Unit 2: Music Fundamentals II
AP Music Theory: 51 practice questions with detailed explanations.
Unit Study Guide
Executive Summary
Minor scales come in three forms; keys relate as relative or parallel; melody, timbre, and texture describe what we hear.
Minor scales
Natural minor: W-H-W-W-H-W-W. Harmonic minor raises the 7th (creating the leading tone). Melodic minor raises the 6th AND 7th ascending, reverting to natural descending. A minor shares C major's key signature; E minor shares G major's.
Key relationships
Relative keys share a key signature (C major / A minor; G major / E minor) — their tonics are a minor third apart. Parallel keys share a tonic but differ in mode and signature (C major / C minor).
Melody
A melody is a single line with a contour (rising, falling, arched). Conjunct motion moves by steps; disjunct leaps. Phrases end in cadences.
Timbre and texture
Timbre (tone color) distinguishes instruments: strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion, and voices (soprano, alto, tenor, bass). Texture: monophonic (one line), homophonic (melody with chords), polyphonic (independent lines — rounds and fugues).
Exam traps
Harmonic minor raises ONLY the 7th; melodic ascending raises 6 and 7. Relative = same signature; parallel = same tonic. Conjunct vs disjunct describes step vs leap, not good vs bad.