Music · Unit 18

Advanced Theory and Analysis

Modes, extended chords, modulation, analysis and acoustics

The final unit covers the tools needed to analyse music rather than only to read it, plus the physics that explains why any of it sounds the way it does.

It covers modes, seventh and extended chords, modulation, analytical method, and acoustics and orchestration.

This unit breaks down into 23 short steps and 121 questions, starting at difficulty 3 and building to 5. Below you can see exactly what it covers, how the path is structured, and worked examples with explanations.

Steps: 23
Questions: 121
Difficulty: 3-5

What this unit covers

Modes
Seventh and Extended Chords
Modulation
Musical Analysis
Acoustics and Orchestration

Where this fits

The last unit in the track. Needs Harmony and Texture and Form and Structure.

Where people slip

Modes are not simply scales starting on different notes. Treating them that way loses the point - what makes a mode is which note functions as home and the intervals around it.

How the unit is structured

Advanced Theory and Analysis runs as 23 short steps that unlock in order. 17 are practice rounds and 6 are challenge rounds that pull together everything before them. Questions start at difficulty 3 and climb to 5 as you progress.

Step 1 · easierStep 23 · harder

Challenge rounds

Example questions

30 real questions from this unit, with the answer and the reason behind it, grouped by what they practise. There are 121 in the unit altogether.

Acoustics and Orchestration

Fill the blankLevel 3
1. The lowest note of the harmonic series, which we usually hear as the pitch of a sound, is called the ____.
- fundamentalcorrect
- overtone
- harmonic
- timbre
The fundamental is the lowest and strongest frequency, and it sets the perceived pitch.
Guess the numberLevel 3
2. In standard modern concert tuning, how many Hertz is the note A above middle C?
Answer: 440 Hz
Modern orchestras tune to A4 = 440 Hz.
Multiple choiceLevel 3
3. The series of pitches produced by a vibrating string above its lowest note is called the...
- Harmonic seriescorrect
- Chromatic scale
- Circle of fifths
- Pentatonic scale
The harmonic series is the set of overtones sounding above a fundamental pitch.
Put in orderLevel 3
4. Order the intervals formed between successive notes of the harmonic series, starting from the lowest pair of harmonics.
Answer: Octave -> Perfect fifth -> Perfect fourth -> Major third
As you climb the harmonic series, successive harmonics form ever-smaller intervals: octave, then fifth, then fourth, then major third.
True or falseLevel 3
5. Timbre (tone color) is largely determined by the relative strength of the overtones in a sound.
Answer: True
Different mixes of overtones are why a flute and a violin playing the same note sound different.
Choose all that applyLevel 4
6. Which of these are transposing instruments?
- Bb clarinetcorrect
- French horn in Fcorrect
- Eb alto saxophonecorrect
- Violin
- Trombone
The Bb clarinet, F horn and Eb alto saxophone all transpose, while the violin and trombone read at concert pitch.

Modes

Choose all that applyLevel 3
7. Which of the following are among the seven diatonic church modes?
- Doriancorrect
- Lydiancorrect
- Locriancorrect
- Pentatonic
- Chromatic
Dorian, Lydian and Locrian are diatonic modes; pentatonic and chromatic scales are not modes.
Fill the blankLevel 3
8. The mode built on the white keys from E to E, known for its lowered second degree, is called ____.
- Phrygiancorrect
- Dorian
- Lydian
- Locrian
Phrygian's flattened second degree gives it a dark, Spanish-tinged sound.
Match the pairsLevel 3
9. Match each mode with the white-key note it starts on.
Answer: Ionian = C; Dorian = D; Phrygian = E; Lydian = F; Aeolian = A
Each mode is a rotation of the C major scale beginning on a different white key.
Multiple choiceLevel 3
10. Which of the seven diatonic modes uses exactly the same intervals as the natural major scale?
- Ioniancorrect
- Dorian
- Aeolian
- Locrian
Ionian follows the same pattern of whole and half steps as the major scale, so they are the same thing.
Odd one outLevel 3
11. Three of these modes have a minor (lowered) third. Which one is the odd mode with a major third?
- Lydiancorrect
- Dorian
- Phrygian
- Aeolian
Lydian has a major third, while Dorian, Phrygian and Aeolian all have a minor third.
Put in orderLevel 4
12. Order these four modes from the brightest to the darkest in overall sound.
Answer: Lydian -> Mixolydian -> Aeolian -> Locrian
Each step here lowers a scale degree, so the sound moves from bright Lydian down to shadowy Locrian.

