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CSET: Music (226 / 227) study materials
CSET: Music (226 / 227) study resources

CSET: Music (226 / 227) practice questions

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Question 1Aural Skills and Analysis (Subtest I)

A melody moves from scale degree 5 up to scale degree 1 in a major key. Which interval does this melodic motion most likely represent?

  1. Major sixth
  2. Perfect fourth Correct answer.
  3. Perfect fifth
  4. Minor seventh

Explanation

In a major scale the distance from scale degree 5 up to scale degree 1 is a perfect fourth (for example G up to C in C major). The perfect fifth is the same two pitch classes in reverse order, so direction matters when labeling the melodic interval.

Question 2Aural Skills and Analysis (Subtest I)

A chord consists of the pitches C, E, and G. Which Roman numeral does this chord receive in the key of F major?

  1. vi
  2. IV
  3. V Correct answer.
  4. I

Explanation

In F major the notes are F, G, A, B-flat, C, D, E, so C is scale degree 5. Building a triad on scale degree 5 (C, E, G) produces the dominant chord, labeled V.

Question 3Aural Skills and Analysis (Subtest I)

A passage notated in 6/8 time is conducted with two beats per measure. Which beat grouping does this reflect?

  1. Six independent beats grouped as 3 plus 3
  2. Three quarter-note beats with an eighth-note pickup
  3. Two dotted-quarter beats, each subdivided into three eighth notes Correct answer.
  4. Two half-note beats with triplet subdivisions

Explanation

Compound duple meter such as 6/8 divides each beat into three equal parts, so the beat unit is the dotted quarter. Two dotted-quarter beats per measure give the characteristic two-beat conducting pattern with triplet subdivision.

Question 4Aural Skills and Analysis (Subtest I)

A listener hears a melody that begins on the tonic, rises to the dominant, and returns to the tonic. Which term best describes the overall shape of this melodic contour?

  1. Angular contour
  2. Arch contour Correct answer.
  3. Static contour
  4. Descending contour

Explanation

An arch contour rises from a starting point to a peak and then descends, often returning to the starting pitch. Beginning on the tonic, peaking on the dominant, and returning to the tonic fits this arch shape.

Question 5Aural Skills and Analysis (Subtest I)

In a major key, which scale degrees form the notes of a major triad built on the tonic?

  1. 1, 4, 5
  2. 1, 3, 6
  3. 1, 3, 5 Correct answer.
  4. 2, 4, 6

Explanation

A major triad is built from a root, a major third above it, and a perfect fifth above it. In a major scale those positions correspond to scale degrees 1, 3, and 5.

Question 6Aural Skills and Analysis (Subtest I)

A cadence moves from the dominant chord to the tonic chord at the end of a phrase. Which cadence type is this?

  1. Authentic cadence Correct answer.
  2. Half cadence
  3. Deceptive cadence
  4. Plagal cadence

Explanation

A cadence that progresses from V to I is an authentic cadence. It is the strongest closing gesture in tonal music and confirms the tonic key.

Question 7Aural Skills and Analysis (Subtest I)

Which interval is enharmonically equivalent to an augmented fourth?

  1. Diminished fifth Correct answer.
  2. Perfect fourth
  3. Minor sixth
  4. Major sixth

Explanation

An augmented fourth and a diminished fifth both span six semitones, so they are enharmonically equivalent even though they are spelled differently. For example, C to F-sharp and C to G-flat sound identical in equal temperament.

Question 8Aural Skills and Analysis (Subtest I)

A score marks a passage with a dynamic of mezzo-forte. Which symbol corresponds to that marking?

  1. mf Correct answer.
  2. mp
  3. ff
  4. fp

Explanation

Mezzo-forte means moderately loud and is abbreviated mf. It sits between mezzo-piano and forte on the dynamic scale.

Question 9Aural Skills and Analysis (Subtest I)

Listen to a progression in a minor key that moves i, iv, V, i. Which harmonic feature explains the major quality of the V chord?

  1. The use of a Picardy third in the final chord
  2. The lowered sixth degree of the natural minor scale
  3. The raised leading tone of the harmonic minor scale Correct answer.
  4. The addition of a minor seventh to the tonic chord

Explanation

In minor keys, the dominant chord is major because the seventh scale degree is raised, producing the leading tone of harmonic minor. This raised leading tone creates the strong tendency toward the tonic and makes V major rather than minor.

