Composition and Music Theory Flashcards
7 cards from real CMP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Composition and Music Theory flashcards as text
What is a 'secondary dominant' chord?
Answer: A dominant seventh chord built on a scale degree other than 5 that temporarily tonicizes another chord
A secondary dominant (V/X) is a dominant-function chord applied to a chord other than the tonic, creating a brief sense of a new key center.
In a 12-bar blues progression in the key of C, which chord typically appears in bar 5?
Answer: F7 (IV7)
The standard 12-bar blues moves to the IV chord (F7 in C) in bar 5 after four bars on the I chord.
What is the difference between a 'motive' and a 'theme' in composition?
Answer: A motive is a short rhythmic or melodic cell; a theme is a longer, more complete musical idea built from motives
A motive is the smallest identifiable unit of musical meaning, while a theme is a fuller melodic statement that may incorporate one or more motives.
What is 'contrary motion' in voice leading?
Answer: Two voices moving in opposite directions simultaneously
Contrary motion occurs when one voice ascends while another descends, and it is generally considered the strongest and most independent type of voice motion.
What is the 'tritone substitution' rule used in jazz harmony?
Answer: Replacing a dominant seventh chord with another dominant seventh chord whose root is a tritone away
Tritone substitution replaces a V7 chord with a dominant chord whose root is a tritone away, since both chords share the same tritone interval between their 3rd and 7th.
What is 'species counterpoint' in music theory pedagogy?
Answer: A systematic method of teaching counterpoint through five progressive levels of rhythmic complexity
Species counterpoint, codified by Johann Joseph Fux, teaches voice leading through five species: note-against-note, 2:1, 4:1, syncopated, and florid counterpoint.
In music, what is a 'suspension' and how is it typically resolved?
Answer: A non-chord tone held over from the previous chord that resolves downward by step
A suspension occurs when a consonant note is held into the next chord where it becomes dissonant, then resolves downward by step to a chord tone.