M.U.S.I.C. Theory Trivia Quiz

Answer: Third

The third note of the scale is called the "mediant". It is halfway between the tonic and the dominant, and the second note of an arpeggio.

In C major, the tonic is "C".
"D" (second note) is the supertonic.
"E" is the mediant.
"F" is the subdominant.
"G" is the dominant.
"A" is the submediant.
"B" is the leading note.

Answer: Seventh (leading note)

In a melodic minor scale, the sixth and seventh notes are raised up a semitone ascending, and lowered back down a semitone descending.

For instance, in A melodic minor, the ascending notes would be:
A - B - C - D - E - F# - G# - A
and descending:
A - G - F - E - D - C - B - A

This is different to a harmonic minor scale, where the seventh note is raised ascending AND descending, and the sixth note is not affected.

Answer: False

Two parts of the statement were wrong. Unison requires two OR MORE voices (parts). Additionally, voices can be at octave intervals - so if I played a middle C, another part playing the C an octave above would be playing in unison.

Unison, however, does require the same rhythm to be played at the same time.

Answer: Anacrusis

An upbeat is still part of the phrase - it sounds like it belongs to the main rhythm. However, it isn't part of the main stress or "downbeat" at the start of the bar, so comes just before it.

For instance, in the well-known song "Happy Birthday", the first two notes (ha-ppy) are upbeats. This means that the first syllable of "birth-day" lands on the first beat of the bar.

Answer: The five horizontal lines and four spaces

The symbol indicating pitch is a clef; the two numbers are a time signature; sharps or flats are indicating in a key signature.

The staff is the set of five horizontal lines and four spaces in between, which notes (along with the clef, key signature and time signature) are written on. Combined with the clef, they help indicate the pitch - for instance, in the bass clef, a note on the middle line of the stave would be a D.

Answer: Above alto (highest)

The order, from highest to lowest, is: soprano, alto, tenor, bass. The first two are usually female voices and the bottom two male.

Other voice types are sometimes used, such as mezzo-soprano (below soprano), contralto (below alto) or baritone (below tenor).

Answer: Pitch

Intonation is about the pitch of the note: whether it is sharp or flat.

Instruments such as pianos may have to be tuned occasionally, but should have good intonation.

Most other orchestral instruments have intonation which can vary more often than the piano or organ, and have to be tuned more often.

Answer: Unequal

The interval number (such as "fourth") is the distance between two notes, based on the letter name alone (and not any sharps or flats). For instance, the interval between a C and F is a fourth.

The interval quality is about sharps, flats and naturals (and double sharps and double flats). An interval is major if the top note appears in the major key signature of the lower note. For example, the interval of C to E is major, as E is the third note in C major.

An interval is minor if the top note appears in the minor key signature of the bottom note. For example, the interval A to C is minor, as C is the third note in A minor.

Augmented and diminished intervals involve going up a semitone from a major interval (e.g. C to E# is augmented) or down a semitone from a minor interval (e.g. A to Cb is diminished). Perfect intervals occur on fourth and fifth intervals, as the top note appears in both the major and minor scale of the lower note (e.g. A to E is a perfect fifth, as E is in both A major and A minor).

Answer: C - C# - D

A chromatic scale goes up in semitones, covering every note. A chromatic can start on any note; a chromatic scale on C (ascending) goes like this:
C - C# - D - D# - E - F - F# - G - G# - A - A# - B - C

"C - E - G" is an arpeggio.
"C - D - E" is the start of C major.
"C - D - Eb" is the start of C minor.

Answer: Perfect

In C major, a perfect cadence might contain the following notes:
G - B - D (V)
C - E - G (I)
The first chord is G major, with G being the dominant (fifth) note of the C major scale. The second chord is based on the tonic (first) note, in C major.

Perfect cadences often occur at the very end of a piece of music; they sound finished.