ABRSM Grade 7 practice paper 2006, pg 15 Q4( b ):

''...Indicate the position of each chord, weather it is major/minor/aug/dim, and name the prevailing key.''

What does the question mean by a 'prevaling key?'

AND

( c ) ''Show the phrase structure of the whole extract by drawing square brackets over the violin part.'' - why does it ask me to do this?!!

I was always understood prevailing as meaning the most common

I think it refers to the key that the piece is in at that one point?

When it asks to put brackets over a whole extract which is played by a particular instrument, does that actually mean that I have to draw brackets over the whole thing? seems... pointless? + worth 4 marks??!!

The key of the particular section being referred to.


To show the phrases! Phrases are normally 4 bars long, but some are irregular lengths. I can't help specifically because I don't have the paper in front of me. Phrases were first introduced in grade 3 or 4 so you could revise the section on phrases to refresh your memory.

Yay! Thanks to both of you for your help

Hi
I've got the question in front of me.
It starts in D major and for the first 4 bars this is the prevailing key. In bar 5 a G# is introduced and from then till bar 8 every G is a sharp, indicating it's moving into A major. The perfect cadence in bar 7/8 confirms the prevailing key is A major. Bar 9 starts off in A major but from bar 10 the G is natural, you lose the C# and a D# is introduced. Cadence at bar 11/12 indicates you've moved into E minor. By bar 14 you're in A major again and then back into D major by the end. Prevailing key is whatever key you are in at the moment, so the prevailing key for the chords you're asked to identify will be whatever key you're in at the point where the chords occur.

As for the phrasing, although you have to mark the violin part it looks easier to work it out by looking at the keyboard part. I think that although there are 8 bars in each section, the phrasing is not so regular. I looked at the perfect cadences to work out where the phrases might end.

Thanks for the reply

I got bar 7 correct, according to yourself. I'm not sure about bar 11 though. I orginally got a diminished chord in Amajor, and now I have Eminor dim. Is this correct? I hadn't noted the natural G! Just seen the D sharp in the piano partS too! When analyzing the music, I just stuck to looking at the violin part which doesn't help. I can see how the music works better by seeing what you have written I need to open up my eyes more!! Should of known already from Grade 6 theory that in a 16-bar piece, bars 8-12 usually have something funny going on! Even when I write a 16-bar melody myself, bars 8-12 is where I do some of my own magic

Phrasing I will try to take a look at myself in further detail. I will get a teacher to help me with that when I get back to Uni, but for the mean time, thanks for your help JM!

what chord did you get for bar 7? I made it ii7b in A major (chord of B minor7, first inversion). For bar 11 I put that the chord is V7b in E minor - the high C natural in the violin part is tied to the previous note and I treated it as a passing note, falling to a harmony note of B. Looking at it again though they've put the asterisk above the C so I think they really want that note as part of the chord, which I reckon makes it a diminished 7th with the prevailing key of E minor. Anyone else got this paper and could confirm?

You should always look at all the parts in an extract. In this extract the keyboard part really helps with the phrasing, and helps you work out what key you're in.

At bar 7, I got Bm7 in Amajor. At bar 11 I have the dimV7 too. At bar 10 with the flattenerd Csharp, I answered question 4E as a note of anticipation in the violin part. What have you got for that question?

The note of anticipation is in bar 11 - the last E in the bar.

You're using a different way of notating chords to the one I use, so I'm not sure if your dimV7 is a different way of notating a diminished 7th chord, but somehow I don't think it's the same. What method are you being taught at university? I use the Extended Roman notation; I think I'm right that the one you're using is Jazz notation. Have you got any reference books? The Josephine Koh book is just one of several that has explanations of what the chords are and how they can be used. It also explains things like how to recognise anticipations and other decorations.

Yep! I was taught Jazz notation in college I haven't got any referance books to do with this, but I think I will be getting one soon lol! Which do you suggest? I took a quick look the Josephine Koh Grade 7 theory book as suggested on the web. Looks good!