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MATSEC IM Music study materials
MATSEC IM Music study resources

MATSEC IM Music practice questions

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Question 1Music (IM syllabus content)

In the standard Western system of tonality, which scale pattern corresponds to the natural minor scale?

  1. T–T–T–S–T–S–T
  2. T–T–S–T–T–T–S
  3. T–S–T–T–S–T–S
  4. T–S–T–T–S–T–T Correct answer.

Explanation

The natural minor scale follows the interval pattern tone–semitone–tone–tone–semitone–tone–tone, which produces a minor third above the tonic. This pattern distinguishes it from the major scale, whose semitones fall between degrees 3–4 and 7–8.

Question 2Music (IM syllabus content)

A piece is written in 6/8 time. Which description best captures its characteristic metric feel?

  1. Six crotchet beats per bar with equal accents on every beat
  2. Four crotchet beats per bar with a strong third beat
  3. Two dotted-crotchet beats per bar, each dividing into three quavers Correct answer.
  4. Three minim beats per bar grouped in a slow triple pulse

Explanation

Compound duple metre such as 6/8 groups six quavers into two beats of three quavers each, so the beat unit is a dotted crotchet. The resulting feel is a lilting two-in-a-bar pulse rather than six equal accents.

Question 3Music (IM syllabus content)

Which cadence moves from chord V to chord vi, giving a surprising minor resolution after an expected perfect close?

  1. Perfect cadence
  2. Imperfect cadence
  3. Interrupted cadence Correct answer.
  4. Plagal cadence

Explanation

An interrupted (deceptive) cadence substitutes chord vi for the expected tonic after V, so the listener's expectation of a perfect cadence is deflected. It is common at phrase endings where the music must continue rather than close.

Question 4Music (IM syllabus content)

A composer marks a passage 'dolce'. What does this performance direction ask for?

  1. Played loudly and forcefully
  2. Played with heavy marcato accent
  3. Played very fast and agitated
  4. Played sweetly and gently Correct answer.

Explanation

'Dolce' is an Italian expression mark meaning sweetly or softly, calling for a gentle, singing tone quality. It concerns character of tone rather than speed or volume alone.

Question 5Music (IM syllabus content)

Which instrument is a standard member of the woodwind family that uses a single reed and a cylindrical bore?

  1. Bassoon
  2. Oboe
  3. Clarinet Correct answer.
  4. Flute

Explanation

The clarinet produces sound with a single reed attached to a mouthpiece and has a mainly cylindrical bore, which contributes to its characteristic tone and overblown twelfth. The other woodwinds listed use different sound-producing mechanisms.

Question 6Music (IM syllabus content)

In a major key, which chord is built on the seventh degree of the scale?

  1. Minor triad
  2. Diminished triad Correct answer.
  3. Major triad
  4. Augmented triad

Explanation

The diatonic triad on the leading note of a major scale consists of two minor thirds, producing a diminished triad. Its unstable quality makes it tend strongly towards the tonic.

Question 7Music (IM syllabus content)

Which of these is the correct definition of 'ostinato'?

  1. A gradual increase in loudness over a phrase
  2. A short melodic or rhythmic figure repeated persistently Correct answer.
  3. A cadential trill leading into the final chord
  4. A change of key within a single movement

Explanation

An ostinato is a repeated musical idea, melodic or rhythmic, held constant while other parts change above it. It is a common structural device in Baroque ground basses and in twentieth-century popular music.

Question 8Music (IM syllabus content)

A passage moves from C major to G major. What is the relationship between these two keys?

  1. Enharmonic relationship
  2. Relative minor relationship
  3. Chromatic mediant relationship
  4. Tonic and dominant relationship Correct answer.

Explanation

G major is the key built on the fifth degree of C major, so the two keys stand in a tonic–dominant relationship. Such a move is one of the most common modulations because the two keys share six of their seven notes.

Question 9Music (IM syllabus content)

A melody is written for a transposing instrument in B flat. When the player reads a written C, what sounding pitch is produced?

  1. Concert F
  2. Concert D
  3. Concert B flat Correct answer.
  4. Concert C

Explanation

A B flat instrument sounds a major second lower than written, so a notated C sounds as concert B flat. This is why parts for clarinets, trumpets and saxophones in B flat must be transposed in the score.

