Thanks so much, what a crazy class it can be! I wonder how different it would have been fully in person, but it seems I got the short end of the stick.
I took the AP Music Theory test last Friday… I just watched all the videos on CollegeBoard, I never took the class. I don’t have much actual musical experience, but I knew a good amount of basic music theory and have some sort of perfect pitch. The test was tough, but I think I passed, unless I really messed up on the free response… Stupid 18th century voice-leading rules. It also didn’t help that my CD kept skipping.
man, I've been a vocal major for 9 goddamn years. I've been in musicianship for 4. I know all the cold theory, have most of the vocabulary, and can sightread and sing with ease. But this class has been the closest thing to hell I have ever been involved in- it's just constantly overwhelming amounts of information and analysis with no time. It's so abstract my brain just can't sort it all out. I know what a second inversion chord looks like, I know how to resolve a seventh, I know all this shit- but when you've got me looking at staff paper with a million notes and are telling me to analyze it in a minute my mind is just not gonna fuckin handle it in time. It's super stressful and it just makes you feel stupid. AP Music Theory seriously sucks ass
Dictation is and ear training overall is one of the most important skills to have as a musician. There's definitely ways to improve on it (having a good understanding of theory helps to pick out important tones), so it's shame you're teachers didn't do a good job teaching any of them. I think Adam Neely explains it better in his video on the AP exam.
I got a 5, which is the only score a lot of my colleges I applied to accepted. Then I went to college and my advisor told me I should take all levels of music theory and aural anyway.
This is the most relatable thing I'ver ever seen as an AP music theory student. I found nearly everything about that class frustrating, and taking it might've been one of the goofiest decisions I've ever made in my life. The written theory and part-writing isn't too bad, but OH MY GOD, you are so right about the dictation stuff. When I do those dictations, it just feels like all my years of music experience suddenly leave my body and I feel like a toddler lost in a supermarket. It's a pretty stupid skill too, like, when in any music career, is it ever gonna be useful in any way? And there's never any specific method taught to really learn it, they really do just sorta tell you to DO IT. Your video really needs to get more attention for this, since I've never seen anyone else present what AP music theory is actually like as accurately as you have here.
Dictation is a skill that is honestly more concretely useful for certain types of musicians (singers, conductors, and composers), but improving aural skills is just generally helpful. It sucks that ur teacher doesn’t use a method to teach it tho, bc there certainly are easier ways to learn it than other (drilling intervals and tricks to identify certain harmonies when in context, etc)
Same feeling here! The theory wasn't a mess, but my previous piano experience just went out the window when the aural MCQs, first FRQs and singing FRQs showed up. My faith in my own musical ability is genuinely compromised now, I can't even look at sheet music anymore. For the first time in a long time, months of practice at singing and dictation simply didn't produce any results. RN I'm just hoping for a 2 so I have a reason to get rid of the score.
I've been playing piano for 7 years and I'm taking AP music theory next year, I've been so thoroughly scared in my life. I'm also taking 6 other ap classes, gonna be a fun year
WOW! So glad I came across this. I was actually considering taking AP Music Theory in my senior year because it sounded "fun and easy" Maybe I will take it for the people but now I know I shouldn't stress about the AP test since it seems useless.
At 0:00, the song is Chopin Etude in C# Minor, No. 4 , Op. 10. At 1:16 the song is the 2nd Movement from Beethoven's "Pathetique" Sonata. Hope this helps!
Idk how I got a 3 on that exam. I was confused all throught the class. I wrote some random bullshit down for figured bass. The sightsinging part was so awkward cause I messed up and my voice was cracking and the protor is in there. Awkward. Everything else was pretty easy I guess. I'll take not having to take an art elective in college. It was fun though.
The thing that annoys me is that in the end if the music sounds wrong just tweek it buh, it's not rocket science and you don't have to be a kung fu music master, all it takes is to just think and you might just get it right.💀
Your comments on the dictation are really on point! My Ear Training professor in college rolls his eyes at AP Music Theory Dictation. He only cares that we are able to train solid musical ears, so if we hear a different time signature or we write the whole thing in a different key, or we write a different harmony that actually ends up sounding better than what was played it doesn't really matter. As long as we understand the musicality of a performance. For example, we do dictations of what other students in the class perform; I had a few of my performances transcribed in-class. The pressure is on the performer to communicate the music well, not the students to write it down properly.
This is such a fantastic synthesis of everything I hated about AP Theory, and even more. I took it in person and it wasn't quite as fast paced for me.
Thanks so much, what a crazy class it can be! I wonder how different it would have been fully in person, but it seems I got the short end of the stick.
I took the AP Music Theory test last Friday… I just watched all the videos on CollegeBoard, I never took the class. I don’t have much actual musical experience, but I knew a good amount of basic music theory and have some sort of perfect pitch. The test was tough, but I think I passed, unless I really messed up on the free response… Stupid 18th century voice-leading rules. It also didn’t help that my CD kept skipping.
man, I've been a vocal major for 9 goddamn years. I've been in musicianship for 4. I know all the cold theory, have most of the vocabulary, and can sightread and sing with ease. But this class has been the closest thing to hell I have ever been involved in- it's just constantly overwhelming amounts of information and analysis with no time. It's so abstract my brain just can't sort it all out. I know what a second inversion chord looks like, I know how to resolve a seventh, I know all this shit- but when you've got me looking at staff paper with a million notes and are telling me to analyze it in a minute my mind is just not gonna fuckin handle it in time. It's super stressful and it just makes you feel stupid. AP Music Theory seriously sucks ass
Dictation is and ear training overall is one of the most important skills to have as a musician. There's definitely ways to improve on it (having a good understanding of theory helps to pick out important tones), so it's shame you're teachers didn't do a good job teaching any of them. I think Adam Neely explains it better in his video on the AP exam.
nice video! i can tell you were really working to make this video engaging with all the skits and edits
Trying my best, thank so much!!