Modulation

Choose all that applyLevel 3
13. Which keys are closely related to C major?
- G majorcorrect
- F majorcorrect
- A minorcorrect
- F# major
- Db major
G major, F major and A minor each differ from C major by no more than one accidental.
Fill the blankLevel 3
14. Keys that differ by only one sharp or flat from the home key are called ____ related keys.
- closelycorrect
- distantly
- chromatically
- enharmonically
Closely related keys sit next to each other on the circle of fifths and share most of their notes.
Multiple choiceLevel 3
15. In music theory, modulation means which of the following?
- Changing from one key to another within a piececorrect
- Gradually getting louder
- Speeding up the tempo
- Adding a new instrument
Modulation is the process of moving from one key to another during a piece.
Odd one outLevel 3
16. Three of these keys are closely related to C major. Which one is NOT closely related?
- F# majorcorrect
- G major
- F major
- A minor
F# major sits far from C major on the circle of fifths, while the others are closely related.
True or falseLevel 3
17. A pivot chord (common-chord) modulation uses a chord that belongs to both the old key and the new key.
Answer: True
The shared pivot chord makes the change of key feel smooth and natural.
Put in orderLevel 5
18. Starting at C major and moving clockwise (adding one sharp each step) on the circle of fifths, put these keys in order.
Answer: C major -> G major -> D major -> A major
Each clockwise fifth adds a sharp: C, then G, then D, then A.

Musical Analysis

Fill the blankLevel 3
19. A cadence that moves from V to I and gives a strong sense of ending is called a(n) ____ cadence.
- authenticcorrect
- plagal
- half
- deceptive
The V to I motion of an authentic cadence sounds final and complete.
Multiple choiceLevel 3
20. In Roman numeral analysis, an uppercase numeral such as V usually stands for which chord quality?
- Majorcorrect
- Minor
- Diminished
- Augmented
Uppercase Roman numerals show major chords, while lowercase numerals show minor chords.
Sort into groupsLevel 3
21. Sort each chord in a major key by its harmonic function.
Answer: I = Tonic; vi = Tonic; IV = Predominant; ii = Predominant; V = Dominant; vii = Dominant
I and vi feel like home (tonic), ii and IV lead onward (predominant), and V and vii create tension (dominant).
True or falseLevel 3
22. A half cadence ends on the dominant chord (V), leaving the music sounding unfinished.
Answer: True
A half cadence pauses on V, so it feels like a musical question waiting to be answered.
Odd one outLevel 4
23. Three of these are types of non-chord tone. Which one is a rhythmic device, not a non-chord tone?
- Hemiolacorrect
- Suspension
- Passing tone
- Neighbor tone
Hemiola is a rhythmic effect, while suspensions, passing tones and neighbor tones are all non-chord tones.
Choose all that applyLevel 5
24. Which of these are non-chord tones defined by how they are approached and left?
- Suspensioncorrect
- Escape tonecorrect
- Anticipationcorrect
- Hemiola
- Modulation
Suspensions, escape tones and anticipations are non-chord tones; hemiola and modulation are not.

Seventh and Extended Chords

Choose all that applyLevel 3
25. Which of these are real qualities of seventh chord?
- Major seventhcorrect
- Dominant seventhcorrect
- Half-diminished seventhcorrect
- Perfect seventh
- Augmented triad
Major, dominant and half-diminished are genuine seventh chord qualities; the others are not seventh chords.
Fill the blankLevel 3
26. The plain chord symbol C7 (a letter name followed by 7) refers to a ____ seventh chord.
- dominantcorrect
- major
- minor
- half-diminished
A plain 7 after a letter name always means a dominant seventh chord.
Match the pairsLevel 3
27. Match each chord symbol with the quality of seventh chord it names.
Answer: Cmaj7 = Major seventh; C7 = Dominant seventh; Cm7 = Minor seventh; Cm7b5 = Half-diminished seventh
The symbol after a letter name tells you the exact seventh chord quality.
Multiple choiceLevel 3
28. A dominant seventh chord is built from a major triad plus which added interval above the root?
- A minor seventhcorrect
- A major seventh
- A perfect fifth
- A major sixth
A dominant seventh adds a minor seventh above a major triad, as in G-B-D-F.
True or falseLevel 3
29. A major seventh chord is a major triad with a major seventh added on top, such as C-E-G-B.
Answer: True
A major seventh chord stacks a major seventh above a major triad, giving a warm, lush sound.
Type the answerLevel 3
30. What is the tense interval hidden between the third and seventh of a dominant seventh chord?
Answer: tritone
The third and seventh of a dominant seventh form a tritone, the source of its restless pull.

Where these questions come from. Each unit starts as a plan of the concepts it should cover and the difficulty it should span. Questions are written against that plan with AI assistance, then checked by a validator that rejects anything without a single defensible answer, an explanation, or plausible wrong options. How we write questions sets out the whole process, and corrections are fixed in the bank and reach the site and the app the same day.

How you practise

This unit mixes 10 different question formats, so you are recalling and applying rather than recognising the same layout every time.

Choose all that apply
Fill the blank
Guess the number
Match the pairs
Multiple choice
Odd one out
Put in order
Sort into groups
True or false
Type the answer

Practise Advanced Theory and Analysis

121 questions across 23 steps. Start with step one and crawl at your own pace.

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