Supporting Subjects

Aural training, theory and piano entrance examinations
The entrance examinations in the supporting subjects only applies to EU/EEA applicants

A passed entrance examination in the supporting subjects is a prerequisite for admission to Bachelor's programmes.

All applicants for Bachelor's programmes at the Academy who has passed an entrance examination in the principal study must take a written test in aural training and theory. Duration approx. 2 ½ hours.

Furthermore, most instrumentalists, singers, and church musicians must take the entrance examination in piano as a supporting subject. Duration: Approximately 10 minutes.

Piano, guitar, accordion, lute and harpsichord are exempted from the examination in piano as a supporting subject. Music teachers, composers and tone masters have special piano samples as described on their respective pages.

The entrance examinations in the supporting subjects are prohibitive and marked according to the 7-point scale.

Entrance examination for piano as a supporting subject

  • Duration: 10 minutes
  • 1 or 2 piano pieces.* If you only play one piano piece, you must also play a self-chosen song/melody with chords at a level of difficulty corresponding to a Danish højskolesang (a standard song book) or similar.
  • Previously prepared 4-part chorale (from a Scandinavian chorale Book or a Bach chorale).
  • All scales and triads in major and minor (all three types: melodic, harmonic and natural) keys, played over two octaves, using both hands simultaneously.
  • Sight-reading of an easy piano piece.

* The piano pieces are expected to have a level of difficulty corresponding to:

  • An allegro movement from a sonatina by F. Kuhlau or M. Clementi 
  • J. S. Bach: A 2-part invention
  • Béla Bartók: Romanian Carols
  • Oscar Peterson: Jazz Exercises, Vol. 2

Below you can download two examples of Danish chorales

Examples of Danish chorals

Entrance examination in aural training and theory

The test consists of three parts: The first part is an auditive test, where the student must answer several listening assignments. After a short break comes the second part, which is a test of dictation- and correction where the music you listen to must be compared to the notated. The third part is a visual test where the student must answer a number of note reading– and harmonization tests.

The assignments of all three parts of the test range from relatively simple to more complicated. You may find some of the assignments difficult to solve. In that case, do not let it affect you, just move on to the next assignment and concentrate on that. The purpose of the test is to identify how far your aural ability, your orientation ability and your musical knowledge carry. 

The test can only be taken in Danish, English or German.

Duration: Approx. 2½ hours

The test is assessed with one mark according to the 7 point scale.

When the test is assessed it is divided into 5 parts: 

A1 Auditive test: assignments 1-6 and 10-11
A2 Auditive test: assignments 7-9
V1 Visual test: assignments 1-10
V2 Visual test: assignments 11-13
D Dictation/correction test: assignments 1-7

One mark is given for each of the 5 parts. The collected mark is calculated as an average of all the 5 marks. It is a precondition to pass the test that either a) all 5 parts are passed separately or b) that at least 4 parts are passed and that the collected average mark is at least 4.

Auditive test

  • identification of style periods (i.e. renaissance, baroque, romance)
  • identification of ensemble of the composition (i.e. chamber music, solo concert)
  • identification of tonality types (i.e. minor/major, modal)
  • identification of time/metres (i.e. double time, triple time)
  • identification of movement types (i.e. homophone movement, polyphone movement)
  • identification of musical form (i.e. AA, AABA)
  • identification of instruments (i.e. oboe, bassoon, viola)
  • identification of chords (triad and chord of 4ths, i.e. minor/major/diminished/augmented, seventh chords, clusters)
  • identification of chord types in musical contexts
  • identification of intervals
  • identification of key from stated starting tone
  • notation of bass part and identification of chord functions in a four-part chorale with stated soprano part

Visual test

  • identification of chords from part of a score incl. C clefs and transposing instruments
  • identification of style period from part of a score
  • identification of tonality types from a note example
  • identification of modulating course of a melody from note examples
  • identification of movement types from note examples
  • identification of musical form from note examples
  • identification of chord types
  • identification of intervals
  • notation of the first 10 notes of the harmonic series from a given fundamental note
  • localising errors in a 4-part/voice chorale movement
  • notation of middle parts in a 4-part/voice chorale movement
  • harmonic analysis of homophonic movement

Dictation and correction test

  • correction of a course of a melody that is played for you
  • notation of a melody played for you where the rhythm is stated already
  • notation of the rhythm of a melody played for you where the notes are stated already
  • notation of the upper part in a polyphonic printed score
  • correction of a polyphonic printed score compared to a movement

The auditive test has a duration of circa 40 minutes, the dictation- and correction test circa 30 minutes and the visual test 60 minutes. There is a 10 minute break between each of the tests

Applicants with dyslexia will be offered 50% extra time to finish their written entrance exams, if they ask for it. You must submit documentation on your dyslexia to admission@dkdm.dk well in time before your entrance exam.  

In cases, where the extra time doesn´t solve the problem, the applicant can apply for a dispensation to replace her/his written entrance exam with an oral entrance exam.

Auditive

Introduction
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Auditive assignment 1a and 1b
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Auditive assignment 2
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Auditive assignment 3
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Auditive assignment 4
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Auditive assignment 5
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Auditive assignment 6
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Auditive assignment 7a and 7b
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Auditive assignment 8
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Auditive assignment 9a and 9b
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Auditive assignment 10
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Auditive assignment 11
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Dictation

Introduction
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Dictation assignment 1a
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Dictation assignment 1b
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Dictation assignment 2
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Dictation assignment 3
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Dictation assignment 4
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Dictation assignment 5
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Dictation assignment 6
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Dictation assignment 7
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Study programmes

Earn your music degree at The Royal Danish Academy of Music

The Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen offers music education at the highest level. The wide range of courses at the Academy attracts a diversity of students, thereby creating an international study environment.