Syllabus

As in Grade 1, with the addition of:

1. Simple time signatures of 2/2, 3/2, 4/2 and 3/8 and the grouping of notes and rests within these times. Triplets, and
triplet note groups with rests. Questions will include the composition of simple four-bar rhythms starting on the first beat
of the bar and using a given opening.
2. Extension of the stave to include two ledger lines below and above each stave.
3. Construction of the minor scale (harmonic or melodic at candidate’s choice, but candidates will be expected to know
which form they are using). Scales and key signatures of the major keys of A, Bb and Eb, and the minor keys of A, E
and D, with their tonic triads (root position), degrees (number only), and intervals above the tonic (by number only).
4. More terms and signs in common use.

1
Grade Two Music Theory Lesson 1: Notes, Rests and
Ledger Lines

Notes and Rests in Music

In the Grade One music theory course, we learnt about the most common note and rest values, and we also learnt that
if a note or rest is dotted (has one dot on the right side of the note head), its length is increased by half again.

The semibreve (whole) rest is also used a full bar rest in any time signature. It represents one bar of silence, whatever
the time signature is.

Ties in Music
We also learnt that we can use ties to join notes of the same pitch together to make them longer. (Don't confuse ties
with slurs - ties join together two notes which are the same pitch!)

Ledger Lines
We met middle C in the both the treble clef and bass clef

and found out that the little line that goes through the middle of the note is called a ledgerline, and that it makes extra
room on the stave for us to use.
We can add more ledger lines to make more space on the stave. We can add ledger lines to the top of the stave, and
to the bottom.
Let's add some ledger lines to the top of the staff in the treble clef

The first note we use a ledger line on is the A.

2
Let's now add them to the bottom:

To the top of the bass clef:

and to the bottom:

In Grade Two Music Theory, you will need to be able to read notes written with up to 2 ledger lines.

Grade Two Music Theory Lesson 1: Notes, Rests and

Ledger Lines Exercises
Note Names
1. What are the names of these notes (treble clef)?

2. What are the names of these notes (bass clef)?

Highest and Lowest

3. Name the highest and the lowest note in each of these melodies.
a)

3
b)

c)

Rests
Add the missing rests to this melody, at the places marked with a star.

Grade Two Music Theory Lesson 2: Treble Clef &

Bass Clef

What's New in Clefs at Music Theory Grade Two

Hopefully you don't have too much difficulty working out where the notes are in treble and bass clef, but if you need to
do some revision, check the Grade One lesson on treble and bass clefs.
In Grade Two Music Theory you need to be able to rewrite a melody in a different clef - from treble to bass or from
bass to treble,without changing the pitch of the music.

Pitch
What is pitch? The pitch of a note means how high or low it is. We have many notes called "C", for example.
Listen to these three Cs - they are all at different pitches:

On the other hand, these two Cs are at the same pitch although they are written in different clefs:

4
In the same way, the notes in each of these melodies are also at the same pitch although they are in a different clef:

Rewriting in a New Clef

Let's look at the kind of questions you might get in the Grade Two Music Theory Exam.
The question could ask you to rewrite single notes with a new clef, or to rewrite a whole melody.
Here's a question asking you to rewrite the whole melody:

Rewrite this melody in the treble clef, keeping the pitch the same. The first two notes are given.

You need to write the correct notes of course, but also make sure your handwritten music is neat!
Copy each note into its new position right underneath the original melody - that way you'll make sure your notes are
spaced correctly, and it's also easier to check that you haven't missed a note out by mistake!
Another useful tip is to write the last note first. Work this note out very carefully, and write it on your blank stave. If you
make a small mistake in the middle of the melody, you will notice it more easily when you get to the end if things don't
match up.
So, first, we'll put the last note in. It's the G below middle C:

Now, start from the beginning. You don't need to spend time working out every note - just look at the general pattern.
For example, for each note just say to yourself "next line up" or "2 spaces down" and so on.
5
When you have groups of quavers (eighth notes) or semiquavers (sixteenth notes), draw allthe note heads in each
group first. Next draw the first and last stems in each group, and finally add the beams and any other stems - and use a
ruler! Pay attention to the direction of the stems - notes below the middle line have stems pointing upwards, and notes
above the middle line should have stems pointing downwards.

