Zambia School Certificate / GCE — Musical Arts Education (6020)

On the treble (G) staff, which pitch sits on the second line from the bottom?

• AMiddle C
• BG above middle C
• CF below middle C
• DA above the staff

What pitch does the fourth line of the bass staff name when the F clef is used?

• AG above middle C
• BMiddle C
• CF below middle C
• DE on the lowest line

Where is middle C written when the grand staff joins treble and bass clefs?

• AOn the top line of the bass staff
• BOn a ledger line between the two staves
• COn the bottom line of the treble staff
• DIn the third space of the treble staff

In simple time with a crotchet beat, how many beats does a minim last?

• AHalf a beat
• BOne beat
• CTwo beats
• DFour beats

Which rest has the same duration as a crotchet?

• ASemibreve rest
• BMinim rest
• CCrotchet rest
• DQuaver rest

A dotted crotchet in simple time with a crotchet beat is equal to which combination?

• AA crotchet plus a minim
• BA crotchet plus a quaver
• CTwo crotchets only
• DA quaver plus a semiquaver

What is the difference between a tie and a slur in staff notation?

• AA tie always means staccato; a slur always means an accent
• BA tie joins two notes of the same pitch into one duration; a slur joins different pitches…
• CA tie is used only in compound time; a slur is used only in simple time
• DA tie changes the pitch by a semitone; a slur cancels accidentals

In the Form 1 syllabus, what do the tonal inflectors sharp, flat, and natural do?

• ASharp lowers a pitch by a tone, flat raises it by a tone, and natural doubles the duration
• BSharp raises a pitch by a semitone, flat lowers it by a semitone, and natural cancels a p…
• CAll three signs move a note up by a whole tone
• DThey only change dynamics, not pitch

Which pair is an enharmonic equivalent?

• AC sharp and C flat
• BC sharp and D flat
• CG and G sharp
• DE and F sharp

What is the tone–semitone pattern of a major scale?

• ATone, semitone, tone, tone, semitone, tone, tone
• BTone, tone, semitone, tone, tone, tone, semitone
• CSemitone, tone, tone, semitone, tone, tone, tone
• DTone, tone, tone, semitone, tone, tone, semitone

Which key signature belongs to G major?

• AOne flat (B flat)
• BTwo sharps (F sharp and C sharp)
• COne sharp (F sharp)
• DNo sharps or flats

What is the relative minor of C major?

• AC minor
• BA minor
• CG minor
• DE minor

In tonic sol-fa, which syllable names the tonic (first degree) of a major scale?

• ASo
• BMi
• CDo
• DTi

What is the effect of a double sharp on a written F?

• AIt raises F by one semitone to F sharp
• BIt raises F by a whole tone, sounding as G
• CIt lowers F by a whole tone, sounding as E flat
• DIt cancels all sharps in the key signature

What is the technical name of the third degree of a major scale?

• ASupertonic
• BMediant
• CSubdominant
• DLeading note

The alto C clef places middle C on the middle line. Which orchestral string instrument most commonly reads this clef?

• AViolin
• BDouble bass
• CViola
• DHarp

In Form 1 rhythm work, what is the pulse of a piece of music?

• AThe highest pitch in the melody
• BThe steady underlying beat you can clap or tap
• CThe number of sharps in the key signature
• DThe name of the first cadence

Which time signature is simple duple metre?

• A3/4
• B2/4
• C6/8
• D9/8

A piece in 3/4 is in which simple metre?

• ASimple duple
• BSimple triple
• CSimple quadruple
• DCompound duple

Why is 4/4 described as simple quadruple time?

• AThere are three dotted-crotchet beats in the bar
• BThere are two beats in the bar and each beat divides into three
• CThere are four beats in the bar and each beat divides into two
• DThe bar can contain only semibreves

6/8 is classified as which metre?

• ASimple duple
• BSimple triple
• CCompound duple
• DCompound quadruple

Which time signature is compound triple?

• A3/4
• B6/8
• C9/8
• D12/8

How many dotted-crotchet beats are felt in a bar of 12/8?

• ATwo
• BThree
• CFour
• DTwelve crotchet beats

In 6/8, which grouping correctly shows two compound beats?

• ASix separate unbeamed quavers with no grouping
• BTwo groups of three quavers (3 + 3)
• CThree groups of two quavers (2 + 2 + 2)
• DOne group of four quavers plus two isolated quavers

What is syncopation?

