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CHALLENGE EXAMS

Aural Skills
Music Theory

Overview


Challenge exams are intended for students who have previously acquired the skills covered in an aural skills or sight-singing class, either through coursework, private study, or practical experience. Please DO NOT sign up for a challenge exam unless you are confident that you have the skills required, as described in the “preparation / requirements” section below.

Challenge exams for 193, 197, 293, and 297 are offered in Fall and Spring semesters, during the first week of classes only. Challenge exams for 194, 198, 294, and 198 are offered in Winter and Summer semesters, during the first week of classes only.

Those who pass a challenge exam with an 80% or higher may take the exam grade as their final grade in the class. (You must be enrolled in a class to challenge it.)

Those who score below 80% must remain in the class.

Preparation / Requirements

Music 193 (Aural Skills 1)

  • Content: see Karpinski manual, Chapters 1-25 (diatonic, major and minor)
  • Test: error detection, rhythmic dictation, and melodic dictation

Music 293 (Aural Skills 3)

  • Content: see Karpinski manual, Chapters 51-61 (chromaticism, modes, secondaries, altered chords)
  • Test: error detection, rhythmic dictation, melodic dictation, harmonic sequences, harmonic dictation, chord progressions

Music 194 (Aural Skills 2)

  • Content: see Karpinski manual, Chapters 26-49 (diatonic progressions, triads and sevenths, inversions)
  • Test: error detection, rhythmic dictation, melodic dictation, two-voice dictation, chord progressions, and harmonic dictation

Music 294 (Aural Skills 4)

  • Content: see Karpinski manual, Chapters 62-76 (sequences, modulation, advanced rhythm and meter)
  • Test: scale identification, error detection, melodic dictation, harmonic dictation, modulation identification

Music 197 (Sight Singing 1)

  • Content: see Karpinski melodies 1-608 and Hall rhythms Chapters 1-7
  • Test: two rhythms, two melodies, call-and-response improvisation
  • Also, be prepared to sign at least two of these sequential patterns from memory
  • You must use correct solfege (movable do / do-based minor) and counting syllables [hand signs not required]

Music 297 (Sight Singing 3)

  • Content: see Karpinski melodies 984-1047 and Hall rhythms Chapters 16-23
  • Test: two rhythms, two melodies, call-and-response improvisation, arpeggiation of chromatic chord progressions [example]
  • Also, be prepared to sign at least two of these sequential patterns from memory
  • You must use correct solfege (movable do / do-based minor) and counting syllables [hand signs not required]

Music 198 (Sight Singing 2)

  • Content: see Karpinski melodies 609-983 and Hall rhythms Chapters 8-15
  • Test: two rhythms, two melodies, call-and-response improvisation, arpeggiation of diatonic chord progressions [example]
  • Also, be prepared to sign at least two of these sequential patterns from memory
  • You must use correct solfege (movable do / do-based minor) and counting syllables [hand signs not required]

Music 298 (Sight Singing 4)

  • Content: see Karpinski melodies 1048-1744 and Hall rhythms Chapters 24-31
  • Test: two rhythms, four or five melodies (shifting tonic when modulating)
  • Also, be prepared to sign at least two of these modulating patterns from memory
  • You must use correct solfege (movable do / do-based minor) and counting syllables [hand signs not required]

    Overview


    Challenge exams are intended for students who have previously learned and mastered the concepts covered in a music theory class, either through coursework, private study, or practical experience. Please DO NOT sign up for a challenge exam unless you are confident that you have the skills required, as described in the Requirements section below.

    Challenge exams for 195 are offered in Fall and Spring semesters, during the first week of classes only.

    Those who pass a challenge exam with an 80% or higher may take the exam grade as their final grade in the class. (You must be enrolled in a class to challenge it.)

    Those who score below 80% must remain in the class.

    Contact Dr. Steven Ricks, chair of the Music Theory division, to schedule a challenge exam

    Requirements

    Music 195 (Music Theory 1)

    • Content: see Burstein/Straus, Concise Introduction to Tonal Harmony, Chapters 1-14
    • Test includes: diatonic part-writing and harmonic analysis

    Review Videos

    Music Theory 1

    Music Theory 2

    Other Documents (Grad School Review)