Core Theory Credit By Exam (CBE)

Credit by Exam (CBE) for Core Theory and Aural Skills Classes (MUTH 1400/10, 1500/10, 2400/10, 2500/10)

January 13, 2024, 8:00 AM. Music Theory CBE,  for 1300/1350 (minors) Room MU258

January 13, 2024, 9:00 am, MUTH 1400 and above (majors) Aural and written portion. Students will have individual aural skills appointments for Sight singing and Rhythm reading.

Students will be given 45 minutes for the Theory portion then 45 minutes for dictation. Bring a pencil!

Theory- primarily covers analysis and part-writing
Aural- primarily covers melodic and harmonic dictation (sight-singing and rhythm reading by appointment)

Music Minors: If you have not taken MUTH 1300 yet, you may choose to test into MUTH 1350 before the first day of classes for fall and spring semesters (see Spring 2025 CBE testing information above).   The 1300/1350 CBE testing will also occur on the first day of class for MUTH 1300. 

IMPORTANT: You may only attempt a credit-by-exam test ONE time. (Ex: at the indicated time before classes begin OR during the first day of MUTH 1300 class, not both)

IMPORTANT: You may not test for credit-by-exam for a course you have previously failed.

General Information
Although AP Theory Credit is not accepted at UNT, undergraduate students may attempt to validate/exempt MUTH 1400/10, 1500/10, 2400/10, and 2500/10 by taking a validation exam. The exam will be administered the week before classes each fall and spring semester (times/places will be posted as dates near).

Requirements
For first-time students needing to enroll in MUTH 1400/10, 1500/10, 2400/10, 2500/2510:
1) You cannot take an exam for a class in which you were previously enrolled.
2) You may only attempt the exam once.
3) Credit by exam fee must be paid in order to post a grade of “Cr” to your transcript.

A score of high pass is required to validate a core theory/aural skills class. A “high pass” is defined as scoring an 80% or better in every major section of the exam. Note that mastery of some concepts but not others is not sufficient to exempt a core class.

The written theory exam is administered at one time, covering all four levels. You may work through as much as you are comfortable completing.

The aural skills exam consists of two parts: (1) an aural dictation exam on the first day and (2) an individual sight-singing/keyboard exam on a follow-up day (specific dates will be announced prior to the beginning of each fall/spring semester).
Part I: The dictation exams will be administered on the same day, same room, and in back-to-back hours. If a score of “high pass” is achieved in Part I, the student will need to sign up for Part II, the sight-singing/keyboard exam.
Part II: Only after passing the dictation exam can the student make an individual appointment for the sight-singing/keyboard exam.

A high pass is required for both parts of the aural skills exam.

Written Theory Topics: See below for an outline of recent course goals for Theory I-IV. To pass out of these classes, one is expected to have a firm grasp of all topics listed.  Music theory courses use the following textbook: Steven Laitz's The Complete Musician, 4th ed. (Oxford University Press).

THEORY I - (MUTH 1400)

TRIADS: (recognize, spell and notate from any pitch)
All four types of triads, above or below any given pitch
(both with and without key signature)
All diatonic triads in all major and minor keys (three variants)
INVERSION: understand the difference between melodic and harmonic
inversion
ROMAN NUMERALS and FIGURED BASS: (recognize and notate)
All diatonic triads and the dominant 7th chord, in all major and minor
keys with case-specific Roman numerals
Assign all positions of triads (and dominant 7th chords) with figured
bass inversions
NON-HARMONIC TONES: (recognize and notate)
All unaccented and accented patterns
METERS: (recognize and notate)
Simple and compound meters of duple, triple and quadruple
groupings, with appropriate beaming of duple and triple division of the beat
ACCENTS: (recognize the various types)
Tonal, harmonic, metric, agogic and dynamic
The effect of hemiola
CADENCES: (recognize and notate)
Perfect and imperfect authentic and plagal cadences, Half and
deceptive (interior) cadences
FOUR-PART WRITING: (develop facility)
Both with tonal and modal-degree chords
HARMONIC ANALYSIS:
Understand the concept of consonance vs. dissonance
MELODIC ANALYSIS: (with attention to the following)
Methods of establishing the key
Structural tones, tendency tones, and decorative gestures
Periodicity and various linear cadences with varying degrees of cadential
repose
Contour with primary and secondary high and low points
The process of linear prolongation
 

THEORY II - (MUTH 1500)

SEVENTH CHORDS: (recognize, spell and analyze)
All diatonic 7ths in major and minor keys
SECONDARY DOMINANT HARMONY: (recognize, spell and analyze
function)
The five secondary dominant (and dominant-seventh) chords, in all
major and minor keys
The chromatic pitches that imply both secondary V and viio (including
inversions)
MODULATION: (recognize and notate)
To the five "closely-related" keys (understand this definition and its
relationship to the secondary dominant concept)
Pivot and direct/chromatic modulations
NON-HARMONlC TONES: (recognize and notate)
All non-harmonic tones, including alternative terminology
RHYTHM: (recognize and work with)
Syncopation
More complex rhythmic patterns
MELODIC (ANALYSIS): (with attention to the following)
Treatment of leaps (especially larger leaps such as the 6th)
Contrapuntal resolutions of dissonant intervals and their enharmonic
spellings:
augmented 4th/diminished 5th/diminished 7th
“C” CLEFS: (develop familiarity in reading and writing)
Alto clef, primarily
FORM:
Binary and ternary forms and their defining differences
Theme and variations, and the compositional process
(all containing modulation, secondary harmonies and non-harmonic tones)
LITERATURE ANALYSIS:
Examples from the above forms showing motives, their variations and
relationships
String quartet excerpts for form, chromatic harmony, and clef study

THEORY III - (MUTH 2400)

