Music Theory:

All students intending to register for Music Theory I (MUS 103) must first pass the one-hour Rudiments Placement Test. Otherwise, students are required to register for Rudiments of Music (MUS 120). Upon receipt of C or better in MUS 120, they may obtain departmental approval for enrollment in MUS 103 without taking the Rudiments Placement Test. Students are reminded that MUS 120 does not earn credit toward completion of the music minor.

The Rudiments Placement Test measures the ability to identify and notate the following:
-Divided and subdivided rhythms in simple and compound meters
-Major and minor scales (all forms)
-Major and minor key signatures
-Intervals (all qualities)
-Triads (all qualities)
-Performance markings

Students should contact Dr. Tom Koch (tdkoch@ncsu.edu) to schedule a testing time.
A Sample Test can be accessed here.

Students who successfully complete the Rudiments Placement Test and possess a relatively advanced background in theory may, upon approval, elect to take the Theory I Placement Test.

The Theory I Placement Test measures the ability to identify and notate the following:
-Divided, subdivided, and tuplet rhythms
-C clefs
-Modes and nondiatonic scales
-Simple harmonic analysis
-Cadences
-Nonharmonic tones
-Melodic and phrase structure
-Simple voice-leading in two and four voices

Upon successful completion of the Theory I Placement Test, these students may, upon approval, elect to take the Theory II Placement Test.

The Theory II Placement Test measures the ability to identify and notate the following:
-Four-voice realizations of a figured bass
-Common harmonic progressions toward or away from a tonic resolution
-Voice leading of dominant, leading-tone, and nondominant 7th chords
-Voice leading of secondary dominant and leading-tone chords
-Common-chord, chromatic, and direct modulations

Aural Skills:

Students who register for MUS 103 and MUS 203 are strongly encouraged to register concurrently for MUS 104 and MUS 204, respectively. Upon approval, a student who has previously taken or tested out of MUS 103 may register independently for MUS 104. However, a student cannot register for MUS 203 without having taken or concurrently taking MUS 104. Students with sufficient ear-training background may elect to take the Aural Skills I Placement Test.

The Aural Skills I Placement Test measures the following skills:
-Sight-singing and melodic dictation: passages in major and minor keys containing intervals up to a perfect 5th and divided rhythms in simple and compound meters. Students may sight-sing on any syllable(s) of their choosing.
-Interval identification: intervals up to a perfect 5th played melodically and harmonically
-Rhythm reading and dictation: passages containing divided and subdivided rhythms in simple and compound meters
-Triadic quality identification: major, minor, diminished, and augmented triads in close and root position
-Harmonic dictation: notation of bass and soprano voices with harmonic analysis in passages containing I(i)-IV(iv)-V progressions (including inversions)

Upon successfully completion of the Aural Skills I Placement Test, students may, upon approval, elect to take the Aural Skills II Placement Test.

The Aural Skills II Placement Test measures the following skills:
-Sight-singing and melodic dictation: passages in major and minor keys containing all diatonic intervals and divided and subdivided rhythms in simple and compound meters. Students may sight-sing on any syllable(s) of their choosing.
-Interval identification: all diatonic intervals played melodically and harmonically
-Rhythm reading and dictation: passages containing divided, subdivided, and tuplet rhythms in simple and compound meters
-Triadic quality identification: all triadic qualities in open and inverted positions.
-Harmonic dictation: notation of bass and soprano voices with harmonic analysis in passages containing I(i)-ii(ii0)-iii(III+)-IV(iv)-V(V7)-vi(VI)-vii0 progressions (including inversions)

Advancement:

A grade of C or better in each theory and aural skills course permits a student to advance to the next level.

AP Music Theory Credit:

Students who have taken the AP Music Theory Test are awarded credit based on the following scores:
-Nonaural subscore: 4, 5 = 3 hours for MUS 103
-Aural subscore: 4, 5 = 1 hour for MUS 104
-All scores: 1, 2, 3 No credit