<p>I've done a lot of music theory stuff in high school on my own and want to take a music theory placement test. I think I could be out of Theory I based on the course description at my school, and even maybe out of Theory II...but I'm not sure if they list all the topics on the course description page.</p>
<p>The topics for both Theory I and II are: Theory I- basic materials of music, scales, intervals, primary & secondary chords, elementary voice-leading, basic harmonic analysis, related aural and keyboard skills instruction is integrated with written work in a laboratory situation. Theory II- Secondary dominants, more advanced voice-leading, harmonic analysis, elementary formal analysis, related aural and keyboard skills instruction is integrated with written work in a laboratory situation. </p>
<p>I've studied all of that stuff (and will review it) in depth I think except for voice leading really, and I have some information about that in a book around here I could look at, plus use the internet.</p>
<p>Does anyone else know of some common Theory I/II topics that are not in that list that colleges typically cover? It's in a School of Music for a BM performance program. I'd love to test into Theory III!!! Don't know if it's possible, but I'd love to.</p>
<p>iluvpiano: I wouldn’t so much be concerned about whether the school has additional topics; I would trust their course description. Rather, I would be concerned about what they mean by the topics that they list. </p>
<p>For example, “elementary formal analysis” can mean very different things at different schools. At some schools that will only include an ability to indicate phrases, sentences, cadences, and simple structures like binary and ternary forms. At other schools “elementary formal analysis” will include much more (e.g. a variety of different binary and ternary forms, strophic form, through-composed forms, sonata form, rondo form, fugue etc.). </p>
<p>I would recommend getting a copy of the text or texts that the school uses in these first year courses. It will give you a good idea as to the depth that the school goes into in the listed topics. As well, the text will use the terminology which you will encounter on the placement test or that you will be required to use.</p>
<p>I don’t think my parents are going to buy me the textbook because they don’t think I have time to learn all of it. We talked about getting me a college theory textbook like 2 years ago and checked into it, but never actually got it, so I’m kinda stuck.</p>
<p>Your are going to have to get the book(s) sooner or later, as long as you get the same books that are used in the college you plan on going to it won’t be a waste. If you can find out what books the college uses, you can most likely find a used but current copy online for a fraction of what the college bookstore sells it for. There’s some risk in this, schools do change textbooks and of course there is some risk that you will end up not enrolling in that college, but if you are serious about learning the material on your own, it may be worth the risk.</p>
<p>Good advice from imagep.</p>
<p>You may also want to check out local libraries. As long as the text is a relatively well-known one, a local library should either stock it or be able to obtain it for you through inter-library loan. I don’t think it is necessary for you to have the text if you have previously studied all the material. You just need to browse the text to ensure that you have indeed studied the material.</p>
<p>Placing out of one or two theory classes will save hundreds if not thousands of dollars in tuition (in addition to freeing up time which you could use to work part-time and earn many times what the text would cost whether new or used). Money spent on a text in order to improve your chances of placing out is probably very well-spent. Perhaps explain this penny-wise, pound-foolish scenario to your parents: a current expenditure of $50 to $150 to save $1000 to $5000 next year is an incredible return on one’s investment; saving a paltry $50 now could cost $5000 in tuition next year.</p>
<p>In any case, you are going off to college in a couple of months and should not be totally dependent on your parents to purchase a single text. Consider purchasing it yourself.</p>
<p>Maybe I’ll get the text from the library or something. I don’t want to buy the Theory I book in case I do test out of it and have to get the text for another class.</p>
<p>And yeah, one class at my college is like $4500, when you divide the total tuition by about 4 classes/semester (8/year).</p>
<p>It sounds like you have only done music theory on your own, without working in a class or one-on-one with a teacher. Have you done any ear training or solfege? How about dictation? Or do you already know how to do these things?</p>
<p>In our experience, even the students who did theory classes on weekends during high school at a rigorous conservatory prep, started the college or conservatory theory curriculum at the beginning. Many kids in theory 1 may have had at least as much experience as you, and many will have had more. At least, that is what my daughter has observed.</p>
<p>Every school seems to teach theory a little differently, and they all have a sequence of courses to follow. So sometimes it is helpful to get a solid grounding in the theory curriculum offered at a particular school.</p>
<p>If you take a placement exam and place out, fine, but I am just putting my two cents in, that you might actually want to start at the beginning once at the music school.</p>
<p>I’ve self-taught most theory on my own…some was with my old piano teacher but she really didn’t know a lot of it and I ended up teaching myself and taking theory exams through Minnesota Music Teachers Association (MMTA) and using those books to prepare, which included aural skills. Also, I’ve done theory classes at piano camp in the past 4 summers, which included ear training things too. 1 and 2-voice dictation included. Ear training included recognizing major, minor, augmented, & diminished chords, major, minor, and modal scales, all major and minor intervals and all aug/dim intervals up to a 13th I think plus tritones…</p>
<p>I might end up starting in Theory I anyways…maybe I’ll take the placement test and see if I really feel like I know everything (regardless of how I do on it) or if I’m a little confused while taking it.</p>
<p>Sounds like you have a lot of great experience (and hard work). You will get a good idea of what to do once you take the exam, and talk with the music department folks, and advisers. It’s probably different at every school. Good luck!</p>
<p>My daughter took AP theory this year in high school. We’ve been told that at some schools you cannot tests out of Theory and other school said you technically can but you shouldn’t test out because what was taught at the HS might be a different focus than what the college focuses on. At my D college (UNH) they suggest she takes theory I again because in at UNH they focus a lot on counterpoint and in the high school AP theory it was not taught in detail. We’ll see what happens when she has to register for classes next week, but I suspect she will be taking Theory I next semester. </p>
<p>(Gee, it seems weird…college is right around the corner - literally!)</p>
<p>I think you should find out what textbooks they use for the theory courses and buy them. Go through everything in the books, learn it all, and take the placement test! If you use their textbooks, you should know what to expect.</p>