Question 10Aural Skills and Analysis (Subtest I)

A melody in 4/4 contains a syncopation where a note begins on the fourth beat and is tied into the first beat of the next measure. Which rhythmic effect does the tie create?

  1. A return to the downbeat accent
  2. A shift of accent across the barline Correct answer.
  3. A doubling of the tempo
  4. A change of meter to 3/4

Explanation

Syncopation places emphasis on a weak beat or between beats, and a tie across the barline carries that emphasis into the strong beat. The result is a displaced accent that conflicts with the notated meter.

Question 11Aural Skills and Analysis (Subtest I)

A chord progression in C major moves I, vi, IV, V. Which functional labels best describe this progression?

  1. Tonic, dominant, submediant, subdominant
  2. Tonic, mediant, supertonic, dominant
  3. Tonic, submediant, subdominant, dominant Correct answer.
  4. Tonic, subdominant, dominant, submediant

Explanation

In C major, I is tonic, vi is the submediant built on A, IV is the subdominant built on F, and V is the dominant built on G. The progression therefore moves tonic, submediant, subdominant, dominant.

Question 12Aural Skills and Analysis (Subtest I)

A melody moves by step through the notes of a descending natural minor scale. Which scale degrees are lowered compared with the parallel major scale?

  1. 1, 4, and 5
  2. 3, 5, and 7
  3. 3, 6, and 7 Correct answer.
  4. 2, 4, and 6

Explanation

Natural minor lowers the third, sixth, and seventh degrees of the parallel major scale. These lowered degrees create the characteristic minor quality of the scale.

Question 13Aural Skills and Analysis (Subtest I)

A passage modulates from G major to its dominant key. Which key does it move to?

  1. B minor
  2. D major Correct answer.
  3. C major
  4. E minor

Explanation

The dominant of G major is D, so a modulation to the dominant key moves to D major. This is the most common closely related key relationship in tonal music.

Question 14Aural Skills and Analysis (Subtest I)

A four-part chorale texture contains a passing tone between two chord tones in the alto voice. Which term describes this non-chord tone?

  1. Neighbor tone
  2. Suspension
  3. Passing tone Correct answer.
  4. Appoggiatura

Explanation

A passing tone fills the space between two chord tones by step, typically moving in the same direction. It connects the two consonant tones smoothly without changing the underlying harmony.

Question 15Aural Skills and Analysis (Subtest I)

A listener transcribes a melody and notices a repeated rhythmic pattern of one long note followed by two short notes. Which term best describes this recurring rhythmic figure?

  1. Augmentation
  2. Hemiola
  3. Ostinato
  4. Rhythmic motive Correct answer.

Explanation

A rhythmic motive is a short, recurring rhythmic figure that gives a passage coherence. Repeating a long-short-short pattern throughout a melody is a classic example of motivic rhythm.

Question 16Aural Skills and Analysis (Subtest I)

A melody is harmonized with a chord progression in which the bass moves by descending fifths. Which harmonic sequence does this describe?

  1. A parallel-motion progression
  2. A circle-of-fifths progression Correct answer.
  3. A chromatic mediant progression
  4. A plagal progression

Explanation

A bass line descending by fifths (or ascending by fourths) creates a circle-of-fifths progression, such as vi, ii, V, I. This sequence is a fundamental harmonic pattern in tonal music.

Question 17Aural Skills and Analysis (Subtest I)

A score indicates a tempo of andante. Which tempo range does this marking most nearly describe?

  1. A very slow, broad tempo
  2. A fast, lively tempo
  3. A walking pace, moderate tempo Correct answer.
  4. A very fast, presto tempo

Explanation

Andante means at a walking pace, indicating a moderate tempo between adagio and allegro. It is not as slow as adagio nor as fast as allegro.

Question 18Aural Skills and Analysis (Subtest I)

A triad has the notes D, F, and A. In the key of C major, which Roman numeral and quality does this chord represent?

  1. vii°, diminished
  2. IV, major
  3. vi, minor
  4. ii, minor Correct answer.

Explanation

In C major the notes D, F, and A form a minor triad on scale degree 2, labeled ii. The supertonic triad is naturally minor in a major key.

Question 19Aural Skills and Analysis (Subtest I)

A melody in a major key ends on scale degree 3 while the harmony resolves to the tonic. Which term describes this melodic ending?

