Week 16 · Lecture outline

Week 16 — Review Outline · The Whole Course, Weighted

Music Theory I · MUS 156 Fictional sample

Course: MUS 156 Music Theory I · Kenosis College
Instructor: Professor Hemsworth
Unit: Learning Unit 16 of 16 (Week 16) · Final: the Week 16 exam session — a 120-minute block
Objectives: SLO 1–SLO 8 · Released: end of week 14, because there is no study week

This is not a sixteenth lecture — it's the map of the fifteen you already had, drawn at
the same scale as the exam. The final weighs units 9–15 at three quarters of the total
(45 of 60 questions), with Foundations carrying the other quarter. This outline spends
its pages the same way. Work it with a pencil and a keyboard picture in reach, and say
your answers out loud — the ear is still the fastest checker you own.

How to use this outline

The table below is the exam's actual weighting — spend your hours in these proportions.

Arc	Units	Share of the final	Your review share
Foundations refresh	Week 1–Week 7	15 of 60 questions	about a quarter of your time
The harmony arc	Week 9–Week 15	45 of 60 questions	about three quarters

Each section below ends with self-tests (answers at the bottom of this page — try first,
peek second). The traps list near the end is the highest-value page in this document: every
item on it has cost real points on real exams.

Foundations refresh — SLO 1, 2, 3 (quick, honest, out loud)

SLO 1 · Pitch and rhythm on the page (Week 1–Week 3)

The address system. Middle C = C4; the octave number changes only at C, so the
white key a half step below C4 is B3, not B4. Enharmonic spellings — G♯4 and A♭4 —
share one piano key and are still two different written notes. Enharmonic means "sounds
alike," never "equals."
Values and dots. The dot adds half the note's own value: in 4/4, a dotted quarter
lasts one and a half beats, a dotted half lasts three. A tie joins two written notes into
one sounding note; a dot and a tie are two spellings of the same arithmetic.
Meters, sorted the fast way. Ask one question: what does the beat divide into? Two
= simple, three = compound. 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 2/2 are simple; 6/8 is compound duple, 9/8
compound triple, 12/8 compound quadruple, each beat a dotted quarter. Counting: simple
divides 1 & 2 & and subdivides 1 e & a; compound divides 1 la li and subdivides
1 ta la ta li ta.
The pickup. An anacrusis borrows its time from the final bar — short start, short end,
full arithmetic.

SLO 2 · Keys, scales, signatures, the circle (Week 4–Week 5)

One pattern, fifteen homes. W W H W W W H spells every major scale — every letter
exactly once, accidentals doing the steering. Say D major: D E F♯ G A B C♯ D.
Signatures are the scale, filed. Sharps arrive F C G D A E B; flats arrive in the
mirror order B E A D G C F. Count the accidentals, know the key; know the key, count
the accidentals.
Relative vs. parallel. Relative minor shares the signature (G major and e minor,
one sharp); parallel minor shares the tonic (G major and g minor). The relative minor
lives three half steps below its major.
Minor, three ways. Natural = the signature as-is, with a whole-step subtonic on
^7. Harmonic raises ^7 — a minor's V needs its G♯, and that raise lives in the music as
an accidental, never in the signature. Melodic raises ^6 and ^7 ascending (la ti) and
reverts coming down (te le). Solfège stays do-based: tonic is always do, minor's
colors are me, le, te.
Enharmonic keys. B/C♭, F♯/G♭, C♯/D♭ majors (and g♯/a♭, d♯/e♭, a♯/b♭ minors): one
sound, two spellings — pick the readable one and say you did.

SLO 3 · Intervals, simple and compound (Week 6–Week 7)

Two rulers, always both. Letters set the SIZE (count both ends); half steps set the
QUALITY. Skip the letter ruler and you'll call C4→E♯4 a perfect fourth — it's an
augmented third, and the exam knows the difference.
Inversion arithmetic. Sizes sum to nine; M↔m, A↔d, P↔P. C4 up to A4 is a major
sixth; flip it and the A-to-C remainder is a minor third.
Compound = simple + 7. A major tenth is a major third wearing an octave.
The tritone is two intervals. A4 and d5 share a sound and split the naming: in C
major the built-in tritone is F–B (an augmented fourth) — B–F spells the diminished
fifth. Consonance sort: perfect fifths/octaves and all thirds/sixths are consonant;
seconds, sevenths, and the tritone are dissonant; the perfect fourth is
context-dependent — consonant in the upper voices, dissonant against the bass.

Self-test A (Foundations): 1. Full address of the white key a half step below C4?
2. How many beats does a dotted quarter fill in 4/4? 3. Classify 12/8. 4. Spell A♭ major
ascending. 5. e minor's signature? 6. C4 up to A4 — name it, then name its inversion.
7. Which two intervals share six half steps?

The harmony arc — the spine of the exam

Seven skill families, in teaching order. Each entry: the core move, the convention that
locks it, and where students bleed points.

