eee WISE Ce Theory . alee. < & tars ( we? ae fey TTSyllabus for ABRSM Grade 1 (1) Note values of sernibreve (whole note), minim (half note), crotchet (quarter note), {quaver (eighth note) and semniquaver (16th note), and their equivalent rests, Tied notes. Single-dotted notes and rests, (2) Simple time signatures % % 4. bar-tines, and the grouping of the notes listed ‘above within these times, Composition of a two-bar rhythm in answer to a given rhythm starting on the first beat of a bar. (G) The stave. Treble (G) and bass (F) clefs. Names of notes on the stave, including middle C in both clefs. Sharp, flat and natural signs, and their cancellation (4) Construction of the major scale, including the position of tones and semitones, ‘Scales and key signatures of the major keys of C, G, D and F in both clefs, with their tonic triads (root position), degrees (number only), and intervals above the tonic (oy number only. (6) Some frequently used terms and signs conceming tempo, dynamics, performance 2 = o Put accidentals in front of any notes that need them to make these scales. Then put r—1 above each pair of notes that make a semitone. — — G major (ascending) F major 7 (descending) D major (ascending) F major (descending) G major (ascending) Name the major keys that have these key signatures. SS = SS = key Key____major Key. oe aoe $ f = — 2 $ Key______major Key_major Key mejor Key majorExercise 4 Exercise § ‘The scales and key signatures of C, G, D and F major | 17 GEGETIEEH] The key signature comes after the clef but before the time signature, Add the clefs and key signatures needed to make these scales. F major major D major Write out these scales using the rhythm shown on the line above. Add the correct key signatures. 42 Jsled sii I <= S ee I pee SS a2 DIF) Ih ddd I (ascending)18 | The scales and key signatures of C, G, D and F major Exercise 6 Example @ © Name each ofthe keys ofthe melodies below. Then write out the extracts again. This tie use key signatures instead of accidentals. ‘Bouthoven, Vn Concerto (1st mt i major a Mozart, The Mage Put (0s and Oss) i major g | i § i ‘Tehakowsy, Seanad fe Stas (ata) 5 y ‘major (Bg Pomp and Crourstance March No. 4Exercise 1 Example Exercise 2 @ (The AB Guide to Music Theor, Chapter 2/4) ‘An accidental lasts until the end of the bar. For example, look atthe note marked *, In this bar it is Ft: “To change the note back to FB, you have to acd B sgn. You do the same tf sin the Key Sonate ce # === Look at this example: ies Note 1 is FH, note 2 is Fi, note 3is FA, note 4is Fi (the # before note 4 cancels the } before note 2) ‘Add an accidental in front of each note marked * to cancel the previous accidental. Name each note marked with a number. The letter name is enough if it does not have an accidental - but think about the key signature and any accidentals from earier in the bar. (The answers to numbers 1 and 2 are given as examples.) {An accidental only changes later notes in the bar i they are on the same line orn the same space. 4 2 3 45 6Exercise 1 Example Exercise 2 Degrees of the scale and intervals (The AB Guide to Music Theory, Chapters 2/2 8 7/1) first degree of the scale. Itis the key-note of the scale. After each note in brackets is th Each note Jelow the stave. key-note, write the note to match the degree that is written by ‘The frst degree of the scale is called the key-note. = = SS = 4th 2nd Ord 4th 4 OT ath OF oe eth e be “The distance in pitch between two diferent notes is called an interval. It the two notes are played one after the other, itis called a melodic interval =f—=2-—= Ifthe two notes are played together, itis caled a harmonic interval =S—= ‘You can measure the size of an interval by counting the number of degrees of the scale that it includes ~ SSS SS SS 2nd rd ath sth ‘The number of degrees is the number of the interval. In Grade 1 the examples always have the key-note as the lower note. Here are the intervals from the key-note in G major. & = =e: 2nd rd ath sth eth 7th ave ‘The number of the interval is not changed by the key signature or by any accidentals in front of the notes - the number remains the same. Give the number of each of these melodic intervals (2nd, Grd, 4th etc). (The first answer is given as an example) as To Fmajor 4th G majorExercise 3 Exercise 4 Example Degrees ofthe scale and intervals | 21 D major Sed 7th sth 2nd 4th etn Ss = major sth = = = ave eth 4th Sra 7th Look at the melodic intervals marked -—1 . Write the number of each interval. The first note is the key-note in every case. Heycn, Symphony No. 98 (Surprise) (2nd mut) — ‘rd Ravel, Mother Goose (Ma Enchanted