Grade 4
Grade 4
Double Flats
In the same way, a double flat lowers the pitch of a note by two semitones (a whole step). There is no
special symbol for a double flat, we just write two flat signs close to each other, like this:
Double flats and sharps affect any subsequent notes in the same bar of the same pitch, just like single
flats and sharps. But let's say you have a D double sharp followed by a D sharp. There are two ways
you can notate this:
Some people consider it to be a bit "old fashioned" or "untidy" to use the second method to cancel an
accidental. You will probably see it in lots of printed music, however.
If you need to write a natural note after a double sharp/flat, simply write the note with a single natural
sign:
You don't need to write two natural signs, one is enough (but two is also ok).
Enharmonic Equivalents
"Enharmonic equivalent" may sound complicated, but it's actually a very simple idea.
Let's start with an easy note - F sharp. We know that F sharp is one semitone (half step) higher than F
(natural). But we also know that it's one semitone lower than G natural, so we could also call the note
G flat. An enharmonic equivalent is simply another way to "spell" the same note. F sharp and G flat are
"enharmonic equivalents".
Enharmonic equivalents are often used when we change key within a piece.
Some common enharmonic equivalents are C#/Db, D#/Eb, G#/Ab and A#/Bb. These are the black
notes on a piano keyboard.
Slightly trickier, these are white notes on the piano: E/Fb, E#/F, B/Cb and B#/C.
All the notes with double sharps and flats also have enharmonic equivalents: C##/D, D##/E, F##/G,
G##/A and A##/B, and for the flats, C/Dbb, D/Ebb, F/Gbb, G/Abb and A/Bbb.
Remember that when you write scales, you can only use each letter name once (except for the tonic).
This means that you have to be careful to choose the correct enharmonic equivalent. For example, in
the scale of G# minor, the 7th degree of the scale is F##. An enharmonic equivalent of F## is G
natural, but you cannot write G natural in a G# minor scale, because the letter name is already used.
In the Exam
In the grade four exam, you will be asked to name the enharmonic equivalent of one or two notes. It's
usually easier to do this if you can imagine a piano keyboard. If you find it hard to imagine in your
head, sketch an octave of a mini keyboard out on the scrap paper you're provided with in the exam
room.
Exercises
2. On the staves below, write the notes stated, as given in the first example. Write the notes as minims
(half-notes) and use ledger lines if necessary.
3. Write an enharmonic equivalent next to each of the following notes. (Alternative answers may also
be correct in some cases).
4. For each pair of notes, say whether they are enharmonic equivalents or not.
1st= Tonic
2nd= Supertonic
3rd= Mediant
4th= Subdominant
5th= Dominant
6th= Submediant
7th = Leading Note
Here are the notes and technical names in the key of F major:
F
Bb
Tonic
Supertonic
Mediant
Subdominant
Dominant
Submediant
Leading Note
In the exam, the harmonic version of the minor scale is used to work out the technical names (rather
than the melodic version). Here are the notes and technical names in the key of F minor:
F
Ab
Bb
Db
E natural
Tonic
Supertonic
Mediant
Subdominant
Dominant
Submediant
Leading Note
It might help you to learn these names if you look at what the words actually mean.
The dominant is the most important note after the tonic (because these two notes work
together to help fix the key of a piece). It's 5 notes higher than the tonic.
The subdominant is the next most important note after the dominant. It is 5 notes lower than
the tonic (which is why it's called the "sub"="lower" dominant.
The word "mediant" is connected to the word "middle". The mediant note is midway between
the tonic and the dominant. It's 3 notes higher than the tonic.
The submediant is midway between the tonic and the subdominant. It's 3 notes lower than
the tonic. (Remember, "sub-" = lower).
The supertonic is "one more than" the tonic. It's one note higher than the tonic.
The leading note is one note below the tonic. This note is called the leading note because it
is very often followed by the tonic when used in a melody - so it generally "leads to the tonic".
Keys
In grade four you need to know the keys (key signature and scales) of all the major and minor keys, up
to and including 5 sharps or 5 flats.
Grade three took us up to all keys with 4 sharps/flats, so we only have four new keys to learn in this
grade - those that contain 5 sharps or flats in the key signature. They are:
B major (5 sharps)
G# minor (5 sharps)
Db major (5 flats)
Bb minor (5 flats)
The sharps, in order, are F#, C#, G#, D# and A#. Here are the key signatures in treble and bass clef:
Don't forget that to write a key signature correctly, the flats/sharps have to be in right order and also
in the right position on the stave.
Notice that the sharps start high up on the stave. The second sharp is lower, and the third
sharp is higher. The last three sharps are one below the other. Flats are written starting on the
middle line (treble clef) or low on the stave (bass clef). They make a simple up/down pattern.
