United States · College BoardSyllabus
Music Theory syllabus, dot point by dot point
Every dot point in the United States Music Theorysyllabus, with a focused answer for each one. Click any dot point for a worked explainer, past exam questions, and links to related dot points. Written by Claude Opus 4.8, Anthropic's latest AI.
Unit 1: Music Fundamentals I: Pitch, Major Scales and Key Signatures, Rhythm, Meter, and Expressive Elements
Module overview →- How do dynamic and articulation markings tell a performer how loudly and how to shape each note?Topic 1.10 Dynamics and Articulation: interpret dynamic levels, gradual dynamic changes, and articulation markings as expressive elements.8 min answer →
- What are the smallest building blocks of distance between pitches, and how do we spell them?Topic 1.3 Half Steps and Whole Steps: identify, construct and correctly spell half steps and whole steps, including diatonic and chromatic half steps.8 min answer →
- How does a key signature encode a major key, and how does the circle of fifths organize them?Topic 1.5 Major Keys and Key Signatures: identify and notate major key signatures, order the sharps and flats, and use the circle of fifths.9 min answer →
- What fixed pattern of steps builds every major scale, and how do we name its degrees?Topic 1.4 Major Scales and Scale Degrees: construct a major scale using the whole and half step pattern, and identify scale degrees by number, name and solfege.9 min answer →
- How does a time signature tell a performer how to count and group the beats?Topic 1.7 Meter and Time Signature: interpret time signatures, identify the meter type, and relate the numbers to the beat and its division.9 min answer →
- How do we name and notate individual pitches precisely on the staff?Topic 1.1 Pitch and Pitch Notation: identify and notate pitches using the staff, clefs, ledger lines, octave designations, and accidentals.9 min answer →
- How do composers create rhythmic interest against a steady meter?Topic 1.8 Rhythmic Patterns: identify and notate rhythmic devices such as the anacrusis, syncopation, hemiola, and borrowed divisions (triplets and duplets).9 min answer →
- How do note and rest symbols represent duration, and how do they combine to fill a beat?Topic 1.2 Rhythmic Values: identify and notate the relative durations of notes and rests, including dotted values, ties and beaming.9 min answer →
- How does the way a beat divides distinguish simple from compound meter?Topic 1.6 Simple and Compound Beat Division: distinguish simple from compound beat division and relate the beat unit to its subdivisions.8 min answer →
- How is the speed of the beat indicated, and how do tempo terms and markings work?Topic 1.9 Tempo: interpret tempo markings, metronome (beats per minute) indications, and terms that change the tempo.8 min answer →
Unit 3: Music Fundamentals III: Triads and Seventh Chords
Module overview →- How do Roman numerals label a chord's scale degree and quality, and how do we lay chords out in four voices?Topic 3.5 Roman Numerals and SATB: label diatonic chords with Roman numerals showing root and quality, and arrange chord tones in the SATB four-voice texture.9 min answer →
- A seventh chord has four notes, so what are its inversions and how do we figure each one?Topic 3.4 Seventh Chord Inversions and Figures: identify the four positions of a seventh chord and label them with figured-bass symbols (7, 6/5, 4/3, 4/2).9 min answer →
- What do we get when we stack one more third on a triad, and how do we name the result?Topic 3.3 Seventh Chords: build a seventh chord by adding a seventh above the root, and identify its quality (major, dominant, minor, half-diminished, fully diminished).9 min answer →
- When a chord tone other than the root is in the bass, how do we name the inversion and figure it?Topic 3.2 Triad Inversions and Figures: identify root position, first inversion and second inversion triads, and label them with figured-bass symbols (no figure, 6, and 6/4).9 min answer →
- How do we stack thirds to build a triad, and what gives each triad its quality?Topic 3.1 Triads: build a triad as three pitches stacked in thirds (root, third, fifth), and identify its quality as major, minor, diminished or augmented.9 min answer →
Unit 4: Harmony and Voice Leading I: Chord Function, Cadence, and Phrase
Module overview →- Why do chords tend to move in a particular order, and how do phrases end with cadences?Topic 4.3 Harmonic Progression, Functional Harmony, and Cadences: explain tonic, predominant and dominant function, the normal direction of progressions, and the four cadence types.9 min answer →
- What rules govern range, spacing, doubling and resolution when we write all four voices?Topic 4.2 SATB Voice Leading: apply the rules of range, spacing, doubling, smooth motion and tendency-tone resolution when writing four-part harmony.9 min answer →
- How do the outer voices, soprano and bass, move against each other to make good counterpoint?Topic 4.1 Soprano-Bass Counterpoint: write and identify the four kinds of motion between the outer voices and avoid parallel perfect intervals.9 min answer →
- How does part-writing change when a seventh chord is in an inversion?Topic 4.5 Voice Leading with Seventh Chords in Inversions: part-write inverted seventh chords (6/5, 4/3, 4/2), resolving the seventh down by step and choosing bass motion to suit the inversion.9 min answer →
- When a chord has a seventh, how do we lead the voices so the seventh resolves correctly?Topic 4.4 Voice Leading with Seventh Chords: part-write the dominant seventh and other seventh chords in root position, resolving the chordal seventh and leading tone correctly.9 min answer →
