Music Theory Sample Paper 2020 Grade 3

Exam duration: 1½ hours maximum Total marks (out of 75):

The following sample exam paper is a printed representation of how this exam will appear
online. The structure of the questions, the knowledge required and the topics covered will be
the same. However, in order to suit an online platform, the wording of the questions and the
method of answering them may be different.

Terminology:
bar semibreve minim crotchet quaver semiquaver demisemiquaver
measure whole note half note quarter note 8th note 16th note 32nd note

© 2020 by The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music 1

 ✅

Music Theory Sample Paper 2020 Grade 3

Exam duration: 1 ½ hours maximum

1 Rhythm 12 ⁄15

1.1 Circle the correct time signature for each of these bars.
1/3 (3)

6 9 c
(a)
8
o 8
3 C 9
(b) 2 8 ✓
3 6 2
8 8 4
(c)
o
1.2 Add the one missing bar-line to each of these five melodies. (5)

(a)
5/5

(b)

(c)

(d)

(e)

1.3 Complete this sentence by adding a number.

1/1 (1)

A dotted quaver is equal to ………… demisemiquavers.

3
1.4 Tick ( ) one box to describe the time signature of 8 . 1/1 (1)

compound duple  %%%compound triple  %%%simple triple  %%%simple duple 

2
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✅ &4 œ œ &4 J J œ œ

3 œ ™ œ œ œ œ œ™ œ 3 œJ ™ œ œ œ œ œ™ œ 3 œJ ™ œ œ œ œ œ™ œ
1.5 Tick ( ) one box to show which bar is grouped correctly. (1)

&4 œ &4 J œ &4 J œ

( œ
1.6 Tick 3
™ cross
) or œ œ œ ™ œ œtheœ œrests
) each box to show3whether
(œ œ™
1/1
&4 J œ œ œ & 4 J œ™ are
œ œ
correct or incorrect. (3)
J J 1

3/3

3# œJ ™ œ 3œ œ œ œ™ œ œ œ œ ™ œ œœœ ™
™
#4 3
œ œ#™
&4 4 Jœ œ œ & 4 œ œ
œ ™ œ œœ ™
& 4 œœ œ œ œ
4
3

1.7 Look at this bar of music:% & 4 œ œ œ œ œ

™ ™ œ œœ ™
(1)

## 4 33 œ ™ œ ™
# 4 œ 1/1
œ œ œœ ™ bar above
3

& œ
442of the œ
œ ˙ œ shows
œœ œfollowing œ
œ œœthe & œ œ ˙
2 œ rewrittenJusingœnotes of twice the value?
Ϫ
&
& 2 œ œ œ ˙ œJ œœœ ™
J #4
Which 3
correctly
Tick ( ) one box.

™
™ ™
4 œ ˙ œ œ ™
## 4 33 œ œ # 4 œ œ w
œ œ
3
œ
2 œ œ ˙ J œœ œ
&& 22 œœ œ œ ˙ œJJ œœœœ # &
4% œ œ ˙ œ ™ œ œœ
3 &
& 2œ J œ
%

™
4 œ œœ œœ ˙˙ œ ™ œJœœœœœ™ œ œ ˙ œ ™ œJ œœœ ™
3 w
## 4 33 œ œ # 4 w
& 2 & 2 œ
J œ # 4 3& œ ™ œ
& 2œ & b w
& 2 œ œ ˙ J œœ ™
œ œ
&
# 4 œ œ ™ œœ w
& 2 œ œ ˙ J œœ ™
3
w w
&b ? ##
2 Pitch& w w
13 ⁄15

& &b #w
w
2.1 Tick ( ) one box w
& b to show the correct name
w
? #of# each note. 6/6
?
w
(6)

w ? ##
(a) & (b) & b
w #w (c) 