  1. A deceptive resolution to the submediant
  2. A half cadence on the dominant
  3. A mediant ending that leaves the tonic implied Correct answer.
  4. A modulation to the relative minor

Explanation

Ending a phrase on scale degree 3 over a tonic harmony produces a mediant ending, which sounds complete but leaves the tonic pitch implied. The harmony still confirms the key even though the melody does not land on the tonic.

Question 20Aural Skills and Analysis (Subtest I)

A passage alternates between two chords a minor third apart, both major triads. Which harmonic technique does this most closely resemble?

  1. Chromatic mediant relationship Correct answer.
  2. Secondary dominant resolution
  3. Modal mixture with the parallel minor
  4. Circle-of-fifths progression

Explanation

Two major triads whose roots are a third apart and that share a chromatic relationship form a chromatic mediant pair. This technique is common in Romantic and film music for its colorful, non-functional effect.

Question 21Aural Skills and Analysis (Subtest I)

A melody is harmonized with a chord containing the notes B, D, F, and A in the key of C major. Which chord is this and what is its function?

  1. vii half-diminished seventh, dominant function Correct answer.
  2. IV7, subdominant function
  3. ii7, subdominant function
  4. V7, dominant function

Explanation

The notes B, D, F, and A form a half-diminished seventh chord on the leading tone of C major, labeled viiø7. It functions as a dominant substitute because it shares the leading tone and dominant tendencies with V7.

Question 22Aural Skills and Analysis (Subtest I)

A passage uses a Neapolitan chord before the dominant. Which description best characterizes this chord?

  1. A major triad on the lowered sixth degree
  2. A minor triad on the raised second degree
  3. A diminished triad on the leading tone
  4. A major triad on the lowered second degree, usually in first inversion Correct answer.

Explanation

The Neapolitan chord is a major triad built on the lowered second scale degree, most often used in first inversion before V. It intensifies the approach to the dominant with its chromatic lowered sixth degree.

Question 23Aural Skills and Analysis (Subtest I)

A melody is analyzed as using a pentatonic scale built on the tonic. Which set of scale degrees does a major pentatonic scale contain?

  1. 1, 3, 5, 6, 7
  2. 1, 3, 4, 5, 7
  3. 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 Correct answer.
  4. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Explanation

The major pentatonic scale omits the fourth and seventh degrees of the major scale, leaving 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6. This omission removes the half steps that create strong dissonance or leading-tone pull.

Question 24Aural Skills and Analysis (Subtest I)

A listener hears a chord progression that tonicizes the subdominant with its own dominant chord before returning to the original key. Which technique is being used?

  1. A deceptive cadence in the home key
  2. A modulation to the relative minor
  3. A secondary dominant applied to IV Correct answer.
  4. A plagal cadence confirming the tonic

Explanation

A secondary dominant is a chromatic chord that acts as the dominant of a diatonic scale degree other than the tonic. Applying the dominant of IV briefly tonicizes the subdominant before the music returns to the home key.

Question 25Aural Skills and Analysis (Subtest I)

A melody features a suspension in which a note is held over from the previous chord and then resolves downward by step. Which description best identifies the resolution?

  1. The suspended note resolves down by step to a chord tone Correct answer.
  2. The suspended note is repeated as a pedal point
  3. The suspended note leaps up to the next chord tone
  4. The suspended note resolves upward by leap

Explanation

A suspension is prepared as a chord tone, held over into the next chord as a dissonance, and then resolved downward by step to a consonance. The downward step resolution is the defining characteristic of the suspension figure.

Question 26Aural Skills and Analysis (Subtest I)

A score marks a passage with the dynamic symbol fp. How should a performer execute this marking?

  1. Sustain a steady forte for the first half of the note, then drop to piano for the second half
  2. Begin the note forte, then immediately drop to piano and sustain the softer level Correct answer.
  3. Begin the note forte and decrescendo gradually across the full value of the note
  4. Begin the note piano and crescendo steadily through the note to forte

Explanation

The marking fp combines a forte attack with an immediate piano continuation, so the accent occurs at the onset and the softer level is held afterward. It is a sudden dynamic change at the start of the note rather than a gradual change spread across the note's value. Performers typically apply it to the single note or chord it marks.

Question 27Aural Skills and Analysis (Subtest I)

A melody in common time is notated with a triplet bracket over three quarter notes that together occupy the space of two quarter notes. How many of these triplet quarter notes sound in the time of one beat?

