Virginia Music Teachers Association Theory Testing Program Syllabus 2013 Please note: Information for all levels is cumulative.
All new additions are highlighted Primer Level – Level 2B No Additions
Primer Level
Note Names: The musical alphabet, names of keys on keyboard, line and space notes
Notation: Note/rest values (half note, quarter note, dotted quarter note, whole note, quarter rest, half rest, whole rest)
Terms: Staff, treble clef, bass clef, piano (p), forte (f), repeat sign, ending bar, grand staff
Aural: High and low sounds, loud and soft sounds, duration (short and long sounds), skips and steps, identification of short rhythmic patterns using half and quarter notes
Level IA
Note reading: All notes on the staff
Notation: Whole, dotted half, half, quarter notes and rests; sharp, flat, and natural signs, time signatures for 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, C (common time), treble and bass clef, slur (over 2‐3 notes), tie, phrase mark (over 4 or more notes), measure, measure bar, double bar, repeat bar, and ending bar
Intervals: Second, third, fourth, and fifth ‐‐‐ no quality
Pentachords: (Also known as Five Finger Patterns or Pentascales) –major only on C, G, D, A, E, B, and F with tonic triad labeled on keyboard
Rhythm: Adding bar lines to 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, and 5/4 using only whole, dotted half, half, and quarter notes, pick‐ (upbeat) notes, writing in counts for simple rhythms New Terms: Forte, piano, accents, crescendo, decrescendo or diminuendo, ritardando, staccato, legato, allegro, moderato, andante, keynote, (tonic), half step, whole step, flat, sharp, natural, bar line, upbeat (or pick‐up notes), phrase mark
Level IB
Requirements the same as Level IA with the following exceptions”
Intervals: Identification (name) harmonic or melodic intervals, no writing requirement
Pentachords: Write the notes on the staff (Five‐finger patterns/Pentascales)
Analysis: Addition of identification of melodic and harmonic intervals, explanation of time signature. Examples will be slightly more difficult that Level IA
Level IIA
Reading: Ledger lines between staves and extending two lines above or below the staff
Notation: Signs for fermata, accent, eighth notes and rests
Intervals: Write and recognize all intervals –2nd through 8va (no quality); identification for harmonic and melodic
Pentachords: (Five‐finger patterns/Pentascales) Major and minor for all white keys written on staff with tonic (I, i)
Rhythm: Write in bar lines and counts for simple rhythms. Students MUST remember to include the bar line at the end of the exercise. Eight notes and rests included
New Terms: Mezzo piano, mezzo forte, pianissimo, fortissimo, fermata, da capo al fine, presto, allegretto, a tempo, accent mark (>)
Aural: Major and minor triads, M2 and P4, M3 and P5, same or different melody and rhythm, half and whole steps
Analysis: Find triads, pentachords (pentascales), explain time signature, find half steps, find similar phrases
Level IIB
Requirements the same as Level IIA with the following exceptions:
Reading: All ledger line notes above and below the staff
Notation: Complete a grand staff
Intervals: Write both harmonic and melodic intervals
Pentachords: Major and minor, all keys
New terms: Andante and tonic
Analysis: List articulation
Level IIIA
Notation: Name all ledger line notes and correctly add stems
Rhythm: 6/8 and 4/4, dotted notes and triplets
Triads: Major and minor on a given pitch, white notes only, know proper use of naturals; recognize clusters
Scales: Name location of half steps in major scales (3‐4 and 7‐8), add accidentals and mark half steps on given white note major scales, Write out a Whole Tone Scale
Intervals: Write major or perfect intervals above a given note, both harmonic and melodic, be able to write whole or half steps above a given note
Symbols/Terms: Know how many beats a note gets with a given time signature, whole measure rest, sforzando, adagio, dal segno, portato, tenuto
Key Signatures: Identify major key signatures up to 5 sharps or 5 flats
Analysis: Understanding difference between keynote, key signature, and key, identify triads by name and quality, identify intervals, compare note patterns in treble and bass clefs, articulation
Aural: Meter (3/4 and 4/4), major and perfect intervals by number and quality, same or different melodies, major or minor triads, add missing notes in rhythmic dictation, Cluster Chord Identification
Level IIIB
Requirements the same as Level IIIA with the following exceptions:
Key Signatures: Identification of All Major key signatures
Scales: Write all major scales; mark half steps, Whole Tone Scale
Triads: Build all major/minor triads on given pitches (black and white); know the proper use of naturals, Written Cluster Chords