Remember that key signature sharps and flats always appear on the stave itself - never on a
ledger line!
Remember that a quick way to identify sharp key signatures is to look at the final sharp in the
signature - this will be the leading note of the major key. So if the last sharp is A#, the key will be B
major, because A# is the 7th degree of the scale of B major.
A quick way to identify flat key signatures is to look at the last-but-one flat in the key signature
- this will be the major key. So if the last-but-one flat in the key signature is Db, then the key is Db
major.
The relative minor key for each key signature can be found by working out
the submediant note of the major key (6th degree of the scale). So if the major key is B major, the
6th note is G#, which means the relative minor is G# minor. If the major key is Db major, the 6th
note is Bb, so the relative minor key is Bb minor.
Major Scales
Here are the major scales of B and Db for you, written with accidentals. Don't forget that the pattern of
tones and semitones (whole and half steps) in a major scale is always T-T-S-T-T-T-S. You can use this
pattern for reference if you forget which notes need accidentals.
B major:
Db major:
Minor Scales
As in grade 3, you need to know both types of minor scale - the harmonic and melodic.
The scale of G# minor uses a double sharp - the leading note (7th degree of the scale) is F . The
enharmonic equivalent of this note is G natural, but you must not write G natural in the scale of G#
minor - remember that each letter name can only be used once!
Don't forget that in a harmonic minor scale, the leading note (7th degree of the scale) is always raised
by a semitone (half step) by using an accidental, even if you use a key signature for the scale.
In a melodic minor ascending scale, both the 6th and 7th degrees of the scale (submediant and
leading note) are raised by a semitone (half step). But in a melodic minor descending scale, none of
the notes need to be raised.
G# minor harmonic:
G# minor melodic:
Bb minor harmonic:
Bb minor melodic:
Exercises
Technical Names of Notes
1. Give the technical name (tonic, dominant, etc) of:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
k.
l.
m.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
Keys
1. Complete the following table
0
F#
C#
G#
Bb
Eb
Ab
Db
Bb
2. Name the major and minor keys which use these key signatures:
Scales
1. Write out one octave of the following scales in semibreves, using a key signature and accidentals
where necessary:
b) B major descending
e) Db major ascending
The scales you have studied up till now - major and minor - are in a group called "diatonic" scales.
Diatonic scales all contain 7 notes and are firmly based on a key - and the keynote, or the first note of
the scale, is the TONIC.
Chromatic scales are not in any particular key. We can't talk about the "chromatic scale in the key of
C", for example. Instead, we identify chromatic scales by the note which they start on. We can talk
about a chromatic scale starting on C, for example.
To play a chromatic scale, simply start on the note of your choice, and then play ALL the semitones
until you reach the starting note again. If we start on D, we play these notes:
As you can see, the scale contains 12 different notes. We wrote 13 notes in total, but the first and last
note (D) are the same note name.
Next, write in the note which is a perfect 5th higher than the start note. You can work this out as the
5th degree of the scale (or dominant note) counting from the start note. Or you can count five letter
names to find the correct letter name, then seven semitones (half steps) to work out if it needs an
accidental.
In this case, the start note is Bb. The note a perfect 5th higher is F natural. This is the 5th note
(dominant note) of the Bb scale (you can use the major or minor scale - the result is the same). Or,
count five letter names: B-C-D-E-F to find the letter name F. Then count the semitones between Bb
and F (there are seven, so you don't need to add any sharps or flats).
(As another example, count the semitones between B natural and F: there are six. This means you'd
need to add a sharp to the F, making F#, if the start note of the scale was B natural).
When you have worked out the 5th above the start note, write it on the stave, more or less in the
middle. (Don't forget to add any necessary accidentals!)
These two notes (Bb and F, here) are the most important ones in harmony. They are used for working
out what key the music is in. For this reason, we keep these two notes "clean", meaning that we don't
use those letter names anywhere else in the chromatic scale. In this case, it means that we can't use
the letter name B or F anywhere else in the scale.
When we come to write the second note of this scale then, we find we can't use B natural, even
though it's the next semitone up from Bb. This is because we need to keep the letter name "B" for only
the start and end notes. We will have to use an enharmonic equivalent (see lesson 2) instead. The
note C flat is an enharmonic equivalent of B natural, so we can use that instead.
The next note up is C natural. Remember though, that any accidentals already used will still affect
notes later in the bar. If you write this:
you will actually have written two C flats! You must add a natural sign to the second C.
The note one semitone higher is Db. You should never use the same letter name three times in a
chromatic scale, so we can't write C flat, C natural then C sharp!
In fact, the easiest way to write out a chromatic scale using this method is to write in two of each
note between the start, end and middle notes you've already worked out. So, using the Bb chromatic
scale again, we will begin by writing in pairs of notes on each line and space between Bb, F and Bb:
Using this method, the descending chromatic scale will use the same notes as its ascending scale.
