Music Theory and Aural Skills Placement Exam
Students who might major or minor in music should take the exam during the fall of their first year. The exam will be given twice annually. Exam dates will be posted well in advance in Evans, the Music Department building.
What the Exam Tests
The exam tests your knowledge of Western classical music theory and your ability to equate that knowledge to what you hear. The exam is in four parts. If you pass the first level, you may then take the second level, and so on.
Most students are placed in Pre-Theory; some in Theory I; and a few in Theory II. It is very unusual for entering first-year students to have had enough theory training to place into Theory III.
Level 1: Music Fundamentals. Equivalent to MUS 101 (Pre-Theory)
Written: Intervals, Clefs, Chord Qualities, Scales, Key Signatures, Tonic and Dominant Harmony
Aural Skills: Melodic Dictation in Major and Minor keys, Scale Degrees 1-8. Chord Identification, Interval Identification.
Level 2: Diatonic Harmony and Voice Leading. Equivalent to MUS 121 (Theory I) and MUS 111 (Aural Skills I)
Written: 4-voice diatonic chorale writing in all major and minor keys. Realization of figured bass, harmonization of diatonic melodies. Writing and identification of cadence types.
Aural Skills: Diatonic chord progressions, Rhythmic Dictation in Simple and Compound Meters. Complex and longer melodic dictation exercises.
Level 3: Chromatic Harmony and Voice Leading. Equivalent to MUS 222 (Theory II) and MUS 212 (Aural Skills II)
Written: 4-voice chromatic, modulating chorale writing in all major and minor keys. Harmonization of chromatic melodies. Analysis of binary and ternary forms, basic phrase structures.
Aural Skills: Simple chromatic chord progressions. Rhythmic Dictation with syncopation at faster tempi in simple and Compound Meters. Chromatic melodic dictation exercises.
Level 4: Advanced Chromatic Harmony, Form and Analysis. Equivalent to MUS 223 (Theory III) and MUS 213 (Aural Skills III)
Written: Romantic-era chromatic harmonic analysis with Linear (non-functional) Progressions, foreign-key modulations. Formal analysis of sonata, rondo, sonata-rondo and other forms, including unusual periodic, sentence and phrase-group structures.
Aural Skills: Sophisticated chromatic chord progressions. Rhythmic Dictation with hemiola, metric shifting, and polyrhythm. Chromatic and modulating melodic dictations of greater length and complexity.
How to Study for the Exam
While almost any good theory textbook will do, L&C uses Ralph Turek's Theory for Today's Musician (McGraw-Hill, 1st ed.), and it may be worth your while to pick up a used copy. If you enroll in music theory classes beyond pre-theory, purchasing the text will eventually be a necessity, as it is required for all written theory courses except the non-accelerated section of pre-theory. Below is a list of chapters in the Turek text corresponding to the written materials on the exam:
Pre-theory exemption exam--Appendices A & B; Chapters 1-5 (through p. 73)Theory I exemption exam--Chs. 5-14 (and material above)Theory II exemption exam--Chs. 15-20 (and all previous material)Theory III exemption exam--Chs. 21-25; Chs. 28-29 (and all previous material)
Aural Skills cannot be learned from a textbook--it takes patient and consistent practice with a teacher or computer. The software we recommend and use is MacGamut.
There are numerous online resources that may be very useful to students preparing to take these exams. Both Musictheory and Teoria are free sites that are quite comprehensive in terms of their coverage of basic music-theoretical concepts. Both of these programs also offer online practice with skills materials.
