Music Transcription Rhythmic Dictation and Meter 5

Question 1

Which of the following is an example of an irrational (or non-standard) time signature?

Accepted Answer

4/6

Answer

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:

Accepted Answer

A small note with a slash through its stem, played very quickly before the main note

Answer

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?

Accepted Answer

1.5 seconds

Answer

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?

Accepted Answer

An eighth note on the and-of-2 tied to a quarter note on beat 3

Answer

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:

Accepted Answer

A new tempo is derived from a rhythmic value in the previous tempo

Answer

In metric modulation, a rhythmic value (e.g., triplet eighth) from the old tempo becomes the new beat unit, establishing a new tempo mathematically.

Music Transcription Practice Test

Music Transcription Practice Test

Music Transcription Rhythmic Dictation and Meter 5