OSAT Music (CEOE) cheat sheet

Major scale pattern: W-W-H-W-W-W-H; natural minor: W-H-W-W-H-W-W; harmonic minor raises 7̂, melodic minor raises 6̂ and 7̂ ascending.

Key signature order: sharps F-C-G-D-A-E-B; flats B-E-A-D-G-C-F. The last sharp is 7̂ of the key; the second-to-last flat is the tonic (major).

Interval quality: perfect intervals (1, 4, 5, 8) invert to perfect; major↔minor; augmented↔diminished. Inversion sums to 9 (e.g., M3 inverts to m6).

Triad quality by intervals above root: major = M3 + P5; minor = m3 + P5; diminished = m3 + d5; augmented = M3 + A5.

Seventh chords: MM7 (major seventh), Mm7 (dominant seventh), mm7 (minor seventh), ø7 (half-diminished), o7 (fully diminished).

Roman numeral analysis: uppercase = major/dominant-quality triad; lowercase = minor; ° = diminished; ø = half-diminished. In minor keys, V and vii° commonly use raised 7̂.

Cadences: PAC = V–I with both chords in root position and tonic in the soprano; IAC = V–I otherwise; HC = ends on V; PC = IV–I; DC = V–vi.

Secondary dominants are labeled V/x (e.g., V/V = II in major). Applied leading-tone chords are vii°/x.

Binary form = ||: A :||: B :|| (AB); rounded binary returns to A material after B (||: A :||: BA :||); ternary = ABA.

Sonata form sections: exposition (first theme, transition, second theme, closing), development, recapitulation, optional coda. Recapitulation typically restates the second theme in tonic.

Common-practice voice-leading prohibitions: parallel perfect fifths or octaves between any pair of voices; direct (similar) fifths/octaves to an outer voice by leap; unresolved tendency tones (7̂ down, 4̂ up in V–I).

Motivic transformation operations: transposition, inversion (mirror), retrograde (reverse), augmentation (longer note values), diminution (shorter note values).

Medieval (c. 500–1400): Gregorian chant (monophonic, modal); organum (Leonin, Perotin at Notre Dame); Ars nova (Machaut, Messe de Nostre Dame).

Renaissance (c. 1400–1600): imitative polyphony; Josquin, Palestrina (counterpoint, Council of Trent), Byrd, Weelkes; forms include motet, mass, madrigal, chanson.

Baroque (c. 1600–1750): basso continuo, functional tonality, ritornello and da capo forms; Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, Purcell, Monteverdi (early Baroque opera L'Orfeo, 1607).

Classical (c. 1750–1820): sonata form, symphony, string quartet, concerto; Haydn (104 symphonies), Mozart (Le nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, Requiem), early Beethoven.

Romantic (c. 1820–1900): expanded harmony and orchestra; Schubert (Lieder, 'Erlkönig'), Berlioz (Symphonie fantastique), Chopin, Wagner (music drama, Tristan chord), Brahms, Tchaikovsky.

Nationalism and post-Romanticism: Sibelius, Grieg, Dvořák (New World Symphony), Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov; Mahler and Strauss expand symphonic and operatic scale.

20th century: Debussy/Ravel (Impressionism), Stravinsky (The Rite of Spring, 1913), Schoenberg (twelve-tone method, Pierrot lunaire), Berg, Webern, Bartók, Copland, Gershwin, Bernstein.

American popular and jazz roots: blues (12-bar form), ragtime (Joplin), Dixieland, swing (Ellington, Basie), bebop (Parker, Gillespie), cool jazz, rock and roll (1950s).

Important dates: 1607 L'Orfeo; 1750 death of Bach (end of Baroque); 1824 Beethoven Symphony No. 9; 1913 Rite of Spring premiere; 1950s rock and roll.

Breath support: appoggio (balanced inspiratory/expiratory effort); diaphragm is the primary muscle of inspiration, contracting and flattening; exhalation is passive unless forced.

Posture: feet under hips, pelvis neutral, sternum lifted, shoulders relaxed, head level; alignment allows free rib expansion and abdominal release.

