Praxis Music cheat sheet

Order of sharps: F-C-G-D-A-E-B; order of flats: B-E-A-D-G-C-F. The last sharp names the key; the second-to-last flat names the key.

Relative minor is a minor third below its major; its key signature is identical. Harmonic minor raises scale degree 7; melodic minor raises 6 and 7 ascending and reverts to natural minor descending.

Triad qualities by interval content: major (M3 + m3), minor (m3 + M3), diminished (m3 + m3), augmented (M3 + M3).

Roman numeral analysis: uppercase = major/dominant triads, lowercase = minor, lowercase with degree sign = diminished, uppercase with plus = augmented.

Diatonic seventh chords in major: Imaj7, ii7, iii7, IVmaj7, V7, vi7, viiø7.

Cadence types: authentic (V-I), half (ends on V), plagal (IV-I), deceptive (V-vi), and Phrygian half cadence (iv6-V in minor).

Circle of fifths: adding one sharp moves up a perfect fifth; adding one flat moves down a perfect fifth. Enharmonic keys (B/Cb, F#/Gb) share pitch content.

Secondary dominant is V7 of a diatonic chord other than tonic, labeled V7/x; it typically contains a chromatic raised tone resolving upward.

Counterpoint species: first = note against note; second = two notes against one; third = four against one; fourth = syncopated suspensions; fifth = florid.

Medieval: Gregorian chant (monophonic, modal, Latin liturgy); organum at Notre Dame (Leonin, Perotin) adds parallel and then florid polyphony.

Renaissance: imitative polyphony and the mass/motet; Josquin, Palestrina (Counter-Reformation clarity), and the English madrigal (Morley, Weelkes).

Baroque hallmarks: basso continuo, terraced dynamics, ritornello form, and functional tonality. Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, and Monteverdi mark the era's span.

Classical: sonata-allegro form (exposition-development-recapitulation), string quartet, and symphony. Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven define the Viennese school.

Romantic: expanded orchestra, chromatic harmony, program music, and Lieder. Schubert, Berlioz, Chopin, Wagner (music drama, leitmotif), and Brahms.

Twentieth century: Debussy and Ravel (impressionism), Stravinsky (primitivism, neoclassicism), Schoenberg (twelve-tone serialism), and Copland (American nationalism).

American vernacular roots: blues (12-bar, AAB text), ragtime (syncopated piano, Joplin), and early jazz (New Orleans, swing, bebop).

Notable works anchor dates: Bach's Brandenburg Concertos, Handel's Messiah (1741), Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 (1808), Stravinsky's Rite of Spring (1913).

Dynamic markings from softest to loudest: ppp, pp, p, mp, mf, f, ff, fff; crescendo and decrescendo indicate gradual change.

Tempo terms from slowest to fastest: grave, largo, adagio, andante, moderato, allegro, vivace, presto; accelerando and ritardando modify.

Articulation: staccato (detached), legato (smooth), accent (stress), marcato (strong accent), tenuto (full value), and fermata (held).

Conducting patterns: duple (2), triple (3, with beat 2 outward), quadruple (4, with beats 2 and 3 inward), and compound meters beat in groups of three.

Breath support in singing and wind playing relies on diaphragmatic (abdominal) inhalation and controlled exhalation; posture aligns the airway.

Instrument ranges and transposition: Bb trumpet sounds a major second lower than written; F horn sounds a perfect fifth lower; double bass sounds an octave lower.

Ornament execution: trill alternates principal note and upper neighbor; mordent alternates with lower neighbor; turn uses upper, principal, lower, principal.

Intonation adjustment: on string instruments, fingers move toward the bridge to raise pitch and toward the scroll to lower pitch; brass and woodwinds adjust with embouchure or tuning slides.

Bloom's taxonomy levels (remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, create) guide sequencing of music objectives and assessments.

Orff approach: speech, movement, singing, and barred percussion; Kodaly: movable-do solfege, hand signs, folk-song sequencing; Dalcroze: eurhythmics and movement.

Gordon's Music Learning Theory sequences audiation through discrimination (aural/oral, verbal association, partial synthesis, symbolic association, composite synthesis) and inference levels.

NAfME national standards emphasize creating, performing, responding, and connecting; curriculum and assessment should align to these process strands.

Legal and ethical duties: obtain permission for copyrighted performance/recording, follow district policies on field trips and instrument repair funds, and maintain student confidentiality.

Professional advocacy uses student performance data, festival ratings, and enrollment trends to justify program funding and scheduling decisions.

Assessment types: formative (ongoing, feedback-oriented) versus summative (end-of-unit, graded); rubrics with descriptive criteria improve reliability in performance assessment.

Rehearsal planning principle: prioritize objectives, sequence warm-ups to target skills, and allocate time proportional to concert demands; closure reinforces the day's goal.