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Unit 3 · Music Fundamentals III Flashcards Cheat Sheet Essentials Visual Review MC Practice FRQ Practice

AP Music Theory Unit 3 Visual Review

A topic-by-topic visual walkthrough of Unit 3: triad and seventh-chord qualities, diatonic Roman numerals, inversions, and figured bass.

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UNIT 3 · TOPIC 3.1 Triad qualities A triad stacks two thirds; the size of those thirds sets its quality. STACKED IN THIRDS root third fifth three notes, each a 3rd apart Root, third, and fifth build every triad. THE FOUR QUALITIES Major: major 3rd + minor 3rd Minor: minor 3rd + major 3rd Diminished: two minor 3rds Augmented: two major 3rds Major and minor sound stable; diminished and augmented sound tense and want to resolve. KEY IDEA The two stacked thirds decide whether a triad is major, minor, diminished, or augmented. The Review Hub · AP Music Theory · Unit 3 UNIT 3 · TOPIC 3.2 Diatonic chords and Roman numerals Build a triad on each degree of a major scale, and a fixed pattern of qualities appears. THE SEVEN CHORDS OF C MAJOR IiiiiiIVVvivii° CDmEmFGAmB° uppercase = major · lowercase = minor · ° = diminished THE PATTERN NEVER CHANGES In any major key: I, IV, V are major · ii, iii, vi are minor · vii° is diminished. Roman numerals name a chord by its scale degree, so they work in every key. KEY IDEA Roman numerals label each diatonic chord; the major-key quality pattern is always the same. The Review Hub · AP Music Theory · Unit 3 UNIT 3 · TOPIC 3.3 Inversions and figured bass Which chord tone sits in the bass names the inversion; figures show it in shorthand. THREE POSITIONS OF A TRIAD root pos. 1st inv. 2nd inv. bass = root bass = 3rd, then 5th FIGURED BASS Root position: (5/3, usually blank) First inversion: 6 Second inversion: 6/4 The figures are the intervals above the bass note, so V6 means V in first inversion. KEY IDEA The bass note sets the inversion: root, 6 (first), or 6/4 (second). The Review Hub · AP Music Theory · Unit 3 UNIT 3 · TOPIC 3.4 Seventh chords Stack one more third on a triad to add a seventh, giving a richer, more restless sound. FOUR NOTES IN THIRDS root third fifth seventh A triad plus a seventh above the root. FIVE COMMON TYPES Major 7th: major triad + major 7th Dominant 7th: major triad + minor 7th Minor 7th: minor triad + minor 7th Half-diminished 7th: dim. triad + minor 7th Fully diminished 7th: dim. triad + dim. 7th The dominant 7th (V7) is the most common, and it drives strongly toward the tonic. KEY IDEA A seventh chord is a triad plus a seventh; the triad + seventh qualities name the type. The Review Hub · AP Music Theory · Unit 3 UNIT 3 · TOPIC 3.5 Seventh chord inversions A seventh chord has four positions, each with its own figured-bass shorthand. FOUR POSITIONS, FOUR FIGURES Root positionFirst inversionSecond inversionThird inversion bass = rootbass = 3rdbass = 5thbass = 7th 76/54/34/2 So V4/3 is a dominant seventh in second inversion. READING THE FIGURES The numbers are intervals measured above the bass. Memorize the four short forms: 7, 6/5, 4/3, 4/2. Each tells you exactly which tone is in the bass. KEY IDEA Seventh-chord inversions use 7, 6/5, 4/3, and 4/2 to show which tone is in the bass. The Review Hub · AP Music Theory · Unit 3
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How to use the visual review

Spend 30 seconds per slide before clicking next. Look at the diagram, then ask yourself: "Could I draw this from memory and explain it?"

Use the fullscreen button () on desktop for the best experience. Use arrow keys to navigate. Tap "Show all slides" to jump around.

This is great for review the night before the exam — fast, visual, and covers everything you need to remember about Unit 3's fundamentals.