Vocal registers: modal (speaking/chest), loft (head), and whistle; passaggio (transition) occurs around E4–F4 for tenors and A4–B4 for sopranos, varying by voice type.

Voice types: soprano, mezzo-soprano, contralto; tenor, baritone, bass. Fach depends on range, tessitura, timbre, and agility, not range alone.

Formants: F1 correlates with tongue height (vowel); F2 correlates with tongue fronting/backing. Soprano 'singing formant' cluster near 2.8–3.2 kHz aids projection over orchestra.

Vocal health: hydration, vocal warm-up, avoiding phonotrauma (shouting, throat clearing); hoarseness lasting more than two weeks warrants medical referral (laryngology).

Diction: IPA symbols for vowels and consonants; English [i, ɪ, e, ɛ, æ, ɑ, ɔ, o, ʊ, u, ʌ, ə, ɝ]; Italian pure vowels; German umlauts [y, ø, œ]; French nasal vowels [ɑ̃, ɛ̃, ɔ̃].

Choral rehearsal sequence: warm-up (breath, resonance, blend), sight-reading, section work, ensemble balance (pyramid: basses strongest, sopranos lightest), text stress, dynamic plan.

Common vocal faults and remedies: breathy tone (insufficient closure - use messa di voce), pressed tone (excess subglottic pressure - reduce volume), flat pitch (lack of energy - re-energize airflow), nasality (lower soft palate - raise velum).

Orff-Schulwerk sequence: speech/imitation → exploration → improvisation → literacy; uses barred instruments (xylophones, metallophones, glockenspiels), recorders, unpitched percussion.

Kodály method: movable-do solfège with hand signs, rhythm syllables (ta, ti-ti, ta-a), folk-song repertoire, and sequence from pentatonic to diatonic.

Dalcroze eurhythmics: movement-based rhythm training; solfège and improvisation are the other two branches.

Gordon Music Learning Theory: audiation (inner hearing), rhythm syllables (du-de), tonal patterns, and a skill sequence (listening, singing, chanting, moving, reading, writing, improvising).

National Core Arts Standards (2014) for music: Creating, Performing, Responding, Connecting; anchor standards define processes across preK–12.

Lesson plan components: objective (measurable, student-centered), standards alignment, materials, anticipatory set, modeled instruction, guided practice, independent practice, assessment, closure.

Assessment types: formative (ongoing, feedback), summative (end of unit), performance-based (playing/singing rubric), portfolio, and self/peer assessment.

Differentiation strategies: tiered tasks, flexible grouping, choice boards, scaffolded notation (iconic → symbolic), and assistive technology (e.g., adaptive instruments, color-coded notation).

Inclusion: IEP/504 accommodations (extended time, preferential seating, visual supports); culturally responsive repertoire reflecting students' backgrounds.

Key historical figures: Lowell Mason (music in Boston public schools, 1838), John Dewey (progressive education, learning by doing), Zoltán Kodály, Carl Orff, Émile Jaques-Dalcroze, Edwin Gordon.

Federal law: IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) guarantees free appropriate public education (FAPE), least restrictive environment (LRE), and IEP; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act covers broader disability accommodations.

FERPA protects student education records; teachers may not disclose grades or IEP details without consent except to school officials with legitimate educational interest.

Copyright: fair use for face-to-face teaching (Section 110(1)) permits performance/display of copyrighted works in class; copying entire workbooks or recording performances for distribution is generally prohibited.

Professional ethics: maintain confidentiality, avoid dual relationships, report suspected abuse per state mandatory-reporting laws, and follow district policies on social media and communication with students.

Classroom management: establish routines and expectations early, use proximity and non-verbal cues, reinforce positive behavior, and design engaging sequential instruction to prevent off-task behavior.

Advocacy: data-driven justification (participation rates, assessment results, standards alignment), partnerships with parents/administration, and visibility through performances and community events.

Professional development: participate in PLCs, state music educator associations (e.g., NAfME affiliates), continuing education hours, and reflective practice.

Safety and liability: proper instrument storage, hearing protection for loud ensembles, supervision during instrument use, and documented accident reports.