Music Entrance Exam Study Guide

Music History

1. From each group of three composers select ONE and provide the following information:
1. The dates of his life or the general dates of his most active period.
2. His nationality or the region in which he worked.
3. The main characteristics of his style (from three to five items)
4. The genre(s) with which he is most usually associated.
5. The names of two or three of his compositions.
2. From each group of compositions, collections, or treatises select TWO and provide the following information:
1. The name of the composer or author.
2. A brief description of the contents or a brief description of the style of the composition.
3. A word about its historical importance.
3. From each group of terms select TWO and provide the following information:
1. A definition of meaning.
2. An identification of at least one composer with whom it is associated.
3. A word about its historical importance.
4. For each of the following examples list eight stylistic characteristics and then deduce the probable genre, composer, and date.

Music Theory

1. Write on any pitch the following scales and/or modes: Major, Natural Minor, Harmonic minor, Melodic minor, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Whole-tone, Pentatonic, Octatonic
2. Construct and resolve the following chords: Secondary dominant and secondary leading tone, Neapolitan Sixth, any type of Augmented Sixth
3. Construct the following cadences: Authentic, Half, Plagal, Deceptive, Double leading tone with under third, Phrygian, Tonal with octave leap
4. Analyze a Bach chorale, with figured bass, Roman numerals, etc.
5. Analyze a piece from the Classical or Romantic period using function symbols and addressing melody, harmony, rhythm, form and texture.
6. Referring to a piece from the 20th Century, determine a method for analysis and address form, tonality and rhythm.
7. Know the outline and basic tonalities of basic musical forms.

Ear Training

1. Harmonic dictation of a four-part chorale.
2. Melodic dictation (tonal)
3. Melodic dictation (atonal)
4. Rhythmic dictation