You must pass the Music Fundamentals Exam with a score of 80% or higher before you can begin classes in September. There is no limit to how many times you can take the exam, so we recommend that you make an attempt as soon as possible. That will ensure that we can give you the most specific guidance to help you gain any knowledge you might be missing.
Navigating the Music Theory & Ear Training curriculum is a significant key to unlocking your success in the Music Performance program. Because the courses must be completed sequentially and are only offered in either the fall or winter term, timely completion of the program depends on your success in each course.
Since the curriculum moves quickly from fundamentals to more challenging and exciting topics, students with a strong foundation in the basics are better equipped for high achievement. Even after passing the Fundamentals exam, you may find it to your advantage to spend time over the summer enhancing your knowledge of music theory elements to prepare yourself for success in the fall.
Here are a few topics that will be useful to be comfortable with and confident in:
- Ability to read notes in both treble and bass clefs
- Knowledge of different rhythmic values of notes and rests (quarter, half, whole, etc.)
- Familiarity with the use of ties and dots in rhythmic notation
- Knowledge of all major and minor key signatures (up to 6 flats/sharps)
- Familiarity with the use of accidentals
- Ability to construct major and minor scales from any starting pitch
- Knowledge of major, minor, and perfect intervals
- Ability to construct major and minor chords from a given root
If you need some practice to hone your skills, there are great online resources to help! Both & offer free tutorials and exercises to help you understand music theory fundamentals and test your knowledge.