AP Music Theory Flashcards: Motive and Motivic Transformation
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Review key ideas with interactive flashcards. This set includes 10 cards to help you master important concepts.
A composer takes a motive and repeats it exactly, without any changes. What is this procedure called?
This procedure is called literal repetition.
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A composer takes a motive and repeats it exactly, without any changes. What is this procedure called?
This procedure is called literal repetition.
Name a motivic transformation procedure that affects only pitch, not rhythm.
Melodic inversion is an example of a procedure that focuses solely on pitch transformation.
What is fragmentation?
Fragmentation is a motivic transformation procedure that yields fragments by using only a portion of an original motive.
Name a motivic transformation procedure that affects only rhythm, not pitch.
Augmentation is an example of a procedure that focuses solely on rhythmic transformation.
What is a motive?
A motive is a short melodic and/or rhythmic idea that serves as a basic unit of a musical phrase.
What are the two most common ways to transform a rhythmic pattern?
Two of the most common ways to transform a rhythmic pattern are by augmentation and diminution.
Define motivic transformation.
Motivic transformation is the process of developing motives or melodic segments by using various procedures to transform the original ideas.
Name a motivic transformation procedure that affects both pitch and rhythm.
Retrograde is an example of a procedure that transforms both the pitch and rhythm of an original idea.
If a composer repeats a motive immediately but starts it on a different pitch, what is this called?
This procedure is known as sequential repetition.
What are the building blocks of musical phrases called?
The short melodic and/or rhythmic ideas that make up phrases are called motives.