Hochschule für Musik Franz Liszt Weimar

Music Theory and Ear Training Minors

General Requirements for the Audition

The examination in the music theory and ear training minors is divided into two written exams, of
45 minutes each and with a 5 minute pause in between. The examination’s difficulty level varies
according to one’s chosen major. The particular requirements are as follows:

Applicants for an Instrumental or Vocal Major

1. Music Theory
 knowledge of octave ranges, bass and treble clefs
 writing and naming of scales: major and minor, harmonic and melodic
 knowledge of intervals
 writing and naming of major and minor triads
 four-part presentation of triads
 notation of simple cadences (four-part) in major and harmonic minor
 harmonic analysis of a simple Classical piano piece
 invention of a simple second voice for a simple folk melody

2. Ear Training
 aural recognition of intervals (successive and simultaneous)
 writing and naming of keys: major, minor, harmonic, melodic
 aural recognition of triads and their inversions
 aural recognition of time signatures
 rhythmic dictation, including simple dotted rhythms, ties, and triplets
 monophonic melodic dictation at the difficultly level of a folk song
 aural recognition of harmonic connections at the level of basic functions (tonic
major/minor, dominant, subdominant major/minor)

Applicants for Majors in Conducting, Accompaniment / Vocal

Coaching, Composition, School Music, Church Music

1. Music Theory
 knowledge of octave ranges and clefs
 writing and naming of different scales: major and minor, church modes
 knowledge of intervals
 writing and naming of triads and chords with four tones
 four-part presentation of triads
 notation of simple and extended cadences (four-part piano and choir writing) in major
and minor
 harmonic analysis of a Classical or early Romantic piano piece of medium difficulty
 invention of a second voice for a folk melody

2. Ear Training
 aural recognition of intervals (successive and simultaneous)
  writing and naming of keys: major, minor, harmonic, melodic, church modes
 aural recognition of triads, their positions, and their inversions
 aural recognition of time signatures
 rhythmic dictation, including dotted rhythms, syncopations, ties, and triplets
 monophonic melodic dictation at the difficulty level of the theme of a Classical symphony
or sonata
 aural recognition of harmonic connections: basic functions (tonic major/minor, dominant,
subdominant major/minor), dominant seventh chords, cadential 6/4 chord, secondary
dominants, parallel chords

Applicants for a Major in Jazz

For applicants for a major in jazz, requirements are, in addition to those listed above, the
following:
 knowledge of typical jazz chords
 knowledge of conventional chord symbols
 basics of jazz harmony
 hearing and writing of typical jazz progressions
 rhythmic sight-reading (clapping)

Recommended Literature

1. In order to prepare for the entrance examination in the music theory and ear training minors,
the following literature is recommended:
 Hermann Grabner | Harmony, Figured Bass Exercises, General Music Theory
 Diether de la Motte | Melody, Counterpoint, Harmony
 Clemens Kühn | Music Theory

2. Literature specifically for the major in jazz:

 Mark Levin: The Jazz Theory Book
 Wolf Burbat: Jazz Harmony
 Frank Haunschild: The New Harmony
 Sigi Busch: Jazz & Pop Music Theory, Ear Training
 Joe Viera: Fundamentals of Jazz Rhythm
 Eddy Marron: Rhythm
 R. Graf / B. Nettles: The Chord Scale Theory and Jazz Harmony
 Tom van der Geld: Ear Training