Music 171-Exam questions with 100%
correct answers rated A+ 2025/2026
Rhythm - correct answer ✔✔*The element of TIME in music*
- the placement of sounds in time
- movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements or of opposite or
different conditions
- several important aspects of rhythm
Beats - correct answer ✔✔oBasic unit of time in music
- rhythmic base of the song- basic unit of musical time
oBeat is defined as the rhythm listeners would tap their toes to when listening to a piece of
music, or the numbers a musician counts while performing
*also called Pulse
Pulse - correct answer ✔✔- the word beat is interchangeably used with pulse
-Beats in a repeating of identical yet distinct periodic short duration stimuli perceived as points
in time occurring at the mensural level
- > symbol for accent (on beat)
- consists of beats in a repeating of identical yet distinct periodic short-duration stimuli
perceived as points in time
Accents - correct answer ✔✔-in music, an accent is an emphasis, stress, or stronger attack
placed on a particular note or set of notes, or chord, either as a result of its context or
specifically indicated by an accent mark. Accents contribute to the articulation and prosody of a
performance of a musical phrase.
*symbolized using > on the music notation
,Sheet music - correct answer ✔✔•When the pattern of beats begins again we put a line like this
"|" and then start again. (i.e. sheet music)
Backbeat - correct answer ✔✔When we have accents on beat 2 and 4 (emphasis on those
notes) its called: backbeat
o A syncopated accentuation on the "off" beat
Measure or bars - correct answer ✔✔•A repeated pattern (1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4)
oMeasure= 1 unit of an accented pattern
oSegment of time corresponding to a specific number of beats in which each beat is
represented by a particular note value and the boundaries of the bar are indicted by vertical bar
lines
oDividing music into bars provides regular reference points to pinpoint locations within a
musical composition
Duration - correct answer ✔✔*length of time we hear a sound
o Amount of time or a particular time interval
o How long or short a note, phrase, section, or composition lasts
o Length of time a pitch, or tone, is sounded
Meter - correct answer ✔✔o Regularly recurring patterns and accents such as bars and beats
o Unlike rhythm, metric onsets are not necessarily sounded, but are nevertheless expected by
the listener
The bar separator - correct answer ✔✔= the bar line
Whole note - correct answer ✔✔-4 beat circle
,Half note - correct answer ✔✔Le stem
Quater note - correct answer ✔✔le stem
Eigth note - correct answer ✔✔le quarter note connected at the top
Down beat - correct answer ✔✔- is the 1st beat in the measure
Up beat - correct answer ✔✔- is the last beat in the measure
Time signature: - correct answer ✔✔o Bottom # = which duration gets the beat
Mixed Meter - correct answer ✔✔different time signatures in one piece
Out of time - correct answer ✔✔No clear meter
Conducting patter for 4/4 and 3/4 - correct answer ✔✔o 3/4 is 3 beats per measure, with unit
of measurement being a quarter note, which gets one beat
- 4/4 is 4 beats per measure, with unit of measurement being a quarter note, which gets one
beat
Simple time - correct answer ✔✔top number indicates how many beats to a measure and the
bottom number indicates that a quarter note gets one beat
Quater note - correct answer ✔✔-is the unit of measurement
, Tempo - correct answer ✔✔o Speed of a given piece
o Usually measured in beats per minute (bpm)
Straight 8's - correct answer ✔✔•each one is equal duration/tempo to the one before and after
- subdivision of notes that parts from the quarter note
- When divided, quarter notes will become 8th notes
Eighth notes divide musical beats evenly in half
Shuffle 8's - correct answer ✔✔= sounds like a train the second eighth no has this little bar
- based on triplet subdivisions of the beat
♣ Shuffle 8th notes alternate a long note and a short note
♣ The long note falls on the beat and the short one in-between on the upbeat
Syncopation- - correct answer ✔✔•expect to hear an accent and it gets pulled away. Placing
stress (accents) on unexpected beats or between beats
i.e. Madonna song where bass was in between bass. ~~makes it harder to clap
oA disturbance or interruption of the regular flow of rhythm
oA placement of rhythmic stresses or accents where they would not normally occur
Often used in the form of a backbeat
Ritard - correct answer ✔✔you slow down in the song
How to differentiate two sounds - correct answer ✔✔o The pitch
o Volume (dynamics)
o Timbre
correct answers rated A+ 2025/2026
Rhythm - correct answer ✔✔*The element of TIME in music*
- the placement of sounds in time
- movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements or of opposite or
different conditions
- several important aspects of rhythm
Beats - correct answer ✔✔oBasic unit of time in music
- rhythmic base of the song- basic unit of musical time
oBeat is defined as the rhythm listeners would tap their toes to when listening to a piece of
music, or the numbers a musician counts while performing
*also called Pulse
Pulse - correct answer ✔✔- the word beat is interchangeably used with pulse
-Beats in a repeating of identical yet distinct periodic short duration stimuli perceived as points
in time occurring at the mensural level
- > symbol for accent (on beat)
- consists of beats in a repeating of identical yet distinct periodic short-duration stimuli
perceived as points in time
Accents - correct answer ✔✔-in music, an accent is an emphasis, stress, or stronger attack
placed on a particular note or set of notes, or chord, either as a result of its context or
specifically indicated by an accent mark. Accents contribute to the articulation and prosody of a
performance of a musical phrase.
