AP Exams: Music Theory Unit 8, Aural Skills, Harmonic Dictation, Identifying Chord Progression by Ear, Figured Bass

What Is This?

Harmonic dictation is the skill of identifying chord progressions and figured bass by ear. This topic tests your ability to recognize and notate harmonic structures in music, which is crucial for musicianship and theory exams. Questions typically involve listening to a musical passage and writing down the chords or figured bass.

Why It Matters

Harmonic dictation is tested in various music theory exams, including those for the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM), Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM), and university-level music programs. It appears frequently and can carry a significant portion of the marks, testing your aural skills, harmonic understanding, and notational accuracy.

Core Concepts

• Chord Quality: Understand the difference between major, minor, diminished, and augmented chords.
• Chord Progressions: Recognize common progressions like I-IV-V-I, ii-V-I, and their variations.
• Figured Bass: Know how to interpret and write figured bass notation, which indicates intervals above a bass note.
• Inversions: Identify root position, first inversion, and second inversion chords.
• Cadences: Recognize perfect authentic, half, plagal, and deceptive cadences.

Prerequisites

• Interval Recognition: You must be able to identify intervals by ear.
• Scale Degrees: Understand the major and minor scales and their degrees.
• Basic Chord Structure: Know the basic triads and seventh chords.

The Rule-Book (How It Works)

Primary Rule

Harmonic dictation involves listening to a musical passage and identifying the chords and their progressions.

Sub-rules, Exceptions, and Edge Cases

• Chord Quality: Major chords sound bright, minor chords sound darker, diminished chords sound tense, and augmented chords sound unusual.
• Inversions: First inversion chords have the third in the bass, second inversion chords have the fifth in the bass.
• Figured Bass: Numbers indicate intervals above the bass note (e.g., 6/4 for second inversion).

Visual Pattern

Exam / Job / Audit Weighting

• Frequency: Common
• Difficulty Rating: Intermediate
• Question Type: Aural dictation, notational exercises

Difficulty Level

Intermediate

Must-Know Rules, Formulas, Standards, or Principles

1. Chord Quality Identification: Major (bright), Minor (dark), Diminished (tense), Augmented (unusual).
2. Common Progressions: I-IV-V-I, ii-V-I.
3. Figured Bass Notation: Use numbers to indicate intervals above the bass note.

Worked Examples (Step-by-Step)

Easy

Question: Listen to the following chord progression and identify the chords.

Reasoning:
1. Identify the first chord as a major triad.
2. The second chord is a minor triad.
3. The third chord is a major triad.

Answer: I - vi - IV

Rule Applied: Chord quality and common progressions.

Medium

Question: Listen to the following passage and write the figured bass.

Reasoning:
1. The first chord is a major triad in root position (5/3).
2. The second chord is a minor triad in first inversion (6/3).
3. The third chord is a major triad in second inversion (6/4).

Answer: 5/3 - 6/3 - 6/4

Rule Applied: Figured bass notation.

Hard

Question: Listen to the following cadence and identify the chord progression.

Reasoning:
1. The first chord is a dominant seventh (V7).
2. The second chord is a tonic (I).

Answer: V7 - I

Rule Applied: Cadence recognition.

Common Exam Traps & Mistakes

1. Mistake: Confusing major and minor chords.
2. Wrong Answer: Identifying a minor chord as major.

3. Correct Approach: Listen for the bright (major) or dark (minor) quality.

4. Mistake: Misidentifying inversions.

5. Wrong Answer: Writing 5/3 instead of 6/4.

6. Correct Approach: Listen for the bass note and identify the interval structure.

7. Mistake: Overlooking cadences.

8. Wrong Answer: Missing the final chord in a cadence.

9. Correct Approach: Pay attention to the ending of the passage.

10. Mistake: Incorrect figured bass notation.

11. Wrong Answer: Writing 6/3 instead of 6/4.
12. Correct Approach: Use the correct numbers for the intervals.

Shortcut Strategies & Exam Hacks

• Memory Aid: Remember "Major bright, Minor dark, Diminished tense, Augmented unusual."
• Elimination Strategy: If a chord sounds bright, eliminate minor and diminished options.
• Pattern Recognition: Listen for common progressions like I-IV-V-I.

