Music Transcription Melodic and Interval Recognition 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: You hear a melody jump from D4 up to F#4. What interval is this?
- Major 3rd (Correct answer)
- Minor 3rd
- Augmented 2nd
- Perfect 4th
Correct answer: Major 3rd
D to F# spans 3 letter names with 4 half steps, which is a Major 3rd.
Question 2: When a melody is said to move by 'conjunct motion,' what does that mean?
- Stepwise motion using 2nds (Correct answer)
- Leaping motion using 3rds or larger
- Repeating the same pitch
- Moving by Perfect 4ths only
Correct answer: Stepwise motion using 2nds
Conjunct motion describes melody that moves by step (Major or Minor 2nds), creating smooth, connected lines.
Question 3: A melody ascends from E4 to B4. What interval must the transcriber write?
- Perfect 5th (Correct answer)
- Minor 6th
- Augmented 4th
- Major 6th
Correct answer: Perfect 5th
E to B spans 5 letter names and 7 half steps, which is a Perfect 5th.
Question 4: In melodic dictation, you hear an ascending interval that sounds like the first two notes of 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.' What interval is it?
- Perfect 5th (Correct answer)
- Major 3rd
- Perfect 4th
- Minor 6th
Correct answer: Perfect 5th
The opening 'Twin-kle' pitch repetition moves to the 5th scale degree, a Perfect 5th above the tonic.
Question 5: What is the inversion of a Major 6th?
- Minor 3rd (Correct answer)
- Major 3rd
- Minor 6th
- Augmented 3rd
Correct answer: Minor 3rd
Intervals invert to their complement: 9 − 6 = 3, and major becomes minor upon inversion, yielding a Minor 3rd.
Question 6: A student transcribes a melody and writes D4 to Ab4. If the interval is spelled as D to Ab, what is it called?
- Diminished 5th (Correct answer)
- Augmented 4th
- Perfect 5th
- Minor 6th
Correct answer: Diminished 5th
D to Ab spans 5 letter names (D–E–F–G–A) but only 6 half steps, making it a Diminished 5th.
Question 7: Which clef is standard for notating treble-range melodic lines in music transcription?
- Treble clef (Correct answer)
- Bass clef
- Alto clef
- Tenor clef
Correct answer: Treble clef
The treble clef (G clef) is used for higher-pitched melodic instruments and voices and places G4 on the second line.
Music Transcription Melodic and Interval Recognition 3
You hear a melody jump from D4 up to F#4.
What interval is this?