Math/Music: Structure and Form

Exam #1

Wednesday, October 20, In Class


The first exam covers homework assignments #1 - 3, CD #1 and #2, and all the material covered in class from the first day up to and including Wednesday, Oct. 6th. This includes any readings that were assigned as part of homework assignments but does not include The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. It is highly recommended that you review homework problems and your class notes. Many of the problems and questions we discussed in class are excellent examples of test questions.

A set of practice problems is available here. The exam will be designed to take 45 minutes although you will have a full hour to take the exam.

Exam Review: We will review for the exam during Monday's class on Oct. 18. Please come prepared with specific questions.

Note: No calculators will be allowed for this exam. All questions asked will involve only calculations requiring elementary arithmetic.

The following concepts are important material for the exam:

  1. General Music Theory: notation, writing and reading music in treble and bass clefs, rhythm, time signature (CD #1), dotted notes and rests (duration), polyrhythmic music, piano keyboard, accidentals (sharps, flats, etc.)

  2. Scales and Intervals: half steps (semi-tone), whole steps (whole-tone), chromatic scale, whole tone scale, major scale, natural and harmonic minor scales, circle of fifths, key signatures, octave, intervals (m2, M2, m3, M3, P4, tritone, etc.), polyphony and tonality (CD #2), transposition, relative major of a minor key

  3. Mathematical Concepts: geometric sequence and series, infinite geometric series, least common multiple, greatest common divisor, relatively prime numbers