CHROMATIC HARMONY: (Analyze and part-write)
Fully-and half-diminished seventh chords
Chords of modal mixture
Neapolitan sixth chord
Augmented sixth chords
Augmented triads
Altered dominants
SECONDARY DOMINANT HARMONY (continuation)
Fully-and half-diminished seventh chords
Dominant ninth chords
MODULATION: (Analyze and part-write)
Pivots to remote keys
Pivots in enharmonic modulations
Pivot pitches
COMPOSITION: (including the following)
All harmony (see above)
Melodic and harmonic sequences
Secondary harmonies in sequences
LITERATURE ANALYSIS:
Excerpts of larger forms (see above)
Excerpts of string quartet to orchestral scores
HARMONIC ANALYSIS:
Functions of all chromatic chords, including enharmonic progressions

THEORY IV - (MUTH 2500)

CHROMATIC HARMONY (Analyze irregular resolutions)
COMPOSITION (including the following)
Forms appropriate to the literature for the semester
Including all chords (see above)
PROGRESSSIONS (develop familiarity in analyzing and writing)
Interval cycles and other late 19th-and 20th-century harmonic
devices
POSTTONAL ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES (develop familiarity)
Using techniques such as those of set theory (calculating prime forms) and
dodecaphonic analysis
With extension of atonal techniques in post-WWII music

Aural Skills Topics: See below for an outline of course goals for Aural Skills I-IV. To pass out of these classes, one is expected to have a firm grasp of all skills listed.

MUTH 1410 (Aural Skills 1)
Broad Course Goals (for syllabus):
• Sing and identify:
o major and minor scales
- read in both treble and bass clef
o diatonic intervals
o sonorities (triads: major, minor, diminished sixth, augmented)
o diatonic triads (major and minor keys, all inversions)
o dominant sevenths (root position only)
o cadences
o basic rhythmic patterns in simple and compound meters
- basic conducting patterns for two, three, and four-beat meters
• Play at the keyboard:
o diatonic intervals
o major, minor scales
o sonorities (triads: major, minor, diminished sixth, augmented)
o cadences (authentic, half, plagal, deceptive)
o three-chord progressions (prepared and unprepared)

MUTH 1510 (Aural Skills 2)
Broad Course Goals (for syllabus):
• Sing and identify:
o Secondary function (both dominant and leading-tone sevenths)
- Idiomatic progressions (three-chord progressions)
- Major and minor keys
o Diatonic intervals up to a M10
o Sonorities (all triads in any inversion; dominant sevenths in any inversion; in root position only: minor-minor sevenths, half-diminished sevenths, fully-diminished sevenths, major-major sevenths)
o Modulation to closely related keys (melody and harmony)
o Rhythmic patterns in simple and compound meters
- subdivision of the beat into four
- syncopation (ties across bar lines)
- conducting patterns for two, three, and four-beat meters
• Play at the keyboard (prepared and at sight):
o Four-voice harmonic progressions
- Diatonic harmony
- Secondary functions
- Modulation to closely-related keys

MUTH 2410 (Aural Skills 3)
Broad Course Goals
• Sing and identify:
o Chromatic Harmony
- Secondary function (both dominant and leading-tone sevenths)
- Modal Mixture
- Neapolitan Sixth
- Augmented Sixth chords
- Altered Dominants
• Augmented triad and extended tertian harmony
o Intervals up to a M13 (M6 + 8va)
o Sonorities (all triads in any inversion; dominant sevenths in any inversion; in root position only: minor-minor sevenths, half-diminished sevenths, fully-diminished sevenths, major-major sevenths)
o Modulation to remote keys
o Rhythmic patterns in simple and compound meters
- Polyrhythms (triplets, quadruplets, quintuplets)
- Syncopation
- Less common meters
- Conducting patterns for two, three, and four-beat meters
 

MUTH 2510 (Aural Skills 4)
Broad Course Goals:
o Intervals up to a M14
o Atonal pitch patterns
o Sonorities (all seventh chords, extended tertian harmony, quartal, quintal, split-third, among others)
o Diatonic modes
o Octatonic, whole tone, hexatonic, overtone scale
o Rhythmic patterns
- Polyrhythms (triplets, quadruplets, quintuplets)
- Syncopation
- Composite meter
- Metric modulation
- Triangle/slash notation (for 5/8 and 7/8 meter)
- Conducting patterns for two, three, and four-beat meters
• Play at the keyboard (prepared and at sight):
o Reviewing MUTH 2410

The Aural Skills CBE, Part II, features sight-singing and keyboard harmony (see above for topics). Melodies are based on those covered in Robert Ottman, Music for Sight-Singing. Aural Skills I sight-singing covers chapters 1-10; Aural Skills II, chapters 11-15; Aural Skills III, chapters 16ff.; for Aural Skills IV, be able to sing a melody from the post-tonal repertory (music since 1900).

FAQs

Q. What if I made a 5 on the AP Theory exam but fail the credit by exam at UNT?
A. You will be required to enroll in Theory I (MUTH 1400) and Aural Skills I (MUTH 1410).

Q. What if I pass the Theory 1 and 2 CBE and Aural Skills 1 CBE but fail the Aural Skills 2 CBE?
A. You would be permitted to enroll in Theory 3 and Aural Skills 2 (in general, you may be ahead in theory classes and behind in aural skills [by up to one level, but not the other way around).

Q. What if I pass the Aural Skills 1 and 2 CBE but only pass the Theory 1 CBE?
A. You would enroll in Theory 2. You may not enroll in Aural Skills 3 until you have passed Theory 2. (Also see previous answer beginning with “in general”).

Other questions? Email the music theory coordinator, Dr. Gillian Robertson; Gillian.Robertson@unt.edu