Guitar Guitar Theory & Music Fundamentals 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is a 'dominant seventh chord' built from?
- Root + major third + perfect fifth + major seventh
- Root + major third + perfect fifth + minor seventh (Correct answer)
- Root + minor third + perfect fifth + minor seventh
- Root + minor third + diminished fifth + diminished seventh
Correct answer: Root + major third + perfect fifth + minor seventh
A dominant seventh chord is a major triad with an added minor seventh, creating a strong tension that naturally resolves to the tonic chord.
Question 2: Which mode of the major scale starts on the sixth degree and has a natural minor quality?
- Dorian
- Phrygian
- Aeolian (Correct answer)
- Lydian
Correct answer: Aeolian
Aeolian mode, starting on the sixth degree of the major scale, is identical to the natural minor scale and is the most common minor scale used in Western music.
Question 3: What is the function of a 'circle of fifths' in music theory?
- It lists all guitar scales in order of difficulty
- It organizes all 12 keys by their relationships of perfect fifths (Correct answer)
- It describes string gauges from thickest to thinnest
- It maps out all possible chord inversions
Correct answer: It organizes all 12 keys by their relationships of perfect fifths
The circle of fifths arranges all 12 musical keys in a circular pattern where each adjacent key is a perfect fifth apart, making key relationships and modulations visually clear.
Question 4: What is the term for a chord that uses all six strings on standard guitar, often written with an 'x' to indicate a muted string?
- Barre chord
- Open chord
- Voicing (Correct answer)
- Extended chord
Correct answer: Voicing
A chord voicing refers to the specific arrangement of notes in a chord, including which strings are played or muted to achieve a desired sound and register.
Question 5: What interval is the defining characteristic that makes a chord 'diminished'?
- Two major thirds stacked
- Two minor thirds stacked (Correct answer)
- A major third and a perfect fifth
- A perfect fourth and a minor sixth
Correct answer: Two minor thirds stacked
A diminished triad is built by stacking two minor thirds (three semitones each), resulting in a root, flat third, and flat fifth that creates a tense, unstable sound.
Question 6: In tablature (tab), what does a number on a string represent?
- The finger to use on that string
- The fret number to press on that string (Correct answer)
- The string gauge to use
- The volume at which to play the note
Correct answer: The fret number to press on that string
In guitar tab, each number written on a horizontal line (representing a string) indicates which fret to press down on that string.
Guitar Guitar Theory & Music Fundamentals 2
What is a 'dominant seventh chord' built from?