LAS MAS MUS 337 Final Exam – Updated
2026/2027 Actual Exam Complete Questions and
Answers with Detailed Rationales – Pass
Guaranteed – A+ Graded
Section 1: Foundations: Rhythm, Instruments & Regional Styles
Q1: You are transcribing a percussion part and notice a five-stroke pattern distributed
across two measures: three notes in the first measure and two in the second, with the
final stroke landing just before beat four. Which rhythmic cell are you notating?
A. The standard backbeat pattern used in cumbia
B. The 3-2 son clave [CORRECT]
C. The march-style tumbao used in danzón
D. The six-stroke cinquillo pattern
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The best answer is the 3-2 son clave. This pattern is built from exactly five
strokes—three in the first measure and two in the second—and the last note falls on the
"and" of four, which is the signature placement that distinguishes son clave from its
rumba cousin.
Q2: A musician picks up a small guitar-like instrument with five pairs of strings and a
rounded body traditionally made from an armadillo shell. Which regional tradition is
most closely associated with this instrument?
A. The Argentine tango orchestras of Buenos Aires
B. The Cuban son ensembles of the 1940s
C. The Andean charango [CORRECT]
D. The Brazilian choro bands of Rio de Janeiro
,Correct Answer: C
Rationale: This choice is correct because the charango is the quintessential plucked
string instrument of the Andean region, famous for its bright, brittle timbre and its
historical association with Quechua and Aymara musicians in Peru and Bolivia.
Q3: At a street performance in Salvador de Bahia during Carnaval, you hear a steady 2/4
groove driven by a large bass drum, a medium drum, and a small repique, with a chorus
singing call-and-response phrases. Which rhythm is dominating the texture?
A. The dembow riddim of reggaeton
B. The clave-based tumbao of Cuban rumba
C. The batucada style of samba [CORRECT]
D. The habanera pattern of Argentine tango
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: This choice is correct because the surdo, repinique, and call-and-response
singing are the classic ingredients of samba batucada, the thunderous parade rhythm
that defines Carnaval in Bahia and Rio.
Q4: A student asks you to identify the defining difference between son clave and rumba
clave. Which explanation best captures the distinction?
A. Rumba clave is played only on wooden blocks, while son clave is played on bells
B. The third stroke of the three-side in rumba clave is delayed slightly later than in son
clave [CORRECT]
C. Son clave uses seven strokes while rumba clave uses five
D. Rumba clave is exclusive to Dominican merengue
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The best answer is that delayed third stroke. Both patterns share the same
five-stroke architecture, but the rumba clave pushes that note slightly later, creating the
extra syncopation that fits the denser, more polyrhythmic texture of Cuban rumba.
, Q5: At a dance hall in Monterrey, an ensemble features a blazing accordion solo
answered by the deep strums of a large 12-string guitar. Which instrument is providing
that low-end rhythmic foundation?
A. The vihuela
B. The bandoneón
C. The bajo sexto [CORRECT]
D. The cuatro
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: This choice is correct because the bajo sexto—a large 12-string guitar—is the
standard accompanying instrument in norteño, laying down the bass-note strums that
lock in with the accordion's melody.
Q6: A percussionist sets up a kit with congas, bongos, timbales, and a mounted güiro
for a dance gig in Miami. Which genre is this setup most closely associated with?
A. Brazilian bossa nova
B. Andean huayno
C. Afro-Cuban and salsa dance music [CORRECT]
D. Dominican bachata
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: This choice is correct because the conga-bongo-timbale-güiro combination is
the classic percussion battery for Cuban-derived dance music, from son montuno to
modern salsa, providing the layered rhythmic drive that dancers expect.
Q7: In a dimly lit milonga in Buenos Aires, a musician pulls open a bellows-driven box
instrument that produces a mournful, reedy tone central to the orchestra's sound. Which
instrument is this?
