Advanced Music Theory Questions and
Answers 100% Pass
What is the difference between a diminished seventh chord and a fully diminished seventh
chord?
✔✔ A diminished seventh chord consists of a diminished triad plus a diminished seventh, while
a fully diminished seventh chord has two diminished sevenths stacked.
How can you identify the key of a piece using the circle of fifths?
✔✔ By observing the number of sharps or flats in the key signature and comparing it to the
positions on the circle.
What is the purpose of a secondary dominant chord in music?
✔✔ A secondary dominant functions as a dominant to a chord other than the tonic, temporarily
tonicizing that chord.
How does a mode differ from a scale?
✔✔ A mode is a variation of a scale that starts from a different degree of the original scale,
changing its harmonic flavor and character.
1
, What is the role of a Neapolitan chord in classical harmony?
✔✔ The Neapolitan chord is a major chord built on the flattened second degree of the scale,
typically used as a pre-dominant function before the dominant.
What is the relationship between parallel and relative minors?
✔✔ Parallel minors share the same tonic note as their major counterpart, while relative minors
have the same key signature but start on the sixth degree of the major scale.
What is a contrapuntal technique in advanced music theory?
✔✔ A contrapuntal technique involves composing with multiple independent melodic lines,
often with strict rules like those in fugues or canons.
What is the function of a diminished chord in tonal harmony?
✔✔ Diminished chords often function as a passing chord or as part of a progression that resolves
to a more stable chord, like the dominant.
What is the definition of a suspension in counterpoint?
✔✔ A suspension is a note that is sustained from the previous chord, then resolved down by step
in the next chord.
2
Answers 100% Pass
What is the difference between a diminished seventh chord and a fully diminished seventh
chord?
✔✔ A diminished seventh chord consists of a diminished triad plus a diminished seventh, while
a fully diminished seventh chord has two diminished sevenths stacked.
How can you identify the key of a piece using the circle of fifths?
✔✔ By observing the number of sharps or flats in the key signature and comparing it to the
positions on the circle.
What is the purpose of a secondary dominant chord in music?
✔✔ A secondary dominant functions as a dominant to a chord other than the tonic, temporarily
tonicizing that chord.
How does a mode differ from a scale?
✔✔ A mode is a variation of a scale that starts from a different degree of the original scale,
changing its harmonic flavor and character.
1
, What is the role of a Neapolitan chord in classical harmony?
✔✔ The Neapolitan chord is a major chord built on the flattened second degree of the scale,
typically used as a pre-dominant function before the dominant.
What is the relationship between parallel and relative minors?
✔✔ Parallel minors share the same tonic note as their major counterpart, while relative minors
have the same key signature but start on the sixth degree of the major scale.
What is a contrapuntal technique in advanced music theory?
✔✔ A contrapuntal technique involves composing with multiple independent melodic lines,
often with strict rules like those in fugues or canons.
What is the function of a diminished chord in tonal harmony?
✔✔ Diminished chords often function as a passing chord or as part of a progression that resolves
to a more stable chord, like the dominant.
What is the definition of a suspension in counterpoint?
✔✔ A suspension is a note that is sustained from the previous chord, then resolved down by step
in the next chord.
2