Start with a high Bb, put F in the middle, then finish on a low Bb. Fill in the pairs of notes between
these cornerstones with the appropriate accidentals.
As before, make sure that the start and end notes have exactly the same name, with an accidental
added if necessary. And again, you cannot use three notes with the same letter name. Can you spot
the error in this scale? How would you correct it?
You could write the first C (natural) as B# instead, or the last C## as D natural.
This method is useful because it results in a cleaner page, with fewer accidentals. The brain of the
player has fewer symbols to deal with, which makes his/her job easier. This method is often used
when a chromatic scale occurs in a piece of music.
When you think you've found the answer, write out the letter name of each note, including any
accidental, so that you can check carefully.
Don't forget to take note of the key signature, if there is one, and any other accidentals which
were placed earlier in the bar and might still be valid.
If there are lots of double sharps/flats, it can be useful to write out the letter name with an
enharmonic equivalent (e.g. write F## as G) to help you check.
It can be helpful to sketch out a mini piano keyboard to help visualise the notes.
Here's an excerpt from the final movement of Beethoven's famous piano sonata, the "Pathtique".
Your task is to find four different consecutive notes which form part of a chromatic scale.
(Remember that "consecutive" means "next to each other").
Don't panic! Read the steps below.
It's impossible to have four notes of a chromatic scale without using any accidentals, so begin by
scanning each bar of the right hand piano part in turn, dismissing any bars which contain no
accidentals. You will quickly see that only the third bar contains accidentals.
Write out the letter names carefully, and make a note of the distance between each pair of notes: is it
a semitone (half step) or tone (whole step)? Write "S" and "T" between each note. There are three
gaps between four notes, so you need to find three semitones in a row to find the answer.
Look at the pattern of "s" and "t"'s. Actually there are five consecutive notes which are a semitone
apart, marked with four "s", but we need to find four which are different. The notes we have found are
Eb, D, Eb, E, F. The E flat is repeated, so we should ignore the first one, which will give us four notes
in total: D-Eb-E-F. These are four consecutive notes which are part of a chromatic scale.
Exercises
1. Write out one octave of the following chromatic scales in semibreves (whole notes), using
the tonic/dominant method:
a) Ascending, starting on Eb
b) Ascending, starting on F#
c) Descending, starting on A
d) Descending, starting on Bb
2. Write out one octave of the following chromatic scales in semibreves (whole notes), using
the sharps up/flats down method:
a) Ascending, starting on F
b) Ascending, starting on B
c) Descending, starting on C
d) Descending, starting on Db
3. Draw a circle around four notes next to each other that form part of a chromatic scale in the
following pieces of music:
a)
b)
c)
We learnt that the intervals built from the tonic of a major scale are:
1- perfect unison
2- major 2nd
3- major 3rd
4- perfect 4th
5- perfect 5th
6- major 6th
7- major 7th
8- perfect 8ve (octave)
For example, here are the intervals built from the G major scale, with the tonic G as the lower note:
We also learnt that the intervals built from the tonic of a minor (harmonic) scale are:
1- perfect unison
2- major 2nd
3- minor 3rd
4- perfect 4th
5- perfect 5th
6- minor 6th
7- major 7th
8- perfect 8ve
For example, compare the intervals built from the G minor scale with G as the lower note:
The only differences between the major and minor scales are in the third and sixth intervals.
At grade 3, all the intervals we had to identify had the tonic as the lowest note.
At grade 4, we have to identify and write intervals between any two notes in any of the keys for this
grade (up to 5 flats/sharps). In other words, the lowest note might NOT be the tonic of the key.
We will also learn two new terms - AUGMENTED and DIMINISHED.
Interval Qualities
The words "major", "minor" and "perfect" describe an interval's quality.
Major and perfect intervals are those created when
Note: it does not matter what key a piece of music is in. The interval between C (lower note) and E
(upper note) is always a major 3rd, even if the interval is found in a piece written in the key of F minor,
for example. This is because the note E is the third note in the C major scale.
In the grade 4 exam you will normally be told what key the interval occurs in. However, this
makes absolutely no difference to anything.
Only the intervals of a 2nd, 3rd, 6th and 7th can be major.
Only the intervals of a unison, 4th, 5th and octave can be perfect.
Minor intervals are one semitone (half step) smaller than major intervals. Only 2nds, 3rds, 6ths and
7ths can be minor.
Diminished intervals are one semitone (half step) smaller than minor intervals, or one semitone
smaller than perfect intervals. Unisons, 2nds, 3rds, 4ths, 5ths, 6ths, 7ths and octaves can all be
diminished.