Here's the finished answer:

Grade Two Music Theory Lesson 2: Treble Clef &

Bass Clef Exercises

Rewriting with a New Clef - Treble to Bass

1) Rewrite these treble clef notes in the bass clef, keeping the pitch the same. The first answer is given.

2) Rewrite these melodies in the bass clef, keeping the pitch the same. The first two notes are given.

6
Rewriting with a New Clef - Bass to Treble
3) Rewrite these bass clef notes in the treble clef, keeping the pitch the same. The first answer is given.

4) Rewrite these melodies in the treble clef, keeping the pitch the same. The first two notes are given.

a.

b.

Grade Two Music Theory Lesson 3: Major Scales

Major Scales
Major scales are built from tones and semitones, with the pattern TTS TTTS. (T=tone (whole step), S=semitone (half
step))
You should already know the scales of C, D, G and F major which are covered in Grade One Music Theory.
In Grade Two there are three new major scales which you need to know: A, Bb and Eb major.

A Major Scale
A major has three sharps - F#, C# and G#.
Here's the scale of A major ascending (going up) and descending (going down) in the treble and bass clefs:

7
 Bb and Eb Major Scales
Bb major has two flats - Bb and Eb. Here's Bb major in full:

Eb major has three flats - Bb, Eb and Ab. Here's Eb major:

Tip! All major keys which have the word "flat" in their name have flats in the scale but no sharps, and all keys with the
word "sharp" in their name contain sharps but no flats!
That's another reason why we always write Eb in the scale of Bb major, and never D#, for example.
Remember, in a scale, you can use each letter name only once, except for the first and last note.

Grade Two Music Theory Lesson 3: Major Scales

Exercises

Which Scale?
1. Name the key of each of these major scales, and say whether it is ascending or descending.

a.

b.

c.

8
d.

e.

f.

Completing Scales
2. Complete these scales, (which all start on the tonic), by adding the missing notes in the places marked *.

a.

b.

c.

d.

Grade Two Music Theory Lesson 4: Minor Scales

Minor scales sound different to major scales because they are built on a different pattern of tones (whole steps) and
semitones (half steps).
Many people think that minor scales sound sad, compared to major scales which sound happy.

Types of Minor Scales

Although there is only one kind of major scale, there are three kinds of minor scale - "harmonic", "melodic" and
"natural".

9
For the Grade Two Music Theory exam, you can choose the harmonic of melodic minors (whichever you prefer), but
you must know which is which! You will not be asked about the natural minor scale.
We think it's a good idea to learn about both kinds while you're studying, but to use the "harmonic" scale in the exam,
because it's less complicated. So let's find out what the difference is!

Harmonic Minor Scales - A, E and D.

Harmonic minor scales are built on this pattern:
T - S - T - T - S - 3S - S
T=Tone (or "whole step")
S=Semitone (or "half step")
"3S" = three semitones

Let's start by building a scale of A minor harmonic ascending (going up):

And now let's look at A minor harmonic descending (going down):

As you can see, it's exactly the same notes, but in reverse order.
Let's look at the two other minor scales you need to know for Grade Two Music Theory, E minor and D minor.

Play them slowly on a piano, if you have one, and look carefully at how many semitones there are between each note.

Minor Melodic Scales

Melodic minor scales are a bit more complicated, because they have one pattern on the way up, but another on the
way down.
On the way up (ascending), the pattern is:
T - S - T - T- T - T - S
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but on the way down the pattern is:
T-T-S-T-T-S-T
As you can see, the descending scale is not just a back-to-front ascending scale, (as it was in the harmonic scale).
The top end of the melodic scale uses a completely different pattern. The very top note will always be the tonic
(keynote) of the scale, but the two notes just below it are the ones which change, depending on which direction you're
going in.
Here's A minor melodic, ascending and descending. Click the play button and concentrate on the notes in red- they're
the ones which change on the way down.

Let's see how E minor melodic and D minor melodic look:

E Minor Melodic:

D Minor Melodic:

Scales and Key Signatures

We'll learn about the key signatures for these scales in Lesson 7 - Key Signatures, and Lesson 8 - Writing Scales.