Rhythm: Write in counts for changing meters
Aural: Identification of meter in musical examples using 3/4 and 4/4 or 4/4 and 6/8, Cluster Chord Identification
Analysis: Identification of all previous material in slightly more advanced Pieces, Indicate meter changes, whole tone scales and cluster chords in given 20th Century example
Level IV
Notation: Sixteenth notes and rests, dotted eighth note/sixteenth pattern, double sharps and double flats
Scales: Write all Major scales and white key minor scales; mark 1/2‐steps, Whole Tone Scale
Triads: Major, minor, diminished, and augmented in root position – all keys
Intervals: All major, minor and perfect (up only) from given note
Key Signatures: Write all major key signatures; identify minor key signatures of all white‐key minors
Rhythm: Understand use of triplets (marked with slur, bracket, or just a 3) in all note values, as well as dotted eighth/sixteenth note combinations, Write in counts for changing meters
New Terms: Leggiero, prestissimo, con, poco, meno, piu, molto, dolce, 0=diminished, +=augmented
Aural: Major and perfect intervals, major, minor, diminished and augmented triads; rhythmic dictation (adding stems and beams to note heads); melodic dictation (filling in missing notes for two to three measures); meter identification and major/minor mode from musical example, Cluster Chord Identification, and Whole Tone Scale Identification
Analysis: Identification of key change (major only); identify major or minor scales and modulations; identify binary (AB) and ternary (ABA) forms, Indicate meter changes, whole tone scales and cluster chords in given 20th Century example
Level V
Rhythm: Rhythmic Augmentation/Diminution
Scales: Write all major/minor scales, including all forms of minor
Concepts: Relative minor; circle of fifths (MAJOR keys only); principle or primary triads; functional names of all scale degrees, authentic and plagal cadences
Key Signatures: Identify and write all minor key signatures
Triads: Triads in inversion with figured bass (root, 6/3, 6/4), Identify split thirds
New Terms: Senza, con pedale, simile, sempre, non troppo, animato, una corda, tre corda, mosso, moto grazioso, subito, binary, ternary, authentic and plagal candences, Tonic, Dominant, Subdominant
Aural: Add simple rhythmic dictation, melodic dictation (filling in missing notes); identification of opening interval or chord in a musical example; identification of intervals and major/minor triads played blocked and broken, identify split thirds and rhythmic augmentation/diminution
Analysis: Examples in major/minor mode; simple key changes; identification of chords with correct Roman numerals; forms include binary, ternary, and rounded binary identify split thirds and rhythmic augmentation/diminution as well as other 20th century idioms studied thus far
Level VI
Concept: Circle of fifths (minor keys); parallel (homotonic) minor, seventh chords
Chromatic Scale: Write using sharps ascending and flats descending
Chords: Cluster Chords (review)
Scale Degrees: Functional names for secondary scale degrees Half Steps: Diatonic and chromatic
Rhythm: Thirty‐second notes and rests,
Scales: Identification of fragments
New Terms: Calando, morendo, smorzando, allargando, stringendo, diatonic, chromatic, lento, largo, enharmonic, tritone, hemiola, polyrhythm, mediant, submediant, supertonic, leading‐tone
Cadences: Write authentic cadences in piano style (root in bass and three notes in treble using proper voice leading)
Aural: Tritone included in listening for intervals; identification of major, minor, or chromatic scales within the context of a musical phrase, Split thirds included in chords
Analysis: Chord identification, as indicated, using Roman numerals and figured bass; indicate primary (tonic/subdominant/dominant) or secondary triads; forms will include through composed, rondo and theme and variations 20th century analysis to included asymmetrical rhythm, clusters and other previously studied material
Level VII
Concepts: Secondary Dominant V7/V
Modes: Write and identify un‐transposed Dorian, Phrygian, and Aeolian
Scales: Building triads on scale degrees and label according to quality and function using proper roman numerals, Whole Tone and Pentatonic Scales
Cadences: Write plagal and half cadences in piano style using proper voice leading
Intervals: Diminished and augmented primes, fourths, fifths, and octaves
Rhythm: Identify simple, compound, duple, triple, and quadruple meter
New Terms: Tranquillo, marcato, agitato, pesante, con brio, con dolore, cantando, cantabile, assai, maestoso, grave, coda, rondo, Pandiatonicism, polyrhythms
Aural: Recognition of plagal and authentic cadences, inverted triads in broken form (quality only); identification of consecutive intervals Split thirds, whole tone scale and pentatonic scale