Augmented intervals are one semitone (half step) bigger than major or perfect intervals. Unisons,
2nds, 3rds, 4ths, 5ths, 6ths, 7ths and octaves can all be augmented.
a.
F-Bb = perfect 4th. (Bb is the 4th note in the F major scale).
b.
c.
B-C = minor 2nd. (In the B major scale, the 2nd note is C#. B-C is one semitone smaller).
d.
C-Eb = minor 3rd. (In the C major scale, the 3rd note is E natural. C-Eb is one semitone
smaller).
e.
f.
g.
Ab-B = augmented 2nd. (The 2nd note of the Ab major scale is Bb. Ab-B is one semitone
wider).
h.
Writing Intervals
Use the same method to write intervals. Let's imagine you are asked to write a harmonic interval of a
diminished 7th above this note:
Start by working out what letter name is needed, by counting out 7 letter names. F-G-A-B-C-D-E. Write
in an E (without any accidentals).
Next, work out the major scale from the lower note. In fact, the scale of F# major is pretty nasty
though, so if you want, you could ignore the sharp for a moment*, and work out the scale of F major
instead: F-G-A-Bb-C-D-E-F.
We can see that E exists in the F major scale, so F-E is a major 7th. If the lower note is F#, then the
interval is one semitone (half step) smaller, so the interval we have written so far must be a minor 7th.
We need to write a diminished 7th, which is one semitone (half step) smaller than a minor 7th. This
means we need to make our interval smaller by one semitone. We do this by changing E natural to Eb.
* You can use the same trick when working out intervals, if the lower note makes a nasty scale!
Exercises
1. Describe fully (e.g. major 2nd, perfect 8ve) these melodic intervals:
2. Describe fully (e.g. major 2nd, perfect 8ve) these harmonic intervals
In grade 4, we will look at some other triads and chords which are built on other degrees of the scale not just the tonic.
Before we do that however, let's quickly figure out what's the difference between a chord and a triad...
Triad or Chord?
A triad is a kind of chord. All triads are chords, but not all chords are triads.
Triads
A triad is a chord with only three notes, and is built on thirds. To make a triad, we take a note, add the
note a third higher, and then add another note a third higher again.
Chords
A chord contains at least two notes; it can have 3, 4, 5 or even more! In grade 4 theory you'll only
normally see chords with 3 or 4 notes. Chords with 4 notes are made by taking a simple triad and
adding another note.
We can either double up one of the existing notes by writing it in a higher or lower octave:
or we can add a new note into the chord - for example another third above the highest third of the
triad:
You won't be tested on the second type of chord at grade 4, but you might see some of them written in
the scores in the exam paper.
Order of Notes
Notice that when we doubled up a note in the A minor chord, we also jumbled up the order of the
other notes:
Triads are normally written with the notes as closely together as possible. We use triads when we are
talking about music theory to help us to analyse harmony.
Chords are written in whichever order they sound best. We use chords in real music, not just in theory
exams!
When we write down a chord, the lowest note has a special significance. The other notes can be
written in any order at all - very close together, or with big gaps. (Usually in practice, there are bigger
gaps between the low notes of the chord but not between the higher notes).
So, the triad of A minor, is written with A as the lowest note*, then C above, then E above that:
But the chord of A minor doubles one of the notes of the triad to make a 4-note chord. The bass note
(lowest note) is A, but all the other notes can be written wherever they sound best:
(*Note - at grade 4, you only need to know about root position chords (also known as 5-3 chords).
This means that the bass note is always the lowest note of the triad. In later grades you will learn that
we can also change the bass note - but don't change it just yet!!)
We always need to know what key we are in, before we start to work out chords and triads. In this part
of the lesson, we're going to look at the chords and triads in Eb major, and C minor. Let's start by
reminding ourselves of the notes in the scale of Eb major (don't forget to check the key signature!)
To build the tonic triad, we start on Eb, (because it's the tonic), add a third above, and another third
above:
To build the dominant triad, we start on Bb, because it's the dominant note in Eb major. We build the
triad in the same way:
To build the subdominant triad, we start on Ab, which is the subdominant note in Eb major, and do the
same thing:
Triads can also be described using Roman numerals - we simply use the numeral which stands for the
degree of the chord. So tonic=I, subdominant=IV and dominant=V.
Let's take a look at chords I, IV and V in C minor next. Here's the scale of C minor (we use
the harmonic minor - don't forget to sharpen the leading note!):
The tonic is C, the subdominant is F and the dominant is G. Here are the three triads:
Next, jot down the notes you would find in chords I, IV and V (write out the scales to help you, if
necessary).
Now look at the chords in the question. Match up the notes in the chord to what you've written down.
Don't worry about repeated notes.
That's it! Let's do an example together.