  1. Two thirds
  2. One and a half
  3. Two
  4. Three Correct answer.

Explanation

A quarter-note triplet places three quarter notes in the time normally occupied by two, so the whole triplet spans two beats. Each of the three notes therefore falls within two-thirds of a beat, and all three sound across those two beats. The figure is a three-against-two division of the beat pair.

Question 28Aural Skills and Analysis (Subtest I)

A listener hears an interval that sounds like a perfect fifth but is actually spelled as a diminished sixth. Which statement correctly describes the relationship between the two spellings?

  1. They are enharmonically equivalent and sound identical on an equal-tempered instrument Correct answer.
  2. They are unrelated intervals that happen to share a similar sound in some keys
  3. They differ in quality because a diminished sixth is wider than a perfect fifth
  4. They differ by a comma and are distinguishable by trained listeners on the piano

Explanation

A perfect fifth and a diminished sixth can be spelled with different letter names yet occupy the same number of semitones, making them enharmonically equivalent. On an equal-tempered keyboard the two are played with the same keys and sound identical. The distinction lies in notation and harmonic function, not in acoustic width on the piano.

Question 29Aural Skills and Analysis (Subtest I)

A score places a tenuto mark (a short horizontal line) over a note. What does this marking most directly instruct the performer to do?

  1. Accent the note sharply and release it immediately
  2. Play the note with a slight crescendo through its duration
  3. Hold the note for its full value with a slight weight or emphasis Correct answer.
  4. Shorten the note and separate it from the following note

Explanation

The tenuto mark directs the performer to sustain the note for its full value, often with a slight pressure or emphasis that distinguishes it from surrounding notes. It is not a shortening articulation and does not imply a sharp accent. The effect is sustained weight rather than detachment.

Question 30Aural Skills and Analysis (Subtest I)

A passage in 6/8 meter is conducted in two beats per measure. Which grouping of eighth notes does this conducting pattern reflect?

  1. Two groups of three eighth notes Correct answer.
  2. One group of four plus one group of two eighth notes
  3. Three groups of two eighth notes
  4. Six independent eighth notes with equal stress

Explanation

Compound duple meter such as 6/8 divides each measure into two beats, and each beat subdivides into three eighth notes. The conductor's two-beat pattern therefore corresponds to two groups of three. This compound division is what distinguishes 6/8 from simple triple 3/4.

Question 31Aural Skills and Analysis (Subtest I)

A melody in a major key uses scale degree 4 as an upper neighbor to degree 3, then returns to degree 3. Which label best describes degree 4 in this context?

  1. An appoggiatura
  2. A chromatic lower neighbor tone
  3. An escape tone
  4. A diatonic upper neighbor tone Correct answer.

Explanation

A neighbor tone moves by step away from a principal tone and returns to it, and degree 4 lies a step above degree 3 within the key. Because both notes belong to the prevailing scale, the figure is a diatonic upper neighbor. The return to degree 3 confirms the neighbor rather than a passing motion.

Question 32Aural Skills and Analysis (Subtest I)

A four-voice texture contains parallel motion in which the soprano and bass move in similar direction but at different intervals, causing the outer voices to arrive at a perfect fifth by similar motion. Which term describes this contrapuntal fault?

  1. Contrary motion
  2. Parallel octave
  3. Direct (hidden) fifth Correct answer.
  4. Oblique motion

Explanation

When outer voices move in the same direction and arrive at a perfect fifth without stepwise motion in the upper voice, the result is a direct or hidden fifth. The fault concerns the approach to the perfect interval rather than the interval itself. Traditional voice-leading rules restrict this motion, especially between outer voices.

Question 33Aural Skills and Analysis (Subtest I)

A chord progression in a minor key moves from the tonic minor triad to a major triad built on the lowered sixth degree, then to the dominant. Which Roman numeral and quality describes the second chord?

  1. iv, a minor triad
  2. bVII, a major triad
  3. VI, a major triad Correct answer.
  4. vi, a minor triad

Explanation

In minor keys the sixth degree is already lowered relative to the parallel major, so a major triad on that degree is labeled VI without an added flat sign. The chord is diatonic to natural minor and commonly precedes the dominant. Labeling it vi would imply a minor quality that does not match the major triad.

