EIU Department of Music

Music Theory and Aural Skills Information for
Transfer Students

All incoming transfer students with college-level music theory/aural skills/music history experience will complete a placement exam before the beginning of the academic year.  For incoming transfer students, the information below provides inforamtion on the content for the various levels of Comprehensive Musicianship (MUS 1501, 1502, 2501, 2502)

Comprehensive Musicianship I - MUS 1501

Theoretical Concepts:

• Review of Fundamentals, Two-Part Counterpoint, Harmonic Analysis in various textures using I⁽⁶⁾, V⁽⁶⁾, vii^o6, and V⁷ in root position and inversions, and Part Writing in Four-Part SATB Texture (Figured Bass Realizations and Harmonization) using I⁽⁶⁾, V⁽⁶⁾, vii^o6, and V⁷ in root position and inversions.

Aural Recognition:

• Performance and Recognition of Scales, Intervals, Triads and Seventh Chords, Rhythms and Melodies in simple and compound meter,  Phrases in Two- and Four-Part Harmony using I⁽⁶⁾, V⁽⁶⁾, and V⁷ in root position and inversions.

In order to place out of MUS 1501, students need to demonstrate adequate knowledge of…

• Realize Figured Bass in SATB texture using I⁽⁶⁾, V⁽⁶⁾, vii^o6, and V⁷ in root position and inversions, identifying harmonies using Roman Numeral Analysis.
• Harmonize Soprano in SATB texture using I⁽⁶⁾, V⁽⁶⁾, vii^o6, and V⁷ in Root Position and Inversions, identifying harmonies using Roman Numeral Analysis.
• Harmonize Bass in keyboard texture using I⁽⁶⁾, V⁽⁶⁾, vii^o6, and V⁷ in Root Position and Inversions, identifying harmonies using Roman Numeral Analysis.
• Melodic Dictation of major and minor melodies in simple and compound meters.
• Harmonic Dictation of Four-Part Chorale-Style Progressions using I⁽⁶⁾, V⁽⁶⁾, vii^o6, and V⁷ in root position and inversions (notate Soprano and Bass, indicate Harmonies using Roman Numeral Analysis).
• Sight Singing of Major and minor Melodies with skips in the tonic and dominant triads; if possible using movable-Do Solfège.

Comprehensive Musicianship II - MUS 1502

Theoretical Concepts:

• Harmonic analysis in various textures and arrangements (piano through orchestral scores) and part writing (realization of figured and unfigured basses, melody harmonization, and writing of harmonic/melodic phrase structures) using all Diatonic Chords with any Non-Chord Tones, Harmonic Sequences, V7/V and viio7/V (root position and inversions), and modulation to the key of the Dominant in major and relative major in minor keys.

Aural Recognition:

• Performance and Recognition of Rhythms, Melodies, and Harmonies in different textures and clefs, using all Diatonic Triads and Seventh Chords with Non-Chord Tones.
  
  

In order to place out of MUS 1502, students need to demonstrate adequate knowledge of…

• Realize Figured Bass in SATB texture using Diatonic Triads and Seventh Chords, V⁷/V and vii^o7/V (root position and inversions), including modulations to the key of the Dominant or Relative Major, identifying harmonies using Roman Numeral Analysis.
• Prepare and Resolve Diatonic Seventh Chords in SATB texture, identifying harmonies using Roman Numeral Analysis.
• Write modulating phrase in SATB texture to the key of the Dominant or Relative Major using a diatonic pivot chord, identifying harmonies using Roman Numeral Analysis.
• Melodic Dictation of extended major and minor melodies in simple and compound meters.
• Harmonic Dictation of Four-Part Chorale-Style Diatonic Progressions (notate Soprano and Bass, indicate Harmonies using Roman Numeral Analysis).
• Sight Singing of Major and minor Melodies with skips in any diatonic triad and seventh chord using movable-Do Solfège.

Comprehensive Musicianship III - MUS 2501 

Theoretical Concepts:

• Harmonic Analysis and Part Writing of Progressions containing Tonicizations and Modulations, Chromatic Chords (Modal Mixture, Neapolitan Sixth, Augmented Sixth Chords), and Analysis of Musical Forms (Binary, Ternary, Rondo and Sonata-Form).

Aural Recognition:

• Performance and Recognition of Rhythms and Chromatic Melodies and Chord Progressions in all meters containing Chromatic Embellishments, Tonicizations and Modulations, Chromatic Chords (especially Modal Mixture, Neapolitan Sixth, Augmented Sixth Chords).

In order to place out of MUS 2501, students need to demonstrate adequate knowledge of…

• Harmonic Analysis of chromatic progressions in keyboard texture with non-chord tones using Secondary Functions, Modal Mixture, and Neapolitan Sixth and Augmented Sixth Chords.
• Part Writing of modulating chord progressions in SATB texture using Secondary Functions, Modal Mixture, and Neapolitan Sixth and Augmented Sixth Chords.
• Melodic Dictation of major and minor chromatic melodies in any meter.
• Harmonic Dictation of Four-Part Chorale-Style Modulating Progressions (notate Soprano and Bass, indicate Harmonies using Roman Numeral Analysis)
• Sight Singing of Chromatic Melodies in Major or Minor keys in any meter using movable-Do Solfège.

Comprehensive Musicianship IV - MUS 2502

Theoretical Concepts:

• Harmonic Analysis and Part Writing of Late-Romatic Tonality, including Enharmonic (using Augmented and viiº⁷ Chords) and Chromatic Modulations, Tonal Ambiguity, Chromatically Altered Chords, Chromatic Motion and Sequences, and Analysis of larger Musical Forms (Concerto and Symphony). 

Aural Recognition:

• Performance and Recognition of Complex Rhythms and Chromatic Melodies and Chord Progressions containing modulations and/or sequences in any meters.

In order to place out of MUS 2502, students need to demonstrate adequate knowledge of…

• Harmonic Analysis of chromatic chord progressions in SATB texture, including Fully-Diminished Seventh Chords, Enharmonic (using Augemented Sixth and viiº⁷ chords).
• Part Writing of modulating chord progressions in SATB texture using Secondary Functions, Modal Mixture, and Neapolitan Sixth and Augmented Sixth Chords; especially using enharmonic reinterpretation of the Augmented Sixth or vii^o7 Chords.
• Melodic Dictation of Chromatic Melodies in any meter.
• Harmonic Dictation of Chord Progressions containing modulations and/or sequences (notate Soprano and Bass, indicate Harmonies using Roman Numeral Analysis)
• Sight Singing of Chromatic Melodies in any meter using movable-Do Solfège.