Extra Info
Just in case you were wondering, in music theory the words "harmonic" and "melodic" can be used to
describe intervals as well as scales- but when we use them to talk about intervals they have a different meaning.
You'll learn about harmonic and melodic intervals in Lesson 14 - Intervals.
It's correct to say "melodic minor scale" and "minor melodic scale". It doesn't matter which way round! The same goes
for harmonic scales.

11
Grade Two Music Theory Lesson 4: Minor Scales
Exercises

Which Scale?
1. Name each of these minor scales and say whether it is the melodic or harmonic type, and whether it
is ascending ordescending.

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

f.

g.

h.

12
i.

j.

Completing Scales
2. Add the missing notes to these minor scales.

a. E minor melodic

b. D minor harmonic

c. A minor harmonic

d. E minor melodic

e. D minor melodic

Grade Two Music Theory Lesson 5: Degrees of the

Scale

What are the Degrees of the Scale in music theory?

Any note of any scale can be given a number as well as a name.
The first/last note of the scale is often called the "tonic" or "keynote".
In the key of C major, C is the tonic.
It's also known as the "first degree of the scale", because it is the first note.

13
Degrees of the C Major Scale
Here's a scale of C major ascending, with all the degrees of the scale added:

D is the 2nd degree of the scale, E is the third, and so on.

It's important to remember that we work out the degrees of the scale from the ascending (upwards) scale only. If we
write out the descending scale, we will need to reverse the order of the numbers:

Degrees of Minor Melodic Scales

As we learnt in Lesson 4 - Minor Scales, minor melodic scales are different on the way down. So what happens to the
degrees of the scale? Let's take a look.
We'll look more closely at one of our new scales, E minor melodic. First we'll write out the ascending scale, then add
the degrees of the scale under each note:

Look at the top end of the scale: C# is the 6th and D# is the 7th degree of the scale.

Now we'll write out the descending form of E melodic minor, and add in the numbers:

In E minor melodic, there is no D#, only D natural, and no C#, only C natural.
This doesn't make any difference to the degree of the scale.
So, we can say that the 6th degree of the scale of E minor melodic is C natural or C sharp.

Working Out the Degree of the Scale

14
To work out what degree of the scale a note is on, all you need to do is count upwards from the first note (or "tonic" or
"keynote") of the scale.
Here are two questions for you:
1) What degree of the scale of Bb major is this note?

In Bb major, the tonic is Bb. The second note is C, and the third note is D. This note is D (notice the bass clef!), so it's
the third degree of the scale of Bb major.

2) What note is the 5th degree of the scale of A minor?

In A minor, A is the first note. B=2, C=3, D=4 and E=5. So E is the 5th degree of the scale of A minor.

Grade Two Music Theory Lesson 5: Degrees of the

Scale Exercises

Name the degree of the Scale

1. Name the degree of the scale (e.g. 1st , 2nd ) of each of the notes marked *.
a. The key is E minor

b. The key is G major

c. The key is D minor

d. The key is A major

15
e. The key is D minor. What degree of the scale is Bb?
f. The key is F major. What degree of the scale is E?
g. The key is A major. What degree of the scale is C#?
h. The key is Eb major. What is the 6th degree of the scale?
i. The key is A minor. What is the 7th degree of the scale?
j. The key is Bb major. What is the 4th degree of the scale?

Grade Two Music Theory Lesson 6: Key Signatures &

Accidentals

Keys and Key Signatures

If a melody uses mostly the notes of the Bb major scale, we say that the music is "in the key of" Bb major.
We don't write out the flat symbols for the Bs and the Es every time they appear in the music - because there would
probably be rather a lot of them! Instead, we use a key signature: at the beginning of each new line of music, we write
a Bb and an Eb, to remind us that all theBs and all the Es need to be flattened.
The key signature also tells us very quickly that the music is in Bb major, without having to count all the flats!
Here's a key signature of Bb major, with the note names marked under the melody:

Accidentals
Sometimes we need to add extra flats, sharps and naturals within a melody, even when we have already got a key
signature. It might be because
the music changes key for a short time, or
just because they sound nice, or
because the music is in a minor key.
If we add sharps, flats and naturals inside the music itself, they are called "accidentals". Special rules apply to all
accidentals.

