Melodic and Rhythmic Dictation Flashcards

You are writing a melodic dictation and identify a tritone leap within the melody. From C, the tritone above is:

Answer: F#/Gb

A tritone (augmented fourth/diminished fifth) above C is F# or Gb, spanning six half steps.

In a two-voice melodic dictation, both voices move in opposite directions by the same interval. This is called:

Answer: Contrary motion

Contrary motion occurs when two voices move in opposite directions simultaneously, producing strong independence between lines.

A melodic dictation passage modulates from C major to G major. Which pitch change signals this modulation?

Answer: F becomes F#

G major has one sharp (F#), so the appearance of F# in the melody signals a shift from C major (no sharps) to G major.

In rhythmic dictation, a double-dotted quarter note has a total duration of:

Answer: 1.75 beats

A dotted quarter = 1.5 beats; the second dot adds half the value of the first dot (0.25), totaling 1.75 beats.

You are transcribing a melody and hear a brief turn ornament on a pitch. A standard turn ornament includes how many notes?

Answer: 4 notes (upper neighbor, main, lower neighbor, main)

A standard turn consists of four notes: the upper neighbor, the main note, the lower neighbor, and the main note again.

In a rhythmic dictation at a fast tempo, you are told the beat unit is the half note. A measure with one whole note contains how many beats?

Answer: 2 beats

When the half note is the beat unit, a whole note equals two half notes, thus lasting two beats.

During melodic dictation, you hear a phrase that is immediately repeated but transposed up a major second. This compositional technique is called:

Answer: A real sequence

A real sequence repeats a melodic pattern transposed by the exact same interval (here, a major second) each time without modal adjustment.