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VICMusicQuick questions
Unit 3: Performance and music language
Quick questions on Key signatures and the circle of fifths in VCE Music
2short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What are the circle of fifths?Show answer
The circle of fifths places C major at the top with no sharps or flats. Moving clockwise, each step up a perfect fifth adds one sharp: G, D, A, E, B. Moving anticlockwise, each step down a fifth adds one flat: F, B flat, E flat, A flat, D flat. At the bottom the sharp and flat keys meet as enharmonic equivalents, for example F sharp major and G flat major.
What is telling major from minor?Show answer
A key signature alone does not tell you whether the piece is major or its relative minor, because they share the signature. You decide from the music: look at the opening and closing notes and chords, and listen for the raised seventh (the leading note) that minor keys borrow through the harmonic minor. If the tune keeps returning to and ending on the relative minor tonic, and you hear a raised seventh, it is in the minor key.
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