Diagnostic Exams for Incoming Students
Music Theory Diagnostic Exam for Incoming Students
Thursday, January 3rd, 2019, from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. in FA 340
Candidates for admission to the graduate program at the Bass School of Music at Oklahoma City University will have two hours to complete the entrance theory diagnostic exam. Part I is a complete analysis of a J.S. Bach chorale using Roman numerals. Part II is a complete analysis of a Romantic era piano piece, likely involving some sort(s) of chromatic modulation(s). Part III asks for diagrams of smaller forms (e.g. sentence, period, rounded binary, small binary, small ternary, etc.), as well as sketches of large forms (sonata, rondo, ternary, etc.). Part IV will ask students to spell and correctly resolve various chromatic chords in four voices. Enharmonic respellings/reinterpretations may occur in Part IV. Review textbooks: Typical undergraduate theory textbooks will generally suffice. We currently use Clendinning/Marvin's "The Musician's Guide," but theory texts authored by Kostka/Payne, Aldwell/Schachter, Roig-Francoli, Laitz, etc., should provide an adequate review. Topics to review include, but are not necessarily limited to, diatonic triads and seventh chords, secondary dominants, secondary leading-tone chords, modulation, phrase structure, smaller forms, augmented sixth chords, the neapolitan chord, enharmonic spellings of chromatic chords, twentieth-century composers and style/trends/-isms.
Theory Exam – Practice Examples:
Music History Exam
Friday, January 4th, 2019 from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. in FA 340
The Music History Diagnostic Examination is an instrument designed to evaluate incoming students' familiarity with general topics in Western music history from Antiquity to ca. 1950. Students will have two hours to complete the exam. The recommended media for study are:
1.) Burkholder, Peter, Donald J. Grout, and Claude V. Palisca. A History of Western Music, seventh edition (Norton, 2006)
2.) Norton Anthology of Western Music. Vols. 1 & 2: fifth edition (accompanying anthology of scores)
3.) Norton Recorded Anthology of Western Music. Vols. 1 & 2 (CD set)
4.) Davison, Archibald T. and Willi Apel. Historical Anthology of Music. Vols. 1 & 2 (Harvard, 1950, rev. 1977)
The exam will be divided into four sections:
1. Multiple choice (12 items): This objective portion of the exam will consist of 12 multiple-choice questions covering a range of topics.
2. Terminology ID (12 items): Students will be asked to define in their own words (and briefly) self-selected terms and concepts from a large list of general music history items. The list will consist of bold-texted items located in the chapters and glossary of the Norton History of Western Music (7th ed.) (see terminology study guide below).
3. Listening ID (3 examples, 6 items): Students will be asked to identify the genre, date, and composer of three listening examples. Also, students will be asked to qualify their answers with a brief stylistic analysis (harmonic & melodic language, form, compositional technique, cadences, texture, etc. where applicable).
4. Score ID (3 examples, 6 items): Students will be asked to identify the genre, date, and composer of three score excerpts. Also, students will be asked to qualify their answers with a brief stylistic analysis (harmonic & melodic language, form, compositional technique, cadences, texture, etc. where applicable).
Students will be evaluated according to their performance in items related to two chronological periods: Antiquity to ca. 1730, and ca. 1730 to ca. 1950. Moreover, course deficiencies will be determined according to their performance in these two chronological periods. Study Guide & Sample Items