Function: Roman numerals assign each scale degree its native triad, majors and minors and the leading tone's diminished. The tool below drills all three.
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Unit 3 chord skills, from your own notes
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Four triads, two thirds each: spelling is interval arithmetic
A triad stacks two thirds, and the pair's sizes name the quality: major then minor gives major, minor then major gives minor, two minors diminished, two majors augmented. Spell the letters first, root, third, fifth, then bend with accidentals until the intervals fit. The letter first habit from earlier units pays off here, because misspelled chords fail even when they sound right.
Sevenths add one third and four new qualities
Adding a third atop a triad makes a seventh chord, and the exam's five are: major seventh, dominant seventh, major triad plus minor seventh, minor seventh, half diminished, and fully diminished, whose stacked minor thirds divide the octave evenly. The dominant seventh matters most: its quality is unique to one scale degree, which makes it the key finder questions lean on.
Inversions move the bass, not the chord's identity
An inversion puts the third or fifth in the bass while the chord keeps its root and name: identify by restacking to thirds, then note which member sits lowest. Root position, first inversion, second inversion carry different sonic weights, the 6 4 position unstable enough that later harmony restricts its use. Reading inversions fast is the unit's core fluency, because dictation and analysis both start there.
Figured bass is the shorthand, and the numbers are intervals
Figured bass writes intervals above the bass note: 5 3 for root position, 6 or 6 3 for first inversion, 6 4 for second, with seventh chords running 7, 6 5, 4 3 and 4 2 through their positions. The figures describe the bass's intervals, not the root, which is the standard confusion. Learn them as a lookup table and realisation exercises become mechanical.
Roman numerals give every chord a job title
Numerals tie triads to scale degrees: in major, I IV V are major, ii iii vi minor, and the leading tone's vii sits diminished; case and symbols encode quality. In minor, the raised leading tone makes V major and vii diminished, the harmonic form doing its promised work from the previous unit. The numeral plus inversion figure, ii six, V four three, is the complete label the course's harmony units will use, so cement it now.
What to photograph for Music Fundamentals III
Your quality drills and figure tables. Related: Unit 2, photo to quiz and pricing.
Sources used on this page
- College Board, AP Music Theory
- Triad (music)
- Seventh chord
- Inversion (music)
- Figured bass
- Active recall
- Spaced repetition
- Testing effect
- Forgetting curve
- Generation effect
- Judgment of learning
- Metacognition
- Desirable difficulty
- Distributed practice
- Formative assessment
- Flashcard
- Cloze test
- Multiple choice
- Test (assessment)
- Educational assessment
- Advanced Placement
- Curriculum
- Study skills
- Study guide
- Note-taking
- Overlearning
- Instructional scaffolding
- Item analysis
- Mastery learning
| Chord or position | The recipe | The figure |
|---|---|---|
| Major triad | Major third, then minor | 5 3 in root position |
| Diminished triad | Two minor thirds | Lives on the leading tone |
| Dominant seventh | Major triad, minor seventh | 7, unique to one degree |
| First inversion | Third in the bass | 6 |
| Second inversion | Fifth in the bass | 6 4, handled with care |
| Diminished seventh | Minor thirds throughout | Divides the octave evenly |
What does AP Music Theory Unit 3 cover?
Triads and seventh chords: the four triad qualities, five sevenths, inversions, figured bass shorthand and Roman numeral labels.
How do I spell any triad reliably?
Letters first, root, third, fifth, then bend with accidentals until the two thirds match the target quality.
Why does the dominant seventh matter so much?
Its quality, major triad plus minor seventh, occurs natively on only one scale degree, so it points at the key.
What do figured bass numbers actually count?
Intervals above the bass note, not the root: 6 means a sixth above the bass, which is why first inversion carries it.
How do numerals differ between major and minor?
Minor's raised leading tone makes V major and vii diminished; otherwise qualities follow each scale's native thirds.
Can I build questions from my own Unit 3 notes?
Yes. The questions follow the upload: photograph these pages or attach the PDF, and nothing outside them enters the set.
Last updated: 2026-08-15