Question-Type Taxonomy

1. Aural Dictation: Listen and identify chord progressions.
2. Mini-Example: Identify the chords in the following passage.

3. Exams: RCM, ABRSM

4. Notational Exercises: Write figured bass for given chords.

5. Mini-Example: Write the figured bass for the chords I-vi-IV.

6. Exams: University-level music theory

7. Cadence Identification: Listen and identify the type of cadence.

8. Mini-Example: Identify the cadence in the following passage.
9. Exams: ABRSM, University-level music theory

Practice Set (MCQs)

Question 1

Question: What is the figured bass for a major triad in second inversion?

Options: A. 5/3 B. 6/3 C. 6/4 D. 7

Correct Answer: C. 6/4

Explanation: A major triad in second inversion has the fifth in the bass, indicated by 6/4.

Why the Distractors Are Tempting: - A. 5/3 is for root position. - B. 6/3 is for first inversion. - D. 7 is for seventh chords.

Question 2

Question: Which chord progression is commonly found in a perfect authentic cadence?

Options: A. I-IV-V-I B. ii-V-I C. V-I D. IV-I

Correct Answer: C. V-I

Explanation: A perfect authentic cadence ends with V-I.

Why the Distractors Are Tempting: - A. I-IV-V-I is a common progression but not a cadence. - B. ii-V-I is a common progression but not a cadence. - D. IV-I is a plagal cadence.

Question 3

Question: What is the quality of a chord with the intervals 1-b3-b5?

Options: A. Major B. Minor C. Diminished D. Augmented

Correct Answer: C. Diminished

Explanation: A diminished chord has the intervals 1-b3-b5.

Why the Distractors Are Tempting: - A. Major has 1-3-5. - B. Minor has 1-b3-5. - D. Augmented has 1-3-#5.

Question 4

Question: Which interval structure represents a minor triad in first inversion?

Options: A. 1-3-5 B. 1-b3-5 C. 1-b3-b5 D. 1-3-#5

Correct Answer: B. 1-b3-5

Explanation: A minor triad in first inversion has the intervals 1-b3-5.

Why the Distractors Are Tempting: - A. 1-3-5 is a major triad. - C. 1-b3-b5 is a diminished triad. - D. 1-3-#5 is an augmented triad.

Question 5

Question: What is the figured bass for a minor seventh chord in root position?

Options: A. 7 B. 6/5 C. 6/4 D. 5/3

Correct Answer: A. 7

Explanation: A minor seventh chord in root position is indicated by 7.

Why the Distractors Are Tempting: - B. 6/5 is for first inversion seventh chords. - C. 6/4 is for second inversion triads. - D. 5/3 is for root position triads.

30-Second Cheat Sheet

• Chord Quality: Major (bright), Minor (dark), Diminished (tense), Augmented (unusual).
• Common Progressions: I-IV-V-I, ii-V-I.
• Figured Bass: 5/3 (root), 6/3 (first inversion), 6/4 (second inversion).
• Cadences: Perfect authentic (V-I), Half (V-v), Plagal (IV-I), Deceptive (V-vi).
• Inversions: First inversion (third in bass), Second inversion (fifth in bass).

Learning Path

1. Beginner Foundation: Learn interval recognition and basic chord structures.
2. Core Rules: Understand chord quality, progressions, and figured bass.
3. Practice: Listen to and identify chord progressions in simple passages.
4. Timed Drills: Practice identifying chords and writing figured bass under time pressure.
5. Mock Tests: Take full-length practice exams to simulate test conditions.

Related Topics

1. Interval Recognition: Essential for identifying chord quality.
2. Scale Degrees: Understanding scale degrees helps in recognizing chord progressions.
3. Melodic Dictation: Often tested alongside harmonic dictation in aural skills exams.