Chorus Fall Exam Study Guide
MIXED CHORUS
Students—the following concepts will be on the final exam. Study!
Basic Music Comprehension:
a. Elements of a musical staff—lines and spaces (note names), barlines, double barline, leger lines, repeat signs, D.S. al Coda, treble/G clef, bass/F clef, etc.
b. Music symbols—DYNAMICS, note types and rests (quarter, whole, half, eighth, dotted variations)
c. Counting rhythms (how long the notes are, counting in measures, adding rhythms together)
d. Music alphabet—A-G
e. Time signatures/meter: 4/4, 3/4, 2/4, 6/8, 3/8, etc.
Sample questions/content:
a. Identify the notes printed on the staff by letter name.
b. Identify notes based on note type… “this note [ o ] is a ______note” and gets ______counts”, etc.
c. What do you do when you have a D.S. al Coda?
d. Put the names of the lines and spaces on the staff for both treble and bass clefs.
e. Add the following note values together to get 1 total number of beats…
f. How do you find “C” when you have an alto clef?
g. How many eighth notes fit in a measure in 6/8 meter?
h. Draw an Ab on the staff provided…
Physiology of the Voice:
All elements from Physiology presentation (review past test); presentation is still online at www.panthercreekchorus.com
- Names of anatomy
- Process of breathing and vocal production
- Illness and disease descriptions/treatment
Sample questions/content:
1. Describe the process of inhalation/exhalation using anatomical terms
2. Describe how the larynx (and what it contains) is important to singing.
3. How much water should one drink a day to promote good vocal health?
4. What are Hertz?
5. What are accuators?
6. Define GERD:
Singing Content:
Basic descriptions of good singing technique.
a. Posture
b. Resonance (singing tone and roundness—or lack there of)
c. Breathing/diaphragmatic process (breathing muscles and how they move-covered in physiology unit)
Sample questions/content:
a. What is proper singing posture? Standing? Sitting? Why is posture important?
b. How do you create ideal singing resonance? What should you do with your jaw/mouth/throat/tongue, etc. to create this resonance? What is vowel modification and how should it be used on high notes? In general—what vowel do we want to “move toward” on most notes? How do vowel “shapes” affect resonance and intonation (being “in-tune”)?
c. In what direction does the diaphragm move during exhalation (breathing out)? During inhalation (breathing in)? In what general direction does the stomach appear to move during this process?
d. What aspects do you think you could personally work on to become a better singer?
Solfege Content:
a. History—Latin words
b. Hand signs
Sample questions/content:
a. List the 7 solfege syllables for a major scale
b. Identify the solfege syllables of a short song based on a given starting syllable.
c. Identify “Do” given a flat key signature. Identify “Do” given a sharp key signature.
d. Given pictures of the hand signs, label which is the corresponding symbol
Key Signature/Major Scale Content:
a. Sharps: Order of sharps (FCGDAEB); finding “Do”/scale that the key signature suggests (find farthest sharp to the right in a sharp key signature—name it—go up ½ step to find “do”); finding the sharp key signature based on a given solfege syllable (like “Do”). HINT: study any previous quizzes that you have kept
b. Flats: Order of flats (BEADGCF); finding “Do”/scale that the key signature suggests (find the second to last flat; name it; that IS the name of “Do”; add a flat to the name [except if F is Do]); finding the flats key signature based on a given solfege syllable (like “Do”). HINT: study any previous quizzes that you have kept
c. No key signature—“C = Do”
d. Order of whole and half steps in a major scale: WWHWWWH
e. Characteristics of a major scale: alternate by lines and spaces, top and bottom note are same name, named by bottom note, use all letters of the music alphabet, if bottom note is space then top is line (& vice-versa)
f. Enharmonics are 2 names for the same sounding note (Eb and D# are enharmonics)
g. LABEL notes on piano keyboard (including flats and sharps)
Sample questions/content:
a. If you have 1 flat, which flat is it? What note would be “do”?
b. If you have 3 flats, which 3 flats would they be? What note would be “do”?
c. If you have no sharps or flats, what is “do”?
d. If you have 2 sharps, which 2 would they be?
e. How do you find Do when you have a key signature with flats? With sharps?
f. Given the following key signature, tell what “do” would be…
g. What notes are in a Db major scale? E major scale? G major scale?