Songwriters Music Theory Fundamentals 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which chord is the dominant (V) in the key of C major?
- F major
- G major (Correct answer)
- A minor
- D minor
Correct answer: G major
G major is built on the fifth scale degree of C, making it the dominant.
Question 2: A I-IV-V progression in the key of D major uses which three chords?
- D-G-A (Correct answer)
- D-E-A
- D-F#-B
- D-G-C
Correct answer: D-G-A
In D major the I, IV, and V chords are D, G, and A.
Question 3: What is the most common time signature in pop and folk songwriting?
- 3/4
- 6/8
- 4/4 (Correct answer)
- 5/4
Correct answer: 4/4
4/4, or common time, has four quarter-note beats per measure and dominates popular music.
Question 4: Adding a flatted seventh to a major triad creates what type of chord?
- Major seventh
- Dominant seventh (Correct answer)
- Minor seventh
- Half-diminished
Correct answer: Dominant seventh
A major triad plus a minor (flat) seventh forms a dominant seventh chord.
Question 5: Which scale degree is called the 'leading tone' in a major scale?
- The 2nd
- The 4th
- The 6th
- The 7th (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The 7th
The seventh degree pulls strongly up to the tonic and is the leading tone.
Question 6: What does a key signature with two flats (Bb and Eb) indicate?
- F major
- Bb major (Correct answer)
- D major
- A major
Correct answer: Bb major
Two flats, Bb and Eb, is the key signature for Bb major.
Question 7: Which chord function typically creates the strongest sense of resolution to the tonic?
- Subdominant
- Mediant
- Dominant (Correct answer)
- Submediant
Correct answer: Dominant
The dominant chord pulls most strongly back to the tonic.
Songwriters Music Theory Fundamentals 3
Which chord is the dominant (V) in the key of C major?