Grade 6 Music Theory C5 - Keys - Exercises
Move your mouse slowly over the light bulbs and staves (tap on mobile devices) to reveal the answers.
1. Look at the following 8-bar piano piece and answer the questions below. (Click on the play button to listen to it).
a. Which two keys are represented by this key signature? 
b. Label the chords in bars 1 and 2 using Roman numerals (e.g. I, ii) in both of these keys.
c. Which of the two keys uses mostly chords I and V?
d. What key does the piece start in and why?
e. Which accidental is introduced in bars 4-5?
f. Which scale uses the sharp in the key signature plus this new accidental?
g. Label the chords in bars 4-6 using Roman numerals in this new key.
h. What is the relationship between the opening key and this new key? (e.g. tonic-dominant, relative major/minor etc.)
i. Which accidentals are used in bars 7-8?
j. Complete the notes used in bars 7-8 in ascending order, starting from B. What key is this scale and which note is missing?
k. Label the chords in bars 7-8 in this new key.
l. What is the relationship between the key used in bars 3-6 and the key used in bars 7-8?
m. Complete the following analysis of the key of the piece: This piece starts in ________, passes through _________ and finally modulates to _________.
2. Analyse the keys used in the following excerpts. Ask yourself the same kind of questions as you saw in exercise 1 to help you:
- Which keys use these sharps/flats?
- Do these notes belong to chords I (or i) and V or to more "obscure" chords?
- Do these notes make up most of any particular scale?
- Is this new key closely connected to the previous key? (Close relationships are Tonic-Dominant, Tonic-Subdominant and Relative Major - Minor)
a. Schumann - Soldier's March, for piano
This piece starts in ________, and modulates to ________.
b. Pergolesi - Allegro from Sonata no.7 in E, for piano
This piece starts in ________, and modulates to ________.
c. Saint Saëns - Oboe Sonata, First movement. (You can also listen to the piece on Youtube.)
This excerpt starts in ________, at bar 14 passes briefly through ________ and then modulates to _________ by the end.
d. Beethoven - Symphony no.1, First movement bars 13-26 (Allegro con Brio section). (You can also listen on Youtube: link automatically starts at this section).
This section starts in ________, and modulates to ________ after about 6 bars. The chord in bars 25-26 is the dominant 7th (V7) chord in the key of _________.
(Full scores for the Saint-Saëns and Beethoven can be found at www.imslp.org)