Name each of the numbered chords as tonic (I), subdominant (IV) or dominant (V). The key is F minor.
Now look at chord (1). The notes are C, C, G and E (natural) - so it's a dominant triad.
Chord (2) has notes F, C, Ab, F, so it's a tonic triad.
Chord (3) has notes Bb, Db, F, Db, so it's a subdominant triad.
Exercises
1. Identify these triads by naming the major or minor key as indicated, and describing them as tonic
(I), subdominant (IV) or dominant (V).
4. Write the clefs and key signatures to make the triads named below.
(The key of the melody is G minor). Every bar from bar 1 to bar 2 contains at least one note of the
subdominant triad: true or false?
6. Name each of these chords as tonic (I), subdominant (IV) or dominant (V).
a. The key is D minor.
Breves
While studying up to ABRSM grade 3, the longest note we have come across is the semibreve written as an open note-head without a stem.
We'll now learn about a note which is twice as long as a semibreve - the BREVE.
The breve is written just like a semibreve, plus 2 short, vertical lines on each side of the note head,
like this:
The breve rest is a solid block which fills in the gap of the C space (treble clef):
In the grade 4 exam, you might be asked to write a note as a breve. Quite often the question will ask
you to write the enharmonic equivalent of a note from a score, as a breve. Make sure you have
practised drawing them before your exam - they are not difficult, but it's easy to forget how to do them
because we hardly ever see them!
Why is a breve called a breve? Many students wonder this, since the word sounds a lot like "brief",
which means short!
"Breve" and "brief" are indeed connected - in the 13th century, the note we call a breve today was
the shortest note available to composers. There were notes that were longer than the breve, which
were called "longa" and "maxima".
Double Dots
A single dot to the right of a note head increases the length of the note by 50% (the note plus half of
itself).
So, a dotted minim = a minim + a crotchet:
Double dots increase the value by 75% (the note plus three quarters of itself).
So a double dotted minim = minim + crotchet + quaver:
Rests can also have dots and double dots added to them, of course.
In the grade 4 exam you might be asked about equivalents, for example:
How many quavers is a double dotted semibreve worth?
First calculate how many quavers there are in a normal semibreve (8)
Then add on the number of quavers in half a semibreve (4)
Then add on the number of quavers in a quarter of a semibreve (2).
8+4+2=14
halve the first number (= the number of the value you are counting in the undotted note)
2.
3.
Here's a crazy question to show you as an example - how many semiquavers are there in a double
dotted breve?
1 breve=32 semiquavers
32+16+8=56.
There are 56 semiquavers in a double dotted breve!
Another common question in the grade 4 paper is to explain how dots and double dots affect notes. All
you need to write is:
"A dotted note lasts 1.5 times longer than an undotted one" or "a dot increases a note's length by
50%".
"A double dotted note lasts 1.75 times longer than an undotted one" or "a double dot increases a
note's length by 75%."
Exercises
1. Write the following notes as breves (double whole notes):
4. Add the following note values together, and write ONE note which is of the same value. The first one
has been done for you.
5. Write the note which is DOUBLE the length of each of these notes:
6. Write the note which is HALF the length of each of these notes:
7. In which of these time signatures might you see a breve (double whole note) written?
a.
4/4
b.
4/2
c.
2/4
d.
12/8
Remember, the top number tells you how many notes to count in each bar, and the bottom number
tells you what type of note to count.
Bottom numbers mean: 2=minim (half note), 4=crotchet (quarter note), 8=quaver (eighth note).
So the time signature 4/2 means "count four minims (half notes) per bar".
Simple or Compound
Simple time signatures have an undotted note as the main beat, and each beat is sub-divided into 2.
Simple time signatures have2, 3 or 4 as the top number.
Compound time signatures have a dotted note as the main beat, and each beat is sub-divided into 3.
Compound time signatures have 6, 9 or 12 as the top number.
Notice that no time signature shows that there are six beats or nine beats per bar! When a time
signature has 6, 9 and 12 as the top number, you need to divide this number by 3 to work out how
many beats per bar there are.
If there are 2 main beats per bar, the time signature is DUPLE: 2/2, 2/4, 6/4 and 6/8 are duple time
signatures. The top number is always 2 or 6.
If there are 3 main beats per bar, the time signature is TRIPLE: 3/2, 3/4, 3/8 and 9/8 are triple time
signatures. The top number is always 3 or 9.
If there are 4 main beats per bar, the time signature is QUADRUPLE: 4/2, 4/4, 4/8 and 12/8 are
quadruple time signatures. The top number is always 4 or 12.
In the first case, the time signature is 3/4. This is triple time with a crotchet (quarter note) beat. So the
first beat is already complete. We can just add 2 rests, one for each of the other two beats.
