Ohio Northern University Department of Music MUSL 2041: Piano Proficiency Exam Requirements Bachelor of Music Education Bachelor of Music Vocal and/or Instrumental Performance Revised August 2016 This exam is in accordance with N.A.S.M. guidelines, and is applicable for all ONU music majors who are seeking the Bachelor of Music Education or Bachelor of Music in Instrumental and/or Vocal Performance. This is a graduation requirement; the entire exam must be passed before a student can register for student teaching and/or graduate. Students must enroll in piano until the entire exam is completed/passed. Students in this degree program should pass the entire exam by the end of their fourth semester at Ohio Northern University. Exams are given twice per semester, once mid-semester and once finals week. Sign-up sheets are posted on the back hall bulletin board. Sign-ups/cancellations must have approval the individual piano instructor. Keep these sheets; know the requirements. All exams are recorded. Students should attempt 2-3 skills per semester to be determined by the student and their instructor. If these skills are not passed in that semester, the student could receive a failing grade for that semester. Exceptions may be made for special circumstances at the discretion of the piano faculty. Scales and chords must be passed by the end of the third semester of study. Skills marked with an asterisk (*) will be tested in individual studios, not in the mid or end-ofsemester Proficiency Exam. (General Questions, Alternate Scales, Happy Birthday) The exam is administered in 15-minute slots. If you are attempting scales and chords or choral warm ups please sign up for TWO SLOTS. This will help the faculty stay on schedule. Please come to the exam prepared for any part as we may have to end your exam if you are not prepared and cause us to get off schedule. Students are given three attempts to pass each segment of the exam. Three failed attempts of any skill can prohibit graduation with a major in music. When students complete and pass all required sections, they should register for MUSL 2041 and a grade of S will be assigned. Do not register for the exam until the entire exam is passed. It is solely up to the student to register for the piano proficiency at the appropriate time. Repertoire and General Questions A. Repertoire of two contrasting composers is required; one piece must be contrapuntal. No pop tunes are permitted. Students must verbally place composers in their correct historical period. Pieces from these sources at these levels are suggestions and at acceptable levels: 1. Progressive Class Piano, 2 nd edition, Elmer Heerema, pages 247, 252, 272, 278, 303, 304, 307, 308, 311, 314, 316, or 320. 2. Bastien Piano Literature Books, Levels 2, 3, or 4. 3. Consult with your professor if you wish to play other selections to be sure that the difficulty level is appropriate.
Repertoire and General Questions (cont.) *B. General Questions: To be tested in Studio. 1. Be able to explain names and functions of the pedals and parts of the piano (hammer, soundboard, etc.) and how to safely move a piano and raise and lower lid on a grand piano. 2. Be able to state how often should piano be tuned? Where in a room would a piano be placed to keep it in tune? Who should tune a piano? 3. Be able to determine the best placement of a piano in a typical classroom, office, large hall, etc. *C. Happy Birthday required for BMEd majors only To be tested in Studio Students will play Happy Birthday in the Key of F or G major (as given by Instructor) memorized, at a suitable tempo. Faculty will sing. Technical Skills A. Scales: Piano majors will be responsible for all scales, all keys, with all three forms of minor, in four octaves at a minimum speed of eighth note = 120 with cadence pattern below, including inversions. All scales must be memorized. Students will be asked for at least 4 majors and 4 minors during the exam. Non-piano majors will play all major scales one octave, hands together at quarter note = 80-120 with cadence patterns below, including inversions. Additionally, non-piano majors will play minor scales a, e, d, g, and c with all three forms of minor, with same tempo requirements as listed under major scales, with cadence patterns below. All scales must be memorized. Students will be asked for a total of 4 majors and 4 minors during the exam. Cadence pattern I-IV-I-V-V 7 -I or i-iv-i-v-v 7 -i for all scales listed above B. Arpeggios: Piano Majors will be asked for any arpeggio in any key, in triplets, hands together, three octaves at a suitable