SLO 4 · Triads (Week 9) — stack, name, flip

The stack. Root, third, fifth — thirds all the way up, letters skipping by twos.
Four qualities on any root; on D: D–F♯–A major, D–F–A minor, D–F–A♭
diminished, D–F♯–A♯ augmented. Major = M3+P5, minor = m3+P5, diminished = m3+d5,
augmented = M3+A5.
Diatonic real estate. In every major key: majors on ^1 ^4 ^5, minors on ^2 ^3 ^6,
diminished on ^7. In minor (harmonic): i, ii°, III+, iv, V (major — the raise is the
point), VI, vii°.
Inversions by bass member. Root in the bass = 5/3 (unwritten). Third = 6. Fifth
= 6/4. The bass note is the thing you actually hear — name it first.
Bleed point: re-stack before you name. B–D–G is not "some B chord" — re-stacked it's
G–B–D, a G major triad, first inversion.

SLO 4 · Seventh chords (Week 10) — one more third, five flavors

Five qualities, one root. On G: G–B–D–F♯ (Gmaj7), G–B–D–F (G7, THE dominant
seventh), G–B♭–D–F (Gm7), G–B♭–D♭–F (Gm7♭5, half-diminished), G–B♭–D♭–F♭
(G°7, fully diminished — the seventh letter is F-something, so F♭, not E).
The trap with its own name. In a major key, the seventh chord on ^7 is
viiø7 — half-diminished (in F major: E–G–B♭–D). The fully diminished vii°7 is
diatonic only to harmonic minor. Print it wrong and the exam will catch you; so will
every jazz chart you ever read.
Figures use slashes. Root 7, first 6/5, second 4/3, third 4/2 —
seventh in the bass is 4/2. A hyphen is never an inversion: 4-3 with a hyphen is a
suspension (Week 14), one interval resolving to another over a single bass note.
Symbols round-trip. Cmaj7 vs. C7 is a one-note, whole-genre difference. A slash
chord (C/E) moves the bass only — it renames nothing.

SLO 5 · Roman numerals and function (Week 11) — chords get jobs

Case carries quality. I major, i minor, vii° diminished, III+ augmented. In B♭
major: I = B♭–D–F, IV = E♭–G–B♭, vi = G–B♭–D, V7 = F–A–C–E♭.
Minor's one sharp story. Natural minor's v is minor; the V that pulls home is
major because harmonic minor raises ^7 — in c minor, V = G–B–D with a B♮ accidental
on the page.
Three families, one cycle. Tonic (I, vi, iii) → predominant (ii, IV) → dominant
(V, vii°) → tonic. vii° is V7 minus its root and shares the dominant job.
Figures ride along. ii6, i6/4, V6/5 — the numeral names the chord, the figure names
the bass member.

SLO 5 · Cadences and phrases (Week 12) — where the music lands

The strength ladder. PAC: root-position V→I and do on top — both conditions.
IAC: authentic but any condition softened (mi on top, an inversion). HC: parks on V,
the comma. Deceptive: V→vi, the promise redirected. Plagal: IV→I, the "Amen."
The cadential six-four is the tonic triad's notes over the dominant's bass — label
it as dominant decoration, not an early tonic.
Phrase grammar. Antecedent asks (weaker cadence), consequent answers (stronger);
question + answer = a period.

SLO 6 · Two independent voices (Week 13) — the lanes

Four motions: contrary, oblique, similar, parallel. Parallel thirds, sixths, tenths:
the workhorses. Parallel perfect fifths, octaves, unisons: banned — they fuse the
voices.
Parallel vs. direct, said precisely. Parallel = two perfect intervals in a row,
same direction. Direct (hidden) = similar motion INTO a perfect interval with a leap
in the upper voice — one perfect interval, approached wrong. Contrary motion into an
octave is legal.
Stay in your lane: no crossing (lower above upper), no overlap (passing the note the
other voice just left), respect declared ranges.
Tendency tones. The leading tone rises to do at a close; the chordal seventh falls
by step. In F major, E over the dominant goes up to F; the seventh of the V7 falls.

SLO 6 · Melody and non-chord tones (Week 14) — the in-between family

Line craft. Steps are the diet, leaps are events, a leap recovers by step the other
way, and one climax per phrase keeps its power.
The family, by approach and exit. Passing: step in, step on, same direction.
Neighbor: step out, step back. Suspension: preparation → suspension → resolution
down — held over the barline, written 4-3 (hyphen!). Anticipation: the next
chord's note, early. Escape: step in, leap out. Appoggiatura: leap in, step down, on
the beat.
The A2 trap. Harmonic minor's ^6→^7 gap (in g minor, E♭ up to F♯) is an augmented
second — melodically, repair it with melodic minor's raised ^6 or contrary shape.

