Ap Music Theory Terms

Front 1

Simple Meter

Back 1

When the top number is a 2, 3, or 4

Front 2

Simple Duple

Back 2

When a 2 is on top
e.g. 2/16, 2/4, 2/1

Front 3

Simple Triple

Back 3

When a 3 is on top
e.g. 3/16, 3/4, 3/2

Front 4

Simple Quadruple

Back 4

When a 4 is on top
e.g. 4/16, 4/4, 4/2

Front 5

Compound Meter

Back 5

When the meter represents the SUBDIVISION of the beat and not the beat

Front 6

Compound Duple

Back 6

When there is a 6 is on top
e.g. 6/8, 6/4

Front 7

Compound Triple

Back 7

When there is a 9 on top
e.g. 9/8, 9/4

Front 8

Compound Quadruple

Back 8

When there is a 12 on top
e.g. 12/8, 12/4

Front 9

Enharmonic

Back 9

When a note is written in a different key than what is indicated

Front 10

Parallel Major/Minor

Back 10

Major and Minor scales that share the same tonic

Front 11

Relative Major/Minor

Back 11

Major and Minor scales that have the same key signature

Front 12

Scalar Variance

Back 12

The use of natural, harmonic, and melodic minor in the same composition

Front 13

Tonic

Back 13

The first scale degree (Do)

Front 14

Supertonic

Back 14

The second scale degree (Re)

Front 15

Mediant

Back 15

The third scale degree (Mi)

Front 16

Subdominant

Back 16

The fourth scale degree (Fa)

Front 17

Dominant

Back 17

The fifth scale degree (So)

Front 18

Submediant

Back 18

The sixth scale degree (La)

Front 19

Subtonic

Back 19

The diminished seventh scale degree in a minor scale (Te)

Front 20

Leading Tone

Back 20

The seventh scale degree (Ti)

Front 21

Diatonic notes/intervals

Back 21

Notes/intervals that are in the key signature

Front 22

Enharmonic notes/intervals

Back 22

Notes/intervals that aren't in the key signature

Front 23

doubly diminished

Back 23

When a pitch is lowered two (2) whole-steps

Front 24

doubly augmented

Back 24

When a pitch is raised two (2) whole-steps

Front 25

Major triad

Back 25

A major third under a minor third
m3/P5
M3

Front 26

Minor triad

Back 26

A minor third under a major third
M3/P5
m3

Front 27

Diminished triad

Back 27

A minor third under a minor third
m3/dim5
m3

Front 28

Augmented triad

Back 28

A major third under a major third
M3/A5
M3

Front 29

Root Position Triad

Back 29

When the ROOT of the chord is in the bass
5/3 or just

Front 30

First Inversion Triad

Back 30

When the THIRD of the chord is in the bass
6/3 or just 6

Front 31

Second Inversion Triad

Back 31

When the FIFTH of the chord is in the bass
6/4

Front 32

Major Seventh

Back 32

M3
m3
M3

Front 33

Dominant Seventh Chord

Back 33

m3
m3
M3

Front 34

Minor Seventh Chord

Back 34

m3
M3
m3

Front 35

Half-diminished Seventh Chord

Back 35

M3
m3
m3

Front 36

Fully-diminished Seventh Chord

Back 36

m3
m3
m3

Front 37

Root Position Seventh Chord

Back 37

1-3-5-7, or ROOT in the bass
V^7

Front 38

First Inversion Seventh Chord

Back 38

3-5-7-1, or THIRD in the bass
V^6/5

Front 39

Second Inversion Seventh Chord

Back 39

5-7-1-3, or FIFTH in the bass
V^4/3

Front 40

Third Inversion Seventh Chord

Back 40

7-1-3-5, or SEVENTH in the bass
V^4/2

Front 41

Quality (of a chord)

Back 41

Whether the chord is Major, Minor, Dominant (in the case of 7ths), Diminished, or augmented

Front 42

Perfect Authentic Cadence (PAC)

Back 42

Three Conditions must be met:
1) The final to chords must be V or V^7 to I or i
2) Both chords must be in ROOT position
3) The I or i chord must have the soprano doubling the root

