Description of Levels

Preparatory Level: 

• Parts of the instrument

• The staff

• Note and rest values including quarter, half, and whole

• Time signature 4/4

• Pitches and finger numbers in 1st position, focusing on the upper strings

  (1st and 3rd positions for double bass)

• Half and whole steps

• Accidentals

• Steps and skips

• Scales

• Key signatures

• Basic signs and terms

• Ear training including melodic direction, basic rhythms, dynamics, and articulations

Level 1: 

• Repeats

• Eighth notes and rests

• Pitches and finger numbers in 1st position, focusing on the lower strings

  (1st and 3rd positions for double bass)

• Half and whole steps in more depth

• Time signatures 2/4 and 3/4

• Key signatures up to 2 sharps

• Signs and terms including basic tempo markings, dynamics, slurs, and ties

• Ear training including steps and skips, crescendo and decrescendo

Level 2: 

• 1st and 2nd endings

• Sixteenth notes and rests

• 1st position including low 1/high 3 (violin/viola)

  2nd position (cello)

  2nd and half positions (double bass)

• Intervals (2nds and 3rds)

• Triads and arpeggios

• Signs and terms including articulations (staccato, accent, fortepiano), tempo (fermata, ritard, a tempo, Allegro, Andante), and dynamics

• Ear training including scales and triads

Level 3: 

• D.C. al Fine, D.S. al Fine

• Dotted quarter and dotted half notes and rests

• Expanded pitch range

• Notes and finger numbers in 3rd position (violin/viola)

  2nd and 4th position (cello)

  2nd, half and 4th positions (bass)

• Time signature 2/2

• Intervals (2nds to octaves)

• Major and minor triads

• Key signatures up to 2 sharps and 2 flats

• Order of sharps and flats

• Signs and terms including bowstrokes and articulations (détaché, tenuto, sforzando), tempo (rallentando, accelerando, più mosso), ornaments (trill)

• Ear training including intervals (2nd, 3rd, 5th, and octave)

Level 4: 

• Measure repeat

• Note repeat

• Dotted eighth notes and rests

• Notes and finger numbers focus on notes above 1st position

• Pickup/upbeat

• Time signature 6/8

• Perfect and major intervals up to an octave

• Key signatures, scales, and triads up to 3 sharps and 3 flats

• Circle of fifths

• Relative minor keys

• Minor scale forms

• Signs and terms including bowstrokes (spiccato, marcato), tempo (Moderato, Adagio), ornaments (turn), music history, other terms

• Ear training including intervals (4ths), major and minor scales and triads, and comparing two pitches

Level 5:  

• D.C. al Coda, D.S. al Coda

• Triplets

• Dotted whole notes and rests

• Upper register (violin)

  Treble clef (viola)

  Tenor clef (cello/bass)

• Enharmonics

• Minor intervals

• Key signatures in all major keys

• Key signatures in minor keys up to 5 sharps or flats

• Inverted triads

• Chord function

• Primary triads

• Scale degrees

• Tonic, subdominant, and dominant

• Time signature 3/8

• Signs and terms including bowstrokes (portato, louré), tempo (Presto, Vivace, Allegretto), ornaments (mordent, grace note, appoggiatura), other terms

• Ear training including intervals (6ths and 7ths) and meter

Level 6: 

• Expanded pitch range for all instruments

  Treble clef (cello/bass)

• Diminished and augmented triads

• Root position triads in minor keys (tonic and subdominant)

• Root position cadences in major keys (authentic and plagal)

• Time signature 9/8

• Ornaments with accidentals

• Signs and terms including bowstrokes (collé, martelé, sautillé), tempo (Largo, Lento, Andantino), and other terms (such as harmonic, loco, octava, simile, and more)

• Two composers from each era of music history; double sharp and double flat

Level 7:  

• Thirty-second notes and dotted sixteenth notes

• Key signatures in all major and minor keys

• Augmented intervals

• Inversions of major and minor triads using figured bass

• Root position secondary triads in all major keys

• Root position primary triads in all minor keys

• Root position cadences in major keys (half)

• Time signature 3/2

• Signs and terms including bowstrokes (flautando, sul tasto, sul ponticello) and other terms

• Three composers from each era of music history

• Sections of a symphony orchestra

Level 8:

• Thirty-second note triplets

• Chromatic scales

• Diminished intervals

• Inversions of diminished and augmented triads using figured bass

• Root position primary and secondary triads in all major and minor keys

• Root position dominant seventh chord

• Scale degrees in minor keys

• Root position cadences in major keys (deceptive)

• Characteristics of the Baroque and Classical eras of music history

• Irregular meter (5/8, 5/4, and 7/8)

• Expanded signs and terms for bowstrokes, tempo, and ornamentation (with nachschlag)

• Ear training including all minor intervals

Level 9: 

• Sixty-fourth note

• Double-dotted notes and rests

• Inversions of primary and secondary triads in all major and minor keys using figured bass

• Inversions of dominant seventh chords using figured bass

• Other seventh chords in root position (major, minor, half-diminished, and diminished)

• Complete a basic major chord progression such as I-IV-V7-I

• Bass clef for violin and viola

• Characteristics of the Romantic and 20th/21st Century eras of music history

• Characteristics of Baroque suite movements

• Signs and terms including bowstrokes (jeté, sautillé arpeggio) and other terms (hemiola, modulation, syncopation, artificial harmonic, sotto voce, and more)

Level 10:

• Whole tone scales

• Intervals larger than an octave

• Inversions of all seventh chords using figured bass

• Secondary dominant chords

• Complete a basic minor chord progression such as i-iv-V7-i

• Cadences in major and minor keys in inversions

• Score reading

• Characteristics of the Impressionism movement

• Expanded signs and terms including bowings, form, and other terms

• Ear training including all augmented and diminished intervals, and distinguishing between music of different eras.

Answer Key:

Answers to every question in the books (from Preparatory Level through Level 10) are in a single volume for each instrument.  This enables teachers to quickly correct assignments during a lesson, or for a parent or student to correct the work.