AP Music Theory Flashcards

Key Signatures with Corresponding Minor Scales

• C Major has no sharps or flats; its relative minor is A minor.
• G Major contains 1 sharp; its relative minor is E minor.
• D Major features 2 sharps; its relative minor is B minor.
• A Major includes 3 sharps; its relative minor is F# minor.
• E Major has 4 sharps; its relative minor is C# minor.
• B Major contains 5 sharps; its relative minor is G# minor.
• F# Major features 6 sharps; its relative minor is D# minor.
• C# Major has 7 sharps; its relative minor is A# minor.
• F Major has 1 flat; its relative minor is D minor.
• B♭ Major contains 2 flats; its relative minor is G minor.
• E♭ Major features 3 flats; its relative minor is C minor.
• A♭ Major has 4 flats; its relative minor is F minor.
• D♭ Major contains 5 flats; its relative minor is B♭ minor.
• G♭ Major features 6 flats; its relative minor is E♭ minor.
• C♭ Major has 7 flats; its relative minor is A♭ minor.

Intervals and Their Qualities

• To determine intervals, count the letter names between the starting and ending notes, then count half steps.
• An even number of half steps indicates a minor interval; an odd number indicates a major interval.
• For interval inversions, subtract the interval's value from 9 and switch its quality: Major to minor, perfect stays perfect, augmented becomes diminished and vice versa.

Types of Minor Scales

• Natural Minor aligns with the same key signature as its relative major with no raised notes.
• Harmonic Minor raises the 7th degree, creating a leading tone.
• Melodic Minor raises both the 6th and 7th degrees on ascension and lowers them on descension.

Finding Relative Major and Minor

• Relative minor can be found by counting 4 half steps down from the tonic of the major scale.
• Relative major can be found by counting 4 half steps up from the tonic of the minor scale.

Diatonic Series

• Major Scale Degrees: I-ii-iii-IV-V-vi-vii*-I
• Minor Scale Degrees: i-ii*-III-iv-V-VI-vii*-i

Harmonic Motion Pull Chart

• Major Progressions: iii-vi/ii, ii*-IV-IV-V, V⁷/vii⁷-I
• Minor Progressions: III-VI/ii*,iv, ii⁷-V, V⁷/vii*, vii⁷-I

Chord and Figured Bass Inversions

• Triads:
  • Root Position: 5/3
  • First Inversion: 6 or 6/3
  • Second Inversion: 6/4
• 7th Chords:
  • Root Position: 7
  • 1st Inversion: 6/5
  • 2nd Inversion: 4/3
  • 3rd Inversion: 4/2

Accidentals in Figured Bass

• Accidentals apply to the notes above the bass line, with slashes indicating raises.

Chord Patterns

• Dominant 7th: Major/minor/minor
• Major 7th: Major/Major/Major
• Minor 7th: minor/Major/minor
• Half Diminished 7th: minor/minor/Major
• Fully Diminished 7th: minor/minor/minor

Types of Harmonic Progressions

• Progression (P) indicates forward motion.
• Elision skips chords on the pull chart.
• Retrogression (R) denotes backward motion.
• Repetition (S) repeats a chord functionally.

Types of Music

• Modal Music is centered on scales without a key.
• Tonal Music is based around a key, typically starting and ending on the tonic.

Scale Degree Names

• 1: Tonic
• 2: Supertonic
• 3: Mediant
• 4: Subdominant
• 5: Dominant
• 6: Submediant
• 7: Leading Tone
• 8: Tonic

Cadences

• Cadences serve as musical punctuation marking the end of a phrase, often consisting of a two-chord progression.
• Perfect Authentic Cadence (PAC) denotes a strong resolution.