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Harpercraft Exams: Music Exam

The questions:

  • Question 1: Name the four major vocal parts. Which are male and which are female?
  • Question 2: List the progression of whole and half steps in a major scale.
  • Question 3: What are the notes in an A minor triad?
  • Question 4: What instruments in an Earth wind ensemble would not be included in a Pernese wind ensemble?
  • Question 5: What are the notes in a Cm whole-tone scale?

    Question 1: Name the four major vocal parts. Which are male and which are female? [4 points possible]

    Answer: Male: Bass, tenor. Female: Alto, soprano.

    Caelan: tenor-male bass-male soprano-female alto-female [4 points]
    Ellena: soprano (female), alto (female), tenor (male), bass (male). [4 points]
    Will: Soprano, alto=female. Tenor, bass=male [4 points]
    Arialla: Male parts are Tenor and Bass. Female parts are Alto and Soprano. [4 points]
    Loeree: Bass (lowest male) Tenor (high male) Alto (low female) sopranno (high female) [4 points]
    Azalea: From highest to lowest, they are as follows: soprano, female; alto, female; tenor, male; bass, male. [4 points]
    Zanadia: Bass, tenor: Male. Soprano, and baritone: female. [3 points]
    Ayanna: Male-Baritone, Tenor. Female-Alto, Sapprano [3 points]
    Reeba: MALE - Bass,Tenor FEMALE - Alto,Soprano [4 points]
    Usha: Female: Alto, Soprano. Male: Tenor, Baritone [3 points]
    Sapphira: Soprano(female), Alto(female), Tenor(male), Base*sp?*(male) [4 points]
    Saundethen: Soprano, alto, tenor, and bass; soprano and alto are female and tenor and bass are male. [4 points]
    Kandar: Male -- Bass/Tenor Female -- Alto/Soprano [4 points]
    Torlan: From highest to lowest, they are: Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bass (which also known as Baritone, although there is some discrepancy as to which is preferable, and many say that a Baritone is a higher Bass) [2 points]
    Kellira: Soprano--female, alto--female, tenor--male, bass--male [4 points]
    Oriana: Lowest (generally no lower than low C) to highest (generally no higher than high a, below high C), as follows: Male: Bass, Tenor; Female: Alto, Soprano. [4 points]
    Taliana: Soprano (female), Alto (female), Tenor (male), Bass (male). [4 points]
    Ambar: Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Baritone (or bass). The top two are typically female and the bottom two are typically male. [4 points]
    Kestria: Bass, tenor, alto, soprano. The first two are male parts, the latter two are female, generally speaking, although some men and women are capable of singing other parts. For example, a woman might be capable of singing tenor and a man might be capable of singing alto. Then there are also the mezzos and contras but I will leave these alone since the question was only referring to the /major/ vocal parts. [4 points]
    Rain: Soprano and Alto are female usually ;) while Tenor and Bass are the male parts, again usually. [4 points]
    Kaeryn: bass (male) tenor (male) alto (female) saprano (female) [4 points]
    Khayet: Soporano (female), Alto (female), Tenor (male), Baritone (male) [3 points]
    Kitessa: Soprano- female, Alto- female, Tenor- male Bass- male. However, there are such things as boy sopranos, and some men could probably sing falsetto and sing an alto part! [4 points]
    Laurenlee: Soprano(F), Alto(F), Tenor(M), Bass(M) *Men can sing all parts, though* [4 points]

    Return to the list of questions.

    Question 2: List the progression of whole and half steps in a major scale. [4 points possible]

    Answer: whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half step.

