<p>Hello!
I am a sophomore, and this is my first year taking piano lessons. I am studying piano all the way to my senior year; is 3 years enough time to be prepared to take the AP Music Theory test in senior year?</p>
<p>Playing piano is certainly useful for knowing music theory and I think three years’ worth would probably give you enough of a feel of the keyboard to be able to more easily visualize chords, scales and the like. Are you planning on being a music major or just taking the exam for elective credit when you get to college? If you want to be a music major I wouldn’t discourage AP Music Theory because it could be very useful to arrive at college with that much knowledge of the topic but I’m going to tell you that very few schools actually give credit to music majors for AP Music Theory test scores. Some schools do give it to non-majors for elective credit though.</p>
<p>People in my class last year had never played piano before, but they still passed the test. There was even one person who had never read music before, and he still got a 3.</p>
<p>3 years should be plenty. You’ll be at an advantage with that amount of practice</p>
<p>Be aware that there will be things covered on that exam that you are probably not going to learn in the course of your keyboard studies. You will still either need to take a class in Music Theory or do some studying and practice some ear training exercises on your own to get a good grade.</p>
<p>I agree with Bassdad, I doubt simply taking piano lessons, unless the teacher is teaching music theory heavily, will allow you to get a good score on the AP music theory test (a 3 is not really a great score, a lot of schools won’t give you credit for a 3…). Music theory is generally taught as a structured sequence, and there is a reason for teaching it that way, whether it is in college or in programs like ABRSM.</p>
<p>My next question is what someone else said, why do you want to take the AP music theory test? Do you plan on majoring in something other then music and want to get credits for it (might get you out of an arts core requirement, depending on the school)? If so, then I would recommend at the very least picking up an AP music test book and maybe a supplementary book on music theory (there are online and computer based music theory programs as well), I wouldn’t rely on what a piano teacher may or may not teach you. </p>
<p>If you are planning to major in music then my take is the AP music theory test is a waste of time, very few if any music schools will give you any kind of credit for taking it. Music schools require theory of their students and they place students into their track based on placement exams the student takes when applying (as they do with ear training) and the AP test has no relevance other then what you might have learned to prepare for it. </p>
<p>I think it is a great idea to learn music theory if you are planning to major in music and for example taking an ap music theory class is one way to gain knowledge, but the test itself in terms of music programs is bupkus.</p>
<p>While it’s true that simply taking piano won’t get you a 5 by itself, really knowing a keyboard instrument without having to think about it is definitely helpful. My school started offering Music Theory (not AP) last semester and the four people with the highest grade in the class (I can safely say this because there were only ten of us and we’re all friends) were a pianist, a singer with a significant amount of piano instruction, a percussionist who is amazing on marimba (a keyboard for visualization purposes, if not all purposes) and a guitarist/singer who plays jazz so he kind of has to know some theory just to be able to do his thing and improvise. Essentially, one of the four wasn’t thinking of keyboards every time they thought of a note but he was still using a set-pitch instrument, which may have been useful. The teacher, a percussionist himself, taught the class with an electric keyboard at all times and our book had a lot of diagrams of keyboards. Obviously, people who don’t play keyboard instruments can still learn theory; music school in general just wouldn’t work if that wasn’t the case. But it certainly helps to be able to visualize a second inversion g-flat minor seventh chord with keys instead of trying to figure it out not visually because you play something that only produces one note at any given time. I think that’s why you have to take piano lessons in college regardless of instrument.</p>
<p>I am currently studying a Music Theory book.
Also, I plan on majoring in music, Voice Performance to be exact, but I believe some amount of piano skills is valuable for singers: you are your own accompiant, easier to create songs, etc.</p>
<p>AP Music is not an easy class at all. Having said that, it will help you to have a background in piano. The class is something you would definitely want to either take, if your school offers it, or to study intensively online. If you do spend 3 years studying music theory intensively (meaning not only rhythm, but figured bass, chord analyzing, dictation, sight singing, etc.), then you should be well prepared for the test. Good luck!</p>
<p>Knowledge of the piano (the person in question is taking piano) and theory is not a bad thing to have, assuming you will be a voice major, I am simply questioning taking the AP test as being valuable, that’s all. If you go to a stand alone music program, it is unlikely the AP test will mean anything (knowing music theory could help you place into a higher level of music theory when you enter, that might shorten the number of theory courses you have to take in school). If you plan on going to a program within a university you potentially could use the AP test to get out of an arts requirement, but given that you are planning to study voice your coursework in music theory or music history would probably fulfill that anyway, so why go to the bother of taking the AP test if it doesn’t get you anything?</p>
<p>Taking an AP test helps motivate students to study. Without a test looming over them on a specific date, other priorities easily take precedence. Students need to invest time in music theory to learn it. Whether or not a student will ever make use of the credit potentially earned through AP Music Theory, the writing of the exam acts as a powerful incentive to invest the time necessary for learning. </p>
<p>In addition, new learning psychology findings indicate that one of the best ways to consolidate material we have learned is to write a test on it; in fact, be tested on material produces superior learning to almost any other way of studying the same material. The anticipation of the test also helps the brain master material.</p>
<p>Yes, ideally all learners would derive all of their motivation from the intrinsic value and interest in the material they learn, but none of the students that i know live fully in that ideal world yet.</p>
<p>I advise many of my students who get 5’s on their AP exams to retake the course at university, but I still advise them to take the AP exam.</p>
<p>In some schools, all students who want to take AP classes are required to sit the exams, regardless of whether their intended college/conservatory will count it.</p>
<p>I self-studied AP Music for 2 years, and sat for the exam my senior year. I had not taken any music theory courses prior to starting AP Music; the only “preparation” I had was playing/singing since 3rd grade. I got a 5.</p>
<p>Here’s what I recommend:
- You don’t need to study piano in-depth, but sit at one for at least two hours a week and just fool around with some music. As you’re playing, analyze the chords, the progressions, cadences, phrases, non-chord tones, key changes, modulations, etc.
- I know not everyone can afford it, but if you can, buy Sibelius. Again, play around on it for a few hours a week. Write 4-part music. Write out figured bass on paper, and then realize it in Sibelius. You can do this all with paper and a piano, but it’s nice to be able to play back what you’re writing.
- Use good-ear.com daily.
- Use [A.C.E</a> - Music School - Music Dictation Practice](<a href=“http://acedu.tripod.com/dictation/index.htm]A.C.E”>A.C.E - Music School - Music Dictation Practice) for practicing dictations on your own.</p>
<p>So it’s not just about piano proficiency; you need to have a well-rounded grasp on music.</p>
<p>You won’t need to go to the extremes that I did since I self-studied the exam (my HS didn’t offer AP Music). But don’t underestimate the difficulty.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Minor note ;P. You may not receive credit at music school for the AP music theory credits but many of the colleges will put the credits under general university credits. This helps because many schools do housing selection and class registration by the number of credits you have. Due to AP credits, etc, son entered with sophomore standing which greatly helps him to sign up for classes before others in his year and received a better number for the housing lottery. So take the test if you are in the course it might help in other ways.</p>