Thank you for your interest in music study at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro . If you are thinking about majoring in music and pursuing the Bachelor of Music or Bachelor of Arts in Music degree, then you need to focus immediately on the following areas that will help you to be successful at UNCG.
First-year students apply to UNCG with differing levels of knowledge about music. Many know the major and minor scales, key signatures, clefs, intervals, and chord types (major, minor, augmented and diminished) which they have learned through private lessons or music study in high school. Many others, however, possess only a rudimentary understanding of this information. This range in knowledge about music theory presents a difficult challenge to both students and faculty. To determine your level of knowledge of fundamental skills, we will ask you to complete an examination in the fundamentals of music theory when you audition. If you do not score at the required level, we will provide additional information for you to study and then provide two more opportunities for you to score well on the exam: during summer orientation, and immediately prior to the start of classes. The examination will consist of the following components ( in both TREBLE and BASS clefs ):
• Name the major and minor keys indicated by a printed key signature.
• Write (notate) key signatures for indicated major and minor keys.
• Identify the following scale types: major; natural minor; harmonic minor; ascending melodic minor.
• Apply accidentals to printed notes to form the scale types listed above.
• Identify the quality and size of notated intervals: perfect, major, minor, augmented, and diminished (quality) and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 (size).
• On a staff, notate the pitch that lies a specified interval above or below a given pitch.
• Identify the quality of notated triads (root position and first-inversion) as major, minor, augmented, diminished.
• Given a notated pitch, regard it as the root, third, or fifth of a triad, then notate the remaining pitches to complete a triad of the indicated quality (major, minor, diminished, or augmented).
• Given a printed meter signature, determine the number of beats in a measure and what note value equals one beat.
• Given a printed meter signature and a notated rhythmic pattern, divide the rhythmic pattern into measures.
• Rewrite rhythmic patterns using beams to conform to the meter indicated by a given meter signature.
Click here to see examples of each of these skills.
If you need further explanation of this information, please talk to your high school or private music teacher. They will be able to help you prepare. You can also go to the following website for a complete list of materials to use in preparation for this examination:
Those students who have not scored at the appropriate level on this exam by the start of classes will be enrolled in MUS 100 (Music Fundamentals) for the first semester, thus delaying enrollment in MUS 101 (Theory I) until the Spring Semester.
NOTE: If you are transferring from another school where you have had some theory courses, you will NOT take the above examination. Instead, you will take the normal advanced placement test for theory (just prior to the beginning of classes in the fall) to determine which music theory course you should take during your first semester at UNCG. If you are transferring from another school where you did NOT have theory instruction, you will be required to take the examination described above.
If you have limited performance skills on the piano, then we strongly urge you to find a piano teacher and begin keyboard study immediately. Piano study will contribute to your general musical knowledge in many ways, especially your functional knowledge of scales, chords, and clefs. You will need functional keyboard skills to play simple accompaniments, harmonize melodies, and improvise music in different styles during your studies at UNCG and throughout your professional career. During your audition, we will ask you to complete a piano skills assessment. As a result of this assessment, you will be placed in the appropriate level of Class Piano. Auditioning students who have had considerable piano background may be able to exempt class piano by passing all levels of the assessment. The Piano Proficiency required for all non-keyboard majors and principals in the School of Music is listed at http://www.uncg.edu/mus/PianoProficiency.html
The four levels of class piano are Music 131, Music 132, Music 133 and Music 134. Placement below Music 133 is considered a remedial/deficiency placement. Except for the BA music degree, credit earned in Music 131 and, or Music 132 will not fulfill a specific degree requirement, but may count toward free electives.
The UNCG School of Music adopted beginning piano texts are the following:
Alfred’s Group Piano for Adults, Books I and II by E.L Lancaster and Kenon D, Renfrow. Alfred Publishing Company, Van Nuys, CA.
The functional use of your singing voice is important to your success as a music student at UNCG and later as a music teacher in private lessons, ensemble rehearsals, and the classroom. Although those students who anticipate being a voice major usually spend several years singing in a choir during their adolescent years, many instrumentalists, including pianists, fail to develop their vocal skills. During the first two years of study at UNCG, all music majors must enroll in courses designed to develop the skills of aural perception and sight singing. Prior singing experience will help you succeed in those courses. If you have not recently had experience singing, then you are urged to find a place in a school or community choir or another musical venue where you can develop skill in singing with good pitch and rhythm and become comfortable in using your singing voice.
As always, if you have questions about these items or anything else pertaining to music study at UNCG, please contact us at 336-334-5789 or by email (music@uncg.edu )