    Ellena: whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half. [4 points]
    Will: C,C#,D,D#,E,F,F#,G,G#,A,A#,B,C [1 points]
    Arialla: C major scale would be C D E F G A B C. D major would be D E F# G A B C# D. In other words, whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step. whole step, half step. [4 points]
    Loeree: using a C major scale as an example: (c-d) whole, (d-e) whole, (e-f) half, (f-g) whole, (g-a) whole, (a-b) whole, (b-c) half. Down: (c-b) half, (b-a) whole, (a-g) whole, (g-f) whole, (f-e) half, (e-d) whole, (d-c) whole. [4 points]
    Azalea: Whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half; or two tetrachords joined by a whole step. (A tetrachord is two whole steps followed by a half one.) [4 points]
    Zanadia: A-G [0 points]
    Reeba: C, C#, D, D#, E , F ,F# , G#, A, A#, B [0 points]
    Usha: Whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half. [4 points]
    Sapphira: I am doing an example instead of trying to explain. C, C#/Db, D, D#/Eb, E, F, F#/Gb, G, G#/Ab, A, A#/Bb, B, C [1 points]
    Saundethen: Whole-whole-half-whole-whole-whole-half [4 points]
    Kandar: whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half step [4 points]
    Oriana: Whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half. [4 points]
    Taliana: whole, whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half [4 points]
    Ambar: whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half. [4 points]
    Kestria: Whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half. I hope I read and understood this question correctly. I used C major as an example and my answer begins with the whole step from C to D, and goes on from there up to the half step from B to C. [4 points]
    Rain: whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half step. [4 points]
    Kaeryn: whole whole half whole whole whole half [4 points]
    Khayet: whole, whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half [4 points]
    Kitessa: Whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half. [4 points]
    Laurenlee: DO, RA, MI, FA, SO, LA, TI..that what you mean? [1 points]

    Return to the list of questions.

    Question 3: What are the notes in an A minor triad? [4 points possible]

    Answer: A C E

    Ellena: A-natural, C-natural, E-natural. [4 points]
    Arialla: A C E [4 points]
    Loeree: A C E [4 points]
    Zanadia: A, a flat, A sharp [0 points]
    Ayanna: A c e [4 points]
    Reeba: A, C, E [4 points]
    Usha: A, C. [2 points]
    Sapphira: Root note would be A, then up 3 halfsteps to C, and E I think. [4 points]
    Saundethen: A, C, E [4 points]
    Kandar: A-C-E [4 points]
    Torlan: A, C, and E. [4 points]
    Oriana: A, C, E. [4 points]
    Taliana: A, C, E [4 points]
    Ambar: a, c, e [4 points]
    Kestria: A, C, E. A minor being the relative minor to C major, there are no sharps or flats. [4 points]
    Rain: C and E... wait, that might be major... Oh well. [4 points]
    Kaeryn: A C E [4 points]
    Khayet: A, C flat, E [2 points]
    Kitessa: A, C natural, E. [4 points]
    Laurenlee: Uhh, no clue... [0 points]

    Return to the list of questions.

    Question 4: What instruments in an Earth wind ensemble would not be included in a Pernese wind ensemble? [4 points possible]

    Answer: According to Anne McCaffrey, all double reeds are non-Pernese. In addition, brass would be far rarer, and the only real single-reed instrument is the clarinet. You would likely also have fewer big bass instuments; wood is rarer on Pern, and therefore expensive.

    Ellena: Oboe, english horn, bassoon, saxophone, french horn, and tuba (unless you count serpent horn). [4 points]
    Arialla: There would be no oboe, clarinets would be very rare, almost none of the brass instruments would be found other than a serpent horn made of wood (a tuba) and it would be rare as well. [3 points]
    Azalea: Clarinet; they're very rare because of the metal I believe. [1 points]
    Zanadia: Clarinet [1 points]
    Reeba: French Horn. Pern instrument makers can not make complicated instruments requiring valves. [2 points]
    Sapphira: Most likely oboe and sax, but some ensemble that I have seen have french horn, that probably wouldn't be in there. [3 points]
    Saundethen: Most of the reeds [3 points]
    Kandar: Clarinet and all Brass-type instruments would be rare, as well as huge constructs of wood such as an oboe. This is the reason why small instruments such as the harmonica, pan pipes, and whistles are more common. Almost all earth Wind ensemble instreuments fall under this catagory, so a Pernese wind ensemble would be quite diffrent indeed. [3 points]
    Kellira: Any brass: trumpet, trombone, sax, etc. [1 points]
    Oriana: Most of the wind ensemble can be included, even if there are only a very few instruments extant. The technology exists to build them and it can be argued that a few of each kind would have survived after Landing long enough to be duplicated. Resources are the main limitation in this equation, and therefore I would exclude only those instruments which are both primarily constructed of metal and whose sound can be mimicked to an acceptable degree using another single instrument or combination of instruments. An example of this would be the saxophone, which can use a combination of trumpet and clarinet as a substitute, and the french horn. In the case of either of these instruments, the work and cost involved in their construction unfortunately outweighs the subtleties their sound adds to that of the wind ensemble. [3 points]
    Taliana: The reeds, I suspect. Clarinet, oboe, bassoon. In part, I think, because of the complicated keying system, in which case the Boehm-style flute would be out too. The simpler baroque flute would probably be in it. And, actually, the French Horn would be out, too; I can see simpler brass instruments on Pern, but not the valved ones. Bugle yes, trumpet no... Trombone yes, French Horn no... Tuba is Right Out. ;) [4 points]
    Ambar: French Horn, Alto, Tenor, and Baritone Saxaphone, Baritone (a brass inst), Bass and/or contra-bass clarinet, Piccolo, Oboe, Bassoon, Tuba (I know it says that the serpant horn acts like a tuba, but it still isn't one.) [4 points]
    Kestria: This question could be tricky, depending on if one is thinking solely of woodwinds, or a large wind ensemble. Based on the instruments in a large wind ensemble that includes brass, I offer the following exclusions: oboe, bassoon and all the clarinets as these are very rare on Pern, along with all the brass instruments that could be found in a large wind ensemble as these too are too rare. [4 points]
    Rain: Saxophone, probably. I don't know about trombone... French horn is unlikely, and Tuba, well.... I'm not sure on that one either. [2 points]
    Kaeryn: oboe, clarinet, saxophone [2 points]
    Khayet: Oboe, saxaphone [2 points]
    Kitessa: Um...well...I'm not totally sure, I mean, who needs winds anyway? ;) Yup, I'm a stringy...anyway, back to the question...I'd hazard a guess and say....clarinet, oboe and cor anglais. I don't think Pern has the bamboo required to make the reeds. [2 points]
    Laurenlee: If I knew what instruments were in an Eaarth one, I'd tell ya! [1 points]

