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