CSET: Music (226 / 227) cheat sheet

Interval class (mod 12) collapses compound intervals: a perfect 12th (19 semitones) has interval class 7, same as a perfect 5th.

For melodic dictation, identify the first and last pitches and the implied tonic; most tonal melodies begin and end on members of the tonic triad.

Chord quality by ear: major = bright, minor = dark; diminished is unstable and usually resolves inward; augmented resolves outward.

Cadence types: authentic (V–I), half (ends on V), plagal (IV–I), deceptive (V–vi); a cadence is defined by the final two chords and the bass motion.

In harmonic dictation, the bass line is the most reliable cue; outer voices (soprano and bass) carry the functional progression.

Binary form: two sections, usually repeated (A–B); rounded binary brings back the A material after B; simple binary does not.

Sonata form: exposition (two key areas), development (fragmentation, sequence, modulation), recapitulation (both themes in tonic), optional coda.

Modulation vs. tonicization: a modulation establishes a new tonic with a cadence; a tonicization is brief and does not confirm the new key.

Rhythm dictation: count subdivisions aloud; in compound meter (6/8, 9/8), the beat divides into three, and the dotted beat value is the pulse.

Major key signatures: order of sharps F–C–G–D–A–E–B; order of flats B–E–A–D–G–C–F. The last sharp is the leading tone; the second-to-last flat names the key.

Circle of fifths: each step adds one sharp (clockwise) or one flat (counterclockwise); relative minor is a minor third below the major tonic.

Triad quality by scale degree in major: I, IV, V major; ii, iii, vi minor; vii° diminished.

Seventh chords in major: Imaj7, ii7, iii7, IVmaj7, V7, vi7, viiø7 (half-diminished).

Voice-leading rules: resolve leading tones up, chordal sevenths down; avoid parallel fifths and octaves; approach dissonances by step.

Secondary dominants: V/V is the dominant of the dominant; in C major, V/V = D major (D–F♯–A), which introduces a chromatic raised fourth.

Transposition: to transpose up by an interval, add that interval to every pitch; for instruments, written pitch differs from sounding pitch (e.g., B♭ trumpet sounds a major second lower than written).

Range and tessitura: when arranging, keep each instrument within its practical range and avoid excessive leaps; doubling at the octave thickens without changing harmony.

Figured bass: 6 = first inversion, 6/4 = second inversion, 7 = seventh chord root position, 6/5 = first inversion seventh, 4/3 = second inversion, 4/2 = third inversion.

Medieval (c. 500–1400): Gregorian chant (monophonic, modal); organum (parallel motion); Ars Nova (14th c.) introduces rhythmic complexity and secular forms (ballade, virelai, rondeau).

Renaissance (c. 1400–1600): imitative polyphony, Josquin, Palestrina; the Mass and motet are central; madrigal flourishes in the 16th century.

Baroque (c. 1600–1750): basso continuo, terraced dynamics, ritornello form, fugue; Bach, Handel, Vivaldi. Opera emerges around 1600 (Florence Camerata, Monteverdi's Orfeo, 1607).

Classical (c. 1750–1820): sonata form, symphony, string quartet; Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven. Beethoven bridges into Romanticism.

Romantic (c. 1820–1900): expanded orchestra, chromaticism, program music, Lied; Schubert, Berlioz, Wagner, Brahms, Tchaikovsky.

20th century: Debussy (impressionism), Stravinsky (primitivism, neoclassicism), Schoenberg (twelve-tone), Bartók (folk influence), Copland (American).

American genres: blues (12-bar form, blue notes), jazz (swing, improvisation), spirituals, and musical theater are standard exam topics.

Key terms: through-composed (no repeated sections), strophic (same music each verse), program music (narrative), absolute music (no program).

Conducting patterns: 2/4 = down–up; 3/4 = down–out–up; 4/4 = down–left–right–up; 6/8 = down–left–right–up–left–right (in two).

The ictus is the point of the beat; the rebound (preparation) leads to the next beat. The preparatory beat precedes the first sound.

Left hand: independent cues, dynamics, and cutoffs; right hand maintains the beat pattern.

Cutoffs: a circular or upward gesture on the final beat; release on the beat after the cutoff.

Articulation: legato = smooth, connected; staccato = short, separated; marcato = accented and detached; tenuto = held full value.

Intonation: sharpness often comes from insufficient air or tight embouchure; flatness from insufficient support. Adjust with air and embouchure, not just the slide.

Breathing: support from the diaphragm; phrase lengths should match the music's phrasing; stagger breathing in sustained passages.

Rehearsal technique: isolate problem passages, slow tempo first, then increase; use consistent counting and subdivision.

National Core Arts Standards (2014) for music: Creating, Performing, Responding, Connecting - four artistic processes.

Bloom's taxonomy (revised): Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, Create; use action verbs aligned to the cognitive level.

Assessment types: formative (ongoing, feedback) vs. summative (end of unit); diagnostic (pre-assessment); performance assessment uses rubrics.

Rubric design: analytic (separate criteria) vs. holistic (single score); criteria should be observable and measurable.

Learning sequence: engage, explore, explain, elaborate, evaluate (5E model); or Orff/Kodály/Dalcroze approaches for general music.

Differentiation: adapt content, process, or product; provide multiple means of representation and expression (UDL).

Curriculum mapping: align objectives to standards, then to assessments and activities; ensure vertical alignment across grade levels.

Accommodations vs. modifications: accommodations change how a student accesses content; modifications change what is expected.