Placement Tests for Keyboard Skills

Keyboard Skills: MUS 2261.01

Credit by Exam (EM)

MUS 2261.01 is offered only in the Autumn semester. 

Students who demonstrate proficiency in the keyboard skills included in this course will receive credit by exam (EM credit). 

There will be no course grade, but the EM credit will appear on the advising report and satisfy the degree requirement. 

Exams for EM credit are administered during the first week of every semester in the keyboard lab in the Timashev Family Music Building N350. 

Students who fail a course in Keyboard Skills may not take an EM test to satisfy the degree requirement. The course must be repeated. 

Students are encouraged to complete the required courses in keyboard skills by the end of the second year of study in the School of Music. Functional keyboard skills are foundational for many upper-level Music courses. Students must complete the required courses in Keyboard Skills before enrolling in Applied Piano as a Secondary Instrument. 

Text: 

• E. L. Lancaster and Kenon D. Renfrow, Alfred’s Group Piano for Adults, Book 1, 2nd ed. Van Nuys, CA: Alfred Publishing Co., 2004

Technique: 

• Play major and minor five-finger patterns in all keys hands together.
• Play two-octave major scales starting on white keys hands separately with conventional scale fingering. 

Theory: 

• Play Major, minor, augmented and diminished triads in root position.
• Play diatonic triads (triads built on each scale degree) in C, G and F:
  • I  ii  iii  IV  V  vi  vii°  I 

Harmonic Progressions: 

• Play a progression using tonic, subdominant and dominant chords in all major keys hands together. I IV64 I V65 I 

Harmonization and Transposition: 

• Be able to harmonize and transpose a short melody at sight. 

Accompaniments: 

• Students should be able to play broken-chord, Alberti bass and waltz bass accompaniments in the left hand while playing a melody in the right hand. 

Rhythm: 

• Students will tap and count rhythm patterns for two hands. 

Play at Sight: 

• Students will play several short melodies with a variety of accompaniment patterns.

Keyboard Skills: MUS 2262.01

Credit by Exam (EM)

MUS 2262.01 is offered only in the Spring semester. 

Students who demonstrate proficiency in the keyboard skills included in this course will receive credit by exam (EM credit). One semester hour of credit. 

Exams for EM credit are administered during the first week of every quarter in the piano lab in the Timashev Family Music Building N350.  

Students must pass all sections of the exam to receive credit for the course. Students who do not pass all parts of the test must enroll in the course. Students may not repeat an EM test. 

Students may take EM tests for any level(s) at the beginning of a semester. Students who pass the test for this course receive credit for this course only. Passing this test does not satisfy the requirements for prerequisite courses.  

Students are encouraged to complete the required courses in keyboard skills by the end of the second year of study in the School of Music. Functional keyboard skills are foundational for many upper-level Music courses. Students must complete the required courses in Keyboard Skills before enrolling in Applied Piano as a Secondary Instrument. 

Text: 

• E. L. Lancaster and Kenon D. Renfrow, Alfred's Group Piano for Adults, Book 1, 2nd ed. Van Nuys, CA: Alfred Publishing Co., 2004.

Download the Skills Sheet for the following steps.

Technique (p. 1): 

• Play the following major scales hands separately: F, B, G flat, D flat.
• Play the harmonic form of the following minor scales hands separately. C minor, G minor, D minor, A minor, E minor 

Harmonic Progressions (p. 2): 

• Play the two progressions in the indicated keys. Observe the fingering and voicing for each progression. 

Harmonization and Transposition (p. 3): 

• Harmonize the three melodies by reading the Roman numerals and lead sheet chord symbols. Transpose as indicated. 

Solo Repertoire (p. 4): 

• Perform Dance by Christian Neefe. 

This test will also include a short excerpt to play at sight.

[pdf] — Some links on this page are to Adobe .pdf files requiring Adobe Reader. If you need them in a more accessible format, please contact us.

Keyboard Skills: MUS 2263.01

Credit by Exam (EM) 

MUS 2263.01 is offered only in the Autumn semester.

