Melody and Harmony Flashcards
7 cards from real Songwriters practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Melody and Harmony flashcards as text
A pedal point is a sustained note, usually in the bass, that:
Answer: Stays constant while harmonies change above it
A pedal point holds one pitch while chords shift around it, building tension.
Which interval spans exactly twelve semitones and sounds completely stable when doubled?
Answer: The octave
An octave spans twelve semitones and the two notes share the same letter name.
In a ii-V-I progression in C major, the ii chord is:
Answer: D minor
The ii chord in C major is D minor, a staple of the ii-V-I progression.
A suspension in harmony creates tension by:
Answer: Holding a note over a chord change before it resolves down
A suspension delays resolution by sustaining a note into the next chord, then stepping down.
What is the term for the lowest-sounding chord tone determining the chord's name when it is the root?
Answer: Root position
When the root is in the bass, the chord is in root position.
A IV-I cadence, common in hymns and often called the 'Amen' cadence, is a:
Answer: Plagal cadence
The plagal cadence moves subdominant to tonic, famous as the church 'Amen.'
Repeating a short melodic idea at successively higher or lower pitches is called a:
Answer: Sequence
A melodic sequence restates a motif at a different pitch level, building momentum.