An outline of the content of Ralph Turek's Theory for Today's Musician is given below: UNIT ONE: IN LIEU OF FUNDAMENTALS
Chapter 1: Assorted Preliminaries
Part One: Matters of Pitch
The staff; Clefs: The grand staff; Solmization; The hexachord system; Accidentals
Part Two: Modes, Scales, and Evolution
Church modes; Evolution of scales; Musica ficta
Part Three: Metric Matters
Meter; The dot; Early meter signatures; Hypermeter
Part Four: Sound
The harmonic series; The Legend of Pythagoras; Equal temperament
Drills and Assignments
Chapter 2: Intervals
Perspective: Five Ways of Looking at an Interval
Part One: White-Key Intervals
Numerical value and quality; Chromatic alteration
Part Two: Intervals of the Major Scale
Part Three: This and That about Intervals
Enharmonic intervals; Inversion; Simple versus compound; Diatonic versus chromatic; Consonance versus dissonance
Drills and Assignments UNIT TWO DIATONIC HARMONY
Chapter 3: Basic Harmonic Structures
Part One: Triads
Harmony and chord; The basic triads
Part Two: Inversion
Inversion and bass line; Determining inversion
Part Three Seventh Chords
Classification; Diatonic seventh-chord types; Inverted seventh chords
Drills and Assignments
Chapter 4: Musical Shorthand: Lead-Sheets and Figured Bass
Part One: Lead-Sheet Notation
Lead-sheet and chord symbols; Expanded symbols; Passing tones
Part Two: Figured Bass Notation
The continuo; Figured Bass rules
Drills and Assignments
Chapter 5: Harmonies of the Major and Minor Scales
Part One: The Diatonic Chords of a Key
Diatonic triads in major; Diatonic triads in minor; Roman numeral symbols; Roman numerals versus lead-sheet symbols; Showing inversion
Part Two: Functional Tonality
Chord stability; The circle of fifths; Harmonic function; Ground bass patterns; Major and minor compared
Part Three: More on Seventh Chords
Symbolizing seventh chords; Half-diminished versus fully-diminished seventh chord
Drills and Assignments
Chapter 6: Cadences/Harmonic Rhythm
Part One: Cadences
Cadences and style; Standard cadences; Cadential variants; Summary of Standard Cadences
Part Two: Harmonic Rhythm
Common patterns; Harmonic syncopation; Metric shift
Drills and AssignmentsUNIT THREE MELODY
Chapter 7: Melodic Pitch and Rhythm
Part One: Range, Interval Structure, and Gesture
Range; Interval structure; Gesture
Part Two: Repetition
Motive; Exact repetition; Sequence
Part Three: Melodic Tonality
Scale and arpeggio; large-scale events; Recognizing important pitches; tonic-dominant axis
Drills and Assignments
Chapter 8: Embellishing Tones
Part One: Step-Step combinations
Passing tone; neighbor tone
Part Two: Step-Leap Combinations
Appoggiatura; Incomplete neighbor; Escape tone; Changing tones
Part Three: Step-Repetition Combinations
Anticipation; Suspension; Retardation; Rearticulated suspensions; Suspensions over a change of bass; Chain suspension
Part Four: Embellishing Tones and Style
Multiple Embellishing tones; Embellishing tones in jazz; Embellishing tones as motives; Pedal point; The embellishing chord tone
Summary of Embellishing Tones
Drills and Assignments
Chapter 9: Melodic Form
Part One: The Phrase
Some definitions; Phrase lengths; The cadence; Phrase relationships
Part Two: Combining and Extending Phrases
The period; The phrase group; The double period; Cadential elision; Phrase extension; Phrasing and style
Drills and Assignments
Chapter 10: Composing Melodies
Part One: Constructing a Melody from a Motive
The initial melodic idea; The harmonic factor: Devising a harmonic plan
Part Two: Composing a Melody to a Harmonic Pattern
Drills and AssignmentsUNIT FOUR: VOICE LEADING
Chapter 11: Melodic Principles of Part Writing/Voicing and Connecting Chords
Perspective: Why Four Parts?
Part One: Melodic Principles
Ranges; Interval motion; Leaps; Sensitive tones; Soprano-bass counterpoint
Part Two: Voicing Chords
Spacing; Doubling: Alternative doubling; Incomplete triads
Part Three: Connecting Chords
Consecutive perfect consonances; Voice crossing and overlap; Connecting chords that contain common tones; Connecting chords that do not contain common tones
Drills and Assignments
Chapter 12: The Chorale/Part Writing with Root-Position Triads Part Writing and Golf
Part One: The Chorale
Perspective on the chorale; Melodic features
Part Two: Part Writing with Root-Position Triads
The "short rule" for connecting chords; Fifth relationship; Third Relationship; Second Relationship; Part writing the deceptive cadence
Expanded Guidelines for Connection Chords
Part Three: Part Writing Suspensions
9-8 Suspension; 4-3 Suspension; 2-3 Retardation
Drills and Assignments
Chapter 13: Part Writing with Triads in Inversion
