eyboard Skills Exam Guide

The summative exam for semester 1 will cover the three main areas we’ve been working on all along
the semester. This guide intends to help you by giving some exercises that are in the same degree of
difficulty than those that will be in the exam. The sections of the exam are:

1. Sight reading and transposition of an excerpt (8 to 10 measures long) in a major key (mostly
C and G) and in five finger’s position (within the compass of a fifth)
2. Chord progression (in the Left Hand) with improvisation (in Right Hand, within the compass
of a fifth).
3. Harmonization of a melody (8 to 10 measures long) in a major key (mostly C, G, D, A, E and
B) and in five finger’s position (within the compass of a fifth) using only I, IV and V chords.

Sight reading and transposition exercises

Before playing, observe:

 Clef, time signature and key

 Rhythm/note values
 Phrases and patterns
 Ascending or descending movements by whole step or leaps
 Fingerings
 Take a slow tempo
1

Transpose the above exercises to C, D, A, E and B major. To be observed:

 New key signature (accidentals and therefore hand

d/finger‘s position)
 Keep the same fingering you used in the original (which is elementary for these exercises in
five finger’s position)
 As a preparatory exercise, play the five finger’s new position (ex: if the new key is E, then
play e, f#, g#, a, b)
Chord progression with improvisation

The chord progressions we’ve practiced in classes, in all major keys, are
a) I – IV64 – V6 – I
b) I – IV64– ii- V6 - I
c) I – vi6– ii – V6 – I

 v Although in the exam you’ll be asked to play either b) or c), practice a) as well, so
you get acquainted with all major keys.
 To improvise the melody, remember to keep in mind those basic considerations:
a) Stablish the time signature 4/4 and assign to each chord a whole measure (four
beats per chord)
b) The first note of each measure should be preferably a chord tone or chord
extension note.
c) Although the rhythm of your improvised melody is obviously a free election, try
to combine only minims, quarters and quavers.
Harmonization of a melody
As we did in classes, harmonizing a short melody with I, IV and V chords will be part of the exam.
Practice the next exercises, keeping in mind the basic harmonization principles:

1. In the melody, each first note of a measure is a chord tone or chord extension note, so
choose the “matching” chord accordingly.
2. The motion from chord to chord should follow stepwise motion. Therefore, use preferably:
I – IV64 – V6 – I
3. First and last chords should be Tonic, while the penultimate should be Dominant.

a)

b)