Music 120 - Music Appreciation » Fall 2022 » Midterm 1

Need help with your exam preparation?

Question #1
The element that propels music forward in time is
A.   rhythm.
B.   range.
C.   melody.
D.   harmony.
Question #2
Harmony describes the _____ aspects of music.
A.   horizontal
B.   vertical
C.   tangential
D.   temporal
Question #3
When a melody begins before a downbeat, it is said to begin on a(n)
A.   syncopation.
B.   consonance.
C.   irregular beat.
D.   upbeat.
Question #4
_______ is the principle of organization around a central tone.
A.   Polyphony
B.   Meter
C.   Harmony
D.   Tonality
Question #5
________ is created when the regular accent is shifted to a weak beat or an offbeat.
A.   Compound meter
B.   Syncopation
C.   Quadruple meter
Question #6
The distance between the highest and lowest pitches in a melodic line is its
A.   timbre.
B.   climax.
C.   range.
D.   cadence.
Question #7
A chord that sounds stable or restful is called
A.   consonant.
B.   a drone.
C.   ambulatory.
D.   dissonant.
Question #8
The distance between two pitches is called a(n)
A.   countermelody.
B.   cadence.
C.   interval.
D.   rhyme scheme.
Question #9
A combination of tones that sounds discordant or in need of resolution is called
A.   dissonant.
B.   disjunct.
C.   diluted.
D.   diatonic.
Question #10
Dissonance resolves in
A.   syncopation.
B.   drones.
C.   harmonies.
D.   consonance.
Question #11
In Western music, two scales have been predominant: major and minor.
A.   FALSE
B.   TRUE
Question #12
The basic unit of rhythm is the
A.   tempo.
B.   beat.
C.   measure.
D.   note.
Question #13
Three or more tones sounded together produce a(n)
A.   chord.
B.   interval.
C.   scale.
D.   syncopation.
Question #14
The number of beats in a measure determines the
A.   scale.
B.   tempo
C.   meter.
D.   rhythm.
Question #15
The progression of ________ creates a feeling of order and unity in music.
A.   consonance
B.   dissonance
C.   octaves
D.   harmony
Question #16
Melody
A.   is a musical line, or the tune.
B.   occurs only in Western music.
C.   is a vertical aspect in music.
Question #17
In duple meter, the accent is typically on which beat?
A.   third
B.   fourth
C.   second
D.   first
Question #18
The term referring to the overall shape of a melody is
A.   range.
B.   contour.
C.   interval.
D.   cadence.
Question #19
An accented beat followed by two weak beats indicates a __________ meter.
A.   triple
B.   poly-
C.   duple
D.   quadruple
Question #20
The _____ serves as home base in most Western music.
A.   tonic
B.   dissonance
C.   scale
D.   tonality
Question #21
The instruments of the Western orchestra are categorized into which groups?
A.   strings, brass, and percussion
B.   woodwinds, brass, and percussion
C.   strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion
D.   voice, strings, woodwinds, and brass
Question #22
Which describes instruments classified as aerophones?
A.   sound produced by using air
B.   sound produced from the substance itself
C.   sound produced from a vibrating string
Question #23
Which instruments are members of the woodwind family?
A.   oboe, piccolo, contrabassoon, guitar
B.   bass clarinet, English horn, trumpet
C.   flute, oboe, bassoon, English horn, saxophone
D.   clarinet, piano, saxophone
Question #24
Jazz bands usually include
A.   only a reed section.
B.   only a brass section.
C.   a reed section and a string section.
D.   a reed section, a brass section, and a rhythm section.
Question #25
An instrument that produces sound from a vibrating string is called a(n)
A.   membranophone.
B.   idiophone.
C.   aerophone.
D.   chordophone.
Question #26
The conductor
A.   rehearses the ensemble.
B.   All answers are correct.
C.   beats time in metrical patterns.
D.   interprets the music.
Question #27
Western art music refers to
A.   vernacular musics.
B.   the notated and cultivated music of European and Euro-American society.
C.   music captured in cultural context by ethnomusicologists.
Question #28
Which describes instruments classified as idiophones?
A.   sound produced from a vibrating string
B.   sound produced from the substance itself
C.   sound produced by using air
Question #29
Which of the following terms describes instruments made with stretched skins?
A.   idiophone
B.   chordophone
C.   aerophone
D.   membranophone
Question #30
The concertmaster is the
A.   first-chair violinist.
B.   conductor.
C.   first-chair violist.
D.   first-chair cellist.
Question #31
Which would you be likely to include when writing about music?
A.   a balance between descriptive and personal reactions
B.   a blow-by-blow description
C.   a comprehensive analysis
D.   a detailed list of the performers and instruments
Question #32
Benjamin Britten’s The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra was written specifically to demonstrate
A.   different timbres in the orchestra.
B.   different rhythms.
C.   different harmonies.
D.   different dynamic markings.
Question #33
Which is the correct chronological ordering of the following historical periods?
A.   Renaissance, Baroque, Romantic, Modernist
B.   Romantic, Classical, Baroque, Modernist
C.   Baroque, Renaissance, Modernist, Romantic
D.   Classical, Romantic, Renaissance, Modernist
Question #34
Which of the following is an approach one can take when writing about music?
A.   evaluative statements.
B.   comparisons.
C.   All possible answers.
D.   analysis.
Question #35
Which is an example of pitched percussion?
A.   xylophone
B.   snare drum
C.   bass drum
D.   cymbal
Question #36
Which might describe “exciting” music?
A.   the main tune rose in the brass.
B.   All possible answers.
C.   an increasingly polyphonic texture.
D.   a fast tempo.
Question #37
  
A.   percussion.
B.   woodwinds.
C.   strings.
D.   brass.
Question #38
The bowed string instrument with the highest range is the
A.   double bass.
B.   cello.
C.   viola.
D.   violin.
Question #39
Music composed for religious purposes is called
A.   nonspecific.
B.   vernacular.
C.   secular.
D.   sacred.
Question #40
Which of the following shows the correct order of vocal ranges from highest to lowest?
A.   bass, tenor, alto, soprano
B.   alto, soprano, bass, tenor
C.   soprano, alto, tenor, bass
D.   alto, bass, tenor, soprano
Question #41
Looking at the title, Symphony No. 94 in G Major, we can determine that the genre is
A.   not stated.
B.   a classical song.
C.   a symphony.
D.   an overture.
Question #42
The mood of Farmer’s madrigal Fair Phyllis is
A.   sad and melancholy.
B.   quiet and mysterious.
C.   serious and courtly.
D.   light and pastoral.
Question #43
An unexpected harsh dissonance coinciding with the word “death” is an example of
A.   organum.
B.   polyphony.
C.   a cappella singing.
D.   word-painting.
Question #44
Susato’s Danserye is
A.   a song collection.
B.   a collection of popular dances.
C.   the name of Susato’s civic wind band.
Question #45
Which of the following dance forms is found in sixteenth-century publications?
A.   saltarello
B.   quickstep
C.   merengue
Question #46
  
A.   Take turns dancing.
B.   Perform melodic embellishments.
C.   Take rests.
D.   Correct any mistakes they may have made the first time.
Question #47
Early instrumental music relied on the improvisation skills of players.
A.   TRUE
B.   FALSE
Question #48
Which instrument is an ancestor of the oboe?
A.   shawm
B.   cornetto
C.   lute
Question #49
Which instrument is an early version of the trombone?
A.   lute
B.   shawm
C.   sackbut

Need help with your exam preparation?