MUS 121 Practice Exam – Questions With
Comprehensive Solutions
Which term describes a series of notes that add up to a recognizable whole?
✔️Ans -melody
If melody is the horizontal aspect of music, what is the vertical? ✔️Ans -
harmony
Which of the following is not a dynamic indication? ✔️Ans -presto
Consonant harmonies create a sense of purity and lack tension (t/f) ✔️Ans -
A combination of notes that is considered unstable and tense is called a
consonance. (t/f) ✔️Ans -false
Mezzo forte means... ✔️Ans -medium loud
Adding "issimo" to a dynamic indication, such as piano, means to change the
dynamic to less than itself. (Piano means soft and pianissimo means less soft,
forte means strong and fortissimo means less strong.) ✔️Ans -true
A tone is a musical pitch. ✔️Ans -
Which statement best defines music? ✔️Ans -Music is an art based on the
organization of sounds in time.
Dissonance adds variety and a sense of tension to be resolved within the
music. ✔️Ans -false
Definite and steady vibrations create a... ✔️Ans -tone
Pitch is determined by the frequency of its vibration: the faster the vibration,
the higher the pitch. ✔️Ans -true
Which of the following correctly orders tempi moving from fastest to slowest?
✔️Ans -Allegro, Moderato, Andante
,The musical texture that is defined by independence and equality among
multiple voices is.. ✔️Ans -homophony
The term used to describe a central note, scale, or chord is... ✔️Ans -key
form ✔️Ans -organization of musical ideas in time
theme ✔️Ans -an important and returning melody in a musical composition
binary ✔️Ans -a musical form consisting of two contrasting sections
ternary ✔️Ans -a musical form consisting of beginning middle and back to
beginning
A composition that presents a musical idea in one voice then immediately
presents it in a second voice is using a compositional technique called...
✔️Ans -imitation
Which of these scales do composers use to create dissonance for special,
dramatic effects? ✔️Ans -chromatic
Binary form can incorporate any of these formations: AB, AABB, AAB, or ABB
✔️Ans -true
The shift from one key to another within a composition is called... ✔️Ans -
modulation
The major scale has a number of lowered notes, which give it a "sadder" sound
when compared with the minor scale. ✔️Ans -false
When talking about a primary melodic line we can also the term... ✔️Ans -
Ternary form describes three-part music in which all three parts are
completely different. ✔️Ans -false
Monophony uses a solo voice, it cannot occur simultaneously in multiple
instruments ✔️Ans -
, A singer accompanying themself with chords on a guitar is performing which
type of music? ✔️Ans -homophony
Which of the following is not a difference between a major and a minor scale?
✔️Ans -
A woman starts singing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat," and when she gets to the
third word, a second woman starts singing the same song from the beginning.
What is this called? ✔️Ans -imitation
A musical composition cannot include both polyphonic and homophonic
textures. ✔️Ans -false
In a piece of music, if there is one melody, no accompanying sound, no
harmony, and no chords, that piece of music can be described using what
term? ✔️Ans -monophony
If your entire class sings the melody to "Sweet Home Alabama"
simultaneously and does not add harmony, the class has created _____. ✔️Ans
-monophony
What key was historically assumed to have a warm and lush quality? ✔️Ans
-e flat major
Which texture is most common in popular music... ✔️Ans -homophony
A written notation in music, used to help the performer identify if a piece is in
major or minor, is called the... ✔️Ans -key signature
The modern symphony orchestra primarily contains instruments from which
four instrument families? ✔️Ans -brass, string, woodwind, percussion
The sections of the Mass that contains texts that vary with the day of the
church year are called the Proper. ✔️Ans -true
The Ordinary of the Mass is the part that varies with each day. ✔️Ans -false
Medieval motets used sacred language rather than secular. ✔️Ans -
Comprehensive Solutions
Which term describes a series of notes that add up to a recognizable whole?
✔️Ans -melody
If melody is the horizontal aspect of music, what is the vertical? ✔️Ans -
harmony
Which of the following is not a dynamic indication? ✔️Ans -presto
Consonant harmonies create a sense of purity and lack tension (t/f) ✔️Ans -
A combination of notes that is considered unstable and tense is called a
consonance. (t/f) ✔️Ans -false
Mezzo forte means... ✔️Ans -medium loud
Adding "issimo" to a dynamic indication, such as piano, means to change the
dynamic to less than itself. (Piano means soft and pianissimo means less soft,
forte means strong and fortissimo means less strong.) ✔️Ans -true
A tone is a musical pitch. ✔️Ans -
Which statement best defines music? ✔️Ans -Music is an art based on the
organization of sounds in time.
Dissonance adds variety and a sense of tension to be resolved within the
music. ✔️Ans -false
Definite and steady vibrations create a... ✔️Ans -tone
Pitch is determined by the frequency of its vibration: the faster the vibration,
the higher the pitch. ✔️Ans -true
Which of the following correctly orders tempi moving from fastest to slowest?
✔️Ans -Allegro, Moderato, Andante
,The musical texture that is defined by independence and equality among
multiple voices is.. ✔️Ans -homophony
The term used to describe a central note, scale, or chord is... ✔️Ans -key
form ✔️Ans -organization of musical ideas in time
theme ✔️Ans -an important and returning melody in a musical composition
binary ✔️Ans -a musical form consisting of two contrasting sections
ternary ✔️Ans -a musical form consisting of beginning middle and back to
beginning
A composition that presents a musical idea in one voice then immediately
presents it in a second voice is using a compositional technique called...
✔️Ans -imitation
Which of these scales do composers use to create dissonance for special,
dramatic effects? ✔️Ans -chromatic
Binary form can incorporate any of these formations: AB, AABB, AAB, or ABB
✔️Ans -true
The shift from one key to another within a composition is called... ✔️Ans -
modulation
The major scale has a number of lowered notes, which give it a "sadder" sound
when compared with the minor scale. ✔️Ans -false
When talking about a primary melodic line we can also the term... ✔️Ans -
Ternary form describes three-part music in which all three parts are
completely different. ✔️Ans -false
Monophony uses a solo voice, it cannot occur simultaneously in multiple
instruments ✔️Ans -
, A singer accompanying themself with chords on a guitar is performing which
type of music? ✔️Ans -homophony
Which of the following is not a difference between a major and a minor scale?
✔️Ans -
A woman starts singing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat," and when she gets to the
third word, a second woman starts singing the same song from the beginning.
What is this called? ✔️Ans -imitation
A musical composition cannot include both polyphonic and homophonic
textures. ✔️Ans -false
In a piece of music, if there is one melody, no accompanying sound, no
harmony, and no chords, that piece of music can be described using what
term? ✔️Ans -monophony
If your entire class sings the melody to "Sweet Home Alabama"
simultaneously and does not add harmony, the class has created _____. ✔️Ans
-monophony
What key was historically assumed to have a warm and lush quality? ✔️Ans
-e flat major
Which texture is most common in popular music... ✔️Ans -homophony
A written notation in music, used to help the performer identify if a piece is in
major or minor, is called the... ✔️Ans -key signature
The modern symphony orchestra primarily contains instruments from which
four instrument families? ✔️Ans -brass, string, woodwind, percussion
The sections of the Mass that contains texts that vary with the day of the
church year are called the Proper. ✔️Ans -true
The Ordinary of the Mass is the part that varies with each day. ✔️Ans -false
Medieval motets used sacred language rather than secular. ✔️Ans -