*symbolized using > on the music notation
,Sheet music - correct answer ✔✔•When the pattern of beats begins again we put a line like this
"|" and then start again. (i.e. sheet music)
Backbeat - correct answer ✔✔When we have accents on beat 2 and 4 (emphasis on those
notes) its called: backbeat
o A syncopated accentuation on the "off" beat
Measure or bars - correct answer ✔✔•A repeated pattern (1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4)
oMeasure= 1 unit of an accented pattern
oSegment of time corresponding to a specific number of beats in which each beat is
represented by a particular note value and the boundaries of the bar are indicted by vertical bar
lines
oDividing music into bars provides regular reference points to pinpoint locations within a
musical composition
Duration - correct answer ✔✔*length of time we hear a sound
o Amount of time or a particular time interval
o How long or short a note, phrase, section, or composition lasts
o Length of time a pitch, or tone, is sounded
Meter - correct answer ✔✔o Regularly recurring patterns and accents such as bars and beats
o Unlike rhythm, metric onsets are not necessarily sounded, but are nevertheless expected by
the listener
The bar separator - correct answer ✔✔= the bar line
Whole note - correct answer ✔✔-4 beat circle
,Half note - correct answer ✔✔Le stem
Quater note - correct answer ✔✔le stem
Eigth note - correct answer ✔✔le quarter note connected at the top
Down beat - correct answer ✔✔- is the 1st beat in the measure
Up beat - correct answer ✔✔- is the last beat in the measure
Time signature: - correct answer ✔✔o Bottom # = which duration gets the beat
Mixed Meter - correct answer ✔✔different time signatures in one piece
Out of time - correct answer ✔✔No clear meter
Conducting patter for 4/4 and 3/4 - correct answer ✔✔o 3/4 is 3 beats per measure, with unit
of measurement being a quarter note, which gets one beat
- 4/4 is 4 beats per measure, with unit of measurement being a quarter note, which gets one
beat
Simple time - correct answer ✔✔top number indicates how many beats to a measure and the
bottom number indicates that a quarter note gets one beat
Quater note - correct answer ✔✔-is the unit of measurement
, Tempo - correct answer ✔✔o Speed of a given piece
o Usually measured in beats per minute (bpm)
Straight 8's - correct answer ✔✔•each one is equal duration/tempo to the one before and after
- subdivision of notes that parts from the quarter note
- When divided, quarter notes will become 8th notes
Eighth notes divide musical beats evenly in half
Shuffle 8's - correct answer ✔✔= sounds like a train the second eighth no has this little bar
- based on triplet subdivisions of the beat
♣ Shuffle 8th notes alternate a long note and a short note
♣ The long note falls on the beat and the short one in-between on the upbeat
Syncopation- - correct answer ✔✔•expect to hear an accent and it gets pulled away. Placing
stress (accents) on unexpected beats or between beats
i.e. Madonna song where bass was in between bass. ~~makes it harder to clap
oA disturbance or interruption of the regular flow of rhythm
oA placement of rhythmic stresses or accents where they would not normally occur
Often used in the form of a backbeat
Ritard - correct answer ✔✔you slow down in the song
How to differentiate two sounds - correct answer ✔✔o The pitch
o Volume (dynamics)
o Timbre