?#
C # A E D
?B Bb w G C
?
F D # w D# F#
w ? ## ? #w
& b
#w
? ? #w (f)  &
(d) w (e)
? ## ? # w ? w
F# E# C# G# D# C# B# F# A F #w C G
? #w &
? # w ? 3 w & Turn the page
#w
A
& BRSM Sample Paper 2020 Grade 3

w
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2.2 Compare bars A, B and C, then circle true or false for each of the three statements. (3)

A B C
         

(a) A and B are at the same pitch true%%%false

1/3
00
(b) B is one octave higher than C true%%%false
(c) C is one octave lower than A true%%%false

2.3 Tick ( ) the correct clef needed to make each of these named notes.
4/4 (4)

(a)  (b)  (c)  (d) 

Bb D C# E
?  ?  ?  ? 
&  &  &  & 

1/1
2.4 (a) Look at this bar of music:% (1)

? b 42
Which of the following shows the bar above correctly rewritten one octave lower? Tick ( ) one box.
œ œ nœ #œ
œ

? b 42 œ œ nœ #œ 2 œ œ nœ #œ
œ &b 4 œ

? 42 œ nœ #œ œ œ nœ# œ
? b 42 b œ 2 œœ
œ œ nœ #œ œ nœ #œ
(b) Look this bar of music:%
&b 4 œ 1/1
(1)

œ ? b 42 œ
Which of the following shows the bar above correctly rewritten one octave higher? Tick ( ) one box.
2 œ œ nœœ #œ nœ# œ
2 & b 4?
œ 2œ œ
& b 4 œ œ œ nœ #œ b4
2
&b 4 œ œnœ#œ
œ
œ œ nœ# œ
œ œ nœ# œ ? b 42 œ 2
? b 42 œ &b 4 œ
A
& BRSM Sample Paper 2020 Grade 3
œ 4 œnœ#œ
b2
 ####✅ bb ? ###
& &b b &b
3 Keys and Scales ### #### bb ⁄15
&b b
11
& &
bbb ? # # ? ###
3.1 & b
Tick ( ) one box to show b
&the correctly written key #signature of F minor. (1)

&
###
&
####
& b bbb
&b 1/1
b ? # # ? ### ? ##
& # #
#### bbb ? ###
& & b & b
3.2 Tick ( ) one box to show the correctly written key signature of A major. (1)

? ### ? ### ? ##
#
? bb
bb 1/1
b bbb ? # # ? ###
& & b #
? ### ? ## ? bb b
3.3 Here is a melody in the key of#G minor. Place a crossb ( ) in three boxes where accidentals (3)
are not needed.
b ? # # ? ### ? ##
#
&
? ## ? bb
# 3/3
# bb
? ### ? ### ? ## ? bb✗b
# b
3.4 ?
bbbthe
Circle b correct key of each of these melodies. (3)

? #?## 4 bbœœ œœ œ? #œ
bœ
? 44 bœ œ bœ œ# bœ ™ JJœ œ bœ œœ bbœœ
(a) ? 4 bœ bœ œ œ bbœ œ œ
#
2/3
bbœœ ™™ œœ œœ bbœœ?œbbbœbb Eb major Ab major C minor D minor
J
-

3 bbœœ œ œ ™
## 388 bœ œœ œœ ?œœ b™™ bbœœœb œœ œœ œœ bb œœ œ ™™
?
? 3
? #
(b) ? 8 œ œ œ
œ bœ œ ™
Bb major C minor G minor Eb major

œ
™
™ œ #œœ œœ nnœœ bbœœ œ œ
CC œœ ™ JœJ #œ œ nœ bœ œœ œœ bbb˙˙˙
& C œ œ #
&
(c) b& J
?
b bb
G major G minor D minor Bb major

A
& BRSM Sample Paper 2020 Grade 3 5 Turn the page
3.5 Cross ( ) the two incorrect notes in the following scale. (2)

C# harmonic minor, ascending 1/2

00
3.6 Tick ( ) one box for X and one box for Y to show which notes are needed (2)
to complete the scale of F melodic minor.

