Free BM or BMus Bachelor of Music Aural Skills and Dictation Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A four-measure melody in G Major and 4/4 time is played for a student. The final two notes of the melody are B, resolving to G. Which of the following cadences is most likely being used?
- Plagal Cadence (IV-I)
- Deceptive Cadence (V-vi)
- Half Cadence (ending on V)
- Authentic Cadence (V-I) (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Authentic Cadence (V-I)
An Authentic Cadence is a progression from the dominant (V) chord to the tonic (I) chord. In G Major, the V chord is D Major (containing the notes D-F#-A) and the I chord is G Major (G-B-D). The melodic movement from B (the third of the G Major chord) to G (the root) strongly implies a resolution to the tonic. The leading tone, F#, often found in the V chord, typically resolves up to the tonic G. The finality created by this resolution is characteristic of an authentic cadence.
Question 2: During a rhythmic dictation exercise in 6/8 time, you hear a pattern in one measure that consists of a dotted quarter note followed by three eighth notes. How would this rhythm be correctly notated?
- Two dotted quarter notes.
- A quarter note, an eighth note, and a half note.
- A dotted quarter note followed by three eighth notes. (Correct answer)
- Six eighth notes.
Correct answer: A dotted quarter note followed by three eighth notes.
In 6/8 time, the beat is typically felt in two groups of three eighth notes. A dotted quarter note is equivalent to three eighth notes, thus occupying the first beat. The following three eighth notes occupy the second beat, completing the measure of six eighth notes. This notation accurately represents the described rhythmic pattern within the 6/8 time signature.
Question 3: You are taking a harmonic dictation and hear the following four-part progression in C minor: C minor (i) -> F minor (iv) -> G Major (V) -> C minor (i). Which voice-leading error is most likely to occur between the V and i chords if proper voice-leading rules are not followed?
- Overlapping voices
- Parallel octaves between the bass and soprano (Correct answer)
- A crossed voice between the alto and tenor
- An unresolved leading tone in an inner voice
Correct answer: Parallel octaves between the bass and soprano
In the progression V-i in a minor key, a common voice-leading error is parallel octaves between the bass and soprano. This occurs if the bass moves from G to C (sol to do) while the soprano also moves from G to C (sol to do). To avoid this, the leading tone (B in the V chord) in the soprano should resolve up to the tonic (C), or if the leading tone is in an inner voice, it can sometimes resolve down to G, but the soprano would typically not leap from the 5th of the V chord down to the root of the tonic in this context.
Question 4: A student is asked to perform sight-singing on a melody that contains a modulation. The piece begins in D Major and modulates to A Major. Which accidental would the student most likely encounter as a key indicator of this modulation?
- C-natural
- G-sharp (Correct answer)
- F-natural
- B-flat
Correct answer: G-sharp
The modulation is from D Major (the tonic) to A Major (the dominant). The key of A Major has three sharps: F#, C#, and G#. The key of D Major has two sharps: F# and C#. The introduction of G# is the leading tone to the new tonic, A, and is the primary indicator of the modulation to A Major.
Question 5: In an error detection exercise, a short four-part chorale excerpt is played twice. The notated score shows a standard I-IV-V-I progression. However, the recording clearly contains a suspension in the alto voice over the dominant chord. Which of the following describes what the student likely heard?
- A 4-3 suspension, where the alto holds the root of the IV chord (tonic) over the V chord before resolving down. (Correct answer)
- A 7-6 suspension, where the alto holds the fifth of the IV chord over the V chord before resolving.
- A 9-8 suspension, where the alto holds the third of the IV chord over the V chord before resolving.
- An anticipation tone, where the alto sings a note from the I chord early.
Correct answer: A 4-3 suspension, where the alto holds the root of the IV chord (tonic) over the V chord before resolving down.
A 4-3 suspension over a dominant (V) chord occurs when a note that is a fourth above the bass of the V chord resolves down to a third above the bass. In a I-IV-V-I progression, the root of the IV chord is the tonic scale degree. When the harmony moves to V, if the alto holds this tonic note over the bass of the V chord, it creates a dissonant fourth. This note then resolves down by step to become the third of the V chord, creating a 4-3 suspension.
Question 6: Which of the following melodic contours would be the most challenging to sing accurately at first sight, especially for a novice singer?
- A series of ascending and descending stepwise motions.
- A melody primarily composed of arpeggiated tonic and dominant triads.
- A passage containing multiple augmented and diminished intervals. (Correct answer)
- A phrase that outlines a major scale from tonic to tonic.
Correct answer: A passage containing multiple augmented and diminished intervals.
Augmented and diminished intervals are dissonant and less common in simple diatonic melodies, making them significantly harder to hear and produce accurately without practice. Stepwise motion, arpeggiated common chords, and diatonic scales are foundational elements of tonal music and are generally much easier for singers to internalize and sight-read correctly.
Free BM or BMus Bachelor of Music Aural Skills and Dictation Questions and Answers
A four-measure melody in G Major and 4/4 time is played for a student.
The final two notes of the melody are B, resolving to G.
Which of the following cadences is most likely being used?