1. AP Music Theory Mr. Silvagni
Melodic Dictation
AP Music Theory
Mr. Silvagni

2. Melodic Dictation
Melodic dictation is listening to a single line melody and writing down both the rhythm and pitch
It’s like the reverse of sight singing
Improving one’s ability to sight sing will improve dictation skills

3. AP Melodic Dictation
There are two melodic dictation questions on the AP test
One will be in treble clef and one will be in bass clef
One will be in simple meter and one will be in compound meter
One will be in major and one will be in minor
The melody will be played three times for the first example and four times for the second example

4. Skills for Melodic Dictation
Recognize the key
Recognize the meter and understand rhythm
Understand relationship of pitches to tonal center
Recognize familiar melodic and rhythmic patterns and their placement in the measure
Be able to draw note heads, stems, dots, beams, and flags that correspond to rhythm correctly
Be able to draw pitches on the staff correctly
Reproduce the melody in your head

5. Understand the Melody
Know the key and any altered notes (Fi) that may occur
Write down the full scale…write down altered minor scale notes (La and Ti) for reference
Common beginning patterns
Do Re Mi and Do Mi Sol are most common
Common ending patterns
Mi Re Do, Sol La Ti Do, Re Ti Do/Ti Re Do, Sol Ti Do/Fa Ti Do/Mi Ti Do, and Do Re Do/Do Ti Do
The middle generally implies a half cadence
Know the pitches in the V and V7 chord (Sol Ti Re Fa)
Melody will be two symmetrical phrase (antecedent-consequent)…first phrase ends with half cadence and second with authentic (may have anacrusis)

10. Why is this hard? Melody Memory Notation breakdown
You can’t write what you can’t remember
Use solfège for dictation as well
Notation breakdown
Practice writing notes on staff paper
Know stems and beaming
Know how many beats are in a measure

11. More specific tips If you can’t get it all, get all that you can
Don’t leave any beat blank
You don’t have to write the melody in sequential order…it’s easier to remember beginning and end, so write those first
Use logic and plan ahead
Clef and Key signature: identify and understand before you listen
Know which notes are which solfège syllables and where they’re written beforehand
The last note is always Do…write it in first
The last note is usually long rhythmically
Is there an anacrusis? If yes, it’s most likely Sol Do to start
Minor key? There will be a leading tone…you must put accidentals in
Compound meter? Review rhythms likely to appear from earlier
Secondary dominant implication will be in one of them (usually Fi)

12. More specific tips How do melodies begin? How do melodies end?
Major and minor: Do Re Mi or Do Mi Sol (Me for minor)…Do Ti Do for minor as well
How do melodies end?
Mi Re Do or Sol Fa Mi Re Do
Do Ti Do or Do Re Do
Re Ti Do or Ti Re Do
Fa Ti Do, Sol Ti Do, or Mi Ti Do (Me for minor)

13. More specific tips What’s in the middle?
Anticipate mostly stepwise motion with some leaps
Leaps over a third are usually between Do and Sol
Anticipate a half cadence near the middle
Second half of melody often begins as anacrusis (if 4 measures, second half of measure 2)

14. More specific tips Don’t write until you have heard the entire example
Try to sing the melody to yourself afterwards
If you need to write during, don’t write too much detail, rather sketch with shorthand
Leave markers for the melody contour, some specific pitches, rhythms, etc.

15. More specific tips Don’t be afraid to use the back door
Meaning, you can write backwards
If all you remember is the last measure, then write it down
Compare the prior measure to how it relates to the last measure
Approach from both sides
When you are done knowing…GUESS
Do NOT leave anything blank…blank = wrong
Use your sketches or ideas to inform your guesses
Try to think of which chordal tonalities you’ve heard
If it’s in the middle, set up a half cadence, use tonic progressions for the beginning and end

16. Melodic Dictation Examples
Barron’s AP Music Theory
Music for Ear Training Textbook
AP Central