Front 43

Imperfect Authentic Cadence (IAC)

Back 43

1) The last two chords must be V/V^7 or vii°/vii°^7 and I or i
2) The chords can be of any inversion
3) The soprano in the I or i chord does not necessarily have to be doubling the root

Front 44

Plagal Cadence (PC or "Amen")

Back 44

IV/iv -> I/i

Front 45

Deceptive Cadence (DC or interrupted)

Back 45

Ends on a VI or vi

Front 46

Half Cadence (HC)

Back 46

Ends on V(7) or v(7)

Front 47

Phrygian Half Cadence (PHC)

Back 47

1) In harmonic minor
2) iv^ -> V
3) Bass moves from 6 ->5

Front 48

Contrary motion (Part-writing)

Back 48

When the melody (soprano) moves in the opposite direction as the bass

Front 49

Oblique motion (Part-writing)

Back 49

When the soprano/bass stays on the same note and the bass/soprano moves

Front 50

Similar motion (Part-writing)

Back 50

When the soprano/bass moves in the same direction as the bass/soprano, but not in the same intervals

Front 51

Parallel motion (Part-writing)

Back 51

When the soprano/bass moves in the same direction as the bass/soprano AND IN THE SAME INTERVALS

Front 52

Resolution Rules (Part-writing)

Back 52

1) IF V/v goes to I/i or VI/vi, THEN 7 resolves upward to 1
2) IF vii°/vii°7 OR V7 goes to I/i or VI/vi, then 7 resolves up to 1 and 4 resolves down to 2
3) IF you have a seventh chord of ANY kind, THEN 7 resolves downward

Front 53

Period

Back 53

antecedent-consequence relationship of phrases where the first phrase ends with a weaker harmonic conclusion than the first

Front 54

Parallel period

Back 54

When the two phrases begin identically, or the second is a variation of the first.

Front 55

Contrasting period

Back 55

When the two phrases are different from each other.

Front 56

Repeated parallel period

Back 56

Two phrases that are repeated exactly

Front 57

Double Period

Back 57

A group of four phrases where the strongest harmonic conclusion appears only at the end of the fourth phrase.

Front 58

Introduction/prefix

Back 58

Material added at the beginning of a phrase

Front 59

Cadential Expansions

Back 59

Expansions at the end of phrases

Front 60

Internal Expansion

Back 60

Lengthening a phrase anywhere besides the beginning or the end

Front 61

Elision

Back 61

When the end of one phrase and the beginning of another share a note or notes

Front 62

Melodic motive/motif

Back 62

A short group of notes that is repeated throughout a melody to establish it's identity.

Front 63

Literal repetition (of melody)

Back 63

When a voice imitates the melody sung by another voice previously

Front 64

Exact Melodic sequence

Back 64

Repeating the original motive/motif starting on a different pitch, but maintaining the original intervals between notes

Front 65

Inexact Melodic sequence

Back 65

Repeating the original motive/motif starting on a different pitch, and the intervals are diatonic

Front 66

Melodic Inversion

Back 66

Imitation of the melody preformed upside-down, interval-ly speaking.

Front 67

Mirror Melodic Inversion

Back 67

Where an inverted melody is played exactly opposite of how it was played before (If it went up a third, before, it goes down a third in the inversion)

Front 68

Retrograde Melodic Inversion

Back 68

When the melody is played backwards exactly

Front 69

Rhythmic displacement

Back 69

When the melody is repeated, but on a different beat of the measure

Front 70

Melodic Augmentation

Back 70

Where the notes of a melody are lengthened, but the pitches remain the same

Front 71

Diminuation

Back 71

Where the notes of a melody are shortened, but the pitches remain the same

Front 72

Melodic Expansion

Back 72

When new material is added to the end of a phrase

Front 73

Modulation

Back 73

When a melody is repeated in a different key

Front 74

Mode mixture

Back 74

the combining of chords from the parallel major or minor mode

Front 75

Ornamentation/embellishment

Back 75

Adding non-chord tones to a melody

Front 76

Accented Passing Tone

Back 76

A non-chord tone that occurs on the beat

Front 77

Chromatic Passing Tone

Back 77

A enharmonic tone connecting two chord tones

Front 78

Neighbor Tones

Back 78

A tone that decorates the line by moving one diatonic step up/down and then returning to the original pitch

