Study Guide for History/Theory Entrance Exam

• Introduction
• Music History
• Music Theory
• Policy for Entrance Tests and Re-tests in Music History and Theory
• Music History Exam Study Guide
• Music Theory Exam Study Guide

Introduction

One of the responsibilities of any institution offering a graduate degree in music is to ascertain that entering students have an undergraduate level of competence in music history and theory. To that end, diagnostic examinations are administered prior to the first semester of graduate study. If, on the basis of those examinations, deficiencies are noted, remedial course work is assigned. Since these courses do not count toward your degree, it is important that you do well on the examinations.

This study guide is intended to help you prepare for the examinations, It lists composers, terms, and styles covered in standard undergraduate music history courses, and concepts and skills common to undergraduate theory training. Consequently, it may be viewed as an extensive memory aid, recalling to your mind what you already know. The following comments are offered as suggestions on how to use the guide.

Music History

The history section is divided into two areas: 1) composers or groups of composers; 2) terms appropriate to each period. For the composers, know their stylistic characteristics (important historical contributions, musical innovations, common compositional techniques) and genres with which they are associated. For the terms, know the definitions, characteristics, and composers with which they can be associated.

Music Theory

The theory section is divided into five parts: 1) Part Writing; 2) Analysis; 3) Form; 4) Counterpoint; 5) Twentieth-century techniques. For the first, be able to demonstrate, in written fashion, the suggested voice leading, part writing and figure bass skills. For the other parts, be able to identify items when you see them in musical excerpts, and be able to provide appopriate analyses of given musical examples.

Policy for Entrance Tests and Re-tests in Music History and Theory

1. All entering graduate students must take tests in music history and theory before beginning their graduate work. There is no exception to this rule.
2. These tests are normally taken during the first two days of Orientation Week preceding the start of the Fall semester. Students who enter the graduate program in January or in the summer must take the tests before enrolling for classes.
3. Students who pass these tests may enroll in graduate history and theory courses without restriction.
4. Students who fail part or all of these tests have two options:
   1. Students may take remedial courses to make up deficiencies. MuCT 506 is required of those who fail the theory test; MuCT 507 and/or MuCT 508 are required of those who fail one or both portions of the history test.
   2. Students may elect to take re-tests in the areas of deficiency. In this case the student is allowed one semester to study the material. At the end of the first semester of residence, usually in December, re-tests will be administered. THESE RE-TESTS MAY BE TAKEN ONLY ONCE AND MUST BE TAKEN AT THE END OF THE FIRST SEMESTER OF STUDY. Students who pass the re-tests are permitted to enroll in graduate history and/or theory courses without restriction. Students who fail the re-tests MUST take the appropriate remedial courses.
5. Students who fail most of the tests may wish to balance independent study with remedial course work. Thus, a student who, on the basis of the history test, needs both MuCT 507 and 508, may choose to take one of the courses and study the material of the other for a re-test. This decision should be made on the basis of the schedule of course offerings, so that the completion of the degree may not be hindered.

Approved by College of Musical Arts Graduate Committee 9/12/1988

Music History Exam Study Guide

Music Theory Exam Study Guide

The theory section consists of five parts:

1. Part-writing

   Two-chord examples and figured bass realization that includes chromatic chords (secondary dominants, secondary leading tones, mode mixtures, borrowed chords, Neapolitan sixths and augmented sixth chords). Writing in four-part choral style (SATB) using traditional 18th-century voice leading.

2. Analysis

   Chromatic chords (as listed above), modulation, non-chord tones (non-harmonic tones) and cadence types.

3. Form

   Identify and label phrase structures (periods, phrase groups, double periods); tonal areas; concepts associated with simple binary, rounded binary, simple ternary and sonata-allegro form.

4. Counterpoint

   Recognize, in a musical score, contrapuntal techniques and elements pertaining to baroque inventions and fugues (real and tonal imitation, stretto, canon, inversion, augmentation, dimunition, countersubject, answer, episode, sequence, motive, countermotive).

5. Twentieth-century techniques

   Analyze the following in musical excerpts: Tonality (centricity, neotonality, atonality, polytonality, pandiatonicism); Harmonic structures (secundal, extended tertian, quartal, quintal, added-note and polychords); Scale structures (pentatonic, modal, whole-tone, octatonic and other synthetic scales); Rhythmic/metric techniques (polymeter, additive rhythm, complex meter, tempo modulation, syncopation, asymmetrical meter); Set-theory analysis (pitch-class set, interval class, normal form/order, transposition, inversion, prime form); Twelve-tone (row forms, hexachoral combinatoriality)

Sample Questions for Part I and II of Theory Exam (PDF File)