Question 10Music (IM syllabus content)

Which chord progression represents a standard perfect cadence in the key of D major?

  1. G major to D major
  2. D major to A major
  3. B minor to D major
  4. A major to D major Correct answer.

Explanation

In D major the dominant chord is A major and the tonic is D major, so the perfect cadence is A major to D major. The leading note C sharp in the dominant resolves upward to D, reinforcing the close.

Question 11Music (IM syllabus content)

A four-bar phrase in 4/4 contains a dotted crotchet followed by a quaver in each bar. How many quavers in total does the phrase contain?

  1. 48
  2. 32
  3. 24 Correct answer.
  4. 16

Explanation

Each bar of 4/4 holds eight quavers, and a dotted crotchet plus a quaver still fills four crotchet beats, so each bar equals eight quavers. Four bars therefore contain thirty-two quavers, and the phrasing of the rhythm does not change the total duration.

Question 12Music (IM syllabus content)

Which texture is created when a single melodic line is imitated by successive voices entering one after another at the same pitch or at an interval?

  1. Imitative polyphonic Correct answer.
  2. Monophonic
  3. Heterophonic
  4. Homophonic

Explanation

Successive entries of the same melodic idea in different voices create imitative polyphony, as in a fugue or canon. The independence of the lines distinguishes it from chordal homophony.

Question 13Music (IM syllabus content)

A composer writes a melody using notes from the whole-tone scale. Which harmonic effect is most characteristic of this choice?

  1. A strong pull towards the tonic
  2. A clear dominant–tonic resolution
  3. A sense of suspended, directionless harmony Correct answer.
  4. A modal folk character

Explanation

The whole-tone scale divides the octave into equal tones and contains no leading note or perfect fifth relationships, so it weakens tonal pull. Composers such as Debussy used it to create floating, ambiguous harmony.

Question 14Music (IM syllabus content)

Which form is built on a repeated bass pattern over which variations are written?

  1. Ternary form
  2. Rondo form
  3. Ground bass form Correct answer.
  4. Sonata form

Explanation

A ground bass, or basso ostinato, is a recurring bass line over which the upper parts present continuous variation. It was widely used in the Baroque period, for example in Purcell's operas and in variation sets by Bach.

Question 15Music (IM syllabus content)

During the Baroque period, which keyboard instrument was commonly used to realise the continuo part?

  1. Clavichord
  2. Fortepiano
  3. Celesta
  4. Harpsichord Correct answer.

Explanation

The harpsichord was the standard continuo keyboard instrument of the Baroque, filling in chords from a figured bass. Its plucked tone and lack of dynamic variation suit the period's ensemble practice.

Question 16Music (IM syllabus content)

A chord is spelled E–G sharp–B. How would it be identified in a harmonic analysis?

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

Explanation

The interval from E to G sharp is a major third and from E to B a perfect fifth, which together define a major triad. The sharpened third is what distinguishes it from E minor.

Question 17Music (IM syllabus content)

Which of these best describes the effect of a rallentando at the end of a phrase?

  1. The music gradually slows down towards the cadence Correct answer.
  2. The music grows louder towards the cadence
  3. The music gradually speeds up towards the cadence
  4. The music suddenly stops on the final chord

Explanation

Rallentando means gradually slowing, and it is often applied at phrase endings to heighten the sense of arrival. It is close in meaning to ritardando, though some treat it as implying a more pronounced broadening.

Question 18Music (IM syllabus content)

Which statement correctly describes the difference between a sequence and an imitation?

  1. A sequence repeats a figure at a new pitch level, while imitation restates a melody in another voice Correct answer.
  2. Both terms describe the same device and are interchangeable
  3. A sequence is a cadence, while imitation is a texture
  4. A sequence restates a melody in another voice, while imitation repeats a figure at a new pitch level

Explanation

A sequence is a melodic or harmonic figure repeated in the same part at a higher or lower pitch. Imitation transfers a melodic idea to a different voice, as in a canon.

Question 19Music (IM syllabus content)

A piece contains a passage marked 'poco a poco crescendo'. What does this indicate?

  1. A slight slowing of the tempo
  2. A sudden loud accent followed by silence
  3. A gradual increase in loudness little by little Correct answer.
  4. An immediate drop to very soft playing

Explanation

'Poco a poco' means little by little, and 'crescendo' means growing louder, so the marking asks for a gradual increase in volume over a period. It is a dynamic instruction, not a tempo change.

