Be able to realize figured bass notation accurately.

• Doubling Rules: Know when and what to double.

These topics are heavily weighted on the exam, so make sure you're solid on them.

#Common Question Types

• Multiple Choice: Expect questions on voice leading, chord identification, and harmonic analysis.
• Free Response: You'll likely have to realize a figured bass and write four-part harmony.

#Last-Minute Tips

• Time Management: Don't spend too long on one question. Move on and come back if needed.

• Common Pitfalls: Watch out for parallel fifths/octaves, incorrect doubling, and unresolved tendency tones.

• Strategies: Read each question carefully and make sure you understand what's being asked.

#Practice Questions

#Multiple Choice Questions

#Free Response Question

BASS: C - D - E - F - G - A - G - C
FIGURES:  (blank) - 6 - (blank) - 6 - (blank) - 6 - 5/3 - (blank)

#Short Answer Question

Good luck, you've got this! Let's make some beautiful music! 🌟