<p>I heard that University of Michigan's piano placement exam is required for all incoming freshman. It doesn't require a solo piece but includes sight reading, harmonization/transposition, scales and arpeggios and chord progressions. I'm a piano principal, but I've never formally learned how to harmonize/transpose/improvise on the keyboard (though I learned in AP music theory how to do harmonization on paper). By scales and chord progressions, does it mean that you'll play a scale they pick? What does it mean by "5-finger" major or "hand over hand" arpeggios? </p>
<p>What will I do at the exam if I have no former experience of some of the things they'll test me?</p>
<p>Take a breath. They are not going to deny you admission. They are going to place you where you need to be to learn what you don’t know yet. That is why they do these tests. They do not want to bore those who know it already, but they want to catch those who got in on talent and need some skills boosters. If you do not want to be in a lower class, start working on those skills now. Some here may have some suggestions on piano theory instruction or Google some resources.</p>
<p>Scales: yes, you are right; they presumably will ask you to play a certain scale (and I assume they will tell you how many octaves etc.).</p>
<p>A “hand over hand” arpeggio would start with the left hand playing the bottom triad, followed by the right hand playing the same triad an octave higher, followed by the left hand yet another octave higher, followed by the right hand . . . (usually these are four octaves). So, a much easier arpeggio than what you are probably accustomed to.</p>
<p>I am fairly certain that many (if not most) incoming piano majors have relatively little experience with keyboard harmonization at sight, with transposition, and with playing set chord progressions. So as Singersmom07 suggests, there is nothing to worry about. They just want to make sure you are appropriately placed. It is fine if you cannot do any of the things they ask you to do, but if you can do them all, then you get to bypass some keyboard skills classes.</p>
<p>I am not sure what you meant by “piano principal”. Does that mean you are in the piano performance program? or music ed with piano focus? D is a piano performance major at UMich. She did not take the piano placement exam you mentioned. There is a piano placement exam for non-piano major who wish to place out of keyboard skills class. There is a required class for piano major that teaches harmonize/transpose/improvise. The school might offer placement exam (optional) to place out of that class (I don’t know). But I think these are two different exams. There is also a sight-reading placement test for students who wish to place out of “Sight-reading skills for keyboardist” class which is a required course for piano major. These are all optional exams. If you have any questions, please PM me.</p>