BM or BMus Bachelor of Music Aural Skills and Sight-Singing 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A student hears two chords: the first is a dominant seventh chord and the second resolves it. The second chord is the tonic triad. Which chord progression did the student hear?
- IV–I
- V7–I (Correct answer)
- ii–V
- I–IV
Correct answer: V7–I
V7–I is the most common harmonic resolution in tonal music, where the dominant seventh resolves to tonic.
Question 2: In fixed-do solfège (used in many European conservatories), which pitch is always called 'mi' regardless of key?
- D
- E (Correct answer)
- F
- G
Correct answer: E
In fixed-do solfège, 'mi' always refers to the pitch E, regardless of the key signature.
Question 3: A student identifies an interval as a tritone. Which two interval names refer to the same number of half steps (6)?
- Major third and minor sixth
- Augmented fourth and diminished fifth (Correct answer)
- Perfect fourth and perfect fifth
- Minor seventh and major second
Correct answer: Augmented fourth and diminished fifth
An augmented fourth (A4) and a diminished fifth (d5) are enharmonically equivalent, both spanning 6 half steps — the tritone.
Question 4: In error detection exercises, a student compares a notated melody to a performed one and finds a pitch discrepancy. The performer sang a minor third higher than written on beat 3. Which skill is being assessed?
- Rhythmic dictation
- Melodic error detection (Correct answer)
- Harmonic dictation
- Score reading
Correct answer: Melodic error detection
Melodic error detection requires students to compare a performed melody against notation and identify pitch or rhythm discrepancies.
Question 5: When conducting a melody in 3/4 time while sight-singing, which beat pattern should the conductor use?
- Down, right, up (Correct answer)
- Down, left, right, up
- Down, up
- Down, left, up, right
Correct answer: Down, right, up
The standard conducting pattern for triple meter (3/4) is a triangular pattern: down, right (or out), up.
Question 6: A student hears a chord and identifies it as a half-diminished seventh chord. Which symbol represents this chord quality?
- °7
- ø7 (Correct answer)
- +7
- Δ7
Correct answer: ø7
The half-diminished seventh chord is represented by the symbol ø7 (or m7♭5), distinguishing it from the fully diminished seventh (°7).
Question 7: In sight-singing, a student encounters a melody in C major that briefly uses an E♭. This chromatic pitch most likely belongs to which borrowed chord?
- ♭III (E♭ major triad)
- ♭VI (A♭ major triad)
- iv (F minor triad) (Correct answer)
- ♭VII (B♭ major triad)
Correct answer: iv (F minor triad)
E♭ is the minor third of a C minor triad; when borrowed in C major, it typically appears in the iv chord (F–A♭–C) or the ♭III chord.
BM or BMus Bachelor of Music Aural Skills and Sight-Singing 3
A student hears two chords: the first is a dominant seventh chord and the second resolves it.
The second chord is the tonic triad.
Which chord progression did the student hear?