Perspective
Part One: Inversion
Inversion and bass line; Doubling; Chord connection; Inversion and harmonic weight; Suspensions; 7-6 Suspension; 2-3 Suspension
Part Two: Second Inversion
Cadential six-four; Passing six-four chord; Pedal six-four chord; Arpeggiated six-four chord; six-four chord variants
Voice-Leading Practices: A Summary
Drills and Assignments
Chapter 14: Part Writing Seventh Chords
Perspective
Part One: Dominant-Functioning Seventh Chords
Voice leading in the V7; the seventh as embellishing tone; The unresolved leading tone; The ascending seventh; Delayed resolution; The viio7 and viio7
Part Two: Non-Dominant Seventh Chords
Function; Resolution; Frequency; Inversion; Incomplete seventh chords; Altered forms; Seventh chords and chain suspensions; the I7
Drills and AssignmentsUNIT FIVE: BASIC CHROMATIC HARMONY
Chapter 15: Secondary Function I
Part One: Secondary Dominants
Tonicization; The VIx; The secondary leading tone; The tonicing tritone; The V7Ix; Common musical contexts; Harmonic sequence
Part Two: Secondary Leading-Tone Chords
The viioIx, viio7lx, and viioo7Ix
Drills and Assignments
Chapter 16: Secondary Function II
Preliminary Note
Part One: Jazz and Popular Styles
V7Ix in barbershop harmony and ragime; The tonicizing chord group in bop and beyond; vio7Ix; bVII as IV/IV
Part Two: Voice Leading and Harmonization
Drills and Assignments
Chapter 17: Modulation I
Perspective: A Preliminary Quiz
Part One: Modulation by Common Chord
The common chord; The predominant in modulation; Multiple common chords; Closely related keys
Part Two: Chromatic Modulation
Common contexts; Types of chromatic modulation; Evaluating multiple accidentals; Modulation of tonicization?
Drills and AssignmentsUNIT SIX: COUNTERPOINT
Chapter 18: The Art of Countermelody
Part One: Two-Voice Counterpoint
Motion: 1:1 Counterpoint; Converting 1:1 to 2:1; Essentials of counterpoint; Converting 2:1 to 4:1; Jazz and popular Styles
Part Two: Fun with Counterpoint
Creating a bass; Melodizing the bass; Adding a third voice; Polyphony versus homophony
Drills and Assignments
Chapter 19: J.S. Bach's Two-Part Inventions
Part One: The Invention
Motive and countermotive; Contrapuntal devices
Part Two: Invention No. 6
Analysis; Invertible counterpoint; Tonality; Harmony; Implied harmony; Form
Drills and Assignments
Chapter 20: The Fugue
Part One: The Basics of Fugue
Subject and answer; The exposition; The countersubject; The development; Episodes and entries; The recapitulation; Summary; Stretto; Counterexposition; The coda
Part Two: Analysis
J. S. Bach: Fugue No. 16 (WTC I); Analytic comments; Coda
Drills and AssignmentsUNIT SEVEN: ADVANCED CHROMATIC HARMONY
Chapter 21: Mixing Modes
Perspective: Adding to the Palette
Part One: Change of Mode
Change of mode as musical contrast; Mode and mood; Keys related through mode mixture; Enharmonic change of model
Part Two: Modal Borrowing
Modal borrowing versus change of mode; Common borrowed harmonies; Modal borrowing and style
Part Three: Chromatic-Third Relationships
Diatonic- versus chromatic-third relationships; common chromatic-third relationships; Coda
Drills and Assignments
Chapter 22: Altered Pre-dominants
Perspective
Part One: The Neapolitan Sixth Chord
The Neapolitan chord; The harmonic nature of the Neapolitan; Inserting the cadential six-four chord
Part Two: Augmented Sixth Chords
The augmented sixth interval; Augmented sixth chord types; Constructing an augmented sixth chord; The doubly augmented fourth chord; Voice leading; Coda
Drills and Assignments
Chapter 23: Other Chromatic Harmonies
Part One: Altered Dominants
Part Two: Embellishing Diminished Seventh Chords
Functional versus embellishing o7; Spelling the embellishing o7; Coda
Drills and Assignments
Chapter 24: Modulation II
Perspective: In Search of the Harmonic Truth
Part One: Recognizing Signals: The Three Cs
The tell-tale tones; Clue chords; Cadences; Thinking through a modulation
Part Two: Back to the Tonal Border
Common chord modulation: Chromatic modulation: Chromatic pivot; Enharmonic pivot
Part Three: The Secret Lives of Chords
The enharmonic German sixth chord; The enharmonic diminished seventh chord; Coda
Drills and Assignments
Chapter 25: Selected Harmonic Structures and Techniques
Part One: Triadic Extensions
Dominant ninth chords; Secondary dominant ninth chords; Other ninth chords; The dominant eleventh chord; The minor eleventh chord; Thirteenth chords
Part Two: Linear Chromaticism
Chord mutation
Part Three: Harmonic Sequence
Drills and AssignmentsUNIT EIGHT: ARRANGING, COMPOSING, AND ANALYSIS
Chapter 26: Harmonic Principles in Jazz
Perspective: What's the Difference?