Garden) — @ (Car, The Hoy and tho iy” — = ete, sce, Sonata of 4 Pats, No.8 [Golden (st — ote. © — gar Salut amour ‘Schubert, Rosamund (Balt No.2) — Wigner, Siagtied (et Sone 3)22 The tonic triad Exercise 1 Example (The AB Guide to Music Theory Chapter €/1) “The key-note, or fist degree ofthe scale, has another name: the tonic. The tonic triad is a group of three notes: the key-note plus the rd and Sth degrees above it. Here are three tonic triads in C major: EP SS Se Write the key-note followed by its tonic triad after each of these major key signatures. Composing an answering rhythm (Toe AB Guide to Music Theory, Chapter §/1~2) In the Grade 1 exam, you will have to compose a two-bar rhythm. It will have these simple rules: > you wil be given a two-bar rhythm to follow on from, >it wil start on the fist beat ofthe bar, > itwilluse one ofthe time signatures you alteady know —% , Lor’, >» you wil not need to write @ melody — only a rhythm, > you will not need to put in a clef or key signature, > you will write your rhythm on one line of the stave, like this corwvanonasige ine, 4 ATTI4 L114 ronoweatet $J STII J J | You need to be careful about two different things: (1) How to write the rhythm down — in other words, how to decide which notes you should join or beam together, and where to use ties and dots. Look at the rules on the next page for help with this. (2) How to make the two-barthythm intresting, There is some general advice on pages 24-5 to help you with this.Writing down a rhythm Exercise 1 Example Composing an answering hythm | 28 (1) You should beam together > 1Wo quavers eighth notes) which could be replaced by a erotehet (quarter note}: ALIN ans lal on > four quavers (eighth notes) which could be replaced by a minim (half note): ae ae a8) Jee | > sk queers hth notes) ola complete barin 8. tlTTTTI | In printed music you may sometimes find groups of fou or sx quavers (eighth notes) beamed together in ‘wos. Nevertheless, in his test you should keep to the rules above. Note that in 4 quavers should never 'be beamed across the middle ofa bar between the 2nd and rd beats al ITs | aad | {2} Beam semiquavers (16th notes) together in single beats, and also any group including a semiquaver (16th note): ITTITA| 20 | a. | (2) Avoid es wherever posse BLD ssvotertnin FSI) and A) J J | istoternan 44 Ld J | ‘The arrangement of rests will be explained in Grade 2. You will not need to use rests when writing an answering rhythm in Grade 1 Rewrite these bars so that they still sound the same. Make any necessary corrections in the use of, beams, ties and dots. grdiife gd ddd yy gdp drs at 424 | Composing an answering rhythm General advice Now for some general advice about writing two-bar rhythms. “The first and most important point is this: try to imagine how the notes which you are writing would ‘actually sound. Try to ‘heer’ them in your head. When you are practising, always tap out your rhythms, Even during the exam you need not disturb anyone if you do this really quietly with your finger-tios on the desk Its very important to keep in strict time, s0 think of a speed and stick to it! Probably somewhere between J =76 and J = 100 willbe suitable, (For an explanation of speed directions see page 28.) ‘Try to make your rhythm interesting. Imagine, for example, that you have to add a two-bar rhythm to follow this: BY Vege | Ni vevcosswactes 20 = VL len that would be correct. But itis very dul. You could repeat the two bars you have been given. This often 8, asin this examplk ee ie \J..S. Bach, Anna Magdaiena Bach Notebook (Minuet) 2 a 4 1 a rym $J ITT I) J J ld FIT J However, if you just copy out again the two bars you have been given, you will not have shown that you can invent anything, Your rhythm, therefore, should be a tle diferent from the one you have been given. But it should be similar, and parts of it may even be exactly the same. Bars 1 and 8 ofthis melody, for example, have the ‘same rhythm (out not the same notes): Beethoven, Symphony No. ath mt) 1 2 3 4 ee Ce | In the next example, bars 2 and 3 have the same rhythm: 1 2 3 4 Hook, Guia a Musica, No. 2 aJoijis od 1d J IFTTIs I ‘And in this example, bars 2 and 4 have the same rhythm: ‘Stanord, Si Sketches iret) 1 2 3 4Exercise 2 Example Composing an answering tythen | 25 Patterns with a repeat in them can help the bars connect to each other, but you donot have to use them, Here, for example, ae four bars which all have diferent chythms: 1 Dict, ‘Now Wer’ Symphony (st rt) 4 2 3 7. ddd I\I77V 7 old ‘Although the bars are all diferent, bars 3 and 4 seem to belong to bars 1 and 2. The last two bars seem {0 balance the first two. Or you could say thatthe last two ‘answer’ the frst two ~ they make an ‘answering’ rhythm, ‘You must be careful how you fnish your rhythm. Itis not usually a good idea to finish with a semiquaver (16th note), because this may make the rhythm feel unfinished. Ifyou tap these rhythms, for example, you wil see that they both fee! as though they want to be followed by something in the next bar: QUOTA) tl ni biG ‘They sound like two bars out of longer rhythmic patterns, They are not ‘answering’ rhythms because they ‘are not complete, ‘Add answering two-bar rhythms to these opening patterns. 