CHAPTER 3 Harmony: Musical Depth
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The depth resulting from simultaneous events in music is described by the term
a. texture. c. dissonance.
b. harmony. d. melody.
2. Harmony is to music as ________ is to painting.
a. the frame c. perspective
b. color d. the brush
3. A combination of three or more tones that constitutes a single block of harmony is called a(n)
a. interval. c. octave.
b. scale. d. chord.
4. A collection of pitches arranged in ascending or descending order is called a(n)
a. scale. c. interval.
b. chord. d. octave.
5. An interval spanning eight notes is called a(n)
a. chord. c. triad.
b. fifth. d. octave.
6. A triad is
a. the most common chord type found in Western music.
b. a three-note chord.
c. built on alternate scale steps.
d. All answers shown here.
7. The first note of the scale is called the
a. octave. c. tonic.
b. triad. d. dominant.
8. The principle of organization around a central tone is called
a. chromaticism. c. consonance.
b. tonality. d. centralization.
9. Of the following, which does NOT describe a dissonance?
a. It is a discordant sound. c. It sustains a sense of stability.
b. It creates a need for resolution. d. It creates tension.
10. Should a composer write a film score for a horror movie, we might reasonably expect that the harmony would include a great deal of
a. syncopation. c. consonance.
b. conjunct motion. d. dissonance.
11. A combination of tones that sounds discordant, unstable, or in need of resolution is called a
a. cadence. c. dissonance.
b. consonance. d. tonality.
12. Which of the following terms describes a concordant, or agreeable, combination of tones?
a. conjunct c. disjunct
b. consonant d. dissonant
13. A single, sustained pitch against which melodic and rhythmic complexities unfold is called a
a. drone. c. tonality.
b. dissonance. d. tonic.
14. The distance and relationship between any two tones is referred to as a(n)
a. interval. c. octave.
b. scale. d. chord.
15. When did harmony first appear in Western music?
a. around 900 c. around 1900
b. around 1750 d. around 1400
16. An example of a triad would be
a. do–mi-sol. c. mi-sol-la.
b. do–re-mi. d. re–la-do.
1. Harmony is important to most non-Western musical cultures.
2. A triad is a chord made up of three tones.
3. Three alternate notes of a scale, sounded simultaneously, form a triad.
4. Melody and harmony function independently of each other.
5. The principle of organization around a central tone is called tonality.
6. Harmonic movement is generated by motion toward a goal or resolution.
7. Harmonic movement in music receives its maximum tension from consonance.
8. A combination of tones that is discordant and unstable produces a consonance.
9. Generally speaking, music has grown more consonant through the ages.
10. Harmony describes a piece’s chords and the progression from one chord to the next.
11. A chord is produced when three or more notes are sounded together.
12. Harmony is the horizontal aspect of music.
13. For the majority of Western music history, a consonant sound typically resolved to a dissonance.
14. A drone is a single sustained pitch against which melodic and rhythmic complexities unfold.
15. In most Western music, the first note of the scale is considered the drone.
ESSAY
1. Describe the way that melody and harmony each constantly influence the other.
2. Describe the role of dissonance in harmony.
3. Why is harmony considered the vertical aspect of music?