Front 79

Chromatic Neighbor Tones

Back 79

A tone that decorates the line by moving one chromatic step up/down and then returning to the original pitch

Front 80

Incomplete Neighbor Tone/ cambiata

Back 80

A non-harmonic tone approached by a skip/leap in one direction and resolved by stepwise motion in the opposite direction (It occurs in a weak rhythmic position)

Front 81

Neighboring group/ Changing tone

Back 81

Two consecutive non-chord tones. The first moves up by a step from a chord tone, skips down to another chord tone, and then resolves to the original chord tone

Front 82

Appoggiatura

Back 82

A non-chord tone that leaves the preparation by leap and resolves by step in the opposite direction

Front 83

Escape tone

Back 83

A form of incomplete neighbor that leaves a chord tone by step and then resolves by leap

Front 84

Suspension

Back 84

When a note from a preparation chord is held over into the next, then resolved DOWNWARDS

Front 85

Retardation

Back 85

A suspension that resolves UPWARDS

Front 86

Anticipation

Back 86

A tone that resolves to the next chord by step before the next chord occurs

Front 87

Song form

Back 87

aaba

Front 88

Binary

Back 88

AB

Front 89

Sectional Binary

Back 89

When in an AB form, the A ends in an authentic cadence

Front 90

Continuous Binary

Back 90

When in AB form, the A ends with any cadence besides an authentic cadence

Front 91

Strophic Form

Back 91

When the same music is used for each verse or stanza (AAAA)

Front 92

Through-composed form

Back 92

When new music is written for each new stanza (ABCD)

Front 93

Ternary Form

Back 93

Three parts, generally with a recapitulation (ABA)

Front 94

Rounded binary form

Back 94

ABA, but in the recapitulation only part of A is played.

Front 95

Sonata-Allegro form

Back 95

1) Exposition: 2 themes: the first is in the key of the tonic; the second is in the key of the dominant or relative major if the first theme was in minor
2) Development: Previously presented themes are expanded and developed, often in new keys
3) Recapitulation: A restarting of the exposition with the first AND second themes both in the tonic key, sometimes with a coda

Front 96

Rondo Form

Back 96

A main theme that alternates with one or more contrasting themes (episodes of digressions). Generally 5-part (ABACA), 7-part (ABACABA), or arch-form (ABCBA)

Front 97

Theme and Variation form

Back 97

One section (Theme) that is repeated possibly indefinitely, (AaA°a° etc

Front 98

Passacaglia/chaconne

Back 98

A repeating bass theme (or bass ostinato) over which the musical structure is written

Front 99

Texture

Back 99

What is going on in the music at any given time

Front 100

Counterpoint

Back 100

When 2+ lines that are distinct from each are played together, creating a harmony

Front 101

Monophonic (Monophony)

Back 101

A single melodic line with no harmony or accompaniment

Front 102

Homophonic (homophony)

Back 102

One clearly melodic line, with other lines filling in chords and/or accompaniment

Front 103

Chordal Homophony

Back 103

When every voice has the same rhythm, but not necessarily the melody

Front 104

Melody with accompaniment

Back 104

A single melodic line with an accompaniment

Front 105

Ostinato

Back 105

A short melodic/rhythmic/harmonic pattern that is repeated throughout a phrase/section/melody

Front 106

Alberti bass

Back 106

An arppegiated chord in the bass that generally goes 1-5-3-5

Front 107

Polyphonic (polyphony/contrapuntal)

Back 107

When 2+ melodies are occurring at the same time

Front 108

Heterophonic (heterophony)

Back 108

When one melody is being played, but different variations of it are being played

Front 109

Timbre

Back 109

How sound is produced and what whatever is producing it is made of