Schedule your Audtions and placement exams by calling the Music Deaprtment Office: (510) 885-3135 or in person MB2571 Applied Music Auditions Performance Group Auditions Examinations Theory Advisory Keyboard/Non-Majors Keyboard/Majors

California State University, East Bay
Department of Music
Placement Exams and Auditions

ADVANCED PLACEMENT EXAMINATIONS

See the section on “Advanced Placement” in the current University Catalog for information on Advanced Placement equivalencies in Music. It should be noted that the Advanced Placement Examination is not to be confused with the placement examinations administered by the Music Department (see Pre-Registration Requirements below).

PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS
Before registering for the first quarter as an undergraduate music major, each student must complete examinations and auditions to determine placement and performance levels in each of the areas listed below:

1. Applied Music
2. Major Performance Group
3. Piano Proficiency
4. Theory Advisory
5. Sightsinging Proficiency

Please note that these auditions and placement examinations are not on a pass/fail basis, but are simply to determine one’s placement and performance levels within the Music Department. It should also be noted that receiving advanced standing in any of the above areas does not automatically award units for those classes which are waived. For example, if, as a result of the Theory Advisory Examination, a student is placed in Theory II and is not required to take Theory I, s/he does not automatically receive units credit for Theory I (those units could be fulfilled by transfer credits, if available, or by substitution). Also, the Theory Advisory Examination, which is administered by the Music Department, is not to be confused with the Advanced Placement Examinations noted above.

It is recommended that a student prepare for the placement examinations and auditions as follows:

APPLIED MUSIC AUDITIONS

Composition. Any student planning to enroll in Applied Composition for the first time should make an appointment to see Dr. Frank LaRocca before classes begin, bringing along any recent original compositions. Since composition majors are required to have proficiency on an instrument, an informal audition may be arranged at the time of that interview.

Note: Entering freshmen are not normally accepted into the composition program, but instead enroll for the first year as an instrumental major. Guitar: Prepare ten to fifteen minutes of solo music on a classical guitar (nylon strings). Studies by Fernando Sor or Matteo Carcassi are suggested.
Instrumental: (except guitar and percussion). Prepare ten to fifteen minutes of music of your choice (preferably classical literature). No accompaniment necessary.
Percussion: Prepare ten to fifteen minutes of material previously studied. Voice. Prepare ten to fifteen minutes of music of your choice (minimum of two songs). Accompaniment will be provided.

PERFORMANCE GROUP AUDITIONS

Band and Orchestra. Total audition time will be ten minutes and will include a prepared selection of music of your choice (preferably solo literature) and sight-reading. No accompaniment will be provided.

Choral Groups and Jazz Big Bands. Prepare five to ten minutes of music of your choice (preferably solo literature). Sight-reading material will be provided. No accompaniment necessary.

Opera Workshop. Prepare one song or aria. Piano accompaniment will be provided.

THEORY ADVISORY EXAMINATION (for all undergraduate transfer music majors)

First-time freshmen are not required to take the theory advisory examination, but should enroll in Theory I (Music 1031) and Sightsinging I (Music 1027). The same is true for transfer students who know they will enroll in Theory I and Sightsinging I.

The examination is based on the three subject areas covered in the first two years of theory studies in this music department: Sightsinging, Dictation, Harmony. Each student completes those parts of the examination which are appropriate to his or her transfer level. For example, a student intending to enter as a first-quarter sophomore will complete those examination sections at the level of the end of the freshman year. When the examination is evaluated, a faculty adviser will use the results to help work out the most appropriate course program.

The following information is given for the benefit of any student who chooses to review before taking this examination (examination content corresponds to the content of the texts used in our courses; an exception is Dictation, where no text is used):

Benjamin, Horvit, and Nelson, Music for Sight Singing

Music 1027, Sightsinging I, Chapters 1-5
Rhythmic: simple meters, beat subdivisions, anacruses
Melodic: diatonic, conjunct, introducing I, IV and V chords

Music 1028, Sightsinging II, Chapters 6-11
Rhythmic: compound meters, syncopation
Melodic: minor, disjunct, seventh chords

Music 1029, Sightsinging III, Chapters 12-20
Rhythmic: quintuple meters, irregular meters, changing meters
Melodic: chromaticism, secondary dominants, modulations

Clendenning and Marvin, The Musician’s Guide to Theory and Analysis

Music 1031, Theory I, Chapters 1-7
Intensive fundamentals, triads, seventh chords

Music 1032, Theory II, Chapters 8-11
Elementary counterpoint, figuration, SATB scoring, elementary instrumentation and arranging.