Part One: Extending the Triad
Basic seventh chords and their extensions; Voicing; Template 1 and Template 2
Part Two: Chord Substitution
Origins; Simple tonicization; The turnaround; Tritone substitution in the turnaround; Extended tonicization; Tritone-related chords; Substitution guideline; Expanded tritone substitution
Part Three: Implied Lines
Reading between the chords; Auxiliary chords, Coda
Drills and Assignments
Chapter 27: The Blues
Perspective
Part One: Blues Form and Harmonic Practice
Early blues; Twelve-bar blues; The basic blues today; Substitute harmonies; Minor blues
Part Two: Blues Melodic Practice
Blue notes; Blue-note scales; Blue-note scales in minor blues
Part Three: Blues Variants
Sixteen-bar blues; Accompaniment styles; Coda
Drills and Assignments
Chapter 28: Form, Process, and Drama
Part One: An Experiment
Part Two: Three Ways of Looking at Form
Visual versus aural symmetry; Motivic analysis; Musical processes; Similarity and contrast
Part Three: Dramatic Shape
Shape; Creating musical tension; Texture; Coda
Drills and Assignments
Chapter 29: Binary and Ternary Forms
Perspective
Part One: Statement-Restatement
Chopin: Prelude, Op. 28, No. 7; Clementi: Sonatina, Op. 31, No. 1 (Vivace); The coda
Part Two: Statement-Contrast
Bach: French Suite No. 5 (Gavotte); Asymmetric binary form
Part Three: Statement-Contrast-Restatement
Beethoven: Sonata, Op. 14, No. 2 (Second Movement); Desmond: Take Five; The bridge; Schumann: Kinderscenen, Op. 15, No. 6; Rounded binary versus form; Coda
Drills and Assignments
Chapter 30: Shaping a Song
Perspective
Part One: Text
Text and lyrics; Text setting; Form; Text/melody relationship; Text painting
Part Two: Accompaniment
Piano styles; Prelude, postlude, and interlude
Part Three: Composing a Song
Text scansion; "Rhythmicizing" the text; Constructing the melody; The accompaniment
Drills and AssignmentsUNIT NINE; TWENTIETH-CENTURY TECHNIQUES
Chapter 31: Syntax and Vocabulary
Part One: Syntax
Non-functional tonality; Planing; The augmented triad; Modality; Modal cadences
Part Two: New Melodic and Harmonic Structures
Pentatonic scales; Quartal and quintal harmonies; Whole-tone scale; Other scales
Drills and Assignments
Chapter 32: Neotonality
Perspective
Part One: New Tonal Adventures
Quartal harmonies; Polychords; Polytonality; Bimodality; Pandiatonicism
Part Two: Stravinsky and Bartok
Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring; Bartok: "Boating" (from Mikrokosmos, Vol. V)
Drills and Assignments
Chapter 33: Atonality and Twelve-Tonality
Perspective
Part One: Atonality
Cell; Enharmonic equivalence; Pitch class; Interval class; Set; Set type; Normal order; Analytical hints
Part Two: Twelve-Tonality
The twelve-tone method; Row forms; Index numbers and order numbers; Segmentation: Choosing a row; Finding the row; Coda
Drills and Assignments
Appendix A: Pitch
Part One: Pitch and its Notation
Pitch and frequency; The staff and clefs; Notating pitches above and below the staff; Half steps and whole steps; Chromatic alteration; Accidentals; Enharmonic equivalents; Diatonic versus chromatic half steps
Part Two: Scales and Keys
The chromatic scale; The major scale; Transposition; Key signatures; The circle of fifths; Relative major and minor keys; The minor scale forms; Parallel major and minor keys
Drills and Assignments
Appendix B: Rhythm
Part One: Elements of the Proportional SystemPart Two: Meter and Measure
Meter and measure defined; Barlines; Simple meter signatures; Compound meter signatures; Borrowed divisions of the beat; Syncopation and hemiola
Part Three: Notating Rhythm
Dots and ties; Beams; Notating rests
Drills and Assignments
Appendix C: Basic Lead-Sheet Chord symbols
Appendix D: Part-Writing Guidelines
Glossary
Index
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