Freshmen
Studies in the Music Theory and Composition Division begin with Music Theory I (MUSI 1121) and Aural Skills I (MUSI 1111), taken concurrently during the first semester of your freshman year.
Music Theory Placement
All music majors entering Music Theory I are expected to demonstrate competency in the fundamentals of music theory and notation on the Music Theory Placement Test. Test content includes:
- Pitch identification in treble and bass clefs
- Major and minor scales and key signatures
- Interval identification (distance between two pitches)
- Major and minor chord construction
- Note durations
- Rhythms in a variety of meters (2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 6/8)
You will take the Music Theory Placement Test 1 on the first day of Theory I class in the Fall Semester to confirm your readiness to take Music Theory I. A grade of 70% or higher is a passing grade for this test.
If you do not pass the test, you should further develop your knowledge of music theory fundamentals (see “How to Prepare”) and take the Music Theory Placement Test 2, a more difficult assessment, at a date just before the beginning of the Spring Semester. If you pass the second test with a score of 70% or higher, you may enroll in Music Theory I.
If you fail on your second attempt, you must enroll in the preparatory course, Fundamentals of Music Theory (MUSI 1020), offered during the Spring Semester. After successfully completing the fundamentals course, you may enroll in Music Theory I in the fall of the following year. Please note that course credits for MUSI 1020 do not count towards your music degree. It is possible that your graduation may be delayed by a year due to the need for this remediation in Music Theory. Therefore, it is in your best interest to prepare for and pass the Music Theory Placement Test!
How to Prepare for the Music Theory Placement Test
Use the web resources below to gain a thorough understanding of the fundamentals of music:
1. Notation of pitch and rhythm in treble and bass clefs – Pitch Identification
2. Intervals – Interval exercises
3. Scales – Scale exercises
4. Key Signatures -- Key Signature Drill
5. Chords -- Chord Exercises
6. Aural Skills (MusicTheory.net or Good-Ear.com)
Here are a few self-contained FREE online courses:
Music Theory Flashcards
Online Music Theory Reference
Aural Skills Placement
In addition to the Music Theory Placement Test, all music majors except vocalists will take a two-part Aural Skills Placement Test at the beginning of the term to ensure that they meet the threshold requirements for the course.
The Aural Skills Placement Test has both listening and singing components. The listening component will test your ability to compare intervals and to identify and notate various elements of short melodies (contour, pitches, durations, meter). The singing component will test your ability to match played and sung pitches accurately, to reproduce short rhythmic melodies from memory and to perform melodies and rhythms at sight.
Vocalists will take the singing component of the Aural Skills Placement Test on Audition Day.
In order to be admitted into Aural Skills I, you must be able to match pitch reliably and demonstrate a refined sensitivity to basic pitch contours and rhythmic patterns. Students who demonstrate advanced levels of competency may be placed further along in the Aural Skills sequence.
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