Counterpoint and Fugal Analysis 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 Counterpoint and Fugal Analysis flashcards as text
In fourth species (syncopated) counterpoint, dissonances are permitted when they occur as:
Answer: Suspensions on strong beats resolving downward by step
Fourth species allows dissonant suspensions on strong beats, provided they resolve downward by step to a consonance.
The 'exposition' of a fugue is complete when:
Answer: All voices have stated the subject or answer at least once
The exposition ends once every voice has presented either the subject or its answer, establishing the full contrapuntal texture.
Which contrapuntal technique involves systematically repeating a melodic or harmonic pattern at successively higher or lower pitch levels?
Answer: Sequence
A sequence is the repetition of a melodic or harmonic pattern at different pitch levels and is a common device in fugal episodes.
In a three-voice fugue exposition, the third voice typically enters with what material?
Answer: The subject in the tonic or a tonal answer in the dominant
In a three-voice fugue, voices alternate between tonic (subject) and dominant (answer) entries, so the third voice returns to the tonic or dominant accordingly.
A 'pedal point' in a fugue typically appears at which structural location for maximum effect?
Answer: Near the end, often on the dominant before the final tonic statement
Pedal points most commonly appear near the end of a fugue on a sustained dominant, creating harmonic tension that resolves into the final tonic section.
The rule against 'hidden (or direct) octaves' in strict counterpoint prohibits:
Answer: Two voices moving in similar motion to a perfect octave, with the upper voice leaping
Hidden octaves occur when two voices move in similar motion to a perfect interval (octave or fifth), especially when the soprano leaps, creating an implied parallel motion.
In double counterpoint at the octave, which interval in the original combination becomes a seventh when voices are inverted?
Answer: Second
In octave inversion, each interval subtracts from 9: a second (2) becomes a seventh (9-2=7), fundamentally changing its consonant/dissonant quality.