You can find instructions for the online practice exam here.
For those of you who would like additional practice for the placement exam, we recommend the following materials.
- Tonal Harmony by Stefan Kostka and Dorothy Payne (published by McGraw-Hill). The first section of the book includes exercises in musical fundamentals, with answers in the back of the book.
- John Clough, Joyce Conley, and Claire Boge, Scales, Intervals, Keys, Triads, Rhythm, and Meter (published by W.W. Norton & Company). This programmed text gives you brief explanations of all the topics listed in the title, and includes drills to help you to learn the material. The text includes a CD that gives you some ear training practice as well.
- For ear training, we strongly recommend MacGamut, a computer program that is considered one of the best on the market. This program, which drills both aural and written skills, comes in a cross-platform format that allows you use it on either a PC or a Mac. You can purchase MacGamut at www.macgamut.com.
MacGamut also includes “Written Drill” exercises that enable you to practice writing scales, intervals, and chords without having to identify anything by ear.
If you would like to prepare for the MLM exam, any book that helps you practice your sight singing will be valuable. One text we recommend in particular is Modus Vetus, by Lars Edlund (Edition Wilhelm Hansen, Stockholm).
Finally, we realize that incoming students will have had varying degrees of experience with music theory and sight singing. Whatever your background, our goal is to help you to develop your musical skills to the fullest possible extent during your time here at NEC.