<p>Hi, it turns out my schedule won't fit AP Music, so I'm studying it on my own. I play piano for over 9 years now, and I took the ABRSM Theory Grade 5. So I'm pretty prepared. But I'm not exactly sure how to prepare for the exam. Certainly there are new things that weren't covered by ABRSM. Can anyone tell me what you guys did in your AP Music class. ie books used, exercises, etc. Thank you!</p>
<p>Go to the collegeboard website for a complete description of what is required: </p>
<p><a href=“Supporting Students from Day One to Exam Day – AP Central | College Board”>Supporting Students from Day One to Exam Day – AP Central | College Board;
<p>I know what’s needed, but how do i meet those requirements. Like exercise books?? websites?? etc</p>
<p>Disclaimer: I’m taking AP Music Theory next year. I haven’t yet taken the class. However, I’ve helped people take it for the past two years, as I have a bunch of informal music theory knowledge.</p>
<p>First of all, I had to take an entrance exam into the class in May. I used [url=<a href=“http://classic.musictheory.net%5Dthese%5B/url”>http://classic.musictheory.net]these[/url</a>] training techniques to prepare me for the entrance exam. I used the Key Trainer for a bit - I play the saxophone, so I had to get used to identifying key signatures in concert pitch as opposed to E-flat or B-flat pitch. I used the Interval Trainer, Triad Trainer, and the Interval/Chord Ear Trainers. I came into the exam already knowing all my scales (it’s a requirement for my school, by senior year, to know all 12 majors, all 12 natural minors, all 12 harmonic minors, and all 12 melodic minors). I already had a good deal of experience with chords of all sorts because I’ve played in the jazz band since 6th grade.</p>
<p>After you have the very basics down pat (you can identify minor sixth intervals in your sleep, you can identify chords in treble, bass, and tenor clef, etc.), get yourself a copy of Peter Spencer’s The Practice of Harmony. Work through the first three parts. A lot of material in the first part is designed for people who have never read music before (it teaches them to identify notes and whatnot); you can easily skip this. I’d recommend starting from the intervals and triads; it is important to be able to identify them quickly enough to match the suggested goal per line.</p>
<p>Be sure to memorize your rules of harmony! Things like avoiding parallel fifths, parallel motion, etc.</p>
<p>Finally, of course there is sight-singing and melodic dictation on the AP exam. For sight-singing, get some kind of super-elementary piano book. Try to sing the melody to a song once. Play it back on the piano to see how accurate you were. Keep working until you’ve got it down pat. Move onto the next one.</p>
<p>I’ve never had a problem with melodic dictation; in fact, on the entrance exam, I did all three accurately on the first try. I don’t have perfect pitch, but I’ve been constantly transcribing songs since 7th grade, whether to make a saxophone quartet arrangement of a Dream Theater song or to do a required weekly solo transcription for jazz band. For someone who does not have the exposure to melodic dictation that I’ve had, I would recommend listening to your favorite songs and trying to write out their melodies without using an instrument. Listening for already familiar patterns (arpeggios, for instance) and intervals (again, you should be able to pick out a perfect 5th in your sleep) is a good way to get the notes right.</p>
<p>Best of luck on your endeavor!</p>
<p>Thanks so much Keasbey!! 
By the way, do you know any practice tests that may be online?</p>
<p>I do not, unfortunately. I’m sure I’ll stumble upon some as May 2011 draws nearer.</p>
<p>You seem to have a much stronger theory background than my son did going into his AP Music Theory class this year. He luckily had an excellent teacher, and he also used a study book as review as he prepared for the test.</p>
<p>Just got his score back yesterday and it was a 5.</p>
<p>The book he used was Barrons AP Music Theory with practice tests and several CDs for the listening part. </p>
<p>If you have a strong theory background already, maybe you could self-study without the class, although my son didn’t have enough of a theory background to do it without the class. But either way, I think the book can be helpful. Good luck to you!</p>
<p>Okay Thanks AParental! 
Barrons tend to be harder than the actual tests for most subjects. Did your son feel that Barrons Music was harder too?</p>
<p>He didn’t say if the book was easier or harder, so I don’t know about that. </p>
<p>I know he found the Music Theory exam and class difficult, but enjoyable, and he worked harder on that subject than many other classes this year.</p>
<p>I had a teacher who didn’t care about the class, and 5 other classmates who didn’t really care either. 3 of them slept the entire year. I still managed to get a 5 (overall and both subscores) without a review book. The rest of my class probably didn’t do so hot. I would be absolutely shocked if one of my classmates got a 4.</p>
<p>Aural- Since you have been playing music for at least 9 years, you probably have a good sense of pitch. I have perfect pitch and I think that the only thing that you need to know besides the pitch are the chords, and start thinking about what they sound like. Sometimes I would take a piano piece that I played in the past and analyze the chords, then play it to get a good sense of structure. If you have an amazing sense of pitch you definitely have an advantage, but if you know your intervals you’ll still be fine. But in my honest opinion, the best way to prepare is to keep on playing music and thinking about what you just played/heard. I heard a song that I played in band class on my mock exam and on the real exam, I saw a piece that I was looking at that weekend!</p>
<p>Non-aural
My teacher said the basic thing you need to know are your scales and the circle of fifths. But you need to know inversion symbols, cadences and the circle of fifths chord progression too, in my opinion. Make sure you practice writing out SATB parts. You will have a huge advantage if you know a lot about music, and you listen to what you are playing and thinking critically about what you’re playing. Oh yeah, avoid parallel fifths and octaves! Those can be a bugger! If you can find a past actual AP exam, that helps too. My class took the 2003 AP test as a mock exam. There are some musical terms that are on the AP test that you may be unfamiliar with, and I think if you use google you can find some study sheets for vocab, but don’t stress over it</p>
<p>Let me know if you have any questions related to the course material! Hope this helps somewhat</p>
<p>I self-studied for AP Music Theory this year, got all 5’s (overall, aural, and non-aural). I haven’t the slightest idea what ABRSM is, but I was on CM level 9. I relied mostly on Barron’s AP Music Theory. If you follow that book from beginning to end, you should land a 5. I also used Practica Musica… if you want to buy it for a hundred bucks you can but I honestly felt it was unnecessary for my 5.</p>