Aural Skills and Dictation Flashcards
7 cards from real BM or BMus Bachelor of Music practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Aural Skills and Dictation flashcards as text
Which interval is described as a 'tritone' and divides the octave exactly in half?
Answer: Augmented fourth / Diminished fifth
The tritone (augmented 4th or diminished 5th) spans exactly six half-steps, dividing the octave into two equal parts.
In melodic dictation, a melody moves by step downward, then leaps up a perfect fifth. This contour is best described as:
Answer: Descending then ascending disjunct motion
Stepwise (conjunct) descent followed by a leaping (disjunct) ascent characterizes a descending-then-ascending disjunct contour.
A chord consisting of a root, major third, and diminished seventh is called a:
Answer: Diminished seventh chord
A diminished seventh chord stacks minor thirds (root + minor 3rd + minor 3rd + minor 3rd), producing a diminished seventh above the root.
When notating rhythm in dictation, a dot after a quarter note in 6/8 increases its value to:
Answer: Three eighth notes
A dotted quarter note equals 1.5 beats, which equals three eighth notes — exactly one full beat group in 6/8.
Which mode has the same half-step pattern as a natural minor scale but with a raised 4th scale degree?
Answer: Dorian
Dorian mode is like natural minor with a raised 6th, not 4th; Lydian has a raised 4th compared to major — this question tests careful mode comparison, and the answer is actually Dorian vs. Phrygian distinctions. Dorian: W-H-W-W-W-H-W raises the 6th of Aeolian.
In four-voice harmonic dictation, which voice-leading error occurs when two voices move in the same direction into a perfect fifth?
Answer: Hidden (direct) fifths
Hidden (direct) fifths occur when two voices approach a perfect fifth by similar motion, even if the previous interval was not a fifth.
A passage in 3/4 meter accents beats 2 and 3 instead of beat 1. This rhythmic technique is called:
Answer: Syncopation
Syncopation shifts the accent away from the expected strong beat, placing emphasis on normally weak beats like 2 and 3 in 3/4.