NYSTCE Music Exam With Verified Solutions Latest Update
Equal Vs. Unequal polyphony - Answer E: Refers to polyphony that maintains the same
thematic material. Ex. Canon, Fugues, inventions and other forms of imitation.
UE: Refers to polyphony in which greater importance if given to one or more melodic
lines. Ex. Medieval era cantus firmus that give musical precedence to cantus firmus,
usually sung or played in tenor voice.
Contrary, Parallel, Similar, and Oblique Motion - Answar The movement of 2 or more
musical lines simultaneously.
C: 2 lines that move in opposite direction
P: Moves in the same direction, upwards and downwards with the same interval
S: moves in a similar direction but doesn't maintain the interval
O: One line is stationary while the other line moves up or down
Dissonance in Counterpoint - Solution 1. Anticipation tone - dissonant and unaccented,
can be reharmonized directly.
2. Cambiata, a figure which moves down a 2nd to a dissonant pitch, down a 3rd to a
consonant pitch, then up a 2nd to consonant or dissonant pitch
3. Appoggiatura, leap to dissonance followed by a descending step
4. Suspension, dissonance tone sounds on a down beat and is then resolved downward
by step.
5. Passing tones, moves stepwise through two consonant tones.
6. Neighbor tones, moves in stepwise motion but returns to original consonant tone.
7. Escape tone- dissonant note that is approached by step and resolved by a leap.
Inversions - Answer I- GBD I- GBDF
I6- BDG I6/5- BDFG
I 6/4- DGB I 4/3- DFGB
, I 4/2-FGBD
Authentic Cadence - Answer V-I
A perfect authentic cadence has both the roots of the V and I chords sounding in the
bass with the highest note being tonic.
Plagal Cadence - Answer IV-I Amen
Deceptive Cadence - Answer V-VI
Half Cadence - Answer Ends on V.
Common: I 6/4 - V
Phrygian: iv6- V in minor
Lydian- #iv6-V in minor
Scale Degrees - Answer I= Tonic
ii= supertonic
iii=mediant
IV= subdominant
V= dominant
vi= submediant
vii'= leading tone
Minor Scales - Answer Natural = b III, bVI ,bVII ( A minor ( no sharps or flats)
Harmonic= #7 ( bIII, bVI)
Melodic= #6, #7, on the way down is natural
, Whole tone scale - Answer All steps are whole = C- D-E- F#-G#-A#
Chromatic scale - Answer All steps are half steps ( 12 pitches)
C- C#-D -D#-E-F-F#-G-G#-A-A#-B
Modes - Answer Dorian ( D)- bIII, bVII
Phrygian ( E)- bII,bIII,b VI, bVII
Lydian(F)- #IV
Mixolydian ( G) - bVII
Aeolian - natural minor
Locrian - bII, bIII, bV, bVI, bVIII
12 tone- Answer 12 pitches put into a serial row and manipulated through retrograde,
inversion, or retrograde inversion. Known by Arnold Schoenberg, Austrian composer
part of the 2nd Viennese School
Fugue (To Flee) - Answer a form of imitative counterpoint in which the fugue theme is
introduced at the beginning of the work and is echoed in all fugal voices through
imitation and development
Initial subject= dux ( Tonic)
Companion answer ( Dominant )
Real= Theme transposed exactly in the answer
Tonal = transposed loosely, modified to maintain harmonic congruity or to facilitate
modulations.
Tonal Clusters - Answer Known by Henry Cowell. a group od closely spaced notes
played simultaneously usually in intervals of adjacent seconds. Refers to stacks of more
than 2 neighboring notes
Equal Vs. Unequal polyphony - Answer E: Refers to polyphony that maintains the same
thematic material. Ex. Canon, Fugues, inventions and other forms of imitation.
UE: Refers to polyphony in which greater importance if given to one or more melodic
lines. Ex. Medieval era cantus firmus that give musical precedence to cantus firmus,
usually sung or played in tenor voice.
Contrary, Parallel, Similar, and Oblique Motion - Answar The movement of 2 or more
musical lines simultaneously.
C: 2 lines that move in opposite direction
P: Moves in the same direction, upwards and downwards with the same interval
S: moves in a similar direction but doesn't maintain the interval
O: One line is stationary while the other line moves up or down
Dissonance in Counterpoint - Solution 1. Anticipation tone - dissonant and unaccented,
can be reharmonized directly.
2. Cambiata, a figure which moves down a 2nd to a dissonant pitch, down a 3rd to a
consonant pitch, then up a 2nd to consonant or dissonant pitch
3. Appoggiatura, leap to dissonance followed by a descending step
4. Suspension, dissonance tone sounds on a down beat and is then resolved downward
by step.
5. Passing tones, moves stepwise through two consonant tones.
6. Neighbor tones, moves in stepwise motion but returns to original consonant tone.
7. Escape tone- dissonant note that is approached by step and resolved by a leap.
Inversions - Answer I- GBD I- GBDF
I6- BDG I6/5- BDFG
I 6/4- DGB I 4/3- DFGB
, I 4/2-FGBD
Authentic Cadence - Answer V-I
A perfect authentic cadence has both the roots of the V and I chords sounding in the
bass with the highest note being tonic.
Plagal Cadence - Answer IV-I Amen
Deceptive Cadence - Answer V-VI
Half Cadence - Answer Ends on V.
Common: I 6/4 - V
Phrygian: iv6- V in minor
Lydian- #iv6-V in minor
Scale Degrees - Answer I= Tonic
ii= supertonic
iii=mediant
IV= subdominant
V= dominant
vi= submediant
vii'= leading tone
Minor Scales - Answer Natural = b III, bVI ,bVII ( A minor ( no sharps or flats)
Harmonic= #7 ( bIII, bVI)
Melodic= #6, #7, on the way down is natural
, Whole tone scale - Answer All steps are whole = C- D-E- F#-G#-A#
Chromatic scale - Answer All steps are half steps ( 12 pitches)
C- C#-D -D#-E-F-F#-G-G#-A-A#-B
Modes - Answer Dorian ( D)- bIII, bVII
Phrygian ( E)- bII,bIII,b VI, bVII
Lydian(F)- #IV
Mixolydian ( G) - bVII
Aeolian - natural minor
Locrian - bII, bIII, bV, bVI, bVIII
12 tone- Answer 12 pitches put into a serial row and manipulated through retrograde,
inversion, or retrograde inversion. Known by Arnold Schoenberg, Austrian composer
part of the 2nd Viennese School
Fugue (To Flee) - Answer a form of imitative counterpoint in which the fugue theme is
introduced at the beginning of the work and is echoed in all fugal voices through
imitation and development
Initial subject= dux ( Tonic)
Companion answer ( Dominant )
Real= Theme transposed exactly in the answer
Tonal = transposed loosely, modified to maintain harmonic congruity or to facilitate
modulations.
Tonal Clusters - Answer Known by Henry Cowell. a group od closely spaced notes
played simultaneously usually in intervals of adjacent seconds. Refers to stacks of more
than 2 neighboring notes