In the second case, 6/8 is duple time with a dotted crotchet (dotted quarter note) beat. This means the
first beat isn't finished yet, and we'll need to add a quaver (eighth note), to complete the first beat.
Then we add a dotted crotchet rest for the second beat.
When you beam notes together, the same rule applies - beam the notes together to make the
complete beats easy to see. Look at these 2 examples, which contain the same note values but in
different time signatures:
As 6/8 is duple time, we need to beam the notes into two groups, so that we create TWO dotted beats
per bar:
but 3/4 is triple time, we need to have THREE undotted beats per bar, so we create three groups:
4/8 - four quavers (eighth notes) per bar, simple quadruple time,
9/4 - three dotted minims (half notes) per bar, compound triple time and
6/4 - 2 dotted minims (half notes) per bar, compound duple time.
Some people find it tricky to spot the difference between 3/2 and 6/4. This is because the beats are
longer notes and therefore beams are not so often seen (as in 3/4 and 6/8) to help tell the difference.
Remember that 3/2 is triple time - 3=simple triple (always!). And 6/4 is compound time (6=compound
duple, always!)
If you see three minims (half notes) in the bar, is has to be 3/2. If you see two dotted minims (half
notes), it's 6/4.
Table of Reference
These are the time signatures you need to know for grade 4, and their types.
Simple duple:
2/4
2/2
Simple triple:
3/8
3/4
3/2
Simple quadruple:
4/8
4/4
4/2
Compound duple:
6/8
6/4
Compound triple:
9/8
9/4
Compound quadruple:
12/8
Exercises
1. Describe the time signatures as simple or compound, AND duple, triple or quadruple:
a.
12/8
b.
9/4
c.
3/2
d.
2/2
e.
6/8
f.
4/8
g.
3/4
h.
9/8
2a. All compound duple time signatures have as their top number.
2b. All simple triple time signatures have as their top number.
2c. All compound triple time signatures have as their top number.
2d. Quadruple time signatures have either or as their top number.
2e. The bottom number 2 tells you to count what type of beats?
2f. The bottom number 4 tells you to count what type of beats?
2g. Compound time signatures always have a as the main beat.
2h. 9/4 is a real time signature. True or false?
2i. 3/6 is a real time signature. True or false?
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
The triplet (circled here) is marked with a "3". Three quavers (eighth notes) take up the same amount
of time as two normal ones.
Triplets are very commonly seen in simple time signatures, when the composer wants to split the main
beat into three, instead of two.
Duplets work in a similar way - but instead of writing three notes in place of two, we use a duplet to
write two notes in place ofthree:
This example is in 6/8. Normally the dotted crotchet (quarter note) beat would be divided into three
quavers (eighth notes), as in the first bar.
The duplet is used in the second bar, to divide the dotted note into just 2 quavers. It has the effect of
making them a little bit slower than the regular quavers.
Click on the "play" button, to hear the duplets being played against a steady quaver (eighth note) beat:
Try singing along, so you get a feel of how the duplets need to be slowed down!
Duplets are very commonly seen in compound time signatures, when the composer wants to split the
main dotted beat into two, instead of three.
You might be asked to give the meaning of the symbol - for duplets, write "play 2 notes in the
time of 3," and for triplets, write "play 3 notes in the time of 2."
You might be asked to rewrite a bar or two of music, changing it from compound to simple
time, or vice versa. This usually involves some triplets and duplets.
2.
3.
change the time signature from simple to compound (or the other way round).
When we make the notes half as long, we often need to put some beaming in, as in this example. This
means you'll also sometimes need to change the stem direction of some notes - we had to change the
stem on the C here. It's a good idea to write all the note heads in first, without their stems, and then
add the stems and beams at the end.
Instead of having three crotchets (quarter notes) per bar, we'll need three dotted crotchet beats per
bar. This means the time signature will become 9/8.
To work what the new time signature is, put a dot next to each main beat note, then count up the
quavers (eighth notes) or crotchets (quarter notes). For example, if your original melody is in 3/2 (three
minims/half notes per bar), change it to 3 dottedminims/half notes per bar. Now add up the crotchets
(quarter notes). There are 9, so the time signature will change to 9/4.)
Each beat will become a dotted beat. In the melody we are looking at, the beat is a crotchet (quarter
note), so we make these dotted.
Beats which are divided into two will need a duplet symbol added (because in compound time we
would expect the beat to be divided into three).
Beast which are divided into three with a triplet sign, don't need anything added (because we
already expect them to be in threes in compound time).
Change the dotted beats to undotted notes: four undotted crotchet (quarter note) beats = 4/4.
Dotted notes become undotted notes.
Duplets become "normal" (nothing added).
Quavers (eighth notes) become triplets ("3" added).
Exercises
3a. We normally find duplets in which type of time signatures - compound or simple?
