BM or BMus Bachelor of Music Melodic and Rhythmic Dictation 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: You hear a melody in a minor key whose sixth and seventh scale degrees are both raised. Which minor scale form is being used?
- Melodic minor (ascending) (Correct answer)
- Natural minor
- Harmonic minor
- Dorian mode
Correct answer: Melodic minor (ascending)
The ascending form of the melodic minor scale raises both scale degrees 6 and 7 to smooth the melodic line toward the octave.
Question 2: In a rhythmic dictation, you hear a syncopated pattern where the accent falls between the beats. The note on the off-beat is tied to the following downbeat. This is an example of:
- Syncopation (Correct answer)
- Augmentation
- Diminution
- Cross-rhythm
Correct answer: Syncopation
Syncopation places emphasis on normally weak beats or off-beats, often by tying a note across a strong beat.
Question 3: A melodic dictation passage uses the pitches C-E-G-B. Assuming C is the tonic, these pitches outline which chord quality?
- Major seventh (Correct answer)
- Dominant seventh
- Minor seventh
- Half-diminished seventh
Correct answer: Major seventh
C-E-G-B forms a major triad with a major seventh, creating a major seventh chord (Cmaj7).
Question 4: You are transcribing a melody and notice it uses only the five pitches of a pentatonic scale. Which scale degree is typically omitted from a major pentatonic scale?
- Scale degrees 4 and 7 (Correct answer)
- Scale degrees 2 and 6
- Scale degrees 3 and 5
- Scale degrees 1 and 4
Correct answer: Scale degrees 4 and 7
The major pentatonic scale omits scale degrees 4 and 7, eliminating the tritone and half-step tensions.
Question 5: During melodic dictation, you hear a chromatic passing tone between two diatonic pitches. The chromatic pitch appears:
- On a weak beat, filling a half-step gap (Correct answer)
- On a strong beat as the main melody note
- As a leap of a tritone
- At the start of a phrase
Correct answer: On a weak beat, filling a half-step gap
Chromatic passing tones occur on weak beats, moving by half step between two diatonic pitches a whole step apart.
Question 6: In 5/4 meter, a rhythmic dictation phrase typically subdivides into which two common groupings?
- 3+2 or 2+3 (Correct answer)
- 4+1 or 1+4
- 3+3 minus one beat
- 5 equal beats with no subdivision
Correct answer: 3+2 or 2+3
5/4 is most naturally grouped as either 3+2 or 2+3, felt as a long group plus a short group of beats.
Question 7: You are writing melodic dictation and the phrase ends on scale degree 2 over a dominant chord. This creates a feeling of:
- Incomplete cadence or half cadence (Correct answer)
- Authentic cadence
- Plagal cadence
- Deceptive cadence
Correct answer: Incomplete cadence or half cadence
Ending on scale degree 2 (a non-tonic pitch) over the dominant harmony creates an unresolved, half-cadential feeling.
BM or BMus Bachelor of Music Melodic and Rhythmic Dictation 3
You hear a melody in a minor key whose sixth and seventh scale degrees are both raised.
Which minor scale form is being used?