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CHAPTER 4 The Organization of Musical Sounds
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. How many notes in a scale does an octave span?
a. five c. eight
b. six d. ten
2. In Western music, the octave is divided into ________ equal intervals.
a. six c. twelve
b. eight d. fifteen
3. The smallest interval in the Western musical system is the
a. half step. c. octave.
b. whole step. d. third.
4. A twelve-tone scale, including all the semitones of the octave, is called
a. chromatic. c. major.
b. diatonic. d. minor.
5. The musical symbol # represents a
a. note. c. flat.
b. sharp. d. pitch.
6. On the piano, the black key between the white keys C and D is called
a. C-sharp or D-flat. c. D-sharp or E.
b. C-flat or B. d. none of the answers shown here.
7. Tonality means that we hear a piece of music in relation to a central tone, called the
a. dominant. c. scale.
b. subdominant. d. tonic.
8. The principle of organization whereby we hear a piece of music in relation to a central tone is called
a. tonality. c. modulation.
b. transposition. d. chromaticism.
9. A group of related tones with a common center, a tonic, is called a(n)
a. interval. c. octave.
b. key. d. melody.
10. In a major scale, the greatest tension lies between what two tones?
a. 3 and 4 c. 6 and 7
b. 4 and 5 d. 7 and 8
11. In a major scale, between what pairs of tones do the half steps occur?
a. 2 and 3, 7 and 8 c. 2 and 3, 6 and 7
b. 3 and 4, 7 and 8 d. 2 and 3, 5 and 6
12. Which of the following characterizes the minor scale?
a. It has a lowered third degree. c. It sounds the same as the major mode.
b. It always begins on the note F. d. It is made entirely of half steps.
13. Music based on the seven tones of a major or minor scale is called
a. chromatic. c. modal.
b. diatonic. d. transposed.
14. Works drawing from the full gamut of the twelve half steps that span the octave are considered
a. chromatic. c. tonality.
b. diatonic. d. improvisation.
15. How many notes make up a pentatonic scale?
a. eight c. twelve
b. five d. four
16. Which of the following does NOT make frequent use of pentatonic scales?
a. Western art music c. African music
b. Native American music d. Asian music
17. An interval smaller than the semitone, or half step, is called a(n)
a. whole tone. c. microtone.
b. glissando. d. octave.
18. The triad built on the first note of the scale is called the
a. tonic. c. subdominant.
b. dominant. d. subtonic.
19. The tonic chord is represented by the symbol
a. I. c. V.
b. IV. d. VII.
20. In harmony, the ________ is considered a place of rest and return.
a. tonic c. subdominant
b. dominant d. leading tone
21. The dominant chord is represented by the symbol
a. I. c. V.
b. IV. d. VII.
22. The three basic triads in the Western musical system are the tonic, the dominant, and the
a. supertonic. c. submediant.
b. mediant. d. subdominant.
23. The three most important triads in diatonic harmony are
a. I, III, and V. c. I, IV, and V.
b. I, V, and VII. d. I, VI, and VII.
24. The process of passing from one key to another is known as
a. modulation. c. transposition.
b. development. d. transformation.
25. When a melody is transposed to another key, what remains the same?
a. the pitch level of the melody c. the shape of the melodic line
b. the key note, or tonic, of the melody d. the number of sharps or flats
26. A sharp
a. raises a note by a half step. c. raises a note by two half steps.
b. lowers a note by a half step. d. lowers a note by a whole step.
27. A flat
a. lowers a note a half step. c. lowers a note a whole step.
b. raises a note a half step. d. raises a note two whole steps.
28. Of the musical eras listed here, which is associated with the use of chromaticism?
a. Romantic c. Classical
b. Baroque d. Renaissance
29. A scale built on a three-note pattern found in the music of some African cultures is called
a. tritonic. c. microtonal.
b. tritone. d. None of the answers shown here.
30. Making a brief microtonal dip or rise from the original pitch is called
a. inflection. c. jazz.
b. tritonic. d. chromaticism.
1. In Western music, the octave is divided into seven equal parts, which make up the chromatic scale.
2. All musical cultures of the world divide the octave into twelve equal half steps.
3. A sharp lowers a musical tone by a half step.
4. A key is a group of related tones with a common center, the tonic, toward which the other tones gravitate.
5. Within a key, the central tone is called the semitone.
6. A major scale can begin on any of the twelve semitones of the octave.
7. Chromatic music is most closely associated with the Classical era.
8. A variety of world music makes use of pentatonic scales.
9. All pentatonic scales use the same notes and thus sound the same.
10. A tritonic scale is made up of eight notes.
11. Although common in jazz, inflecting a pitch is unusual in most Western music.
12. Active chords seek to resolve to resting chords, imparting a sense of direction or goal.
13. The dominant is an example of an active chord, which can cause tension in music until it is resolved.
14. The process of passing from one key to another is known as modulation.
15. The act of shifting all the tones of a musical composition a uniform distance to a different pitch level is called transposition.
16. Tonality is the basic harmonic principle at work in most Western music written from around 1600 to 1900 and in most popular music.
17. The major scale has a lowered, or flatted, third note.
18. The specific pattern of whole (W) and half (H) steps for a major scale is as follows: W-W-H-W-W-W-H.
19. The dominant chord is represented by the symbol IV.
20. The subdominant chord is represented by the symbol V.
ESSAY
1. We describe our perception of Western harmony in terms of tonality. What does this mean?
2. Why do major and minor scales sound different? Describe the character of each scale.
3. Compare major and minor scales with various scale types used around the world.
4. Describe how Western music composers create variety and tension within their works.
