MUS140 Midterm Review

**Exam on Friday, March 13th, during your assigned lab session**

At the end of each chapter, there is a self-test with answer key. I strongly suggest you try each of
these, either before or after you review your notes.

Basic Skills
Clef reading correctly identify note names in both treble and bass clef (see Ch. 1, L. 3 and 4)
Accidentals understand how to apply accidentals to note names to reach certain black or white keys;
understand enharmonic equivalence (see Ch. 1, L. 3)
Keyboard fluency correctly identify piano key for the given note (both note name and octave); from
a piano key, notate the note on the staff (correct octave) (see Ch. 1, L. 2, 3, 4, and 5)

Major and Minor Scales

Major Scale characteristics: be able to correctly write major scales, remember not to repeat any note
names (except the tonic at the beginning and end of the scale), know the names of each scale degree
(tonic, supertonic, etc.)
Interval pattern: W W H W W W H
(see Ch. 3, L. 14, 15)
Minor Scale characteristics: be able to correctly write all three forms of the minor scale, remember
not to repeat any note names (except the tonic at the beginning and end of the scale), know the names
of each scale degree (tonic, supertonic, etc.)
Unaltered (natural) minor pattern: W H W W H W W
Harmonic minor raise scale-degree 7 in ascent and descent
Melodic minor raise scale-degrees 6 and 7 in ascent, return to the unaltered state in descent
(see Ch. 3, L. 17, 18, 20)

Keys and Key Signatures

Key Signatures:
MEMORIZE YOUR KEY SIGNATURES!!!
Having said that, important devices for identifying key signatures are:
1) Sharp keys:
a. for major, go up a half step from the final sharp of the key signature
b. for minor, go down a whole step from the final sharp of the key signature
2) Flat keys:
a. for major, go back a flat from the end this is the name of the key
b. for minor, go up two whole steps from the final flat this is the name of the key
(You can always find the relative minor by going down a minor third from the major key)
Writing them takes longer if you don;t have them memorized. But if you use the circle of fifths to
figure out the number of sharps or flats needed, then follow these patterns:
1) Sharps:
1. Down 4th, Up 5th (except for A-sharp, put this not in the staff and then go up a fifth,

beginning the pattern again)

2) Flats: Up 4th, Down 5th (works like a charm)
(see Ch. 3, L. 16 and 19)

Intervals
Interval size: defined by the number of letter names spanned by the interval. Compound intervals
(intervals larger than an octave) are referred to by the simple interval plus 7, and share the same quality
as their simple interval. (see Ch. 4, L. 21)
Interval quality: defined by the specific number of half steps in the interval. Qualities include perfect
(P), Major (M), minor (m), Augmented (A) and diminished (d). (see Ch. 4, L. 22, 23, 24)
Complementary Intervals and Inversion: An interval plus its complement span an octave.
Complementary intervals are related by inversion (that is, the top note of one becomes the bottom note
of the other). To find an interval's complement, subtract the size of the interval from 9 and invert the
quality. M m, d A, and P remains P. So, a M2 inverts to a m7 (M m and 9-2 =7). (See Ch. 4,
L. 23)
Intervals in Major and Minor keys:
From the tonic of a major scale, all intervals between tonic and the remaining scale degrees will be
major (2nds, 3rds, 6ths, 7ths) or perfect (unisons, 4ths, 5ths, octaves) (see Ch. 4, L. 25)
From the tonic of a natural minor scale, all intervals between tonic and the remaining scale degrees
will be minor (3rds, 6ths, 7ths) or perfect (unisons, 4ths, 5ths, octaves) one exception is the second,
between scale-degrees 1 and 2, which is still major! (see Ch. 4, L. 26)
If you are solid with major and minor scales, these can help you to identify the quality of various
interval types. Simply make the lower note of the interval the tonic into which scale (major or minor)
would the upper note fit? So, if the upper note would be the 7th note in a major scale with the tonic of
the lower note, this would be a Major 7th. If the upper note doesn't fit into either major or minor, then it
may be augmented or diminished. If augmented, it will be one half-step too high for the major scale.
If diminished, it will be one half-step too low for the minor scale.
Consonance and Dissonance:
Harmonic intervals are considered consonant or dissonant depending on their size and sometimes
quality. (See Ch. 4, L. 25)
Consonant intervals: 3rds/6ths (major and minor); Perfect 5ths, unisons, octaves.
Dissonant intervals: 2nds/7ths (major and minor); any augmented or diminished interval.
Perfect Fourths are only consonant if they are not the lowest interval present. In two part counterpoint,
harmonic perfect fourths will always be dissonant.

Voice Leading, Part 1

Types of polyphonic motion:
1) Oblique (one constant pitch against a moving line)
2) Parallel (two lines moving the same direction by the same interval)
a. Here, interval size stays the same, not necessarily quality (so parallel 6ths, for example
some may be major, others may be minor)
3) Similar (two lines moving in the same direction, but by different intervals)
4) Contrary (two lines moving in opposite directions)
A melody can feature motion by step (conjunct motion) and motion by leap (disjunct motion).
1) Motion by step is always fine
2) Motion by small leap (3rd) can be followed by motion in the same direction
3) Motion by large leap (4th or larger) must be balanced by motion in the opposite direction (either
step or smaller leaps)
4) Avoid motion by augmented intervals
5) Leaping by diminished intervals is OK if the leap is resolved inward as discussed
In two-voice counterpoint, avoid repeated harmonic perfect fifths or repeated harmonic perfect octaves
(parallel 5ths and parallel octaves)

**The midterm will not include rhythm (Ch. 2), which we will discuss this week**