This page gives an overview of possible questions to test one's understanding of the Outline of basic music theory.

No answers are provided here, as it is the writer's firm conviction that the quality of the question, and the search, and the quality of the search for an answer, are not only mandatory main ingredients but moreover the very purpose of all learning processes. There can exist no short cuts to knowledge, nor to skill. When in doubt, the student should at least consult the Outline in search of an at least correct and possibly even original answer. To some questions, original answers can indeed be given, in the light of the open nature of such questions. In more exact matters there may however be fewer room for originality, and sometimes there may even be just exactly one correct answer.

© Oscar van Dillen 2012

*under construction*

Contents 1 Introduction 2 Sound and hearing 2.1 Sound 2.2 Hearing 2.3 Physics of sound 3 Musical notation 3.1 Notation of time and rhythm 3.1.1 Symbols for notes and rests 3.1.2 Meter 3.1.3 Time signature and bar 3.1.4 Binary time signatures 3.1.5 Dots 3.1.6 Ternary time signatures 3.1.7 Ties 3.1.8 Tuplets 3.1.9 Tempo indication 3.1.10 Correct rhythmical notation 3.1.11 Beaming 3.1.12 Odd time signatures 3.1.13 Complex time signatures 3.1.14 Notation of swing rhythm 3.2 Notation of pitch 3.2.1 Staff and clef 3.2.1.1 Staff lines and ledger lines 3.2.1.2 Commonly used clefs 3.2.2 Directions of notestems 3.2.3 Basic tones 3.2.3.1 Definition of basic tones 3.2.3.2 Systems for basic tones 3.2.3.2.1 Alfabetic nomenclature 3.2.3.2.2 German nomenclature 3.2.3.2.3 Latin nomenclature 3.2.3.2.4 Relative Latin nomenclature 3.2.3.2.5 Indian nomenclature 3.2.3.2.6 Indian nomenclature transcribed 3.2.4 Alteration 3.2.4.1 Definition of alteration 3.2.4.2 Symbols for alteration 3.2.4.3 Validity of alteration symbols 3.2.4.4 Microtone alteration 3.3 Notation of intervals, chords and harmony 3.4 Notation in scores 3.5 Compact polyphonic notation 3.6 Other notation symbols 3.6.1 Tempo indications 3.6.1.1 Classical tempo notation 3.6.1.2 Metronome numbers 3.6.1.3 Counting value changes 3.6.1.4 Jazz tempo notation 3.6.2 Dynamic indications 3.6.3 Articulation 4 Basic building blocks of melody and harmony 4.1 Scales 4.1.1 Definition of scale 4.1.2 Different scales 4.1.3 Basic major and minor scales 4.1.3.1 Major scale 4.1.3.2 Natural minor scale 4.1.3.3 Harmonic minor scale 4.1.3.4 Melodic minor scale 4.1.4 Definition of mode 4.1.5 Church modes 4.1.5.1 History and use 4.1.5.2 Basic notation 4.1.5.3 Notation on c 4.1.6 Different modes 4.2 Intervals 4.2.1 Definition of interval 4.2.2 One sound 4.2.3 Basic intervals 4.2.4 Wide intervals 4.2.5 Perception of the interval 4.2.6 Basic intervals from c 4.2.7 Full names of the intervals 4.2.8 Intervals in order of chromatic size 4.2.9 Enharmonic equivalence 4.2.10 Inversions of the intervals 4.3 Triads 4.3.1 Definition of triad 4.3.2 Basic notation 4.3.3 Types of triads 4.3.4 Symbols for triads 4.3.5 Inversions of triads 4.3.6 Other positions of triads 4.3.7 Use of triads 4.4 Seventh chords 4.4.1 Definition of seventh chord 4.4.2 Basic notation 4.4.3 Types of seventh chords 4.4.4 Symbols for seventh chords 4.4.5 Inversions of seventh chords 4.4.6 Use of seventh chords 4.5 Consonance and dissonance 4.5.1 Definitions of consonance and dissonance 4.5.2 Traditional classification of intervals in consonant and dissonant 4.5.3 Acoustic order of consonance and dissonance in intervals 4.5.4 Consonance and dissonance in scales 4.5.5 Traditional classification of chords in consonant and dissonant 4.5.6 Use of consonance and dissonance 4.6 Circle of fifths 4.6.1 Major scales in order of accidentals 4.6.2 Minor scales in order of accidentals 4.6.3 Key signatures in order of accidentals 4.6.4 Geometry of the full circle of fifths 4.7 Transposition 4.7.1 Definition of transposition 4.7.2 Use of transposition 4.7.3 Example of transposition 4.7.3.1 In C 4.7.3.2 Soprano saxophone in B♭ 4.7.3.3 Alto saxophone in E♭ 4.7.3.4 Tenor Saxophone in B♭ 4.7.3.5 Barytone saxophone in E♭ 5 Rhythm 5.1 Definition of rhythm 5.2 Time, beat, subdivision and feel 5.3 Polyrhythm 5.3.1 3 against 2 5.3.2 2 against 3 5.3.3 4 against 3 5.3.4 3 against 4 6 Melody 6.1 Definition of melody 6.2 Exercise in melodic building blocks 7 Harmony 7.1 Definition of harmony 7.2 Functional harmony 7.2.1 Definition of degree 7.2.2 Degree as chord 7.2.3 Degree as scale 7.2.4 Basic degrees as triads 7.2.4.1 Basic degrees in major 7.2.4.2 Basic degrees in minor 7.2.5 Basic degrees as seventh chords 7.2.5.1 Seventh chord degrees in major 7.2.5.2 Seventh chord degrees in minor 8 Form 9 Hearing tests 9.1 Basic level 1 10 Footnotes

Introduction

1. In what ways does music theory comprise more than knowledge alone?

Sound and hearing

Sound

1. Which sound properties should one describe to exactly define a particular performed musical tone?
2. What is the difference between silence in general and silence in music?

