BM or BMus Bachelor of Music Music Theory 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: How many sharps are in the key signature of A major?
- 2
- 3 (Correct answer)
- 4
- 5
Correct answer: 3
A major has three sharps: F-sharp, C-sharp, and G-sharp.
Question 2: Which of the following describes a tritone?
- Three half steps
- An augmented fourth or diminished fifth (Correct answer)
- A perfect fifth
- A minor third
Correct answer: An augmented fourth or diminished fifth
A tritone spans six half steps and can be spelled as either an augmented fourth or a diminished fifth.
Question 3: What is the relative minor of F major?
- D minor (Correct answer)
- A minor
- B-flat minor
- G minor
Correct answer: D minor
The relative minor of F major is D minor, sharing the same key signature of one flat.
Question 4: Which symbol indicates that a note should be sustained beyond its normal duration and released at the performer's discretion?
- Accent (>)
- Fermata (Correct answer)
- Tenuto
- Staccato
Correct answer: Fermata
A fermata (bird's eye symbol) tells the performer to hold the note longer than its written value at their discretion.
Question 5: In common-practice harmony, which progression is known as a 'deceptive cadence'?
- IV–I
- V–vi (Correct answer)
- ii–V
- I–IV
Correct answer: V–vi
A deceptive cadence moves from V to vi instead of the expected V–I, 'deceiving' the listener's expectation of resolution.
Question 6: What is the intervallic formula for a natural minor scale?
- W-W-H-W-W-W-H
- W-H-W-W-H-W-W (Correct answer)
- W-W-W-H-W-W-H
- H-W-W-W-H-W-W
Correct answer: W-H-W-W-H-W-W
The natural minor scale follows the pattern W-H-W-W-H-W-W (whole and half steps).
Question 7: Which clef is most commonly used for viola music?
- Treble clef
- Bass clef
- Alto clef (Correct answer)
- Tenor clef
Correct answer: Alto clef
The viola primarily uses the alto clef (C clef on the middle line), which places middle C on the middle staff line.
BM or BMus Bachelor of Music Music Theory 3
How many sharps are in the key signature of A major?