Do the Math!
If you add a half note and a quarter note together, how many total beats do you get in 4/4 time?
3
What device, patented in 1816, produces a steady ticking pulse to help musicians keep a constant tempo?
Metronome
What is the primary purpose of using a key signature at the beginning of a piece of music?
It acts as a handy shorthand so you don't have to write out accidentals next to every individual note throughout the piece.
What is the solfege syllable name for the tonic pitch in a scale or mode?
Do
Name two examples of pitched percussive/rhythm instruments.
Xylophone, timpani, vibraphone, chimes
How many eighth notes fit into a single measure of 3/4 time?
6
On which beat of a measure do we generally expect a natural accent in traditional music?
Beat 1
What does it mean when a scale or piece of music is described as being diatonic?
It means the notes in the scale "follow the rules" of the key signature and scale steps without breaking away from that key structure.
Which diatonic mode shares the exact same note pattern as a standard major scale but starts on “Re"?
Dorian
What is the classification term for drums that produce sound through the vibration of a stretched skin or membrane?
Membranophones
How does syncopation change standard accent patterns?
Syncopation shifts the normal musical accent from a strong/accented beat to a weak or off-beat.
What small symbol (resembling a wedge or "greater than" sign: >) indicates that a specific beat or note should be played stronger or emphasized?
An accent
How would sheet music look if a composer wrote a piece in F Major (which has one flat) but decided not to use a key signature?
Every single B in the entire piece would need a flat sign (♭) written directly next to it on the staff.
Which diatonic mode is built starting on the 6th degree ("La") of the major scale, equivalent to the natural minor scale?
Aeolian
In instrument classification, what is the term for instruments whose whole "body" vibrates to create sound (like a xylophone or triangle)?
Idiophones
How many total beats does a dotted half note get in 4/4 time?
3
Which Italian tempo marking means "very fast" in the 168–200 BPM range?
Presto
A piece has no printed key signature, but every time the notes F, C, and G appear, they are individually marked with sharp signs (♯). What key is this piece (probably) diatonically in, if it sounds bright and happy in a "traditionally western" way?
A Major
What adjusted chromatic solfege syllable replaces "Fa" when singing a raised 4th scale degree in Lydian mode?
Fi
What musical texture consists of a single prominent solo melody supported by simple chordal accompaniment?
Monody (or modern homophony)
In 4/4 time, what is the combined beat total of a dotted quarter note tied to an eighth note?
2 beats (1.5 + 0.5)
True or False: A piece of music must have a printed key signature at the start to be considered diatonic.
False
A piece has no printed key signature, but every time the note B appears, is individually marked with a flat sign. What key is this piece (probably) diatonically in, if the note G continually sounds like the strongest pitch?
G Dorian
What is the single adjusted solfege syllable in a Mixolydian mode?
“Ti" becomes "Te"
What historical European style from the 12th century represents the earliest complex polyphony explored in Europe?
Organum (Florid Organum)
Look at a bar with two dotted quarter notes in 6/8 time. How many total eighth-note pulses does that measure contain?
6 eighth-note pulses
What is the key difference between a sudden tempo change and a gradual tempo change like rallentando?
A sudden tempo change shifts to the new tempo immediately, while a rallentando gradually slows down the pace over time.
Why are adjacent keys on the Circle of Fifths considered closely related harmonic neighbors?
Keys next to each other on the circle share almost all of the same notes (differing by only one sharp or flat).
A Do-Pentatonic scale follows the interval pattern M2, M2, m3, M2. What interval pattern does a La-Pentatonic follow?
m3, M2, M2, m3
Name one of the two distinct global rhythmic systems mentioned in Lesson 3.2 besides currently Western meters.
Classical Indian taal or Balinese kotekan (Gamelan)