X Y
1/2
X E E#
0
Eb Cb

Y G E Gb Eb

3.7 Tick ( ) one box for each named scale, to show which scale is correctly written. (3)

(a) A major, ascending

2/3

(b) Bb major, ascending

A
& BRSM Sample Paper 2020 Grade 3 6
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(c) F# harmonic minor, descending

4 Intervals **⁄10
7

3/6
4.1 For each example, write one note to form the named interval. (6)
Your note should be higher than the given note. The key is F# minor.

8
(a) (b) (c)  #

minor 6th perfect 4th major 7th

(d) (e) (f) 

? #w
wminor 3rd a
? #w major 2nd perfect 8th/8ve
w you should have added the sharp
4.2 Circle?
#w interval. The lower note in each is the key note.
w
the type of each (4)

(a)
&
? # w #w
&
w perfect%%%%major%%%%minor 4/4
# w #w
(b) &
? #w #w perfect%%%%major%%%%minor
bw
& w #bw
w
? #w
(c)
w perfect%%%%major%%%%minor
? bw
b w
w bw
(d) &
? bw perfect%%%%major%%%%minor
bw
& bw
bw
A & bw
& BRSM Sample Paper 2020 Grade 3 7 Turn the page
bw
 ✅

5 Tonic Triads 9 ⁄10

5.1 Circle true or false for each statement.

bww
bb w
1/2 (2)

& bw w
(a) & This is the tonic triad of Eb major true false

?
?

:
(b)
#w
w
This is the tonic triad of B minor true false
#w
w
w

5.2 Add one missing note to complete each triad, with the tonic as the lowest note. (3)
Use accidentals if necessary.
3/3
(a) (b) (c) 
w
w
w
& w
E major
w
C minor A minor
w
& w
w
w
the correctw
5.3 Circle&

&
w
wkey for each tonic triad.
w
w
w
5/5 (5)

(a)  & w
w
w
G minor B minor G major D minor

& w
w
? w
(b)  & w
w
w
D major A minor B minor D minor
? bw
& bw w
w
? bb w
w
b w
(c)  Eb major Ab major C minor Bb major
? bw ww
? #
b w
w
b w
w
(d) 
? #b w
w
B minor B major G major D major
b ww
? #w w
w
? ## w
(e)  C# minor G# minor A major F# minor
w
# w
? # w w
#w
? #w w
? ## w w
w
#w
# w
w
A
& BRSM Sample Paper 2020 Grade 3 8
6 Terms and Signs 1
**⁄5

Tick ( ) one box for each term/sign. (5)

alla marcia means: prestissimo means:% sempre means:%

÷
majestic heavy always
broadening% fast simple, plain
in the style of a march very fast suddenly
in the same way very loud without

-œ
œ- means: allargando means:
slight pressure very slow, solemn%
staccatissimo in time
strong accent slow, stately
sforzando broadening

A
& BRSM Sample Paper 2020 Grade 3 9 Turn the page
7 Music in Context 3 ⁄5

Study this melody and then answer the questions that follow.

7.1 Compare the following to bar 1 of the melody then tick ( ) the one correct statement. (1)

°
A
 
B
%%%  
0/1

C
 

A is an exact copy B is an exact copy 

C is an exact copy
o
They are all different from the original 

7.2 Circle true or false. (1)

The tempo remains the same throughout this melody%%%true%%%false

1/1

A
& BRSM Sample Paper 2020 Grade 3 10
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7.3 Complete the following three sentences by ticking one box for each. (3)

(a) The highest note in the melody is …

2/3
C 
O
%%%Eb  %%%Bb  %%%D 

(b) There is a dotted quaver in …

bar 3  %%%bar 4  %%%bar 5  %%%bar 7 

(c) There is a note marked to be played with an accent in …

bar 1  %%%bar 2  %%%bar 7  %%%bar 8 

A
& BRSM Sample Paper 2020 Grade 3 11 End of exam