BAIN MUSC 116
Music Theory II

1. Fundamentals

Return to: MUSC 116

1. Key Signatures
   • Music Theory Trainer (Turek and McCarthy 2013)
     • Ex. 1.1: Key Signature Flash Cards {Music Theory Trainer}
       
       Note:
       Click here to see the 15 signatures you need to memorize. They are presented as relative key pairs. (BAIN MUSC 116)
       Click here to see the same information presented on a circle-of-fifths diagram. (Wikipedia)
       
       
   • Teoría (Alvira 2012)
     • Ex. 1.2: Key Signature Spelling {Teoria}
       Notate major and minor key signatures
     • Ex. 1.3: Key Signature Identification (ID) {Teoria}
       Identify major and minor key signatures
       
       Teoria apps are configurable. For example, try this configuration first:
       Limit key signatures to 4 accidentals; Flats (only); Bass clef.
       
       
   • MusicTheory.net (Adams 2011)
     • Ex. 1.4 Key Signature ID {MusicTheory.net}
       Identify major and minor key signatures; treble & bass clefs
       MusicTheory.net apps are also configurable. To configure a given exercise, use the slider menus.
       
       
2. Major & Minor Scales
   
   • Teoría
     • Ex. 2.1: Scale Spelling {Teoria}
       Notate major and minor (natural, harmonic, melodic) scales
     • Ex. 2.2: Scale ID {Teoria}
       Identify major and minor (natural, harmonic, melodic) scales
       
       Note:
       Click here to see the 12 major scales you need to memorize. (Natural minor is mode 6 of major.)
       
       
3. Triads and Seventh Chords
   • Teoria
     • Ex. 3.1: Triad Spelling {Teoria}
       Given a root and chord type (M, m, A or d), spell the triad in root position
       Practice root position first, then add inversions.
       
       
     • Ex. 3.2: Seventh Chord Spelling {Teoria}
       Given a root and chord type, (Mm, MM, mm, dd or dd) and inversion, spell the seventh chord in root position
       Practice root position first, then add inversions.
       
       
     • Ex. 3.3: CHORD TYPE ID
       • A. Triad Type ID {Teoria}
         Given a triad, identify the quality as: M, m, A, or d
       • B. Seventh Chord Type ID {Teoria}
         Given seventh chord, Identify the quality as: Mm, MM, mm, dm, or dd
         
         
   • MusicTheory.net
   • Ex. 3.4 Triad and Seventh Chord Type ID
     M, m, A, d, Mm, MM, mm, dm, or dd
     • A. Piano Keyboard Drill {MusicTheory.net}
       Given a root position chord as keys on the piano, identify the chord type
     • B. Staff Speed Drill {MusicTheory.net} - optional
       Given a root position chord notated on a staff, identify the chord type
       
       
   • Note:
   • Click here to see the four triad and five seventh chord types you need to memorize.
   • If you are finding this section to be difficult, you may want to take a step back a step and practice Interval Spelling {Teoria} and Interval ID {Teoria}. Here are two interval drills you may find helpful:
   • Interval ID on the Staff {MusicTheory.net}
   • Interval ID on the Piano Keyboard {MusicTheory.net}
     
     
4. Roman Numerals
   • Teoría
     • Ex. 4.1: Roman Numeral Spelling {Teoria}
       Given a scale degree (as an upper-case Roman numeral) and a scale (major or minor), spell the triad associated with that scale degree
       Work in root position only. Limit key signatures to 4 accidentals. Practice the major scale first. Then practice the natural minor, harmonic minor and melodic minor.
       
       
     • Ex. 4.2 Roman Numeral ID
       Given a chord and a key (major or minor), identify the scale degree (as an upper-case Roman numeral) and chord type
       • A. Triad ID {Teoria}: M, m, A & d
       • B. Seventh Chord ID {Teoria}: MM, Mm, mm, dm & dd
         

     Note:
     Click here to to see the 7 figured-bass symbol abbreviations that are used to represent chord inversion.
     Click here to see the Roman numeral system employed by our textbook presented on a single page.
     
     Did you know that you can check your own chord spellings using the following MusicTheory.net calculators?

     • Chord Calculator {MT.net}
     • Roman Numeral Calculator {MT.net}

     
     

CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING

More Exercises

Explore Teoria & MusicTheory.net to see what other types of exercises are available.

1. Teoria Exercises
   
2. MusicTheory.net Exercises

Burstein & Straus, Concise 2/e Digital Resources

Compare and contrast the exercises above with our textbook's KnowIt?/ShowIt! pedagogy:

Burstein and Straus 2/e, Digital Resources (subscription required)

Which approach do you prefer?

In general, which software do you prefer: Teoria, MusicTheory.net, or Norton's Inquizitive? Which exercises have worked best for you?

References

Adams, Ricci. 2022. MusicTheory.net. Available online at: <http://www.musictheory.net>.

Alvira, José Rodríguez. 2022. Teoría. Available online at: <http://www.teoria.com>.

Burstein, L. Poundie and Joseph N. Straus. 2020. "InQuizitive: KnowIt?/ShowIt! Pedagogy," in A Concise Introduction to Tonal Harmony, 2nd ed. New York: Norton. {Norton}

Turek, Ralph and Daniel McCarthey. 2013. Theory for Today's Musician, 2nd ed. New York: Routledge. {Routledge}