Analysis: Chords in all positions with roots circled; name chords and inversions with Roman numerals in short musical example. Chords with only two notes should be implied as a triad with one note missing. Analyze form of a piece (see previous levels for which are required); identify enharmonic chords and/or intervals, Analyze 20th century piece including pentatonic scale, and Concepts from previous levels
Level VIII
Modes: Write and identify un‐transposed Lydian, Mixolydian, Ionian, and Locrian
Cadences: Write extended authentic cadences in all major/harmonic minor keys in piano style
Triads: Identify in open harmony by quality and inversion
Rhythm: Including asymmetrical meter; also sixty‐fourth notes and rests
New Terms: Secco, sotto, perdendosi, piacere, affetuoso, tempo guisto, a, e, comodo, mesto, poi, asymetrical rhythm, contrametrics, rhythmic augmentation and diminution, bitonality, quartal and quintal chords
Aural: Quality identification of triads in inversion played in broken and blocked form—extra credit for correct figured bass; cadences for identification taken from piano literature; intervals played up or down from given notes, Include bitonal examples
Analysis: Slightly more advanced examples based on previous material, identify 20th century concepts in more advanced piece
Level IX
Scales: Whole tone and pentatonic
Modes: All modes in transposition
Chords: Seventh chords: major‐minor, major, minor, half‐diminished, and fully‐diminished in root position
Intervals: Down from given notes
Cadences: Perfect plagal and authentic
Triads: Identify and write in open harmony
Rhythm: All note values in example New Terms: Mano destra, main droite (m.d.), main gauche (m.g.), mano sinistra (m.s.), slentando, pochissimo, ben, rubato, lusingando, L’istesso, très leger, toujour, retenu, lent, vif, vite, cédez, a duo pedale, au movement, sec, sequence, passing tone, upper and lower neighbor tones, parallelism
Aural: Identification of pentatonic, whole tone, and chromatic scales; identification of rhythmic and notation errors in a short piano piece
Analysis: Terms will be included for identification in a piece of literature that is to be analyzed. Also included will be a short example in open harmony to analyze involving primary and secondary triads. Include 20th century analysis with clusters, parallelism, polyrhythms, and split 3rds.
Level X
Chords: Major‐minor, dominant, minor, and half and fully diminished seventh chords
Inversions: Write and identify seventh chords with figured bass
Cadences: Write deceptive cadence
New Terms: En animant, très expressif, éclat, un peu moins vite, suspension, motive, polyphonic, homophonic, turn, mordent, trill (tr), grace note, appoggiatura, atonality, polytonality
Style Characteristics: Identify style characteristics of the different periods, i.e. Baroque – independent voices as in preludes & fugues, few dynamic markings, heavy ornamentation Classical – 2‐note slurs, melody with chordal accompaniments, sonata form common Romantic – Thick textures, heavier pedaling, scale flourishes, character pieces, long phrases 20th Century – Changing meters, unconventional harmonies and rhythms, varied forms including free form and the return to traditional forms (neo‐classicism, etc), polytonality/atonality,
Aural: Identify modal scales’ triads in blocked form ONLY, major‐minor, minor, and fully diminished sevenths in broken form; sequence/imitation; major, minor, diminished, and augmented chords played in blocked form only
Analysis: Chord identification includes dominant seventh by quality and figured bass; identification of application of new terms Include 20th century analysis with atonality, polytonality, whole tone, and pentatonic
Level XI:
Chords: Common chord modulation
Cadences: Using secondary triad‐‐‐I IV V ii6 I6/4 V7 I Rhythm: Syncopation, hemiola, alternating meter
New Terms: Schnell, lebhaft, gesangoll, innig, mit empfindsamkeit, geschwind, langsam, tremolo, 12 tone, (Review – Pandiatonicism, Quartal/Quintal Chords, Atonality)
Form: Sonata allegro (exposition, development, recapitulation)
Aural: Recognition of all seventh chords in broken form; cadences from piano literature—plagal, authentic, extended authentic, and deceptive
Analysis: Basic structure of sonata allegro form including themes in exposition in addition to harmonic analysis Include 20th century analysis with 12‐tone, Pandiatonicism, and quartal/quintal chords
Level XII
Clefs: Individual notes to identify in C clefs
Melody: Write a simple melody in inversion, augmentation, and diminution
Aural: Recognition of accumulated information from all previous levels
Analysis: Opportunity to demonstrate accumulated knowledge Include 20th century analysis with 12‐tone, non‐traditional methods, contrametrics, polychords, prepared piano, percussive piano