Information for Incoming Music Majors

Congratulations and welcome to the Department of Music at Bucknell University.

Theory Assessment and Placement Exam

This assessment is intended to accurately place incoming students in a theory course appropriate to their level of experience and instruction. The test should be taken without external assistance and completed within an hour.

Topics covered include:

  • Notes
  • Clefs
  • Key Signatures
  • Time Signatures
  • Triads and Inversions
  • Seventh Chords and Inversions
  • Major Scales
  • Minor Scales (natural, harmonic, melodic)
  • Harmonic Analysis (roman numerals)

The textbook used for the Music Theory sequence at Bucknell University is Kostka & Payne's Tonal Harmony. You may wish to consult this text as a resource prior to completing the theory assessment. Should you have additional questions, please contact either Dr. Barry Long.

Please download, print, and complete the Theory Assessment (pdf) and mail it by June 1, 2013 to:

Dr. Barry Long
Department of Music
Bucknell University
Lewisburg, PA 17837

The assessments must be received by May 23rd so the theory faculty can advise incoming students before the June 1, 2013 course registration deadline for first-year students.