SACE Stage 2 Music Studies cheat sheet

Sonata form: exposition (first subject in tonic, second subject in related key - dominant in major, relative major in minor), development (fragmentation, sequence, modulation), recapitulation (both subjects in tonic), optional coda.

Functional harmony in major: I–ii–iii–IV–V–vi–vii°; in natural minor: i–ii°–III–iv–v–VI–VII. Harmonic minor raises 7̂, giving V and vii°; melodic minor raises 6̂ and 7̂ ascending.

Cadence types: perfect (V–I, both root position, soprano on 1̂), imperfect (V–I with inversion or 3̂/5̂ melody), plagal (IV–I), interrupted/deceptive (V–vi), half (ends on V).

Circle of fifths order of sharps F C G D A E B; flats B E A D G C F. Major key signature = last sharp raised a semitone, or second-to-last flat.

Common chord progressions: 12-bar blues I–I–I–I–IV–IV–I–I–V–IV–I–V; ii–V–I turnaround; I–vi–IV–V (50s progression); Andalusian i–VII–VI–V.

Binary form AB (simple sectional or continuous); ternary ABA; rondo ABACA. Minuet and trio is a compound ternary (||: A :||: B A :||).

Texture terms: monophonic (single line), homophonic (melody plus chordal accompaniment), polyphonic (independent simultaneous lines), heterophonic (simultaneous variants of one line).

Interval inversion: number sums to 9, quality flips (major↔minor, perfect↔perfect, augmented↔diminished). Transposition preserves intervals and scale-degree function.

Modes on white notes from C: Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, Locrian. Dorian = minor with raised 6̂; Mixolydian = major with lowered 7̂.

Time signatures: 2/4, 3/4, 4/4 are simple (beat divides into two); 6/8, 9/8, 12/8 are compound (beat divides into three). 6/8 has two dotted-crotchet beats per bar.

Note values in 4/4: semibreve = 4 beats, minim = 2, crotchet = 1, quaver = ½, semiquaver = ¼. A dotted note adds half its value; a tie joins equal pitches across a barline.

Transposing instruments: written C sounds as B♭ (clarinet, trumpet in B♭ - down a major 2nd), F (horn - down a perfect 5th), E♭ (alto sax - down a major 6th).

Orchestral score order (top to bottom): woodwind, brass, percussion, strings; within strings violin I, violin II, viola, cello, double bass.

Swing/shuffle notation: pairs of quavers are performed long–short at roughly 2:1; a triplet bracket or 'swing' marking signals this.

Melodic writing devices: sequence (restated a step higher/lower), imitation (same motif in another part), inversion (intervals mirrored), retrograde (reversed), augmentation (doubled note values), diminution (halved).

Dynamics ladder: ppp, pp, p, mp, mf, f, ff, fff; crescendo/decrescendo (diminuendo) indicate gradual change; sfz is a sudden accent on one note.

Articulation: staccato (detached), legato (smooth), accent (>), marcato (strong accent), tenuto (held full value), fermata (pause of unspecified length).

Rehearsal planning: mark breath points and page turns, set a tempo from the metronome marking (crotchet = 60 means one beat per second), and count rests in full bars rather than beats.

Structured listening sequence: identify genre/context, then forces and instrumentation, then treatment of the elements (pitch, rhythm, dynamics, timbre, texture, form), then expressive effect.

Timbre vocabulary: bright, dark, mellow, nasal, breathy, strident, muted, sul ponticello (near the bridge), con sordino (with mute), pizzicato (plucked), arco (bowed).

Describe dynamics and articulation with evidence: name the marking and its effect (e.g., sudden f subito after p creates shock); vague adjectives alone do not constitute analysis.

Texture change is a reliable marker of formal sections: a shift from homophony to polyphony often signals a development or transition passage.

Contextual factors to cite: date and place of composition, patron or commission, intended venue, technological limits (e.g., no valved brass before c.1815), and audience expectations.

Compare-and-contrast answers should pair a stated feature with a stated effect in each work, then name the difference explicitly rather than describing works separately.

Rhythmic description terms: syncopation (accent off the beat), polyrhythm (conflicting rhythms simultaneously), hemiola (3 against 2 grouping), rubato (flexible tempo), ostinato (repeated pattern).

Evaluation language should be hedged and evidence-linked: 'the sparse texture in the opening creates unease' beats 'the opening is good'; every judgement needs a cited musical feature.