AMTA Piano Festival Theory Exam Guide

Each level assumes mastery of the previous level

Level 1
Terms Piano (p) Forte (f) bass (F) clef treble (G) clef repeat sign whole note quarter note half note

Identify whether notes are high or low Identify whether notes are on a line or space Know the musical alphabet Know finger numbers Recognize whether a melody moves up, down, or stays the same

Level 2
Terms Mezzo forte (mf) Mezzo piano (mp) Crescendo Diminuendo / decrescendo Legato Staccato accent tie ritardando (rit.) flat (b) sharp (#) fine dotted half note quarter rest half rest whole rest

Identify and write steps and skips on the staff Name the keys on a keyboard Name and write line/space notes Fill in missing bar lines or notes in 3/4 or 4/4 time using quarter notes, half notes, whole notes, dotted half notes or rests

Level 3
Terms 8va Andante Allegro Natural sign eighth note eighth rest fermata D.C. al fine

Identify simple intervals (number only) Identify half and whole steps Identify Major key signatures and scales in keys up to two sharps or two flats Add bar lines to a melody in 2/4 time Add time signatures to musical examples in 2/4, 3/4, or 4/4 time Complete measures with missing notes or rests

Level 4
Terms Pianissimo (pp) Fortissimo (ff) Meter sixteenth note sixteenth rest common time vivace molto vivace poco a poco rallentando a tempo

Write and/or identify: Major scales. Be able to write the scales adding sharps or flats for keys with up to 4 sharps or 4 flats. Major key signatures for keys with up to 4 sharps or 4 flats. Major triads in root position for key signatures up to 4 sharps or 4 flats I chord in root position 6/8 time signature Change triads from major to minor for keys with up to 4 sharps or 4 flats Triplets

Level 5
Terms Transpose Sforzando (sfz) Maestoso Opus adagio D. S. (dal segno) alla breve Tonic Dominant agitato

Identify and write intervals (without quality) that contain black notes as part of the interval Write and/or identify the following: Major key signatures and major scales in keys up to 5 sharps or 5 flats Minor key signatures and harmonic minor scales in keys up to 3 sharps or flats with proper placement of accidentals Root position major triads in keys up to 5 sharps or flats I-IV-V or V7 chords for major keys up to 3 sharps or flats using root or cadence positions

Level 6
Terms Meno Presto 32nd notes 32nd rests

subito piu mosso pesante subdominant

largo con brio tenuto leggiero

dolce meno mosso

Write or identify: Number and quality of all intervals All major key signatures All minor key signatures in up to 5 sharps or 5 flats All major and harmonic minor scales in keys up to 5 sharps or 5 flats Augmented and diminished triads (root position) up to 4 sharps or 4 flats Add bar lines to rhythm examples of increasing difficulty

Level 7
Terms Supertonic Leading tone Cantabile Triton Double flat (bb)

double sharp (##) mediant pizzicato

Write and/or identify: All major key signatures and all major scales using key signature or adding sharps or flats when needed All minor key signatures and all minor scales (3 forms) ascending and descending adding sharps or flats as needed Triads in root and inversion positions (all key signatures) Identify chords by Roman numeral and/or scale degree (I-tonic, IV-subdominant, etc.) Transpose a melody Identify half, authentic, plagal, and deceptive cadences