I got a 5, which is the only score a lot of my colleges I applied to accepted. Then I went to college and my advisor told me I should take all levels of music theory and aural anyway.
Ngl this was one of my favorite high school classes. It did help that basically everyone in class was a musician already
This is the most relatable thing I'ver ever seen as an AP music theory student. I found nearly everything about that class frustrating, and taking it might've been one of the goofiest decisions I've ever made in my life. The written theory and part-writing isn't too bad, but OH MY GOD, you are so right about the dictation stuff. When I do those dictations, it just feels like all my years of music experience suddenly leave my body and I feel like a toddler lost in a supermarket. It's a pretty stupid skill too, like, when in any music career, is it ever gonna be useful in any way? And there's never any specific method taught to really learn it, they really do just sorta tell you to DO IT. Your video really needs to get more attention for this, since I've never seen anyone else present what AP music theory is actually like as accurately as you have here.
Wow, thats a really funny analogy for dictation!!
Dictation is a skill that is honestly more concretely useful for certain types of musicians (singers, conductors, and composers), but improving aural skills is just generally helpful. It sucks that ur teacher doesn’t use a method to teach it tho, bc there certainly are easier ways to learn it than other (drilling intervals and tricks to identify certain harmonies when in context, etc)
Same feeling here! The theory wasn't a mess, but my previous piano experience just went out the window when the aural MCQs, first FRQs and singing FRQs showed up. My faith in my own musical ability is genuinely compromised now, I can't even look at sheet music anymore. For the first time in a long time, months of practice at singing and dictation simply didn't produce any results. RN I'm just hoping for a 2 so I have a reason to get rid of the score.
Melodic dictation is super useful actually
I've been playing piano for 7 years and I'm taking AP music theory next year, I've been so thoroughly scared in my life. I'm also taking 6 other ap classes, gonna be a fun year
you're taking 7 all ap classes? GL!
@@fa3ephilliz110 I'm taking 6 classes in total but 7 exams bc Physics C is two exams
Oh shoot. I put it in my schedule for next year as an elective because i took normal music theory this year and enjoyed the class and teacher
I took this senior year as my first and only high school music course, got an A but man that exam
Good luck on this exam tomorrow guys!
WOW! So glad I came across this. I was actually considering taking AP Music Theory in my senior year because it sounded "fun and easy" Maybe I will take it for the people but now I know I shouldn't stress about the AP test since it seems useless.
Great recommendation from the algorithm, keep going bro
Dude, completely off topic, I love your hoodie. I am a huge muse fan!
I took it last year, as a self study. It was painful taking the test.
I just took this exam yesterday, teacher left halfway through the year. Definitely a really challenging class.
i buckled down and bought a barrons book 3 weeks before the exam took place, and i think i just BARLEY skimmed by
This is my favorite video ever
What was that piano song being played in the background? I played it years ago when I used to play the piano but can’t remember it
At 0:00, the song is Chopin Etude in C# Minor, No. 4 , Op. 10. At 1:16 the song is the 2nd Movement from Beethoven's "Pathetique" Sonata. Hope this helps!
@@masterthismasterthat Thank you
Idk how I got a 3 on that exam. I was confused all throught the class. I wrote some random bullshit down for figured bass. The sightsinging part was so awkward cause I messed up and my voice was cracking and the protor is in there. Awkward. Everything else was pretty easy I guess. I'll take not having to take an art elective in college.
It was fun though.
what if you have a vocal range of 14 semitones
underrated channel
They didn't have AP music theory at my high school but me and my friend checked out the practice tests.. and like WTF 😲😲😲
0:32
This is the only AP Exam that I got a five on. The only one. I got a three on the AP English Language Exam, a four on the AP Psychology exam.
Ha the world just be funny like that sometimes!
Got me 7 credit hours tho so I'm chillin
Why did bro use Misty?!?!
For totally legitimate… “Research Purposes”
@@masterthismasterthatshe is TEN
The thing that annoys me is that in the end if the music sounds wrong just tweek it buh, it's not rocket science and you don't have to be a kung fu music master, all it takes is to just think and you might just get it right.💀
this was a dope vid
Song at 0:00?
The song is Chopin Etude in C# Minor, No. 4, Op. 10. Great piece and would highly recommend listening to Maurizio Pollini play it!
I really don’t know what you guys are talking about AP Music Theory is hard, the only things that’s hard is the Sight-hearing
Bro didn’t hear the pop song in 2020 exam
nice muse sweat bro
Your comments on the dictation are really on point! My Ear Training professor in college rolls his eyes at AP Music Theory Dictation. He only cares that we are able to train solid musical ears, so if we hear a different time signature or we write the whole thing in a different key, or we write a different harmony that actually ends up sounding better than what was played it doesn't really matter. As long as we understand the musicality of a performance.
For example, we do dictations of what other students in the class perform; I had a few of my performances transcribed in-class. The pressure is on the performer to communicate the music well, not the students to write it down properly.
Very nice
ohno😟
Facts
8:35 u call that complex?? lmaoooo
HL bio fellows where u atttt
Who else should be sleeperin before paper 2 tmrw lolw
LMAO, I took AP chem, and we had a party. should have joined us instead. (JK we actually did a lab report but we parted the whole week before)
That sounds pretty cool. My stats teacher had some ice cream for today, but it was all out by the time the IB exam was over 😮💨