Question 20Music (IM syllabus content)

Which of the following is the most characteristic feature of a fugue subject?

  1. It must be in triple time
  2. It is always harmonised in parallel thirds
  3. It is accompanied by a ground bass throughout
  4. It is a distinctive melodic line that can be imitated by successive entries Correct answer.

Explanation

A fugue subject is a short, memorable line designed to be answered by other voices in close imitation. Its shape must suit imitation, which is why it often has clear contours and rhythmic identity.

Question 21Music (IM syllabus content)

A melody in A minor uses the notes A–B–C–D–E–F–G sharp–A. Which scale form is being used?

  1. Melodic minor ascending
  2. Whole-tone scale
  3. Harmonic minor Correct answer.
  4. Natural minor

Explanation

The harmonic minor scale raises the seventh degree of the natural minor, giving G sharp in A minor, while the sixth stays natural. The resulting augmented second between F and G sharp is its signature interval.

Question 22Music (IM syllabus content)

In a four-part SATB texture, which voice normally carries the melody and which normally provides the harmonic foundation?

  1. Soprano and alto
  2. Soprano and bass Correct answer.
  3. Alto and tenor
  4. Bass and tenor

Explanation

The soprano line is conventionally given the melody, while the bass supplies the harmonic foundation and defines the chord roots. The alto and tenor fill in the inner parts.

Question 23Music (IM syllabus content)

A composer writes a passage that moves from C major to A flat major. How would this relationship best be described?

  1. Chromatic mediant Correct answer.
  2. Parallel major
  3. Subdominant
  4. Relative major

Explanation

A flat major lies a major third below C major, so the two keys are chromatic mediants sharing no common chord function in the diatonic scheme. Such moves became common in Romantic harmony for colour rather than function.

Question 24Music (IM syllabus content)

A chord progression in a minor key uses the chords i–iv–V–i. Why does the V chord appear as a major chord?

  1. Because the leading note is raised to create a stronger dominant Correct answer.
  2. Because the natural minor scale already contains a major dominant
  3. Because the tonic is raised by a semitone
  4. Because the subdominant is chromatically altered

Explanation

In a minor key the diatonic chord on the fifth degree is minor, so a major dominant requires raising the leading note, usually through the harmonic minor form. This creates the strong semitone pull to the tonic needed for a convincing cadence.

Question 25Music (IM syllabus content)

Which harmonic feature most clearly distinguishes a plagal cadence from a perfect cadence in the same key?

  1. The plagal cadence uses I–V, whereas the perfect cadence uses V–I
  2. The plagal cadence uses ii–V, whereas the perfect cadence uses V–I
  3. The plagal cadence uses V–vi, whereas the perfect cadence uses V–I
  4. The plagal cadence uses IV–I, whereas the perfect cadence uses V–I Correct answer.

Explanation

A plagal cadence moves from the subdominant chord to the tonic, giving the familiar amen close, while a perfect cadence moves from dominant to tonic. The two are distinguished by which pre-tonic chord is used.

Question 26Music (IM syllabus content)

Which cadence moves from chord V to chord vi in a major key and is often used to extend a phrase?

  1. Imperfect cadence
  2. Interrupted cadence Correct answer.
  3. Plagal cadence
  4. Perfect cadence

Explanation

An interrupted (deceptive) cadence substitutes chord vi for the expected tonic after chord V, producing a surprise and often extending the phrase. It is common in major keys where V–vi creates a gentle deflection.

Question 27Music (IM syllabus content)

Which tempo marking indicates a walking pace, faster than adagio but slower than allegro?

  1. Largo
  2. Andante Correct answer.
  3. Presto
  4. Vivace

Explanation

Andante literally means 'walking' and sits between the slow adagio and the brisk allegro on the tempo scale. It is one of the most common moderate tempo indications in the syllabus repertoire.

Question 28Music (IM syllabus content)

A melody is marked with a slur over several different pitches. What does the slur indicate the performer should do?

  1. Accent the first note of the group
  2. Play the notes legato, smoothly connected Correct answer.
  3. Play the notes staccato and detached
  4. Repeat the group of notes twice

Explanation

A slur groups notes to be performed legato, meaning smoothly and without noticeable breaks between them. It is distinct from a tie, which joins notes of the same pitch into a single sustained sound.