Hearing

1. When can total silence be perceived?
2. How many times is the vibration of the string, on its way to be perceived by the human brain as musical tone, translated into other sympathetic vibrations (after all the vibrating string itself never enters the human head)?
3. Can you describe the most essential parts of the ear and their functions?

Physics of sound

1. In what unit is frequency measured?
2. Can humans hear infra- and ultrasound?

Musical notation

Notation of time and rhythm

Symbols for notes and rests

1. How many 1/64 notes fit in a whole note, in a half note and in a quarter note?
2. Are four 1/16 notes identical to a 1/4 note?

Meter

1. Can you quote and recite one metric line (e.g. from Shakespeare), and explain the meter?

Time signature and bar

1. Which types of barlines do you know?
2. Why doesn't 4/3 exist as a time signature?
3. What is the difference between a bar and a measure?

Binary time signatures

1. Can you explain the structure of the time signature 3/4?
2. Can music notated in 2/4 be rewritten in 4/4? In 2/8? And in 3/4?
3. What is the one-beat note in the following time-signatures: 2/4? 3/8? 4/16?
4. Put the following simple sequence of notes in 2/4 and add the beams

   

5. Put the following simple sequence of notes in 3/4 and add the beams

   

6. Put the following duration of rests in 2/4, 3/4 and 4/4; remember the double meaning of the whole rest symbol and these will all three look different

   

Dots

1. Can rests be dotted as well?
2. Are there note values which cannot be dotted?

Ternary time signatures

1. What are the similarities and differences between the time signatures 3/4 and 6/8?
2. What is the one-beat note in the following time-signatures and how are their beat groupings: 9/4? 12/8? 6/16?
3. Would a regular 15/8 be a binary or a ternary time signature, how many beats would it have?
4. Put the following simple sequence of notes in 6/8 and add the beams

   

Ties

1. How can one notate a continuous tone duration of 5/4?
2. Can rests be tied together to form a larger rest?
3. Put the following sequence of tone durations in 2/4, 3/4, 4/4 and 6/8; to do so, split the whole notes into smaller values that fit into the bars, corresponding to the counting structure of each of the time signatures, then tie them together again to create the correct durations

   

Tuplets

Tempo indication

Correct rhythmical notation

Beaming

Odd time signatures

Complex time signatures

Notation of swing rhythm

Notation of pitch

Staff and clef

Staff lines and ledger lines

Commonly used clefs

Directions of notestems

Basic tones

Definition of basic tones

Systems for basic tones

Alfabetic nomenclature

German nomenclature

Latin nomenclature

Relative Latin nomenclature

Indian nomenclature

Indian nomenclature transcribed

Alteration

Definition of alteration

Symbols for alteration

Validity of alteration symbols

Microtone alteration

Notation of intervals, chords and harmony

Notation in scores

Compact polyphonic notation

Other notation symbols

Tempo indications

Classical tempo notation

Metronome numbers

Counting value changes

Jazz tempo notation

Dynamic indications

Articulation

Basic building blocks of melody and harmony

Scales

Definition of scale

Different scales

Basic major and minor scales

Major scale

Natural minor scale

Harmonic minor scale

Melodic minor scale

Definition of mode

Church modes

History and use

Basic notation

Notation on c

Different modes

Intervals

Definition of interval

One sound

Basic intervals

Wide intervals

Perception of the interval

Basic intervals from c

Full names of the intervals

Intervals in order of chromatic size

Enharmonic equivalence

Inversions of the intervals

Triads

Definition of triad

Basic notation

Types of triads

Symbols for triads

Inversions of triads

Other positions of triads

Use of triads

Seventh chords

Definition of seventh chord

Basic notation

Types of seventh chords

Symbols for seventh chords

Inversions of seventh chords

Use of seventh chords

Consonance and dissonance

Definitions of consonance and dissonance

Traditional classification of intervals in consonant and dissonant

Acoustic order of consonance and dissonance in intervals

Consonance and dissonance in scales

Traditional classification of chords in consonant and dissonant

Use of consonance and dissonance

Circle of fifths

Major scales in order of accidentals

Minor scales in order of accidentals

Key signatures in order of accidentals

Geometry of the full circle of fifths

Transposition

Definition of transposition

Use of transposition

Example of transposition

In C

Soprano saxophone in B♭

Alto saxophone in E♭

Tenor Saxophone in B♭

Barytone saxophone in E♭

Rhythm

Definition of rhythm

Time, beat, subdivision and feel

Polyrhythm

3 against 2

2 against 3

4 against 3

3 against 4

Melody

Definition of melody

Exercise in melodic building blocks

Harmony

Definition of harmony

Functional harmony

Definition of degree

Degree as chord

Degree as scale

Basic degrees as triads

Basic degrees in major

Basic degrees in minor

Basic degrees as seventh chords

Seventh chord degrees in major

Seventh chord degrees in minor

Form

Hearing tests

Basic level 1

Basic level 1 can be considered as the absolute minimum needed before aspiring to enter any professional music education.

Parts of this test:

1. Auditive recognition of intervals, their full names are requested (e.g. minor sixth)
2. Auditive recognition of triads in root position, the names of the types are requested (e.g. diminished)
3. Scales and modes, the names of the type of scale are requested (e.g. dorian)
4. Rhythmic dication, a complete and correct music notation of the rhythm is requested, including the time signature and bars
5. Melodic dictation, a complete and correct music notation of the melody is requested, including the key signature and clef

This easy audio test has explanations in both Dutch and English before each assignment.

click to start the test
(ca 22 min. 15 sec.)

Footnotes

© Oscar van Dillen 2012