AP Music Theory

There are two types of multiple-choice questions on the exam:

• There are 10–12 individual questions and 13 sets made up of 4–6 questions each.
• All stimulus materials throughout the exam represent a variety of historical style periods, including baroque, classical, romantic, late 19th or 20th century, and contemporary (world music, jazz, or pop). Both instrumental and vocal music are represented.

Questions based on aural stimulus test your listening skill and knowledge about theory largely in the context of examples from actual musical scores. Some questions will cover identification of isolated pitch and rhythmic patterns, while others may test your skill in aural analysis of more complex musical excerpts. (41–43 questions, ~45 minutes) 

Questions based on analysis of printed music scores emphasize knowledge of score analysis, including small-scale and large-scale harmonic procedures; melodic organization and developmental procedures; rhythmic/metric organization; texture; and formal devices and/or procedures. You may also see questions about musical terminology, notational skills, and basic compositional skills. (32–34 questions, 35 minutes)

The seven questions include:

• 2 melodic dictation questions
• 2 harmonic dictation questions
• 1 question about part writing from figured bass
• 1 question about part writing from Roman numerals
• 1 question about harmonization of a melody

You’ll be asked to sing and record two brief, primarily diatonic melodies (of about 4–8 bars).

• You will have 75 seconds to examine and practice each melody and 30 seconds to perform it.
• You may sing the melody beginning with the given starting pitch or another pitch in a range that is more comfortable.