Question 29Music (IM syllabus content)

In 6/8 time, how many dotted crotchets fit into one complete bar?

  1. Two Correct answer.
  2. Four
  3. Three
  4. Six

Explanation

6/8 contains six quavers per bar, grouped as two beats of three quavers each. A dotted crotchet equals three quavers, so exactly two dotted crotchets fill the bar.

Question 30Music (IM syllabus content)

Which dynamic marking asks for a sudden, strong accent on a single note or chord?

  1. Mezzo piano
  2. Legato
  3. Diminuendo
  4. Sforzando Correct answer.

Explanation

Sforzando (often written sfz) calls for a sudden forceful accent on a note or chord. It is a dynamic accent rather than a gradual change of volume.

Question 31Music (IM syllabus content)

Which interval is formed between the tonic and the subdominant of a major scale?

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

Explanation

The subdominant lies a fourth above the tonic, so the interval between them is a perfect fourth. For example, in C major the tonic C to the subdominant F spans five semitones.

Question 32Music (IM syllabus content)

Which term describes a short melodic or rhythmic idea that recurs throughout a piece as a unifying label?

  1. Coda
  2. Cadenza
  3. Motive Correct answer.
  4. Fermata

Explanation

A motive is a brief, recognisable musical idea that can be repeated, varied or developed to unify a piece. It is typically shorter than a theme or subject.

Question 33Music (IM syllabus content)

A piece is written in the key signature of three sharps. Which major key does this indicate?

  1. D major
  2. E major
  3. A major Correct answer.
  4. G major

Explanation

The order of sharps is F, C, G, D, A, E, B, so three sharps give F sharp, C sharp and G sharp. The major key with these three sharps is A major, one semitone above the last sharp.

Question 34Music (IM syllabus content)

Which note value is half the length of a minim?

  1. Quaver
  2. Semiquaver
  3. Semibreve
  4. Crotchet Correct answer.

Explanation

A minim lasts two beats in a crotchet-based metre, and a crotchet lasts one, so a crotchet is exactly half a minim. Each step down the note-value ladder halves the duration.

Question 35Music (IM syllabus content)

Which texture describes two or more independent melodic lines sounding together, each with its own contour?

  1. Heterophonic
  2. Homophonic
  3. Monophonic
  4. Polyphonic Correct answer.

Explanation

Polyphony consists of several independent melodic lines sounding simultaneously, as in a motet or fugue. The interest lies in the interplay between the separate parts rather than in a single melody with accompaniment.

Question 36Music (IM syllabus content)

A sonata-form movement begins with an exposition. What normally follows the exposition?

  1. Recapitulation
  2. Introduction
  3. Coda
  4. Development Correct answer.

Explanation

Sonata form typically orders its sections as exposition, development and recapitulation. The development follows the exposition and treats its themes through modulation, fragmentation and sequence.

Question 37Music (IM syllabus content)

Which harmonic device involves a temporary shift to a new key without a change of key signature, often confirmed by a cadence?

  1. Syncopation
  2. Modulation Correct answer.
  3. Pedal point
  4. Ornamentation

Explanation

A modulation is a change of tonal centre, and it can occur without a new key signature in the score. It is usually confirmed by an imperfect or perfect cadence in the new key.

Question 38Music (IM syllabus content)

A phrase in 3/4 moves from a crotchet on beat one to a quaver on beat three. How many quavers' duration separates the two attacks?

  1. Three
  2. Five
  3. Two
  4. Four Correct answer.

Explanation

From beat one to beat three spans two full crotchet beats, which equals four quavers. Counting beat one, beat two and the start of beat three gives a gap of four quaver lengths.

Question 39Music (IM syllabus content)

Which ornament consists of a rapid alternation between a written note and the note above it?

  1. Trill Correct answer.
  2. Mordent
  3. Appoggiatura
  4. Turn

Explanation

A trill alternates rapidly between the principal note and the note a step above it. It is usually indicated by the letters tr above the note.

Question 40Music (IM syllabus content)

Which instrument belongs to the woodwind family and is pitched in B flat, sounding a major second below written pitch?

