BM or BMus Bachelor of Music Aural Skills and Sight-Singing Questions and Answers

Question 1

During a melodic dictation, you hear two notes played in succession.
The first note is established as the tonic, 'Do.' The second note is a descending leap that has a distinctly sad or melancholic quality, often associated with the opening of the song 'The Entertainer.' What interval has most likely been played?

Accepted Answer

Minor Sixth

Answer

Major Sixth

Answer

Perfect Fifth

Answer

Minor Seventh

Question 2

You hear a four-note chord played harmonically (all notes at once). It sounds bright and stable, but with an added color that feels slightly unresolved and 'jazzy.' You identify the root, a major third, and a perfect fifth, plus one additional note. Which chord quality best fits this description?

Accepted Answer

Major Seventh

Answer

Minor Seventh

Answer

Diminished Seventh

Answer

Dominant Seventh

Question 3

A student is sight-singing a passage in E♭ major. They encounter a measure with the notes G-A♭-B♭-C. The student correctly sings the pitches for G, A♭, and B♭ but then sings D♭ instead of C. Which of the following best describes the student's error?

Accepted Answer

Assuming a common melodic pattern incorrectly

Answer

Misreading the key signature

Answer

Confusing the contour of the melody

Answer

An error in rhythmic interpretation

Question 4

Which system of solfege assigns the syllable 'Do' to the tonic of the current key, meaning that 'Do' would be C in C major, but G in G major?

Accepted Answer

Moveable-Do

Answer

Fixed-Do

Answer

Chromatic Solfege

Answer

Scale Degrees (Numbers)

Question 5

In a rhythmic dictation exercise in 4/4 time, you hear a pattern on beat three that sounds like 'long-short'. The 'long' portion takes up the first three-quarters of the beat, and the 'short' portion takes up the final quarter. Which notation correctly represents this rhythm?

Accepted Answer

A dotted eighth note followed by a sixteenth note

Answer

Two eighth notes

Answer

An eighth note followed by two sixteenth notes

Answer

A sixteenth note followed by a dotted eighth note

Question 6

You are asked to aurally identify the contour of a five-note melody. The melody begins on a low pitch, moves up stepwise for two notes, leaps to a higher pitch, and then descends by step to the final note. Which of the following descriptions best fits this melodic shape?

Accepted Answer

Arch with a concluding descent

Answer

Inverted Arch

Answer

Ascending Line

Answer

Wave