3b. We normally find triplets in which type of time signatures - compound or simple?
4. Rewrite the following in compound time but without changing the rhythmic effect. Include the new
time signature.
a.
b.
5. Rewrite the following in simple time but without changing the rhythmic effect. Include the new time
signature.
a.
b.
6. Rewrite the following using notes of half the value. Include the new time signature.
a.
b.
7. Rewrite the following using notes of twice the value. Include the new time signature.
a.
b.
8. Complete the following table. (The first line has been done for you).
Original
Half value
Twice value
in Compound
in Simple
2/4
2/2
6/8
2/2
2/4
6/4
3/8
3/4
3/4
3/8
3/2
9/8
3/2
3/4
9/4
4/4
4/8
4/2
12/8
4/8
4/4
6/4
6/8
2/2
6/8
6/4
2/4
9/4
9/8
3/2
9/8
9/4
3/4
12/8
4/4
What is a clef?
A clef is a symbol we write at the left hand side of every stave, to show you which notes lie on which
lines. The clef identifies one line with one note, and then you can work out all the other notes from that
starting point.
The treble clef curls around the line where we find G above middle C:
The bass clef has two dots either side of the line where we find F below middle C.
Instruments (and voices) which are high-pitched use the treble clef. Lower
instruments use the bass clef, because the notes they play are difficult to write using the treble clef we would have to write a huge number of ledger lines in order to show the notes at the right pitch.
Using a different clef makes it easier for the player to read the music.
Many years ago, there were lots of different clefs in use - much more than today. Most of these clefs
have become obsolete, but one of these, the alto clef, is still used by one instrument - the viola.
The range of the viola is between the treble and bass clefs.
The viola uses the alto clef, so that the notes it uses can be written with a minimum of ledger lines.
It's quite fancy, isn't it! That's the printed version. When you draw one by hand, you can simplify it a bit.
Here's a hand-drawn alto clef:
You need to draw one vertical line, then another with two arms. The two arms must go either side of
the middle line of the stave, like this:
The two arms go either side of the middle line because that line is middle C.
So, the middle line is middle C - that's quite easy to remember we hope! The next space up will be D,
and the space below is B. To work out the other notes, just start at the middle line/middle C and count
up or down.
Do these questions in exactly the same way as you would for the treble and bass clef. Most grade 4
students (those who are not viola players) can't read the alto clef very quickly - it doesn't matter
though. Locate the middle line and then work out the letter names of the notes and pencil them in, and
work out your answers in the normal way.
The key signature has 5 flats, so it must be Db major. (Remember you can look at the last but
one flat in the key signature to work out the key!)
The tonic triad will have the notes Db, F and Ab.
Find the middle line - that's C. Db must be in the next space. Write in the Db:
Don't forget to raise the third of a dominant chord in a minor key by a semitone (half step)!
(E.g. the dominant chord in A minor is E major, E-G#-A).
It's not very difficult to learn these. Just remember these two tips:
1.
The line/space you need to start on is between where it lies in the treble and bass clef
The Bb is on the middle line in the treble clef, and the 2nd line in the bass clef. In the alto clef it sits in
the space between these two.
2.
The pattern of up/down is the same as for the treble and bass clefs:
Compare the three clefs: the first sharp is written high, the next is low, then high, then low, then lower.
The flats also follow a consistent pattern.
Rewrite these note so that they sound the same but using the alto clef. Remember to include the key
signature.
Next, look at the first note. Identify it by name, and decide whether it's above or below middle C.
Find middle C on the alto clef stave, and then count up/down to locate the position of the note.
Notice how we had to change the stem directions of the D# and F# (the third and fourth notes).
Exercises
2. Write the notes stated as minims (half notes) and use ledger lines if necessary.
3. Rewrite the following notes at the same pitch but using the alto clef:
4. Rewrite this melody so that it sounds the same but using the alto clef. Remember to include the clef
and key signature.
5. Identify these triads by a) naming the key and b) describing them as tonic (I), subdominant (IV) or
dominant (V).
8. Write the clefs and key signatures to make the triads named below.
In the grade four exam, you need to be able to recognise and name the following ornaments:
trill
turn
upper mordent
lower mordent
acciaccatura
appoggiatura
(Try to learn how to spell them correctly too! The last two are the hardest - try to remember which
letters are doubled!)
In the grade four exam you won't have to write out ornaments in full. You need to learn each
ornament's symbol and name.