  1. Oboe
  2. Flute
  3. Bassoon
  4. Clarinet Correct answer.

Explanation

The standard clarinet is a transposing instrument in B flat, sounding a major second lower than written. When it reads a written C, the sounding pitch is B flat.

Question 41Music (IM syllabus content)

Which period is associated with the development of the symphony and string quartet through composers such as Haydn and Mozart?

  1. Baroque
  2. Renaissance
  3. Classical Correct answer.
  4. Romantic

Explanation

The Classical period, roughly 1750 to 1820, saw the symphony and string quartet established as major genres. Haydn and Mozart were central to shaping these forms.

Question 42Music (IM syllabus content)

A melody in a major key leaps from the leading note up to the mediant. Which interval is this in the key of C major?

  1. Minor third Correct answer.
  2. Perfect fourth
  3. Minor second
  4. Major third

Explanation

In C major the leading note is B and the mediant is E, a leap of three semitones. Three semitones form a minor third.

Question 43Music (IM syllabus content)

Which feature is typical of a Baroque concerto grosso?

  1. A solo keyboard instrument with no accompaniment
  2. A single virtuoso soloist with orchestra
  3. A small group of soloists contrasted with the full orchestra Correct answer.
  4. An unaccompanied vocal choir

Explanation

The concerto grosso sets a small group of soloists, the concertino, against the full ensemble, the ripieno. This contrast of forces is its defining feature.

Question 44Music (IM syllabus content)

A chord progression alternates repeatedly between chords I and V in a major key. Which harmonic description fits this pattern?

  1. A plagal cadence
  2. A circle-of-fifths progression
  3. A chromatic mediant shift
  4. A tonic-dominant oscillation Correct answer.

Explanation

Alternating between chord I and chord V keeps the harmony within a single key, rocking between tonic and dominant. This oscillation is a common way to establish or prolong a key.

Question 45Music (IM syllabus content)

A composer writes a melody that repeats the same shape one step higher each time. Which device is being used?

  1. Inversion
  2. Augmentation
  3. Retrograde
  4. Real sequence Correct answer.

Explanation

A real sequence repeats a melodic pattern at a new pitch level, here one step higher each time. The interval relationships are preserved exactly in each repetition.

Question 46Music (IM syllabus content)

Which characteristic best identifies a mode that uses the notes of C major but starts and ends on A?

  1. Mixolydian mode
  2. Phrygian mode
  3. Dorian mode
  4. Aeolian mode Correct answer.

Explanation

The Aeolian mode on A uses the same notes as C major and corresponds to the natural minor scale. It runs A to A with a minor third and a minor sixth above the final.

Question 47Music (IM syllabus content)

A passage in E minor uses the chords i, iv and V, with the V chord containing D sharp. Which scale supplies the notes for this dominant chord?

  1. Natural minor
  2. Harmonic minor Correct answer.
  3. Major pentatonic
  4. Melodic minor descending

Explanation

The harmonic minor scale raises the seventh degree, giving D sharp in E minor, which creates the major dominant chord V. This raised leading note strengthens the pull to the tonic.

Question 48Music (IM syllabus content)

Which harmonic device is heard when a sustained tonic note continues beneath chords that move away from the tonic key?

  1. Suspension
  2. Tonic pedal Correct answer.
  3. Modulation
  4. Sequence

Explanation

A tonic pedal holds the tonic note in the bass while the harmonies above move, creating tension between the sustained note and the changing chords. It often reinforces the home key before a close.

Question 49Music (IM syllabus content)

A four-part chorale moves from a first-inversion tonic chord to a root-position dominant chord. Which description of the bass motion is correct?

  1. The bass falls by a third Correct answer.
  2. The bass falls by a second
  3. The bass rises by a fourth
  4. The bass rises by a fifth

Explanation

In a first-inversion tonic chord the third of the chord is in the bass; moving to a root-position dominant chord places the dominant root in the bass. For example, in C major the bass moves from E to G, a fall of a third.

Question 50Music (IM syllabus content)

A composer sets a text about a storm using rapid tremolo strings, a low rumbling bass and sudden dynamic contrasts. Which term best describes this approach?

  1. Ground bass
  2. Word painting Correct answer.
  3. Canon
  4. Ostinato

Explanation

Word painting uses musical devices to depict the meaning of the text, such as tremolo and rumbling bass for a storm. The music literally illustrates the words being sung.