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School of Music

Graduate Music Diagnostic Examination

Theory Diagnostic Exam

The Music Graduate Diagnostic Examination (MGDE) in Theory is a 2-hour placement examination for incoming graduate students that is offered in May, August and January. Email Traci Hair or call 803-777-4208 in the graduate music office to find out when this exam is offered.

What the exam covers

The exam has two sections: aural analysis and tonal analysis and form. The aural analysis part of the exam includes four tasks: match a heard melody and a notated melody, match a heard chord progression to the Roman numeral analysis, match a heard bassline to the most likely Roman numeral analysis, and complete the notation of a heard melody. The tonal analysis and form section requires an understanding of diatonic and chromatic harmony, Roman numeral analysis, and classical form. 

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