Music Theory, Analysis, and Composition
Domain 1, Music Theory, Analysis, and Composition, tests how fluently you can name, spell, analyze, and manipulate musical materials rather than merely recognize definitions. Expect score-based prompts, Roman-numeral analysis, error detection, and short composition tasks that require explaining your choices.
Core rules and concepts
- Interval quality is measured by diatonic number first, then semitones; invert intervals by subtracting from 9 and flipping quality: major to minor, perfect to perfect, augmented to diminished.
- Scales include major, natural/harmonic/melodic minor, and modes. Harmonic minor raises ^7; melodic minor raises ^6 and ^7 ascending only.
- Triads and seventh chords are built from stacked thirds. Roman numerals use uppercase for major, lowercase for minor, ° for diminished, + for augmented; figured bass includes 7, 6/5, 4/3, and 4/2.
- Cadences: authentic (V–I), plagal (IV–I), half (ends on V), deceptive (V–vi).
- Form: binary and rounded binary, ternary, sonata (exposition–development–recapitulation), and rondo; motivic transformation includes sequence, inversion, retrograde, and augmentation.
Worked example
In A minor, spell i–iv–V7–i. i = A–C–E; iv = D–F–A; V7 requires the raised leading tone G♯, so E–G♯–B–D; return to A–C–E. The final V7–i is an authentic cadence. If you wrote v7 (E–G–B–D), you used natural minor and lost the leading-tone function that makes the cadence convincing.
Traps that cost marks
Using lowercase v in minor; forgetting that figured bass 6/5 is a first-inversion seventh chord; calling a I–vi–IV–V loop a cadence; writing parallel fifths or octaves in voice-leading exercises; misidentifying retrograde as inversion; and spelling a chord correctly but labeling its inversion incorrectly.