<p>Who's taking AP Music Theory? Tell us how well your class has prepared, and what you thnk you need to study most. Maybe we can team up for studying.</p>
<p>My biggest problem is dictation (harmonic and melodic, but especally harmonic). I don't know why - I'm good at identifying intervals, chord types, and rhythms but when it comes to putting it all together for dictating a short piece I seem to just get lost! I rarely even finish a dictation. What's the best way to study for this part of the test?</p>
<p>Umm... my teacher is horrible, so I reallyyyy don't feel ready. I have to take the late exam though, so maybe that'll give me more time to study.</p>
<p>I'm fine on the written- writing out chord progressions & analyzing music is easy for me. I can do intervals, rhythms, cadences, etc. Sight-singing's fine, (although I know I'll mess up due to nerves!). I'm ok with the melodic dictation, (though I do find the bass line dictation very hard and don't always finish it). Andre, I agree, harmonic dictation sucks. I can get the soprano line, but I have a lot of trouble w/ the bass line and chords. </p>
<p>My advice for melodic dictation would be to get down as much of the dictation at first. You'll get lost after that, but when the end comes, try to memorize the pattern at the end-- for example, you know it always ends on the same note, so listen for leading tones, whether there's a triad before the leading tone, etc., and get that all down. Then go back and fill in the middle. Works for me :) (at least, with the treble dictation :p)</p>
<p>For harmonic dictation, I always write the soprano first, (even though you're not supposed to, it helps me- I know I won't mix up the soprano and bass lines and, even better, I can check my bass notes to see that they fit in a chord w/ the soprano note). Then tune out of the soprano and listen to the bass line; just try to hear the intervals and cadences and you should be able to get most of the notes down. Then figure out the chords.</p>
<p>My biggest problem is the first section of the test, when they ask you questions on orchestral pieces and jazz symphonies and things like that.. how on earth do you prepare for that?? I mean, I don't see how you can know that the 3rd phrase modulates to the mediant or soemthing like that!</p>
<p>Oh another main worry-- what if your cd player is really bad quality and you can't hear the notes properly? That would be horrible! :crosses fingers and prays that doesn't happen to me:</p>
<p>haha.. i took the musictheory exam on wednesday and let's just say, it will be a relief if i even get a 3 and i will be extremely happy if i make a 4. oh well considering we dont do much in that class, i didn't expect much. the only thing that will save my life is the bass line composition and figured bass free response questions (the only thing i'm good at lol). i didn't even finish the multiple choice and the sight singing was an embarrassment :( and i think i might have gotten a few notes on the melodic dictation if i'm lucky lol. </p>
<p>does anyone know where i can find one of the more recent grading rubrics? (the ones where you figure out how many points you got on each section/free response question and then they have specific numbers you multiply the points by to get your final score)</p>
<p>I'm taking it during the late testing period. They postponed my test. Thank goodness. I didn't even know WHAT was on the exam until the night before May 3rd (seriously).</p>