• AModulating to the relative minor
• BPlaying every note staccato
• CAccenting a weak beat or the off-beat so the expected strong beat is displaced
• DUsing only conjunct stepwise motion

What is the essential difference between simple and compound time?

• ASimple time is always slow; compound time is always fast
• BSimple time uses only crotchets; compound time uses only minims
• CIn simple time the beat divides into two; in compound time the beat divides into three
• DSimple time has no bar-lines; compound time has double bar-lines

A melody that moves mainly by step is described as having which motion?

• ADisjunct motion
• BConjunct motion
• CHomophonic motion
• DCompound motion

In melody writing, what is a motif?

• AA complete twelve-bar song form
• BThe final cadence of a four-part hymn
• CA short distinctive musical idea that can be repeated or developed
• DThe Italian word for a very slow tempo

Call and response is listed in the syllabus as a feature of which musical form?

• ATwelve-tone serial form
• BSonata-allegro form only
• CBinary form
• DThrough-composed Lied form only

In a balanced pair of phrases, the antecedent (question) is usually followed by what?

• AA random twelve-tone row
• BThe consequent (answer) phrase
• CA change of time signature only
• DAn obligatory key-signature cancellation

Binary form is best summarised by which letter scheme?

• AA only, repeated without contrast
• BAB
• CABA
• DABACA

Ternary form returns to the opening material after a contrasting middle. Which scheme matches that design?

• AAB
• BABCDE
• CABA
• DAA only

Which letter scheme represents rondo form as listed in the Form 2 syllabus?

• AAB
• BABA
• CABACA
• DAABB

In theme and variation form, what stays recognisable while other features change?

• AOnly the performer, who must change instruments each variation
• BOnly the time signature, which must never change
• CThe core theme, even when rhythm, melody, or harmony is varied
• DThe key signature, which is forbidden to change

Form 2 melody writing asks learners to construct a melody of what length after the Form 1 four-bar task?

• ATwo bars only
• BEight bars
• CThirty-two bars with no phrases
• DA single unbound motif

When composing a twelve-bar melody, which syllabus technique repeats a motif at a higher or lower pitch?

• ADouble-flat cancellation
• BStaccato marking only
• CSequencing
• DRemoving the time signature

The Form 1 syllabus describes melodic shape using images such as valleys, waves, and hills. What is being analysed?

• AThe page number of the score
• BThe brand of the keyboard
• CThe contour of the melody
• DThe seating plan of the choir

Minuet and trio form, studied in Form 3, is closest to which larger design?

• AA single-phrase recitative
• BAn unending rondo that never restates A
• CA ternary (ABA) plan in which the trio is the contrasting middle and the minuet returns
• DA twelve-tone inversion canon only

According to the Form 2 syllabus, a diatonic melody may be transposed by which methods?

• ABy reversing the time signature numbers
• BBy deleting bar-lines only
• CBy key, by interval, or by clef
• DBy changing the composer’s name

Form 2 translating asks learners to convert a diatonic melody in which two notations?

• ANeumes and guitar chord boxes only
• BTablature and figured bass only
• CGraphic scores and Morse code
• DStaff notation and tonic sol-fa (and the reverse)

A triad is built from which three chord tones?

• ABass, tenor, and conductor
• BRoot, sixth, and ninth only
• CTonic, leading note, and flattened second
• DRoot, third, and fifth

A major triad is formed by which intervals above the root?

• AA minor third and a diminished fifth
• BA major third and a perfect fifth
• CA perfect fourth and a minor sixth
• DTwo stacked perfect fourths

How does a minor triad differ from a major triad on the same root?

• AAn extra leading note is added
• BThe fifth is raised by a tone
• CThe root is omitted
• DThe third is lowered by a semitone

When the third of a triad is in the bass, the chord is in which position?

• ARoot position
• BFirst inversion
• CSecond inversion
• DThird inversion

Which three chords are the primary triads in a major key?

• AI, ii, and iii only
• Bii, iii, and vi
• Ciii, vi, and vii°
• DI, IV, and V

A perfect cadence is the progression of which two chords?

• AV to vi
• BIV to I
• CI to V
• DV to I

Which progression is a plagal cadence?

• AV–I
• BIV–I
• CV–vi
• Dii–V

An imperfect cadence typically ends on which chord?

• AThe tonic (I)
• BThe dominant (V)
• CThe submediant (vi)
• DA rest with no chord