Unit 17, Lesson 2 of 2
Brainlag Plus Music

What each question needs

Music theory, Exam preparation, 12 minutes

A short checklist for each of the five questions, the commonest ways marks are lost, and practice at the exam's own marks.

Questions 1 and 2: harmony

  • Figured bass: name every chord from its bass and figures first, write in the raised 7th of a minor key every time, plan the cadence, then the soprano, then alto and tenor. Check each pair of voices for consecutive 5ths and octaves.
  • Harmonising: the cadence first, then work backwards. Every chord holds its melody note; change chord on the strong beats; V never goes back to IV or II.

On this course one mark comes off for each fault in question 1, and question 2 gives credit for the cadence and for every chord that keeps the rules.

The rest of this lesson and its 6 practice questions are in Plus Music.

Screen 1 of 4, free to read.

  • 6 exam-style questions, marked as you go, each with a worked solution
  • Anything you get wrong is saved to your flashcards