Symbol
Name
Description of symbol
Trill
Turn
Upper Mordent
Short zigzag
Lower Mordent
Acciaccatura
Appoggiatura
How it Sounds
Musical Terms
You need to know ALL the terms and symbols from grades one, two and three, plus these new ones:
Italian Terms
affettuoso
tenderly
affrettando
hurrying
amabile/amiable
pleasant
appassionato
passionately
calando
dying away
cantando
singing
come
as, similar to
come prima
as before
come sopra
as above
facile
easy
fuoco
fire
giusto
proper, exact
l'istesso
the same
l'istesso tempo
morendo
dying away
niente
nothing
nobilmente
nobly
perdendosi
dying away
possibile
possible
quasi
as, resembling
sonoro
sopra
above
sotto
below
sotto voce
in an undertone
tempo giusto
in strict time
veloce
swift
voce
voice
French Terms
a
to, at
anime
animated, lively
assez
enough
avec
with
cedez
douce
sweet
en dehors
en pressant
hurrying on
et
and
legerement
lightly
lent
slow
mais
but
modere
at a moderate speed
moins
less
non
not
peu
little
plus
more
presser
hurry
ralentir
slow down
retenu
sans
without
tres
very
un, une
one
vif
lively
vite
quick
Exercises
1. Ornaments
Name the following ornaments:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
2. Foreign Terms
Foreign
Term
English
Foreign
Term
English
Foreign
Term
English
quasi
as,
resembling
appassionat
o
passionately
nobilmente
nobly
non
not
l'istesso
tempo
to, at
morendo
dying away
modere
at a moderate
speed
stringendo
getting faster
assez
enough
voce
voice
presser
hurry
cantando
singing
plus
more
moins
less
tanto
so much
calando
dying away
come sopra
as above
possibile
possible
sotto
below
perdendosi
dying away
affettuoso
tenderly
come prima
as before
et
and
subito
suddenly
anime
animated, lively
tres
very
sopra
above
niente
nothing
fuoco
fire
come
as, similar
to
en pressant
hurrying on
lent
slow
legerement
lightly
un, une
one, a
vif
lively
peu
little
affrettando
hurrying
avec
with
retenu
held back
douce
sweet
sonoro
resonant
vite
quick
brio
vigour
en dehors
prominent
giusto
proper, exact
sotto voce
in an
undertone
amabile
pleasant
cedez
pesante
heavy
ralentir
slow down
mais
but
facile
easy
veloce
swift
l'istesso
the same
sans
without
Maximum score=100. Score of 66-79=pass, 80-89=merit and 90+=distinction. Score of less than 66 is
a fail.
1 This extract is from a bassoon concerto by Mozart. Look at it then answer the questions that follow.
i.
Allegro (2 points)
ii.
tr (bar 4) (2 points)
iii.
(bar 6) (2 points)
(e) The extract is in Bb major. Name a minor key that has the same key signature. (2 points)
(f) What is the highest sounding member of the woodwind family? (2 points)
2 Answer EITHER part (a) OR part (b). DO NOT ANSWER BOTH parts! (10 points)
(a) Write a rhythm on one note, with time signature and barlines, to fit these words. Write each syllable
under the note or notes to which it applies.
When I was down beside the sea,
A wooden spade they gave to me.
(b) Write a complete four-bar rhythm in 12/8 time using the given opening, which begins on an upbeat. Remember
to complete the first whole bar.
3 Look at this melody by Gallay and then answer the questions that follow.
(a)
i.
ii.
iii.
Give the time name (e.g. crotchet or quarter note) of the shortest note. (2 points)
iv.
Give the technical name (e.g. tonic, supertonic) of the first note of the extract. The key is C
major. (2 points)
v.
Draw a circle round two notes which are a minor 6th apart. (2 points)
(b)
i.
Rewrite bar 3 using notes of twice the value. Remember to include the new time signature. (4
points)
ii.
Rewrite the notes of bar 6 so that they sound the same but using the alto clef. Remember to
put in the clef. (4 points)
iii.
Which two of the following instruments could play the melody together so that sounds at the
same pitch? (2 points)
oboe - timpani - bassoon - violin - clarinet
(c)
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
Draw a circle round three notes next to each other that form the tonic triad. The key is C
major. (2 points)
v.
This melody was written for the horn. Complete the following statements: (2 points)
The horn is a member of the____ family of standard orchestral instruments. The lowest sounding
member of this family is the _____
4
(a) Put sharps or flats in front of the notes that need them to make the scale of G# melodic minor. Do
not use a key signature. (5 points)
(b) Put all necessary sharps, flats or naturals in front of these notes to make a chromatic scale. (5
points)
5 Describe fully (e.g. minor 2nd, perfect 5th) the numbered harmonic intervals in this passage. (10
points)
6 Name each of these notes, as shown in the first answer. (10 points)
7 (a) Name each of these numbered chords as tonic (I), subdominant (IV) or dominant (V). The key is
Eb major. (9 points)
(1)=
(2)=
(3)=
(b) Write the key signatures and triads named below. (6 points)