Music 1033, Theory III, Chapters 12-18
Harmonization, more advanced figuration, chorale harmonization, sequences

Aldwell and Schacter, Harmony and Voice-Leading
Music 2031, Theory IV, Chapters 16-21
Diatonic sequences, six-three and six-four chord techniques, non-harmonic tones

Music 2032, Theory V, Chapters 22-26
Mixture, seventh chords, applied chords, diatonic modulation

Music 2033, Theory VI, Chapters 27-32
Chromaticism DICTATION

Music 1031-33, 2031-33, Theory I-VI
Rhythm, intervals, melodies, chord qualities and inversions, choral phrases (outer lines and chord analysis)

PIANO PROFICIENCY EXAMINATION FOR NON-KEYBOARD MAJORS

FIRST YEAR -

Music 1314-16, Basic Piano Class I-III

• 1. All major scales, hands together, one octave.

• 2. All harmonic minor scales, hands separate, one octave.

• 3. Simple cadence patterns, such as I IV6/4 V6/5 I in either hand in both major and minor keys.

• 4. One piece from each of three different style periods comparable in difficulty to the Little Preludes from the J.S. Bach Notebook for W. F. Bach, a Clementi Sonatina, or Bartok First Term at the Piano.

• 5. Ability to sight-read a simple two-part piece or melody with simple chordal accompaniment.
  

SECOND YEAR -

Music 2311, Intermediate Class Piano I
• 1. All major scales, hands together, two octaves, quarter note=72
• 2. Cadence patterns in all major keys in four voices with good voice-leading, e.g., I vi IV ii I6/4 I.
• 3. Ability to play a perpared four-part hymn with damper pedal.
• 4. Two prepared pieces from different style periods, such as a Bach Two Part Invention, a Chopin Prelude, or Kabalevsky Sonatina.
• 5. Triads and inversions on all scale degrees for all major keys.

Music 2312, Intermediate Class Piano II

• 1. All harmonic minor scales, hands together, two octaves, quarter note=72
• 2. Cadence patterns in all harmonic minor keys in four voices with good voice-leading, e.g., i VI iv ii6 I6/4 i.
• 3. A four-part hymn to be transposed up or down a major second prepared in advance (not written out).
• 4. Two prepared pieces from different style periods such as a Bach Invention or Prelude, a Schumann piece from Childhood Scenes, or Bartok Mikrokosmos Book II.
• 5. Triads and inversions on all scale degrees for all harmonic minor keys.
• 6. Ability to harmonize or accompany simple melodies at sight.

Music 2313, Intermediate Class Piano III

• Ability to read a four-part score with advance preparation using only treble and bass clefs or modern choral score format. At least two pieces of twenty to thirty measures should be offered.

PIANO PROFICIENCY EXAMINATION FOR KEYBOARD MAJORS

Music 2314, Keyboard Sight-Reading
• Ability to sight-read a four-part hymn, an easy Schubert song accompaniment, an easy sonatina or comparable pieces.

Music 2315, Keyboard Harmony
• 1. Ability to play all major and minor scales, four octaves, quarter note=144
• 2. Cadence patterns in major and minor (harmonic) keys with different voicings of four parts with good voice-leading.
• 3. Triads with inversions on all scale degrees of both major and minor (harmonic) scales
• 4. Ability to transpose a simple four-part hymn up or down a minor third. To be prepared in advance (not written out).
• 5. Ability to accompany melodies at sight.
• 6. Ability to play a short figured-bass pattern prepared in advance with good voice-leading in three or four parts.

Music 2316, Open Score Reading
Ability to play:
• 1. A three- or four-part open score using treble and bass clefs or modern choral score format
• 2. A simple movement (Minuet or Trio) from a Classical period string quartet with viola clef. These may be prepared in advance. No short scores may be used.