FREE BM or BMus Bachelor of Music Diatonic and Chromatic Harmony Questions and Answers

Question 1

In the key of C Major, a chord progression moves from C Major (I) to A-flat Major (♭VI). Which chromatic harmony technique is being employed?

Accepted Answer

Modal Mixture

Answer

Modal mixture, also known as modal borrowing, involves using chords from the parallel minor key within a major key (or vice versa). In C Major, the diatonic vi chord is A minor (A-C-E). The ♭VI chord, A-flat Major (A♭-C-E♭), is borrowed from the parallel key of C minor, where A♭ Major is the diatonic VI chord.

Question 2

Which of the following is a key characteristic of a secondary dominant chord?

Accepted Answer

It is a major or dominant seventh chord that resolves to a diatonic chord other than the tonic.

Answer

A secondary dominant is a chromatically altered chord that functions as the dominant of a diatonic chord other than the tonic. For example, in C Major, the V/V (V of V) is a D Major chord, which temporarily tonicizes the G Major (V) chord. These chords are typically major triads or dominant seventh chords.

Question 3

A composer writes a passage in G minor and includes a chord consisting of the notes A-flat, C, and F-sharp. This chord resolves to a D Major chord (V). What is the most precise classification of this chromatic chord?

Accepted Answer

Italian Augmented Sixth (It+6)

Answer

This chord is an Italian Augmented Sixth. It is built on the lowered sixth scale degree (Le, A♭) and contains the raised fourth scale degree (Fi, F♯), creating the characteristic augmented sixth interval. The third note is the tonic (Do, C). The Italian +6 chord consists of Le, Do, and Fi (♭6, 1, ♯4), and it resolves to the dominant (V).

Question 4

The Neapolitan chord (N6 or ♭II6) most commonly functions as which type of harmony?

Accepted Answer

Predominant

Answer

The Neapolitan chord is a major triad built on the lowered supertonic (♭II). It most often appears in first inversion (N6) and functions as a predominant harmony, meaning it prepares the arrival of the dominant (V) chord. Its strong pull towards the dominant makes it a dramatic and expressive chromatic choice.

Question 5

A student is analyzing a piece in E Major and encounters a D♯ fully-diminished seventh chord that resolves to an E Major chord. The D♯ is the leading tone to E. However, a different fully-diminished seventh chord, F-A-C-E♭, appears between two E Major chords. What is the likely function of this second diminished chord?

Accepted Answer

Common-Tone Diminished Seventh Chord (CT°7)

Answer

This chord is a common-tone diminished seventh chord. Its function is not to progress to a new chord in the traditional sense, but to embellish and prolong the chord it resolves to by sharing a common pitch. In this case, the note 'E' is common to both the F-A-C-E♭ (enharmonically spelled) chord and the E Major chord it prolongs. These chords function as non-functional chromatic embellishments.

BM or BMus Bachelor of Music Practice Test

BM or BMus Bachelor of Music Practice Test

FREE BM or BMus Bachelor of Music Diatonic and Chromatic Harmony Questions and Answers