Students who demonstrate proficiency in the keyboard skills included in this course will receive credit by exam (EM credit). There will be no course grade but the EM credit will appear on the advising report and will satisfy the degree requirement. Exams for EM credit are administered during the first week of every quarter in the Keyboard Lab in the Timashev Family Music Building N350. 

Students who fail a course in the Keyboard Skills sequence may take an EM test. The course must be repeated. 

Students are encouraged to complete the required courses in keyboard skills by the end of the second year of study in the School of Music. Functional keyboard skills are foundational for many upper-level Music courses. Students must complete the required courses in Keyboard Skills before enrolling in Applied Piano as a Secondary Instrument (MUS 2200.11). 

Text: 

• E. L. Lancaster and Kenon D. Renfrow, Alfred's Group Piano for Adults, Book 2, 2nd ed. Van Nuys, CA: Alfred Publishing Co., 2008.

Download the Skills Sheet for the following steps.

Technique (p. 1): 

• Perform the following scales hands separately in two octaves: B flat Major, E flat Major, A flat Major
• Play the harmonic form of the following minor scales, hands separately: A minor, E minor, D minor, G minor, C minor, B minor, F minor 

Harmonic Progression (p. 2): 

• Perform the progression with secondary dominants in B  flat Major, C Major and D Major. 

Harmonization and Transposition (p. 2): 

• Add a broken-chord accompaniment to the melody from Mexico.
• Perform the exercise in G Major and E Major. 

Score Reading (p. 3–4): 

• Play all three parts for each excerpt. Note that the tenor part is  to be played an octave lower than written. 

Solo Repertoire (p. 5–6): 

• Perform the first movement of the Sonatina in G Major by Attwood.

This test will also include a short excerpt to play at sight. 

[pdf] — Some links on this page are to Adobe .pdf files requiring Adobe Reader. If you need them in a more accessible format, please contact us.

Keyboard Skills: MUS 2264.01  

Credit by Exam (EM)

MUS 2264.01 is offered only in the Spring semester.  

Students who demonstrate proficiency in the keyboard skills included in this course will receive credit by exam (EM credit). There will be no course grade but the EM credit will appear on the advising report and will satisfy the degree requirement.  Exams for EM credit are administered during the first week of every quarter in the Keyboard Lab in the Timashev Family Music Building, N350. 

Students who fail a course in the Keyboard Skills sequence may not take an EM test for that course. The course must be repeated. 

Students are encouraged to complete the required courses in keyboard skills by the end of the second year of study in the School of Music. Functional keyboard skills are foundational for many upper-level Music courses.Students must complete the required courses in Keyboard Skills before enrolling in Applied Piano as a Secondary Instrument.  

Text: 

• E. L. Lancaster and Kenon D. Renfrow, Alfred's Group Piano for Adults,  Book 2, 2nd ed. Van Nuys, CA: Alfred Publishing Co., 2008.  

Download the Skills Sheet for the following steps.

Technique (p. 1): 

• Perform the following scales hands together in two octaves: F Major, B Major, G-flat Major, D-flat Major
• Play the harmonic form of the following minor scales hands together. A minor, E minor, D minor, G minor, C minor, B minor, F minor 

Harmonization (p. 2): 

• Harmonize each melody using the indicated accompaniment pattern reading lead sheet symbols and Roman numerals.
• Use the inversions of chords when indicated by the symbols. 

Transposition (p. 2): 

• Perform Tell Me Why in F major and G major.  

Score Reading (p. 3): 

• Play all four parts of the choral excerpt.  

Keyboard Theory (p. 4): 

• Play the progressions that modulate in the keys indicated.  

Ensemble Repertoire (p. 5): 

• Perform the accompaniment on page 5. The solo line will be performed on a second piano or other soloist.

This test will also include a short excerpt to play at sight.

[pdf] — Some links on this page are to Adobe .pdf files requiring Adobe Reader. If you need them in a more accessible format, please contact us.