Placement and Challenge Exams

Exam Information

• MUSC 101 - Theory I
  • 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
  • Root position 4-part writing rules
• MUSC 102 - Theory II
  • Parallel sixth chord identification
  • Identification of cadential, passing, and pedal six-four chords
  • Identification of cadences
  • 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
• MUSC 201 - Theory III
  • 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
• MUSC 202 - Theory IV
  • Borrowed chord identification
  • Neopolitan chord identification and function
  • Augmented sixth chord identification and function
  • Altered chord identification
  • Chord extension identification (9, 11, 13)
  • Mode identification
  • Alternate scale identification
  • Pandiatonicism identification
  • Twelve-tone and serial row analysis and creation (including permutations)
  • Harmonic analysis (4-part, various textures) with triads/seventh chords including modulations
• MUSC 103 - Aural Musicianship I
  • Prepare, and sight-sing major and minor melodies such as those found in Ottman chapters 2-5
  • Take dictation of melodies similar to those in Ottman chapters 2-5
  • Aurally identify all intervals - ascending, descending, and harmonic.
  • Aurally identify qualities of triads
  • Perform rhythms using division of the beat in simple and compound meter signatures
  • Take dictation of rhythms using division of the beat in simple and compound meter signatures
  • * Ottman, Robert, Music for Sight Singing (6th edition)
• MUSC 104 - Aural Musicianship II
  • Take dictation of melodies at least as difficult as Ottman, 6th ed. #398 (perhaps shorted by leaving out the 2nd line).
  • Take dictation of rhythms at least as difficult as Ottman 6th ed. #494, 503, 504, 506, 517 (perhaps without the rests), 522
  • 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 (sorry about the problems notating Cadential 6/4)
    • 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

  Students will learn to “audiate” a musical score.  By the end of the course students should be able to:

  • Perform rhythms at least as complex as Ottman 6th ed. #s 501-515, 519-540
  • Prepare singing melodies at least as difficult as Ottman #427
  • Sightsing melodies at least as difficult as Ottman #305
  • * Ottman, Robert, Music for Sight Singing (6th edition)
• MUSC 105 - Beginning Piano I
  • 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.”
• MUSC 106 - Beginning Piano II
  • 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