A. The Colombian accordion
B. The Cuban tres
C. The bandoneón [CORRECT]
D. The Brazilian concertina
2026/2027 Actual Exam Complete Questions and
Answers with Detailed Rationales – Pass
Guaranteed – A+ Graded
Section 1: Foundations: Rhythm, Instruments & Regional Styles
Q1: You are transcribing a percussion part and notice a five-stroke pattern distributed
across two measures: three notes in the first measure and two in the second, with the
final stroke landing just before beat four. Which rhythmic cell are you notating?
A. The standard backbeat pattern used in cumbia
B. The 3-2 son clave [CORRECT]
C. The march-style tumbao used in danzón
D. The six-stroke cinquillo pattern
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The best answer is the 3-2 son clave. This pattern is built from exactly five
strokes—three in the first measure and two in the second—and the last note falls on the
"and" of four, which is the signature placement that distinguishes son clave from its
rumba cousin.
Q2: A musician picks up a small guitar-like instrument with five pairs of strings and a
rounded body traditionally made from an armadillo shell. Which regional tradition is
most closely associated with this instrument?
A. The Argentine tango orchestras of Buenos Aires
B. The Cuban son ensembles of the 1940s
C. The Andean charango [CORRECT]
D. The Brazilian choro bands of Rio de Janeiro
,Correct Answer: C
Rationale: This choice is correct because the charango is the quintessential plucked
string instrument of the Andean region, famous for its bright, brittle timbre and its
historical association with Quechua and Aymara musicians in Peru and Bolivia.
Q3: At a street performance in Salvador de Bahia during Carnaval, you hear a steady 2/4
groove driven by a large bass drum, a medium drum, and a small repique, with a chorus
singing call-and-response phrases. Which rhythm is dominating the texture?
A. The dembow riddim of reggaeton
B. The clave-based tumbao of Cuban rumba
C. The batucada style of samba [CORRECT]
D. The habanera pattern of Argentine tango
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: This choice is correct because the surdo, repinique, and call-and-response
singing are the classic ingredients of samba batucada, the thunderous parade rhythm
that defines Carnaval in Bahia and Rio.
Q4: A student asks you to identify the defining difference between son clave and rumba
clave. Which explanation best captures the distinction?
A. Rumba clave is played only on wooden blocks, while son clave is played on bells
B. The third stroke of the three-side in rumba clave is delayed slightly later than in son
clave [CORRECT]
C. Son clave uses seven strokes while rumba clave uses five
D. Rumba clave is exclusive to Dominican merengue
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The best answer is that delayed third stroke. Both patterns share the same
five-stroke architecture, but the rumba clave pushes that note slightly later, creating the
extra syncopation that fits the denser, more polyrhythmic texture of Cuban rumba.
, Q5: At a dance hall in Monterrey, an ensemble features a blazing accordion solo
answered by the deep strums of a large 12-string guitar. Which instrument is providing
that low-end rhythmic foundation?
A. The vihuela
B. The bandoneón
C. The bajo sexto [CORRECT]
D. The cuatro
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: This choice is correct because the bajo sexto—a large 12-string guitar—is the
standard accompanying instrument in norteño, laying down the bass-note strums that
lock in with the accordion's melody.
Q6: A percussionist sets up a kit with congas, bongos, timbales, and a mounted güiro
for a dance gig in Miami. Which genre is this setup most closely associated with?
A. Brazilian bossa nova
B. Andean huayno
C. Afro-Cuban and salsa dance music [CORRECT]
D. Dominican bachata
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: This choice is correct because the conga-bongo-timbale-güiro combination is
the classic percussion battery for Cuban-derived dance music, from son montuno to
modern salsa, providing the layered rhythmic drive that dancers expect.
Q7: In a dimly lit milonga in Buenos Aires, a musician pulls open a bellows-driven box
instrument that produces a mournful, reedy tone central to the orchestra's sound. Which
instrument is this?
A. The Colombian accordion
B. The Cuban tres
C. The bandoneón [CORRECT]
D. The Brazilian concertina