SLO 8 · Charts, keys, and the real world (Week 15) — theory with a gig bag

Transposition is direction-critical. Every note and every chord, same interval,
same direction. The singer says it's too high → the chart goes DOWN. Down a minor
third from G major lands in E major. Check with the peak note, not with hope.
Transposing instruments: sounds lower → write higher. B♭ instruments sound a M2
below written (concert C4 is written D4); E♭ instruments a M6 below; F instruments a P5
below. The trumpet reads concert B♭ major as written C major.
Nashville numbers are unit 11 in street clothes. In E major, 1 · 4 · 5 · 6m =
E · A · B · C♯m. The numbers survive every key change; that's their whole job.
The roadmap. Repeats, first/second endings, D.C. (top) vs. D.S. (the sign), To
Coda, Fine. Trace it with a finger before you play — the exam asks you to trace it in
your head.

Self-test B (the arc): 1. Spell the four triad qualities on D. 2. viiø7 in E♭ major —
spell it. 3. In B♭ major, name F–A–C–E♭ with its numeral. 4. V→vi at a phrase end — which
cadence? 5. Two voices: C4–G4 moving to D4–A4, both rising. Verdict? 6. A held note turns
dissonant as the chord changes, then falls a step. Name the device and its three phases.
7. Concert G4 for an alto sax (E♭) — what written note?

The traps list — where points actually die

Each line: the trap, then the cure. These are the misses the course has named all term.

vii°7 printed in a major key. In major, ^7 carries viiø7 (half-diminished —
diminished triad + minor seventh). Fully diminished vii°7 belongs to harmonic minor.
Cure: check the seventh — minor seventh = ø.
Hyphens in inversion figures. Inversions take slashes: 6/5, 4/3, 4/2. The hyphen
means a suspension: 4-3, one interval resolving over one bass note. Cure: slashes
stack, hyphens move.
Minor's dominant spelled minor. The V that pulls home in a minor key is major,
via harmonic minor's raised ^7 — and the raise is an accidental in the music, never in
the signature. Cure: if it's doing dominant work, look for the raised ^7 on the page.
Parallel vs. direct fifths, blurred. Parallel = perfect → perfect in a row, same
direction. Direct = similar motion into one perfect interval, upper voice leaping.
Cure: count how many perfect intervals you have; two in a row = parallel, one arrived
at wrong = direct.
Transposing the wrong direction. Too high for the singer = DOWN. A B♭
instrument sounds lower, so its part is written higher. Cure: peak-note test for
singers; "sounds lower → write higher" for horns.
Enharmonic collapse. G♯ ≠ A♭ on paper; A4 ≠ d5; C♯ major ≠ D♭ major as spellings.
Same sound is not same name. Cure: letters first, always.
The dot misremembered. The dot adds half the note's own value, not one beat.
Cure: do the arithmetic in the note's own currency.
Subtonic vs. leading tone. Natural minor's ^7 sits a whole step under tonic — the
subtonic. Only a half-step ^7 is a leading tone. Cure: measure the gap to tonic.

Self-test answers

A: 1. B3. 2. One and a half beats. 3. Compound quadruple. 4. A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭ F G A♭.
5. One sharp, F♯ (shared with its relative, G major). 6. Major sixth; its inversion is a
minor third. 7. The augmented fourth and the diminished fifth — one sound, two intervals.

B: 1. D–F♯–A · D–F–A · D–F–A♭ · D–F♯–A♯. 2. D–F–A♭–C. 3. V7 — the dominant seventh of
B♭ major. 4. Deceptive. 5. Parallel perfect fifths — banned. 6. Suspension: preparation,
suspension, resolution. 7. E5 — E♭ instruments sound a major sixth lower, so you write a
major sixth higher.

The two-week plan (no study week, so the plan starts early)

Week 14 (this family just opened).
- One pass through this outline, pencil in hand — mark every section where the self-test
made you hesitate.
- First session with the prep tutorial: let it run its diagnostic and tell you where your
weak spots actually are (they are rarely where you feel them).

Week 15 (Week 15 is still running — keep this light).
- Twenty minutes a day, drills only, weak spots first: one triad/seventh spelling set, one
RN phrase, one trap from the list, out loud.
- Mid-week: the practice final, first pass, untimed, feedback on — learn from every miss
the same day.
- Week 15 closes a day early; the last days belong to the final.

The two days before.
- Two days out: practice final, second pass, exam conditions — one sitting, 100 minutes, no
notes. Sort every miss: concept / convention / speed (the study guide's miss log shows
how). Repair concept misses tonight with the relevant outline section.
- The day before: the prep tutorial's mock-pacing mode once; the traps list twice (morning and
evening); pack pencils; stop by dark. Sleep is the last review session and the best one.
- Exam day, a few minutes early: in your seat. You've rehearsed this twice already.

~ Professor Hemsworth's edition · Kenosis College · built with thecoursemaker.com