This is found on pages 78 and 79 of Mrs. Curwen’s 31st Edition. This is almost word for word from her material, but I have changed a few words or added small explanations to hope to further understand or clarification.
The work done in the Preliminary courses should be tested. If the student is a nervous or excitable one, there’s no need to mention the exam at all. Simply test thoroughly all the points in the course of the ordinary lessons.
A child who has done the work of the Preliminary Course will go rapidly through Step 1. He won’t learn anything new until Lesson 3 of Step 1, but instead, he will be putting together his existing knowledge of notation. The duets are the beginning of taking a musical message sent by the composer and interpreting it to the listener.
Aim of the Examination – To check the teacher’s work; to secure that nothing has been left out, and that the child is ready to begin to use the Lessons, Reading Exercises, and Duets of Step I.
The object of the examinations in this book is not the glorification of the pupil, but the testing of the teacher’s work. The mason tests his wall with a plumb line before he adds his next row of bricks. Surely a teacher should not be less careful in ascertaining, at every step, whether or not the ideas he has been presenting to his pupil’s mind have been assimilated, seeing that on this depends the power to assimilate the ideas that are to follow. Child appreciate a thorough testing. It gives them confidence in their teacher and in themselves.
Preliminary Course Exam:
Technique:
1. Satisfactorily play any hand-training or other physical exercises the teacher may have given.
2. Play an interval of a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc on any part of the keyboard without looking at the hand. (Test both hands.)
Pitch:
1. Following the teacher’s pointing on an eleven lined staff, naming and giving the sounds of any ten lines or spaces.
2. The teacher will play any ten sounds of the great staff. Put marks on corresponding lines or spaces.
3. Draw the C-clef neatly on a 5-line staff. Draw the F clef and G clef as well on a staff.
4. Following the teaching’s pointing on a five line staff taken from any part of the staff, except the top and bottom, naming and giving the sounds as before.
5. On a similar staff put marks corresponding to sounds played by the teacher.
6. How is the staff divided for piano music, and what are the parts called?
7. Which which hand are the sounds of the upper part generally played? And of the lower?
Ear-Exercises in Pitch:
1. Listen. The name of this sound is F. Which of the F’s on the keyboard do you think it is? (This is a test in approximate pitch.) Is it treble or bass? Is it above the staff? Maybe below the staff? If it’s on the staff, can you identify its place on the staff?
Walk through a few variations on the above exercise.
2. Recognition of intervals. With their eyes closed, can they identify a 2nd versus a 3rd versus a 4th, etc.
3. A sol-fa test. (Once I’m completely sure what Mrs. Curwen is referring to here, I will add a description.)
Time:
1. Beat four two-pulse measures; four three-pulse measures; four four-pulse measures.
2. Write a one-pulse note, a two-pulse note, a three pulse note, a four-pulse note.
3. Write two two-pulse measures with different notes in each. Four three-pulse measures and four four-pulse measures with different notes in each.
4. The teacher will write two three-pulse measures with different groupings. Pupil to play each measure (on one sound, with one finger) three times over, in strict time, with the time-names. Do this also for two four-pulse measures.
5. Make a time-plan of eight measures in three-pulse measures. Do this also in a four-pulse measure.
Ear-exercise in Time:
1. Recognize by ear the measure of one or more tunes played by the teacher. (In other words, listen to a tune and determine if it’s a two-pulse, three-pulse, or four-pulse measure.)
2. A time dictation. (Teacher plays a simple melody while the student notates the rhythm. This can be done measure by measure.)