3-4 o ge +4 LY |26 | Composing an answPerformance directions “" ‘Composers often use special signs and words which are not Engish to explain how they want their music tobe played. The bost way of gating to know them is to look them up as you come acroas than in your ‘pieces, and then to remember them. (There is a Glossary on pages xiv-xai of The AB Guide to Music: Theory, Pat |) Here are some very common words ~ al Kalan = which you should knowin Grado 1 ‘acoelerando (or acco!) gradualy geting quicker adagio sow alegretto faity uick out not 2s quick as alagro) ategro ick (eraly ‘cheertu) andante at a medium (‘walking’) speed cantabite ina singing sve crescendo (or eres) sredualy getting louder «da capo (or D.C) ‘peat rom the begining dal segno (or DS.) repeat from the sign 8 decrescendo (or decresc:) Gradually getting quieter ) Howmanysinesistrortytim | dds ab | seat Textbox 1 2 84 (How many bars contain only crotchets (quarter notes)? Tick the box: 1 2 3 4 (Answer true or false to the folowing sentence: ‘The melody uses all the notes of the scale of G major. Tick the box: Tue False (& Inbar 7, what does the > above the note mean? Copy out the frst four bars. Remember to putin the ce, key signature, time signature, tempo, ‘dynamics and articulation.80 | General exercises Exercise 2 This is the beginning of a melody. Look at it, and then answer the questions below. Allegro ure), logo, Op. 52 No.2 1 AN te 4 (@) What does Allegro mean? (b)_ What key is the melody in? (©) Show another way of writing the time signature. (@) Wnat are the curved lines over the melody called? ‘What do they tell the performer? __ (€) What does a dot over a note (n bars 2 and 4) mean? (() How many times does the note F appear? Tick the box: 1 2 3 4 (a) Which bar contains al the notes ofthe tonic triad but no others? (h) What does the sign % mean? Answer true oF false to the following sentence: ‘The melody uses al the notes ofthe soale of C mafor. Tick thebox: Tue False @ Which isthe highest note in the melody? Tickthe box: A B c D E F 6 (What do you notice about the rhythm of bars 3-4 compared to the rhythm of bars 1-2? (Copy out the first two bars. Remember to put in the cle, Key signature, time signature, tempo and articulation.Exercise 3 General exercises | 31 Look at the following melody, and then answer the questions below. otk, Symphony No.7 (2nd rt Poco adagio, M.M. J = 56 4 = poi PP {@ Poco means ats! What does adagio moar’? (©) Whats dim. short for? 7 pe (©) The key ofthe melody is F major. In which bars fs the keynote not used? —___ (6) What does ‘MM. d = 86° tell you? (@)_ Give the meaning of legato. ((). Which is the quister: p or pp? OO (@) Which bars contain the frst four notes ofthe scale of F major? (h) Which bar has the same rhythm as bar 1? What do the signs —== and = meen? How many bars contain only crotchets (quarter notes)? Tick the box 1 2 3 4 5 (Which is the fowest note in the melody? Tick the box: A Bb c D a F (0 Gio the full name of the frst note in bar 3. (im) Copy out the last four bars (5-8). Put inthe clef, key signature, dynamics and articulation.32 | General exercises Exercise 4 This is the beginning of a melody. Look at it, and then answer the questions below. Ravel, Pavan fora dead tanta 54 4 ete. eee (@)_ Add the missing word in this sentence: The molodyis writen in the et. (©) What isthe key of the melody? (©) Draw — above any pairs of notes which are a semitone apart. (@) What degree of the scale isthe first note in bar 3? (€) Give the full name of the last note, (f) How many crotchet (quarter-note) beats are there in a bar? Tick the box: 1 2 3 4 6 (@) Which bars contain tied notes?. (h) Tick the boxes for the words you think describe the music: smooth loud = quiet_ = slow fast’ «= memy.— gad Which s the highest note in the melody? Tick the box: A. B c D E Fe S @ Answer true or false to the following sentence: ‘The melody uses all the notes of the G major scale, Tickthebox: Tue False (&) Copy out bar Sto the end. Put in the cle, key signature and articulation,