Exam Pointers – G3

Pointers for the Exam – G3

Exercise 1:

• Include the clef at the beginning

• Take care of direction (ascending, descending or both)

• Key signature or accidentals

• Always mark the semitones, even if you are not asked to!

• Make sure that you use the correct note values or rhythm.

• For minor scales, indicate your choice whether harmonic or melodic.

• Without key signature implies that you use accidentals!

Exercise 2:

• Do not join second and third beats in 4/4, but you can use a minim rest on the
1st and 2nd or the 3rd and 4th beats.

• A quaver is followed by two quaver rests in 3/8, 6/8, 9/8 and 12/8

• In 3/2 group rests in minim beats where possible

• In 6/8 , 9/8 and 12/8 take care of the dotted crotchet main beat

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Exam Pointers – G3

Exercise 3:

• I and i refer to the tonic

• I means major tonic triad

• i means minor tonic triad

• A tonic triad is built using notes 1 – 3 – 5

• Write them above each other and take care whether you are asked to use a
key signature or accidentals. In the case of accidentals, you only use those
sharps/flats that are part of the triad.

Exercise 4:

• Remember to change the clef

• Octave higher means go down SIX notes including the given note

• Octave lower means go up SIX notes including the given note

Exercise 5:

• Make sure that you do not join more than a crotchet beat worth of notes in a
simple time signature

• In a compound time signature join a dotted crothcet beat worth of notes each
time

• Join tied notes where possible

• Group rests where possible

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Exam Pointers – G3

Exercise 6:

• Look at the note grouping to identify the time signature

• Always look at the easiest bar to work out

• If you have a set of 6 semiquavers together or 3 quavers beamed together

without a triplet sign that means 6/8 not 3/4!

Exercise 7:

• Make sure that you reuse what you are given in terms of note values

• Do not use rests unless they are given to you

• Avoid using long notes and remeber to complete the first bar

Exercise 8:

• Perfect intervals are 1, 4, 5 and 8

• The rest are major or minor

• Use the major scales to determine if they are major or minor

Exercise 9:

• Key of the extract is the name of the scale, for example F major or D major.

• For a minor key look for any ‘extra’ accidentals apart from the key signature

• Take care of performance directions (like staccato, andante etc.)

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