Question 34Aural Skills and Analysis (Subtest I)

A melody is built on a whole-tone scale beginning on C. Which set of pitch classes belongs to that scale?

  1. C, D, E, F, G, A
  2. C, D, E, F-sharp, G-sharp, A-sharp Correct answer.
  3. C, D-flat, E-flat, E, G-flat, A
  4. C, D, E-flat, F, G, A-flat

Explanation

A whole-tone scale divides the octave into six equal steps of two semitones each, so from C it continues D, E, F-sharp, G-sharp, A-sharp, and back to C. Every adjacent pair is a whole step, and the scale contains no semitones. There are only two distinct whole-tone collections, related by semitone transposition.

Question 35Aural Skills and Analysis (Subtest I)

A listener hears a chord built in stacked fourths rather than thirds and notices that it does not function as a traditional triad. Which description best characterizes this sonority?

  1. A tertian seventh chord in second inversion
  2. An augmented sixth chord
  3. A quartal chord with an open, non-tertian sound Correct answer.
  4. A secondary dominant resolving to the submediant

Explanation

Chords built from successive fourths are quartal and are described as non-tertian because they are not stacked in thirds. Their open sonority is common in twentieth-century and jazz contexts where functional triad logic is loosened. The absence of a third-based structure distinguishes them from traditional harmonic chords.

Question 36Aural Skills and Analysis (Subtest I)

A short melody is analyzed and found to be organized around a recurring three-note motive that returns transposed and inverted throughout the piece. Which analytical concept does this best illustrate?

  1. Strophic song form
  2. Through-composed form without repetition
  3. Sonata-form recapitulation
  4. Motivic development through transformation Correct answer.

Explanation

A motive that recurs in transposed and inverted forms is being developed through transformation, a core technique of thematic working. The identity of the motive persists even as its pitch level and contour change. This differs from large-scale formal labels that describe the arrangement of whole sections.

Question 37Aural Skills and Analysis (Subtest I)

A score shows a passage marked with a trill sign above a note, followed by a wavy line extending to the next note. How should the performer execute this ornament?

  1. Alternate rapidly between the written note and the note above it for the indicated duration Correct answer.
  2. Begin on the note below, leap to the written note, and hold it
  3. Alternate between the written note and the note below it, ending with a turn
  4. Repeat the written note rapidly at its own pitch for the indicated duration

Explanation

A trill alternates rapidly between the written principal note and the diatonic note above it, and the wavy extension shows how long the alternation continues. The ornament is an upper-note oscillation rather than a repetition of a single pitch. Execution details such as starting note and termination vary by style period.

Question 38Aural Skills and Analysis (Subtest I)

A passage in 4/4 uses a hemiola by regrouping the written quarter notes so that the perceived accents fall in three groups of two across two measures. Which statement describes the resulting effect?

  1. The listener perceives a steady four-beat pulse with no change in grouping
  2. The listener perceives three beats where the notated meter provides four Correct answer.
  3. The listener perceives two beats where the notated meter provides three
  4. The listener perceives six beats where the notated meter provides four

Explanation

A hemiola in simple quadruple context superimposes a triple grouping, so the accents suggest three beats against the notated four. The device creates metric tension between the written meter and the perceived grouping. It is common at cadences in Baroque and Classical dance music.

Question 39Aural Skills and Analysis (Subtest I)

A passage modulates from C major to E-flat major and then to G minor within a short span. Which term best describes this kind of harmonic motion?

  1. Chromatic mediant relationships Correct answer.
  2. Modal mixture within a single key
  3. Circle-of-fifths sequence
  4. Diatonic modulation to the relative minor

Explanation

Moves between keys whose tonics are a third apart and share few diatonic chords are chromatic mediant relationships, common in Romantic harmony. C to E-flat and E-flat to G are both third-related shifts rather than dominant-driven modulations. These relationships often sound abrupt and colorful because the common-tone or pivot-chord logic of closely related keys is absent.

Question 40Aural Skills and Analysis (Subtest I)

An analyst examining a twelve-tone work identifies the original row and then finds a form that reverses the order of the same pitch classes. Which transformation has been applied?

  1. Inversion
  2. Transposition
  3. Retrograde inversion
  4. Retrograde Correct answer.

Explanation

Retrograde presents the row's pitch classes in reverse order while preserving the intervals in reverse succession. Inversion, by contrast, mirrors the intervals around a starting pitch without reversing the order. Naming the transformation precisely matters because the four classic row forms are combined in analysis.