Unit 5: Harmony and Voice Leading II: Chord Progressions and Predominant Function
Module overview →- How do the IV and ii chords prepare the dominant, and how do we add them to a phrase?Topic 5.1 Adding Predominant Function IV (iv) and ii (ii diminished): use the subdominant and supertonic chords to prepare the dominant and part-write them smoothly.9 min answer →
- Besides the cadential type, how do passing and pedal six-four chords work?Topic 5.7 Additional 6/4 Chords: identify and part-write the passing six-four and the pedal (neighbor) six-four as embellishing chords over a stationary or stepwise bass.9 min answer →
- How do predominant chords strengthen cadences, and how do we harmonise a melody to a cadence?Topic 5.5 Cadences and Predominant Function: build complete cadential progressions with predominants and harmonise a given melody so it cadences correctly.9 min answer →
- What is the cadential six-four, and why does it behave like a delayed dominant?Topic 5.6 Cadential 6/4 Chords: use the cadential six-four (I6/4 to V) and part-write its suspension-like resolution of the sixth and fourth above the bass.9 min answer →
- How do seventh chords on the predominant degrees work, and how do their sevenths resolve?Topic 5.3 Predominant Seventh Chords: use ii7 (ii diminished 7) and IV7 as predominant sevenths and resolve their chordal sevenths down by step into the dominant.9 min answer →
- What is the function of the iii chord, and where does it fit in a progression?Topic 5.4 The iii (III) Chord: use the mediant as a connecting chord between I and IV (or vi) and part-write it within a diatonic progression.8 min answer →
- What does the vi chord do, and how does it create the deceptive resolution?Topic 5.2 The vi (VI) Chord: use the submediant as a tonic substitute and as the goal of a deceptive cadence, and part-write V to vi correctly.9 min answer →
Unit 6: Harmony and Voice Leading III: Embellishments, Motives, and Melodic Devices
Module overview →- How does a suspension hold a tone over a chord change and resolve, and how is it numbered?Topic 6.4 Identifying and Writing Suspensions; Identifying Retardations: recognize and write suspensions by their three stages and number them (4-3, 7-6, 9-8, 2-3 bass), and identify retardations.9 min answer →
- How do anticipations, escape tones, appoggiaturas and pedal points decorate the harmony?Topic 6.3 Identifying Anticipations, Escape Tones, Appoggiaturas, and Pedal Points: recognize these embellishing tones by how they are approached and left.9 min answer →
- How do we recognize passing tones and neighbor tones as decorations of the harmony?Topic 6.1 Identifying Passing Tones and Neighbor Tones: locate passing and neighbor tones in a melody and distinguish them from chord tones.9 min answer →
- How do we add passing and neighbor tones to decorate a chord progression without breaking voice-leading rules?Topic 6.2 Writing Passing Tones and Neighbor Tones: add passing and neighbor tones to a part-writing texture correctly and without creating parallels.9 min answer →
Unit 7: Harmony and Voice Leading IV: Secondary Function
Module overview →- How do we part-write a secondary dominant so its borrowed leading tone and seventh resolve correctly?Topic 7.2 Part Writing of Secondary Dominant Chords: part-write secondary dominants, resolving the raised leading tone up and the chordal seventh down into the tonicized chord.9 min answer →
- How do we part-write a secondary leading-tone chord so all its tendency tones resolve into the target?Topic 7.4 Part Writing of Secondary Leading-Tone Chords: part-write secondary leading-tone chords, resolving the borrowed leading tone up and the diminished and seventh intervals correctly.9 min answer →
- How does a secondary dominant briefly make another chord feel like a temporary tonic?Topic 7.1 Tonicization through Secondary Dominant Chords: identify secondary dominants (V/V, V7/IV, and so on) and the tonicization they create.9 min answer →
- How can a leading-tone chord, rather than a dominant, tonicize another chord?Topic 7.3 Tonicization through Secondary Leading-Tone Chords: identify secondary leading-tone chords (vii diminished/V, vii diminished 7/ii, and so on) and the tonicization they create.9 min answer →
Unit 8: Modes and Form
Module overview →- How do binary and ternary forms organize a whole piece into sections?Topic 8.4 Binary and Ternary Form: identify binary (AB), rounded binary, and ternary (ABA) forms by their sections, key scheme and returns of material.9 min answer →
- How do melodic and harmonic sequences restate a pattern at successively different pitch levels?Topic 8.3 Melodic and Harmonic Sequence: identify melodic sequences and the common harmonic sequences (descending fifths, ascending and descending stepwise) by their repeating pattern and interval of transposition.9 min answer →
- What are the diatonic modes, and how does each one differ from major or minor?Topic 8.1 Modes: identify and construct the seven diatonic modes by their characteristic altered scale degrees and their final.9 min answer →
- Beyond binary and ternary, how do strophic, through-composed and other structures organize music?Topic 8.5 Other Common Formal Structures: identify strophic, through-composed, theme and variations, and compound forms, and analyze how a whole piece is organized.8 min answer →
- How do phrases relate to form periods, and how are motives transformed?Topic 8.2 Phrase Relationships and Motivic Transformation: analyze phrases, periods (antecedent and consequent), and the transformation of motives.9 min answer →