Requirements and expectations:
During the course of your graduate studies you are required to pass all five (5) parts of the Keyboard
Proficiency Exam. Each part will focus on a specific keyboard skill (see below). The exam is
offered twice each semester—at the beginning and at the end. You are required to take at least one
of the parts of the exam that you have not passed each time that it is offered. There is NO penalty
for the number of times that you fail a part; however, you must pass all the parts BEFORE taking
the General Exam.
I. Bach chorale in keyboard style: play all four parts. [Keyboard-style editions are available
in most libraries and music stores.]
II. Figured bass: realize (at sight) a short Baroque figured-bass progression. Only bass line,
soprano line, and figures will be given. You are expected to realize it in keyboard style—
three notes in the RH and a single note (the bass line) in the LH.
III. Orchestral score: sight-read from a slow movement from a Classical orchestral piece.
[See second movements by Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven.]
IV. Twentieth-century score: sight-read a specific part—e.g., French horns, wind section,
etc.—from a complicated non-tonal orchestral score (e.g., Ligeti’s Le Grand Macabre,
Bartók Music for Strings, Piano and Celeste, etc.) a specific part—e.g., French horns, wind
section, etc. [The best way to study for this portion is to review transposing and nontransposing
instruments—e.g., horns sound a P5 BELOW the written note. You must
also know the names of instruments in foreign languages, especially in French, German,
and Italian. You can find this information in orchestration books.]
V. Keyboard-style progression: you will be asked to play in any key (major or minor) typical
progressions that are taught at the undergraduate level. The progression should be at
least six (6) chords long and should illustrate (upon request) the following. Expect each
to lead to a perfect or imperfect authentic cadence (our choice).
The cadential 6/4
The Neapolitan 6th
The augmented 6th chords (Italian, German, and French)
A sequence based on descending 5ths
A modulation to closely-related keys (major or minor): V, IV, III, VI
A modulation to distant keys (major or minor): from GM to EbM; from Dm to BM; etc.
→ Download pdf version of these requirements and expectations
For questions about the exam, please contact Dr. Inessa Bazayev at ibazayev@lsu.edu