Question 41Music Theory, Composition, and Arranging (Subtest I)

In a major key, a triad built on scale degree vi is:

  1. major
  2. minor Correct answer.
  3. augmented
  4. diminished

Explanation

In a major key the diatonic triad qualities follow the pattern I major, ii minor, iii minor, IV major, V major, vi minor, vii diminished. Degree vi therefore produces a minor triad, such as A minor in C major.

Question 42Music Theory, Composition, and Arranging (Subtest I)

A composer writes a passage in 6/8 that should feel like two broad beats per bar. Which grouping best supports that feel?

  1. Two dotted-quarter pulses, each divided into three eighths Correct answer.
  2. Three quarter-note pulses with the third accented
  3. Four eighth-note pulses grouped in pairs
  4. Six independent eighth-note pulses with equal stress

Explanation

Compound duple meter groups six eighth notes into two beats of three eighth notes each, so each beat is a dotted quarter. Accenting the first and fourth eighths creates the characteristic broad two-beat feel.

Question 43Music Theory, Composition, and Arranging (Subtest I)

Which interval is a major seventh above F?

  1. F
  2. E Correct answer.
  3. E-flat
  4. D

Explanation

A major seventh spans eleven semitones. From F, the seventh letter is E, and F to E natural is eleven semitones, so E is the major seventh; E-flat would be a minor seventh.

Question 44Music Theory, Composition, and Arranging (Subtest I)

A melody moves from scale degree 5 up to scale degree 1 in a major key. Which cadential bass motion most typically supports this melodic close?

  1. Root motion from V to I Correct answer.
  2. Root motion from IV to ii
  3. Root motion from I to V
  4. Root motion from ii to V

Explanation

The melodic close 5 to 1 aligns with the authentic cadence, whose harmonic support is V moving to I. The leading-tone motion 7 to 1 in an inner voice reinforces the same progression.

Question 45Music Theory, Composition, and Arranging (Subtest I)

Which scale is the relative minor of E-flat major?

  1. G minor
  2. B-flat minor
  3. F minor
  4. C minor Correct answer.

Explanation

The relative minor lies a minor third below the major tonic and shares its key signature. E-flat major has three flats, and C minor uses the same three flats.

Question 46Music Theory, Composition, and Arranging (Subtest I)

In four-part chorale style, which doubling is conventional for a root-position major triad?

  1. Double the third
  2. Double the root Correct answer.
  3. Double the leading tone
  4. Double the fifth

Explanation

Root-position triads normally double the root because it is the most stable and consonant member. Doubling the third or fifth is reserved for specific voice-leading situations such as a deceptive resolution.

Question 47Music Theory, Composition, and Arranging (Subtest I)

A passage marked 'dolce' should be performed:

  1. heavily and slowly
  2. sweetly and gently Correct answer.
  3. quickly and urgently
  4. loudly and forcefully

Explanation

Dolce is an Italian expression marking meaning sweet or gentle, indicating a soft, lyrical character. It describes tone quality rather than tempo or dynamic level.

Question 48Music Theory, Composition, and Arranging (Subtest I)

Which form is built on a repeated harmonic pattern over which successive variations unfold, as in a passacaglia?

  1. Sonata-allegro form
  2. Rondo form
  3. Through-composed form
  4. Ground bass variations Correct answer.

Explanation

Ground bass or basso ostinato variations repeat a short melodic-harmonic pattern in the lowest voice while upper parts vary. A passacaglia is a classic example with a repeated four- or eight-bar bass.

Question 49Music Theory, Composition, and Arranging (Subtest I)

A triad consists of the notes D, F-sharp and A. In the key of G major, what is the Roman numeral analysis of this chord?

  1. V Correct answer.
  2. ii
  3. I
  4. vi

Explanation

In G major, D is scale degree 5, F-sharp is degree 7 and A is degree 2, forming a major triad on the dominant. The chord is therefore labeled V and functions as the dominant of G.

Question 50Music Theory, Composition, and Arranging (Subtest I)

Which chord progression represents a standard deceptive cadence in a major key?

  1. V to vi Correct answer.
  2. V to I
  3. ii to I
  4. IV to V

Explanation

A deceptive cadence substitutes vi (or sometimes IV or another chord) for the expected tonic after V. The surprise comes from the dominant resolving to a chord other than I.