Hi all

I was just checking through my answers from the MTiP grade 4 book using the model answers, if anyone else has these books could you help me out - I can't work out if I am wrong or going mad or if the book is wrong.

Firstly, exercise 4(f) on Triads and chords (p25 in the workbook, p13 in the answer book) I've correctly identified the key as Db major, but the answers give the triads as IV, I, V, wheras I make it I, V, Ib (and there shouldn't be a 'b' in grade 4?) - can anyone help here?

And secondly, exercise 1(f) in General exercises (p45 in the workbook, p19 in the answer book), the question says name the triad, I wrote IV as it would be subdominant triad in D major - but the answer book gives 'G major' (the question doesn't ask which tonic triad it is, just name the triad)? Am I completely wrong or are we both right, would I get any marks for that?

Thanks in advance

Inversions are not introduced until Grade 5, so the answer book is correct. The lower note (in this case for each exercise the bass clef) should always determine whether the chord is I, IV or V.According to my workbook I put IV as well for the same reason

Car Expert

Just looked at it again, still confuddled

Key is Db major

First chord consists of Db, Db F and Ab - tonic chord right? answer book says chord IV

Second chord is Ab, C, Eb, Ab - dominant chord? answer book says chord I

Third chord is F, Db, F, Ab - I make that tonic chord first inversion. Book says V.

I don't get it





good to know we think on the same wavelength at least!!

'Name the triad formed by the first three notes in bar 2'
G-B-D
Thats G Major.

G Major isn't the tonic triad either, as the excerpt is in D Major.


With regards to the first part, im a little confused, ive been looking at the book for about 20 minutes now, maybe its because im tired... :S

I have the answers as IV I V. The first chord consists of Db, Gb, Bb. This is a Gb major chord, and Gb is the fourth degree of the Db major scale, therefore it is IV. The second chord consists of Db, F and Ab. This is a Db major chord, and so is I. The last chord consists of Ab, C, Eb. This is a Ab major chord, Ab is the fifth degree of the Db major scale and is therefore V.

Technically the first chord should be IVc and the last chord should be Vc, however in Grade 4 you do not need to worry about this.

As for the General Exercises I agree with Hello_cello.

I hope that cleared things up.

My method of doing it is:

1. Work out the key
2. Find the lowest note, and work out the triad name from there

For example, for the first chord:

1. Key: Db major
2. The lowest note in the chord is Gb (in the bass clef), therefore the chord is IV: Db -> Gb

The lowest note of each triad is always the root note, so this is the only note you need to look at. Don't worry about there being any inversions higher up the stave - that comes into effect at Grade 5.

Car Expert

I was just saying to h-c that I have the same answers as yours, for the same reasons.

There are three chords asked about in the book :
The first chord in the book has
Db in the Bass, with a Db-F-Ab Above it.

The second has
F in the bass, with C-Eb-Ab above

The third has
F in the Bass, with Db-F-Ab above


I have a feeling the wrong chords have been underlined in the excersize book.
Move the first two asterisks back a chord and it works...

Solution!
DC and I have discovered whats wrong!
In the new version...
The wrong chords have been underlined.
It should be the 2nd chord of bar one, the first chord of bar two, and the second chord in ar 3.

Ah do we have different editions of the book? Mine is the revised 2008 version, although that is what the answer book is meant to be used with! Thought I was going mad, reading neal_sam's post thinking, yes, I agree with that but that's not what's in my book!! lol!!

Just to explain, I am revising grades 4 & 5 before re-taking grade 5 exam, I've did it before quite a few years ago and now I've taken up music again thought I should refresh it. I've moved onto the grade 5 workbook now but because I just got the grade 4 answer book I've been checking myself.

On the general exercises, is it just us misinterpreting the question? 'name the triad G-B-D' - as the extract is in D major, G-B-D is the subdominant triad of D major so I answered 'IV'. If the question had been 'what tonic triad is G-B-D' then I would have answered 'G major'.

Part of my job used to be setting questions (about a completely different subject) - if I got the wrong answer from my students, invariably it was because I'd asked a badly worded question.

It might be that the wording of the questioon is not as clear as it could be but I'd tend to answer 'name the chord' with an answer like G major rather than relating it to a key. If you've not been asked to idenify the key previously then you'd have to answer by putting IV in D major to make it clear.
G major need not be the tonic triad (as in this case where it's the subdominant triad).

Well, no, what I meant was that G-B-D is the tonic triad of G major. Sorry. It does get confusing discussing this kind of thing over the internet!

Is it right to say that G major is the subdominat triad of D major though? I mean, rather than say G-B-D is the subdominant triad of D major?

I suppose naming the notes is better. Gmajor is the subdominant chord....
I'd still go with the letter name for name the triad.