Music Theory Ear Training and Sight-Singing Syllabus

How do you distinguish a half-diminished seventh chord from a fully diminished seventh chord by ear?

Both have a diminished triad, but the ø7 has a minor 7th above the root (one interval softens, slightly lush/melancholy sound), while the °7 has a diminished 7th, stacking all minor 3rds—symmetrical, maximally tense, with two tritones.

What is the characteristic sound and function of the dominant seventh chord?

Major triad + minor 7th (Mm7); it contains a tritone between its 3rd and 7th, giving strong tension that demands resolution to the tonic. It functions as V7, defining the key at cadences.

How do the major seventh chord and the minor seventh chord differ in sound?

The major 7th chord (major triad + M7) sounds lush, bright, and 'jazzy' with a piquant clash between the 7th and root. The minor 7th chord (minor triad + m7) sounds mellow, dark, and smooth, with no strong pull to resolve.

When identifying chord inversions by ear, what is the single most important element to track?

The bass note. Determine which chord member (root, 3rd, 5th, or 7th) is in the bass by singing the bass note and arpeggiating up: root in bass = root position, 3rd = first inversion, 5th = second inversion, 7th = third inversion (seventh chords only).

Give the figured-bass symbols for a triad in root position, first inversion, and second inversion.

Root position: $\frac{5}{3}$ (usually unlabeled); first inversion: $6$ (short for $\frac{6}{3}$); second inversion: $\frac{6}{4}$.

Give the figured-bass symbols for the four positions of a seventh chord.

Root position: $7$; first inversion: $\frac{6}{5}$; second inversion: $\frac{4}{3}$; third inversion: $\frac{4}{2}$ (or just $2$).

What is the cadential six-four chord, and how does it typically resolve?

A tonic triad with the 5th scale degree in the bass ($I^{6}_{4}$), functioning as an embellishment of the dominant: it occurs on a strong beat and resolves to V (or V7) over the same bass note, notated $I^{6}_{4}\text{–}V$ (or $V^{6-5}_{4-3}$).

How does a first-inversion triad typically sound compared to root position, and why does this matter for dictation?

First inversion sounds lighter and less stable/grounded than root position because the 3rd is in the bass. In dictation, a bass line moving by step often signals inverted chords connecting root-position harmonies.

Outline an effective step-by-step process for single-line melodic dictation.

1) Listen to the whole melody for key, meter, and overall contour; 2) memorize and notate the rhythm (protonotation/beat slashes); 3) identify structural pitches—first note, last note, downbeats—as scale degrees; 4) fill in remaining notes using solfege and contour; 5) check on the final hearing.

In melodic dictation, why should you identify scale degrees rather than trying to name absolute pitches?

Tonal melodies are heard relative to the tonic; scale-degree (solfege) hearing lets you transfer the pattern to any key, exploits tendency-tone expectations, and is far more reliable than absolute-pitch guessing for most listeners.

What are 'anchor' or 'signpost' tones in melodic dictation, and which scale degrees serve best?

Structurally prominent notes you catch first—usually the tonic (do), dominant (sol), and mediant (mi), i.e., the tonic-triad members—plus the first and last notes and downbeat notes. Remaining pitches are filled in relative to these anchors.

What is 'protonotation' in dictation practice?

A quick shorthand sketch made during early hearings: beat lines, rhythm slashes, contour arrows, and scale-degree numbers, capturing the music's skeleton before writing precise noteheads on the staff.

In two-part (two-voice) dictation, which voice should you typically notate first and why?

Most instructors recommend the bass (lower) voice first: it is harmonically structural, moves more predictably (often outlining chord roots and cadences), and once fixed, the upper voice can be found by interval against it. (Some capture the more salient soprano first—but always one voice at a time.)

Besides hearing each line separately, what harmonic tool helps in two-part dictation?

Identifying the harmonic interval between the voices at each strong beat (mostly 3rds, 6ths, 5ths, octaves in tonal two-part writing); knowing one voice plus the interval yields the other voice.

What contrapuntal expectations can guide two-part dictation?

The voices favor contrary and oblique motion, form mostly imperfect consonances (3rds and 6ths) on strong beats, avoid parallel 5ths/octaves, treat dissonances as passing/neighbor tones or suspensions, and cadence on an octave or unison approached by contrary motion.

Outline the standard process for harmonic (chord-progression) dictation.