tempo and will also be asked for inversions. These must be memorized. Students will be asked to play at least 5 arpeggios during the exam. Non-piano majors will play arpeggios in major keys of C, A, F #, B b, and E b in triplets, hands together, two octaves, with no inversions. These must be memorized. Students will play all 5 arpeggios during the exam. *C. Alternate Scales: To be tested in Studio Modes: Be able to play any mode: Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, Locrian, one octave, one hand (ascending only) starting on any key. Blues, Pentascales, Whole Tone, Chromatic: Be able to play on any key, one hand, up and down one octave. Practical Skills A. Hymn playing: Choose one four-part hymn from a faculty-approved list. To be prepared in advance. Piano/organ majors will also be required to sight read a four-part hymn, which will be chosen on the day of the exam. B. Four part playing: A four part playing example of not less than seven chords will be given and played with music. To be prepared in advance, not memorized. Example might be a progression like: I vi IV ii 6 I 6/4 V 7 I
Practical Skills (cont.) C. Harmonize simple melodies at sight in fake book format, the first time with blocked chords, the second time improvising an accompaniment using those chords in a pattern (chord symbols in the form of Arabic letters will be provided). Chords used may include I, IV, V, V 7, ii, and vi. Students will use an appropriate accompaniment pattern for the melody given; one example in major and one in minor. Melodies to be used in the exam will be given to the students not less than 24 hours before the exam. D. At-sight accompanying: Students will perform a simple accompaniment at sight. At-sight examples will be given to students not less than 24 hours before the exam E. Transpose simple melody lines with basic chords up or down a minor third or a major second. One major and one minor melody will be chosen. Melodies will be similar to those on pages 222-228 of Heerema s Progressive Class Piano. Roman Numerals will be used to indicate chord symbols on this portion of the exam. Melodies to be used in the exam will be given to the students not less than 24 hours before the exam. F. Choral warm-ups: See your professor for a requirement page. Be prepared to discuss the context in which you would use each warm up on the sheet. Be prepared to stand and look over the keyboard. These must be memorized. Be able to state the function of each exercise for the voice, start in any key, perform both ascending and descending, and show an understanding of vocal ranges for various ages and groups. To be prepared in advance, memorized. Specialized Skills A. Prepared Score Reading required for all degrees. The requirements for score reading vary according to concentration areas. Examples will be taken from Harmonization at the Piano 2 nd Edition by Arthur Frackenpohl. See your professor for the examples. 1. Vocalists, choral concentration: Students will prepare and play any two lines (adjacent lines only) of the examples taken from these pages: Page 179, number 2 Page 180, number 4 Page 182, number 6 2. Instrumentalists (except pianists and organists): Students will prepare and play any example taken from these pages: Page 191 (Number 19, one line transposed and the other not) Page 195 (Number 26, one line transposed and the other not) Page 199 (Number 32, both lines transposed) 3. Education majors: Materials will be chosen from numbers 1 and 2 above.
Specialized Skills (cont.) 4. Pianists and organists: Students will be required to read any or all combinations of voices (for example, all parts at once; OR soprano and bass; tenor and soprano; alto and bass; soprano, alto and bass; etc.) In other words, pianists and organists must be able to read the entire score, or two or three adjacent lines of music simultaneously while skipping a line (or lines) in the middle. Students will prepare and play any example from these pages: Page 180, number 4 Page 182, number 6 Page 187, number 14 Page 195, number 25 (with transpositions) Page 199, number 32 Page 201, number 36, all parts Pianists must also be able to read an alto or tenor clef example. Pianists and organists will also be asked to play one prepared short excerpt from Handel s Hallelujah Chorus in the original key, any combination of voice parts. B. At-sight score reading: A vocal (SATB) example will be chosen at the discretion of your piano instructor and the proficiency committee. To be given to student not less than 24 hours before the exam.
.- -- /{-t ta I = (s) a F..a rr -Fl FI J, - \J