Placement and Challenge Exams

Tonal Harmony, Eighth Edition, Part One, Chapters 1-4, pages 1-65

Identification of pitches (treble, bass, and C-clef; octaves)

Major/Minor scale identification

Major/Minor key signature identification

Interval identification (including compound and inversion)

Durational symbols identification

Time signature identification (Simple/Compound)

Triads identification

Seventh chords identification

Diatonic triads in Major/Minor identification

Diatonic seventh chords in Major/Minor identification

4-part harmonic analysis

Tonal Harmony, Eighth Edition, Part Two, Chapters 5-13, pages 66-217

Root position 4-part writing rules

Parallel sixth chord identification

Identification of cadential, passing, and pedal six-four chords

Identification of cadences, periods, phrases and sentences

Two-Part Counterpoint – 1st species

Identification of non-chord tones

Harmonic analysis (4-part, various textures) with first and second inversion triads and seventh chords

First and second inversion 4-part writing rules

Tonal Harmony, Eighth Edition, Parts Three and Four, Chapters 14-20, pages 218-356

Voice-leading considerations (seventh chords)

Secondary dominant identification

Secondary leading-tone identification

Modulation identification

Harmonic analysis (4-part, various textures) with triads/seventh chords including modulations

Larger Musical Forms

Sight-sing simple pentatonic melodies using solfège syllables (drm sl) 

Sing and Aurally identify all intervals – ascending and descending 

Aurally identify all modes (ionian, dorian etc.) 

Aurally identify qualities of triads 

Sight-read and take dictation of rhythms using division of the beat in simple and compound meter signatures (half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth and rests) 

Take dictation of simple pentatonic, major, and/or minor melodies (scaler motion, limited skips)   

Sight-sing and take dictation of major and/or minor melodies (including raised 4th fi, and/or raised 5th si; scaler and chordal skips) using solfège syllables. 

Sight-sing complex cannons and/or part singing 

Sight-read and take dictation of rhythms using division of the beat in simple and compound meter signatures (same as A1 plus triplets) 

Take harmonic dictation, writing outer voices and Roman Numerals, of chord progressions such as: 

I V6 I IV6 I6 ii6 V6/4-5/3 I
I IV6 ii6 V6/4-4/2 I6 IV V6/4-5/3 I
I ii6 V4/2 I6 IV V6/4-5/3 vi 

• Technique:
  • Major and harmonic minor scales beginning on any white key, 1 octave, hands together;
  • Chromatic scale beginning on any key, 2 octaves, separate hands;
  • Major and minor arpeggios beginning on all white keys, 2 octaves, hands alone;
  • Appropriate use of the damper pedal.
• Chords and Chord progressions:
  • Major/minor/diminished/augmented triads on any note, hands together in root position;
  • Primary Chord Progressions in all Major and minor keys, hands together.
• Harmonization:
  • Ability to provide a two-hand accompaniment to pieces using primary chords;
  • Ability to improvise the L.H. accompaniment in various accompaniment styles (e.g. the Waltz Bass, the Alberti Bass or the March Bass).
• Sight-reading:
  • Pieces at the level of Bartok's Mikrokosmos, Vol. I.
• Solo Repertoire:
  • Pieces at the level of Kabalevsky's “A Little Joke.”

• Technique:
  • All Major Scales, parallel motion, 2 octaves, hands together;
  • Harmonic minor scales starting on any white key, parallel motion, 2 octaves, hands together;
  • Selected contrary motion Major scales, 2 octaves, hands together;
  • All Major and minor arpeggios, 2 octaves, hands together;
  • Continued use of the damper pedal.
• Chords and Chord Progressions:
  • Inversions of all types of triad chords;
  • Various seventh-chord qualities in blocked and broken positions;
  • Secondary chord progression of I-vi-IV-ii6-I6/4-V7-I in all Major keys.
• Harmonization:
  • Ability to provide a two-hand accompaniment to pieces using the inversions of primary & secondary chords and seventh-chords;
  • Ability to improvise the L.H. accompaniment in various accompaniment styles (e.g. the Extended L.H. Accompaniment).
• Transposition:
  • Ability to transpose folk song arrangements into nearby keys.
  • Sight-reading:
  • Pieces at the level of easier pieces from Kabalevsky's “Twenty-Four Pieces for Children,” Op. 39.
• Solo Repertoire:
  • Pieces at the level of J. S. Bach's Minuet in G; Clementi's Sonatina in C; or Kabalevsky's Toccatina