1) Listen for the key and meter; 2) notate the bass line as scale degrees; 3) listen for chord quality and soprano line; 4) infer Roman numerals and inversions from bass + quality; 5) confirm the cadence type and check that the progression follows functional syntax.

Name and define the four main cadence types you must recognize in harmonic dictation.

Authentic (V–I; 'perfect' if both chords are root position and the soprano ends on do); half (any cadence ending on V); plagal (IV–I, 'Amen'); deceptive (V–vi, the expected tonic is evaded).

What is the basic functional-harmony syntax (phrase model) that most dictation progressions follow?

Tonic → Predominant → Dominant → Tonic (T–PD–D–T), e.g., I–IV–V–I or I–ii6–V7–I. Predominants (ii, IV) lead to dominants (V, vii°), which resolve to tonic; motion backward (V to IV) is rare in common practice.

How do you recognize a deceptive cadence (V–vi) by ear?

You hear full dominant tension set up an expected tonic arrival, but the resolution sounds surprisingly soft/dark: the bass rises by step (sol to la) instead of leaping to do, and a minor-quality chord (vi in major) replaces the expected tonic.

What is the difference between movable-do and fixed-do solfege?

Movable do: 'do' is always the tonic of the current key, so syllables show scale-degree function (functional hearing). Fixed do: 'do' is always the pitch C regardless of key, so syllables name absolute pitches. Scale-degree numbers are a third common system.

Contrast do-based minor and la-based minor solfege.

Do-based minor: the minor tonic is 'do,' with lowered degrees sung me, le, te (do re me fa sol le te do)—emphasizes parallel-key relations. La-based minor: the minor tonic is 'la,' using la ti do re mi fa sol la—emphasizes the relative-major relationship.

Give the chromatic solfege syllables for raised scale degrees (ascending) in movable do.

Raised 1 = di, raised 2 = ri, raised 4 = fi, raised 5 = si, raised 6 = li (vowel changes to 'i'). Full ascending chromatic: do di re ri mi fa fi sol si la li ti do.

Give the chromatic solfege syllables for lowered scale degrees (descending) in movable do.

Lowered 7 = te, lowered 6 = le, lowered 5 = se, lowered 3 = me, lowered 2 = ra (vowel changes to 'e'/'a'). Full descending chromatic: do ti te la le sol se fa mi me re ra do.

Name the traditional scale-degree names for degrees 1 through 7.

1 tonic, 2 supertonic, 3 mediant, 4 subdominant, 5 dominant, 6 submediant, 7 leading tone (or subtonic when it lies a whole step below tonic, as in natural minor).

What preparatory steps should you take before sight-singing a diatonic melody?

Identify key and mode; establish tonic (sing do–mi–sol–mi–do and the scale); check the meter and set a manageable tempo; scan for the highest/lowest notes, leaps, accidentals, and repeated patterns; plan solfege for tricky spots; find the starting pitch relative to tonic.

What are tendency tones, and how do they behave in diatonic sight-singing?

Unstable scale degrees with strong pulls to resolve by step: ti (7) pulls up to do (1), fa (4) pulls down to mi (3), and in context re resolves to do and la falls toward sol. Anticipating these resolutions improves intonation and accuracy.

How should you handle large leaps when sight-singing a diatonic melody?

Relate the leap to a chord arpeggiation—most diatonic leaps outline the tonic (do–mi–sol) or dominant (sol–ti–re–fa) triads. Hear the target note as a member of that chord, or mentally fill in the scale steps, before singing the leap directly.

When sight-singing a melody with chromatic notes, how do you decide whether a chromatic pitch is an embellishment or a sign of modulation?

An isolated chromatic note that resolves immediately by step (chromatic passing/neighbor tone or a secondary leading tone like fi to sol) is embellishment—keep the same do. A persisting accidental with new cadences on a different tonic signals modulation—switch to the new key.

Which chromatic syllable most commonly signals a tonicization of the dominant, and what does it become in the new key?

Fi (raised 4). It acts as the leading tone of the dominant (in V/V), and if a full modulation to the dominant key occurs, fi is renamed ti of the new key while old sol becomes the new do.

What are the most common modulation targets from a major key and from a minor key, and what strategy keeps you in tune while singing a modulating melody?

From major: the dominant (V); from minor: the relative major (III)—all closely related keys (differing by one accidental) are candidates. Strategy: locate the pivot area, mentally re-establish the new tonic (new do), resyllable from the pivot, and keep a common tone as an anchor across the key change.