WACE ATAR Music cheat sheet

Interval quality: major, perfect, minor, augmented, diminished; inversion of an interval sums to 9 (e.g., perfect 5th inverts to perfect 4th).

Scale-degree triads 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°.

Circle of fifths order of sharps: F C G D A E B; flats reverse: B E A D G C F; each key signature adds one accidental.

Common cadences: perfect authentic (V–I, both root position, soprano ends on tonic), imperfect authentic (V–I with inversion or non-tonic soprano), plagal (IV–I), half (ends on V), deceptive (V–vi).

Meter classification: simple vs compound (beat divisible by 2 vs 3), duple/triple/quadruple by number of beats per bar; 6/8 is compound duple.

Transposition: to transpose up by an interval, add that interval to each note and adjust key signature; for instruments in B♭ (e.g., clarinet), written C sounds B♭ (down a major 2nd).

Chord symbols: major triad = root name; minor = root + m (e.g., Dm); diminished = ° or dim; augmented = + or aug; dominant 7th = root7; major 7th = maj7; minor 7th = m7.

Rhythm values: whole = 2 half = 4 quarter = 8 eighth = 16 sixteenth; dotted note = 1.5× value; triplet = three notes in the time of two of the same value.

Motivic development techniques: repetition, sequence (restatement at higher/lower pitch), inversion, retrograde, augmentation (longer note values), diminution (shorter), fragmentation.

Phrase structure: antecedent (question) ends on half cadence or unstable harmony; consequent (answer) ends on perfect authentic cadence; period = antecedent + consequent.

Texture types: monophonic (single line), homophonic (melody + chordal accompaniment), polyphonic (independent simultaneous lines), heterophonic (simultaneous variants of same melody).

Voice-leading rules in four-part writing: avoid parallel fifths and octaves, resolve leading tone up to tonic in outer voices, resolve chordal sevenths down by step, keep spacing within an octave between upper voices.

Orchestration decision rule: doubling at the octave thickens without changing harmony; doubling in unison strengthens; avoid doubling the third in root-position major triads to keep balance.

Form templates: binary (AB), ternary (ABA), rondo (ABACA), sonata (exposition–development–recapitulation), strophic (same music repeated for each verse), through-composed (new music each section).

Modulation strategies: pivot chord (diatonic in both keys), direct/phrase modulation (new key at phrase boundary), chromatic modulation (via secondary dominant or diminished seventh).

Notation conventions: score order for orchestra (woodwinds, brass, percussion, strings); transposing instruments written at sounding pitch plus interval; concert pitch score shows all at sounding pitch.

Tempo markings: grave (very slow), largo, adagio, andante (walking), moderato, allegro, vivace, presto (very fast); ritardando = slowing, accelerando = speeding up.

Dynamic markings: ppp, pp, p, mp, mf, f, ff, fff; crescendo (gradually louder), decrescendo/diminuendo (gradually softer); sforzando = sudden accent.

Articulation: staccato (short, detached), legato (smooth, connected), accent (>), marcato (heavily accented), tenuto (held full value), fermata (pause, hold beyond written value).

Ensemble balance rule: melody projects above accompaniment; inner voices support harmony at lower dynamic; bass anchors root; adjust balance by listening across the ensemble, not just to own part.

Intonation in ensembles: tune to a common reference (e.g., oboe A = 440 Hz); adjust by interval - major thirds slightly narrow, perfect fifths slightly wide in just intonation compared to equal temperament.

Ornament conventions: trill (rapid alternation with upper auxiliary), mordent (single rapid alternation), turn (upper–main–lower–main), appoggiatura (leaning note taking half the value of the principal note).

Performance directions: cantabile (singing style), dolce (sweetly), con brio (with vigour), rubato (flexible tempo), sotto voce (soft, subdued), tutti (all players), solo (one player).

Rehearsal planning: mark breaths and bowings, identify technically difficult passages for slow practice, set metronome targets incrementally, record and review for accuracy and expression.

Baroque (c.1600–1750): basso continuo, terraced dynamics, ornamentation, fugue and concerto grosso; composers include Bach, Handel, Vivaldi.

Classical (c.1750–1820): balanced phrases, homophonic texture, sonata form, symphony and string quartet; composers include Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven.

Romantic (c.1820–1900): expanded harmony and orchestration, program music, rubato, nationalism; composers include Chopin, Liszt, Wagner, Brahms, Tchaikovsky.

Twentieth-century styles: impressionism (Debussy), expressionism/Second Viennese School (Schoenberg, Berg, Webern), neoclassicism (Stravinsky), minimalism (Reich, Glass), jazz and popular influences.

Analytical tools: Roman numeral analysis (harmonic function), Schenkerian reduction (structural levels), motivic analysis (identify and track motives), form diagram (section labels and bar numbers).

World music contexts: gamelan (Indonesia, interlocking metallophones, slendro/pelog scales), Indian classical (raga melody, tala rhythm, drone), African drumming (polyrhythm, call-and-response), Andean music (panpipes, pentatonic).

Australian art music: Peter Sculthorpe (Earth Cry, Kakadu, use of Aboriginal chant and bird calls), Ross Edwards, Elena Kats-Chernin; Indigenous song traditions include clan songs and didgeridoo accompaniment.

Contextual investigation: consider composer biography, patronage, audience, technology (instrument development, recording), and social/political events when interpreting a work's style and purpose.