AP Music Theory is Kinda a Scam

Sdílet
Vložit
  • čas přidán 20. 06. 2024
  • Scarred by AP classes? Thinking of taking AP Music Theory? Or perhaps you would like to hear the passionate recollection of a crazy period of time. Explore the practicality of this wild college level course and how it likely is just sucking money out of your pocket.
    Part 2: • Biggest Scam In AP Mus...
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    Chapters:
    00:00 Intro
    01:37 The Colorful Facade
    03:40 A Look Into The Class
    05:04 Personal Experiences
    08:27 Dictation Suffocation
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    / masterthis_masterthat
    Watch another video for more music!
    Subscribe and turn on notifications so you don't miss out on a piece!!!
    Thank you all for your support :)
    #musictheory #music #scam

Komentáře • 53

  • @LuckyHamburger
    @LuckyHamburger Před rokem +90

    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.

    • @masterthismasterthat
      @masterthismasterthat  Před rokem +5

      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.

  • @_oceanstar
    @_oceanstar Před rokem +41

    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

  • @kaitlyn6021
    @kaitlyn6021 Před rokem +17

    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.

  • @girbij6743
    @girbij6743 Před rokem +46

    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.

    • @masterthismasterthat
      @masterthismasterthat  Před rokem +3

      Wow, thats a really funny analogy for dictation!!

    • @zgart
      @zgart Před rokem +5

      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)

    • @secant4810
      @secant4810 Před rokem +2

      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.

  • @Me-da-Ghost
    @Me-da-Ghost Před rokem +9

    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.

  • @Andriale
    @Andriale Před rokem +6

    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.

  • @elijonestv
    @elijonestv Před rokem +18

    nice video! i can tell you were really working to make this video engaging with all the skits and edits

  • @mooshiros7053
    @mooshiros7053 Před rokem +8

    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

    • @fa3ephilliz110
      @fa3ephilliz110 Před rokem +3

      you're taking 7 all ap classes? GL!

    • @mooshiros7053
      @mooshiros7053 Před rokem +3

      ​@@fa3ephilliz110 I'm taking 6 classes in total but 7 exams bc Physics C is two exams

  • @user-nk4uk5yf6f
    @user-nk4uk5yf6f Před rokem +4

    I took this senior year as my first and only high school music course, got an A but man that exam

  • @r_chen5898
    @r_chen5898 Před rokem +3

    Ngl this was one of my favorite high school classes. It did help that basically everyone in class was a musician already

  • @m4ngo56
    @m4ngo56 Před rokem +3

    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

  • @ezraodole933
    @ezraodole933 Před rokem +1

    Great recommendation from the algorithm, keep going bro

  • @heyitsahuva
    @heyitsahuva Před rokem +4

    Good luck on this exam tomorrow guys!

  • @fa3ephilliz110
    @fa3ephilliz110 Před rokem +1

    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.

  • @AlexSmith-hd6eu
    @AlexSmith-hd6eu Před měsícem

    I just took this exam yesterday, teacher left halfway through the year. Definitely a really challenging class.

  • @goldenoodles6281
    @goldenoodles6281 Před rokem +2

    I took it last year, as a self study. It was painful taking the test.

  • @lucnejame
    @lucnejame Před rokem +1

    This is my favorite video ever

  • @justanotherweirdo11
    @justanotherweirdo11 Před rokem +1

    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.

  • @diobrando5549
    @diobrando5549 Před rokem +1

    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

    • @masterthismasterthat
      @masterthismasterthat  Před rokem

      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!

    • @diobrando5549
      @diobrando5549 Před rokem

      @@masterthismasterthat Thank you

  • @Sarahstearsdandelionseeds

    i buckled down and bought a barrons book 3 weeks before the exam took place, and i think i just BARLEY skimmed by

  • @dylathered
    @dylathered Před rokem +1

    this was a dope vid

  • @TylerAStinson
    @TylerAStinson Před 4 dny

    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.

  • @piuslee3446
    @piuslee3446 Před rokem

    underrated channel

  • @thumuslol
    @thumuslol Před rokem +1

    Very nice

  • @nathanbutler8522
    @nathanbutler8522 Před rokem +2

    Got me 7 credit hours tho so I'm chillin

  • @nehmenia.
    @nehmenia. Před rokem

    They didn't have AP music theory at my high school but me and my friend checked out the practice tests.. and like WTF 😲😲😲

  • @king_noah_2692
    @king_noah_2692 Před rokem +1

    Facts

  • @aaronbruce5568
    @aaronbruce5568 Před rokem

    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.

  • @gammabursta6915
    @gammabursta6915 Před rokem +1

    Song at 0:00?

    • @masterthismasterthat
      @masterthismasterthat  Před rokem +2

      The song is Chopin Etude in C# Minor, No. 4, Op. 10. Great piece and would highly recommend listening to Maurizio Pollini play it!

  • @iamsnipxr4665
    @iamsnipxr4665 Před 3 měsíci

    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

  • @purpachk
    @purpachk Před 8 měsíci

    nice muse sweat bro

  • @honspoom8079
    @honspoom8079 Před rokem

    Bro didn’t hear the pop song in 2020 exam

  • @legenarian6811
    @legenarian6811 Před 3 měsíci

    what if you have a vocal range of 14 semitones

  • @clfyx08
    @clfyx08 Před měsícem

    ohno😟

  • @UgoNwakanma
    @UgoNwakanma Před 7 dny

    Why did bro use Misty?!?!

  • @darcash1738
    @darcash1738 Před rokem +1

    8:35 u call that complex?? lmaoooo
    HL bio fellows where u atttt
    Who else should be sleeperin before paper 2 tmrw lolw

    • @fa3ephilliz110
      @fa3ephilliz110 Před rokem

      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)

    • @darcash1738
      @darcash1738 Před rokem +1

      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 😮‍💨