AP Music Theory Study Guide

Form

• Cadence: Harmonic goal, specific chords used at the goal.
• Cadential Extension: Delay of cadence by adding material.
• Coda: Conclusion of a composition.
• Codetta: Marks end of sonatas, ends in perfect cadence.
• Contour: Shape of melody.
  • Conjunct: Stepwise movement.
  • Disjunct: Movement with leaps.
• Focal Point: Highest note of the melody.
• Countermelody: Accompanying melody against the principal melody.
• Elision: Last note of one phrase serves as first note of next.
• Introduction: Opens a movement, establishes elements.

Jazz and Pop Terms

• Bridge: Contrasting section which prepares for return of original material.
• Chorus: Repeated lines.
• Song Form (AABA): Common structure.
• Turnaround: Passage leading to next section, often a repetition.
• Twelve-bar Blues: Three four-bar phrases, formats like I|I|I|I|IV|IV|I|I|V|IV|I|I|.

Melodic Procedures

• Fragmentation: Dividing a musical idea into segments.
• Internal Expansion: Extending a phrase beyond expected length.
• Inversion:
  • Root Position: 1 in bass.
  • First Inversion: 3 in bass.
  • Second Inversion: 5 in bass.
  • Third Inversion: 7 in bass (n/a for triads).
• Literal Repetition: Repeating sequences, marked by repeat sign.
• Motivic Transformation: Changing rhythmic theme.
  • Augmentation: Multiplication of rhythm.
  • Diminution: Division of rhythm.
  • Retrograde: Backward.
  • Extension: Addition.
  • Truncation: Subtraction.
• Octave Displacement: Moving notes into a different octave.
• Sequence: Repeating pattern starting on different pitch class.
  • Tonal Sequence: Pattern remains in one key, interval modifiers change.
  • Real Sequence: Transposing pattern to a new key.
  • Modified Sequence: Neither tonal nor real.
  • Circle-of-fifths progression: Roots related by descending 5ths (or ascending 4ths).
• Transposition: Playing music in a different key.

Motive, Phrase, and Period

• Motive: Smallest identifiable musical idea.
• Phrase: Independent musical idea ending in a cadence.
• Subphrase: Distinct portion of a phrase, usually not ending in a cadence.
• Period: Two or more phrases in antecedent-consequent relationship.
  • Antecedent: Question, first phrase.
  • Consequent: Answer, second phrase.
  • Parallel Period: Phrases begin with similar material.
  • Contrasting Period: Begins differently.
  • Three-Phrase Period: Three phrases, 2A/1C or 1A/2C.
  • Double Period: Four phrases in two pairs.

Small Forms

• Binary: Movement with two main sections.
  • Sectional Binary: Ends on tonic triad or main key.
  • Continuous Binary: Ends on any other chord.
• Ternary: A B A, or statement-contrast-return.
• Rounded Binary: A B 1/2A, similar to ternary.
• Solo, Soli: Alone.
• Stanza: Similar music and different lyrics sections.
• Strophic Form: A A A, repetition of one section.
• Theme: Initial or primary melody.
• Through-composed: Continuous and non-repetitive.
• Tutti: All instruments together.
• Variation: Altered during repetition.

Harmony

• Cadence Types:
  • Authentic Cadence: V or vii to I.
    • Perfect Authentic Cadence (PAC): V(7) to I with tonic in soprano.
    • Imperfect Authentic Cadence (IAC): All ACs that are not PACs.
• Chord Quality:
  • Triads: Major, Augmented, Minor, Diminished.
  • Seventh Chords: Major seventh, Major-minor seventh, Minor seventh, Half-diminished seventh, Fully-diminished seventh.

Functions and Progressions

• Scale Degrees/Diatonic Chord Names: Tonic, Supertonic, Mediant, Subdominant, Dominant, Submediant, Subtonic/Leading Tone.
• Functions: Tonic, Dominant, Subdominant.
• Circle of Fifths
• Modulation/Tonicization: Shifting tonal center.
• Neighboring Chord: Formed by neighbor notes.

Nonharmonic Tones

• Passing Tone: Approached by step, left by step in same direction.
• Neighboring Tone: Approached by step, left by step in opposite direction.
• Suspension: Approached by same tone, left by step down.
• Retardation: Approach by same tone, left by step up.
• Appoggiatura: Approached by leap, left by step.

Spacing/Voicing/Position

• Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass
• Close Structure: Less than an octave between soprano and tenor.
• Open Structure: An octave or more.
• Doubling: Only double the root.

Voice Leading

• Common Tone: Shared by two or more chords.
• Rules for Simple Melodies:
  • Rhythm: Simple with most durations equal to or longer than beat.
  • Harmony: Every melody note belongs to a chord.
  • Contour: Conjunct, clear, single focal point.

Miscellaneous Harmonic Terms

• Arpeggio: Notes outlining a chord.
• Consonance: Pleasing intervals.
• Dissonant: Unpleasant intervals.
• Diatonic: Chords with scale notes.
• Chromatic: Chords with notes outside the scale.

Intervals

• Compound Interval: Greater than a P8.
• Inversion of an Interval: Formula described (9 minus number and opposite of quality).

Performance Terms

• Accent Types: Agogic, Dynamic, Metrical.
• Beat Type: Simple and Compound.
• Cross Rhythm: Simultaneous contrasting rhythms.

Text/Music Relations

• Melismatic: Changing the note of a syllable.
• Syllabic: Each syllable matched to a note.

Texture

• Alberti Bass: Arpeggiated accompaniment.
• Canon: Contrapuntal composition.
• Counterpoint/Polyphony: Independent voice relationship.
• Imitation: Repeated musical gesture.
• Heterophony: Simultaneous variation of a melodic line.
• Homophony: Parts moving together.
• Monophony: Melody without accompaniment.
• Obbligato: Played as written.

This study guide provides an extensive overview of music theory concepts including form, melodic procedures, harmony, voice leading, texture, intervals, and performance terms. It is intended to assist in understanding the foundational elements of music theory and their application in musical composition and analysis.