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    Question 5: What are the notes in a Cm whole-tone scale? [4 points possible]

    Answer: We have some apologies to make on this one. The answer (which no one knew), is: C, Db, Eb, F, G, A, B, C... that is, a C# whole-tone scale with a half-step added. Mak knew it from a jazz reference, which apparently no one else had heard. The question was deemed unfair because of that, and full credit was given to anyone who knew the notes in a whole-tone scale.

    Ellena: C,D,E,F#,G#,A#,C (I don't think you can have a Cm whole-tone scale, since all whole-tone triads are agumented) [4 points]
    Arialla: C D D# F G A B C Now that's just the scale. I don't know if that's the whole-tone scale, as I'm not a musician. [3 points]
    Azalea: C D E F# G# A# C [4 points]
    Zanadia: The notes are C, c flat, c sharp, A, all the A's, All the b's. [0 points]
    Reeba: C D E F G A B [0 points]
    Usha: C, D, Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, C [2 points]
    Sapphira: Here are the notes for the scale itself, I believe this is what you mean by whole-tone. C, D, Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, C [2 points]
    Saundethen: C, D, E flat, F, G, A, B, C [3 points]
    Kellira: c,d,e,f,g,a,b,c [0 points]
    Oriana: Ain't no such animal. A whole-tone scale beginning on C has the following notes: C, D, E, F#, G#, A# . A Cm scale is not a whole tone scale, but rather a minor scale, a.k.a. aeolian mode, and is as follows: C, D, E flat, F, G, A flat, B flat. [4 points]
    Taliana: There's no such thing. A whole tone scale is, by definition, all whole tones, and wouldn't include the minor third. A C whole tone scale would go C, D, E, F#, G#, A#, C. [4 points]
    Ambar: a whole bunch of Sea tones. Isn't the ocean so great? Especially those scales on the whole C-serpants. [1 points]
    Kestria: Okay... after much thought and fiddling and fussing, I have an answer. And it's gonna be short because I don't think I have an explanation for /why/ these are the notes, I've worked out there are two whole-tone scales starting on C. One starts on C natural and one on C#. The one beginning on C has the notes of: C, D, E, F#, G#, A# and C again. Beginning on C#, the notes are: C#, D#, F, G, A, B, C#. Since the question asks for a Cm whole-tone scale, I'm going to go with my first list of notes. :) (Phew! Done. On to history.) :) [4 points]
    Rain: C D E F G A B C [0 points]
    Kaeryn: C whole-tone scale is= C D E F# G# A# (or C D E Gb Ab Bb).... what is with this minor stuff? [4 points]
    Khayet: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C [0 points]
    Kitessa: C, D, E, F sharp, G sharp, A sharp, C. [4 points]
    Laurenlee: Hmm, I'll have to go with no clue again. :) [0 points]

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