MUS Grad Portfolio Placement Exam
This test will be used to evaluate your class placement. It is very important that you are honest
about your knowledge so that you will not be placed into classes that are too advanced for your
skill level.
Instructions: Please save this pdf onto your desktop first. Then insert your answers in the grey boxes and
submit this test along with your other admissions materials (save the completed quiz as Music Placement Exam).
1.
What are the subdominant and dominant triads in the key of B major? ____
a. F# major and G# minor
b. D# minor and E major
c. E major and F# major
d. C# minor and F# major
2.
The parallel minor of E major... ____
a. has one sharp in the key signature
b. has A minor as its subdominant
c. has a relative major of G
d. all of the above
e. none of the above
3.
What is a perfect fifth? ____
a. the fifth scale degree from the root tone of a major or minor scale
b. a major third and a minor third above the root tone in a major triad
c. a consonant interval
d. an interval used in parallel motion in Gregorian chant
e. all of the above
4.
What is the common tone between an E-major triad and a G-major triad? ____
a. D
b. F#
c. B
d. C#
5.
What is the enharmonic tone common between a C-augmented chord and a D-diminished
chord? ____
a. Bb or A#
b. Ab or G#
c. E or Fb
d. F# or Gb
6.
Which is the best way to write a chord symbol for an F-augmented seventh chord? ____
a. F7(+5)
b. Faug5(add7)
c. F+7
d. F+5+7
7.
What is the triad built on the supertonic of a B-minor scale? ____
a. a C#-diminished triad
b. a D#-minor triad
c. an E-major triad
d. a G#-minor triad
8.
Assuming a harmonic minor scale, what is the median triad in a minor key? ____
a. a diminished triad
b. a minor triad
c. an augmented triad
d. a major triad
9.
What is the seventh degree of a B-harmonic-minor scale? ____
a. A
b. Ab
c. A#
d. Ax
10. What is the seventh degree of a natural minor built on F? ____
a. E#
b. Eb
c. E
d. Ebb
11. Common tones in chords... ____
a. are good choices to repeat in a voice from chord to chord
b. should be avoided at all costs
c. should be used as melodic devices
d. are never found in the harmonic minor
12. The bass part in root position... ____
a. is a good way to begin the study of voice leading
b. may often move in skips
c. should be changed periodically to include other inversions of a chord
d. provides a solid foundation for a chord
e. all of the above
13. IV and V are most closely related to: ____
a. I
b. II
c. III
d. VI
14. When triads are built on any scale degree of a major or minor scale, they provide many
possibilities for harmonic motion, all related to the key center. ____
a. True
b. False
15. A time signature of 12/8 suggests triple meter. ____
a. True
b. False
16. A dotted whole note may last more than one measure. ____
a. True
b. False
17. The triad built on the second degree of a harmonic minor scale is an augmented triad. ____
a. True
b. False
18. In the chord symbol "B7," the "7" refers to the major seventh above the root. ____
a. True
b. False
19. An enharmonic equivalent is a different spelling of the same tone. ____
a. True
b. False
20. A mediant (III) chord may be followed quite naturally by a submediant (VI) chord. ____
a. True
b. False