ATARMAxxing · Music
WACE Music Practice Questions
64 exam-style questions · full worked solutions
The 64 practice questions inside the WACE Music Mastery Pack, grouped by area of study. Every question comes with a full worked solution.
- Section One Part A - Aural
- Multiple choice × 14
- Notate × 2
- Identify × 2
- Section One Part B - Theory
- Multiple choice × 13
- Write × 2
- Transpose × 1
- Identify × 1
- Section Two Part A - Unseen analysis
- Multiple choice × 7
- Describe × 1
- Complete × 1
- Section Two Part B - Unit 3 Identities (designated works)
- Multiple choice × 7
- Discuss × 1
- Explain × 2
- Section Two Part B - Unit 4 Innovations (designated works)
- Multiple choice × 7
- Discuss × 2
- Describe × 1
Sample question
ORIGINAL excerpt composed for this hub and described in text (the hub cannot play audio): A snare drum plays a four-bar rhythm at crotchet = 100. There are three crotchet beats per bar, each beat dividing into two quavers. Using the counting syllables 1 e & a / 2 e & a / 3 e & a, the strokes fall as follows (each stroke lasts until the next stroke or silence):
Bar 1: strokes on 1, 2, 2& and 3&; silence on 3.
Bar 2: a stroke on 1 that rings through to 2&; strokes on 2& and 3.
Bar 3: four even strokes on 1, 1e, 1&, 1a, then a stroke on 2; silence for the whole of beat 3.
Bar 4: one stroke on 1, sustained as a roll for the whole bar.
Notate the rhythm in the text convention (name each duration and rest, bar lines as |), add the time signature and state how bar 3 should be grouped. (8 marks)
Bar 1: strokes on 1, 2, 2& and 3&; silence on 3.
Bar 2: a stroke on 1 that rings through to 2&; strokes on 2& and 3.
Bar 3: four even strokes on 1, 1e, 1&, 1a, then a stroke on 2; silence for the whole of beat 3.
Bar 4: one stroke on 1, sustained as a roll for the whole bar.
Notate the rhythm in the text convention (name each duration and rest, bar lines as |), add the time signature and state how bar 3 should be grouped. (8 marks)
Show the worked answer
Answer: Worked solution
Model answer: time signature 3/4.
Bar 1: crotchet, quaver, quaver (beamed as one beat), quaver rest, quaver |
Bar 2: dotted crotchet, quaver, crotchet |
Bar 3: four semiquavers beamed together as one crotchet beat, crotchet, crotchet rest |
Bar 4: dotted minim with a roll (tremolo) marking ||
Grouping: in bar 3 the four semiquavers are beamed as one group showing beat 1, the crotchet stands alone on beat 2 and the crotchet rest fills beat 3, so every beat is visible. In bar 1 the beat-3 silence is a quaver rest written before the last quaver, not hidden inside a longer value. Each bar totals three crotchet beats: 1 + 0.5 + 0.5 + 0.5 + 0.5 = 3; 1.5 + 0.5 + 1 = 3; (4 x 0.25) + 1 + 1 = 3; 3.
Marking guide (8 marks), official band style: Rhythm (13 note values): 13 correct = 5; 10-12 = 4; 7-9 = 3; 4-6 = 2; 1-3 = 1. Rests: both rests correct = 1. Time signature 3/4 = 1. Grouping: all beaming shows the three crotchet beats = 1. 6/8 is not accepted: the counting gives three beats each dividing into two (simple triple), not two beats dividing into three.
Bar 1: crotchet, quaver, quaver (beamed as one beat), quaver rest, quaver |
Bar 2: dotted crotchet, quaver, crotchet |
Bar 3: four semiquavers beamed together as one crotchet beat, crotchet, crotchet rest |
Bar 4: dotted minim with a roll (tremolo) marking ||
Grouping: in bar 3 the four semiquavers are beamed as one group showing beat 1, the crotchet stands alone on beat 2 and the crotchet rest fills beat 3, so every beat is visible. In bar 1 the beat-3 silence is a quaver rest written before the last quaver, not hidden inside a longer value. Each bar totals three crotchet beats: 1 + 0.5 + 0.5 + 0.5 + 0.5 = 3; 1.5 + 0.5 + 1 = 3; (4 x 0.25) + 1 + 1 = 3; 3.
Marking guide (8 marks), official band style: Rhythm (13 note values): 13 correct = 5; 10-12 = 4; 7-9 = 3; 4-6 = 2; 1-3 = 1. Rests: both rests correct = 1. Time signature 3/4 = 1. Grouping: all beaming shows the three crotchet beats = 1. 6/8 is not accepted: the counting gives three beats each dividing into two (simple triple), not two beats dividing into three.
Included in the WACE Music Mastery Pack
20 full-length practice exams with worked solutions, 20 revision notes, 64 practice questions and 200 flashcards.
Preview a sample note and question free on the WACE Music hub →