Questions: Harmonic Dictation: Basic Chord Progressions

Question 1

During harmonic dictation, which voice should you prioritize listening to first in order to determine chord root and inversion?

• A. The soprano (highest voice), because it carries the melody
• B. The bass (lowest voice), because it reveals the root or inversion
• C. The tenor voice, because it typically holds the fifth
• D. All voices simultaneously on the first hearing

Answer: (B)

The bass voice determines whether a chord is in root position (root in the bass) or an inversion (third or fifth in the bass). Identifying the bass note first anchors the Roman numeral and figured-bass analysis. The soprano carries the melody and is useful for double-checking, but the bass gives the harmonic function.

Question 2

In harmonic dictation, if you identify a chord incorrectly on the first hearing, you should erase and start over rather than refine your answer on subsequent hearings.

• T. True
• F. False

Answer: False

Multiple hearings are a normal part of the process. A good strategy is to sketch a rough outline (perhaps just a few chords you are confident about) on the first pass, then refine cadences, fill gaps, and check inversions on later passes. Erasing entirely and restarting wastes time and discards correct guesses.

Question 3

How does prior knowledge of Roman numeral analysis and diatonic harmony help make harmonic dictation faster and more accurate?

Model answer: Knowing that certain progressions are common (like I–IV–V–I or ii–V–I) allows you to recognize these patterns as units rather than identifying each chord in isolation. If you hear a strong cadence, you can predict V–I and verify it rather than analyzing from scratch. Roman numeral knowledge reduces the search space at each moment.

Experts in harmonic dictation use top-down pattern recognition alongside bottom-up note identification. A listener who knows tonal conventions can 'fill in' probable harmonies and then verify them — much like reading familiar words rather than decoding each letter. This is why diatonic harmony and Roman numeral analysis are listed as prerequisites.