Music Transcription Rhythmic Dictation and Meter 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is an example of an irrational (or non-standard) time signature?
- 3/4
- 5/8
- 4/6 (Correct answer)
- 7/8
Correct answer: 4/6
4/6 is irrational because 6 is not a standard power-of-two note value; standard denominators are 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32.
Question 2: In rhythmic dictation, a grace note (acciaccatura) is typically notated as:
- A large note with a tie
- A small note with a slash through its stem, played very quickly before the main note (Correct answer)
- A note in parentheses
- A note above the staff
Correct answer: A small note with a slash through its stem, played very quickly before the main note
An acciaccatura is a crushed grace note notated small with a slash, performed as rapidly as possible before the primary note.
Question 3: If a quarter note = 60 BPM, how long does a dotted quarter note last in seconds?
- 1.0 seconds
- 1.5 seconds (Correct answer)
- 2.0 seconds
- 0.75 seconds
Correct answer: 1.5 seconds
At 60 BPM a quarter note = 1 second; a dotted quarter = 1.5 quarter notes = 1.5 seconds.
Question 4: When transcribing a rhythm in 3/4, you note that a syncopated figure starts on the 'and' of beat 2 and lasts two beats. How do you notate this?
- A quarter note on beat 3
- An eighth note on the and-of-2 tied to a quarter note on beat 3 (Correct answer)
- A half note starting on beat 2
- A dotted quarter on beat 2
Correct answer: An eighth note on the and-of-2 tied to a quarter note on beat 3
The note starts on the eighth-note off-beat after beat 2 and is tied to the next beat to express its full two-beat duration across the barline or within the measure.
Question 5: Metric modulation is a compositional technique where:
- The key signature changes along with the meter
- A new tempo is derived from a rhythmic value in the previous tempo (Correct answer)
- The meter changes randomly each measure
- Two instruments play in different keys simultaneously
Correct answer: A new tempo is derived from a rhythmic value in the previous tempo
In metric modulation, a rhythmic value (e.g., triplet eighth) from the old tempo becomes the new beat unit, establishing a new tempo mathematically.
Question 6: Which beaming convention correctly represents two beats in 6/8?
- Six individual unbeamed eighth notes
- Two groups of three beamed eighth notes (Correct answer)
- Three groups of two beamed eighth notes
- One group of six beamed eighth notes
Correct answer: Two groups of three beamed eighth notes
In 6/8, eighth notes are beamed in two groups of three to clearly show each of the two compound beats.
Question 7: A quintuplet marking (5) placed over five notes indicates that those five notes:
- Each last five times longer than written
- Are played in the time of four (or three) notes of the same written value (Correct answer)
- Should be played five times faster than the tempo
- Form a five-measure phrase
Correct answer: Are played in the time of four (or three) notes of the same written value
A quintuplet means five notes fit in the time normally occupied by four (or sometimes three) notes of the same value.
Music Transcription Rhythmic Dictation and Meter 5
Which of the following is an example of an irrational (or non-standard) time signature?