Rules for Accidentals

Accidentals are always written on the left side of the note they affect. We write and never .
16
Accidentals don't only affect the note they are next to. After an accidental has been written, every other note of
the same position on the stave is also affected, but only until the next bar line. (Unlike key signatures, accidentals
only affect the other notes at the same position on the stave. Sharps and flats in key signatures affect all the notes
with the same letter name, whatever their position on the stave.)

Note 1 is C natural
Note 2 is C sharp, because of the accidental
Note 3 is also C sharp, because it's in the same bar
Note 4 is C natural, because the sharp is "cancelled" (stopped) by the bar line
When a note is tied across a bar line, any accidental will also apply to the note in the next bar as well, even if there is
no accidental.

Note 1 is Bb because of the key signature

Note 2 is B natural because of the accidental
Note 3 is also B natural, because it's tied to the previous B natural

Key Signatures WITH Accidentals

Now let's see what happens when we have both a key signature and accidentals together.
Here's a couple of bars of music in the key of F major, so the key signature has one flat, Bb:

Note 1 is Bb, because of the key signature

Note 2 is B natural, because of the accidental
Note 3 is also B natural, because it's in the same bar as note 2
Note 4 is B flat, because the barline cancels (stops) the natural accidental
Now you are confident working with both key signatures and accidentals, in the next lesson we'll move on to the types
of question you might get in the Grade Two Music Theory exam which involve using them.

17
Grade Two Music Theory Lesson 6: Key Signatures &
Accidentals Exercises

Understanding Key Signatures and Accidentals

1. Give the letter name of each of the notes marked *, including the sharp or flat sign where necessary.
a.

b.

c.

d.

Grade Two Music Theory Lesson 7: Working with Key

Signatures

Major Key Signatures with Sharps

The major scales that we've learnt which use sharp key signatures are G, D and A major. The sharps in key signatures
are always written in this order:
F# - C# - G#
in these treble clef positions:
18
and these bass clef positions:

You need to learn the exact positions of the sharps on the staff. We never write the sharps in the following positions,
for example:

The F sharp and G sharp need to be moved up an octave.

Major Key Signatures with Flats

The major keys with flats we need to know about for Grade Two Music Theory are F, Bb and Eb. The flats are always
written in this order:
Bb - Eb - Ab
The treble clef flats are always written in these positions:

and the bass clef flats are written in these positions:

Again, the exact position of the flats is very important, so make sure you know where they go!

Minor Key Signatures & Relative Majors

Music which is written in a minor key will usually use a mixture of a key signature plus accidentals.
There are no special minor key signatures in music theory- we use the same ones as in the major keys, but we write
accidentals in the music where they are needed.
Let's look at A minor again, as an example. For grade 2, you need to know these 3 different A minor scales:
A minor harmonic: A - B - C - D - E - F - G# - A
A minor melodic, ascending: A - B - C - D - E - F# - G# - A
A minor melodic, descending: A - G - F - E - D - C - B - A
So, in our music, sometimes we might need F# or G# and sometimes not!
19
For the key signature, we use the notes in the melodic minor descending scale. For A minor, this means no sharps
or flats, so it's the same key signature as C major.
The key signature for a minor key is always the same as the key signature for the major key which is the 3rd degree of
the minor scale. Count up three notes from the tonic to find the key with the same key signature. For example, in A
minor, the 3rd degree of the scale is C, so A minor and C major have the same key signatures.
We use the words "relative minor" and "relative major" to talk about this relationship. For example, C major is
the relative major to A minor.
In the Grade Two Music Theory exam, you also need to know about D minor and E minor, so let's work out the relative
major keys for these two:
D minor: D - E - F.
F is the 3rd degree of the scale of D minor, so the key signature for D minor is the same as for F major - one flat.
E minor: E - F# - G.
G is the 3rd degree of the scale of E minor, so the key signature for E minor is the same as for G major - one sharp.

Re-writing Music With or Without a Key Signature

In the grade two music theory exam, you might be asked to copy out a short tune with or without a key signature.
If the melody has already got a key signature, you'll have to write it without, and if it doesn't have a key signature,
you'll have to re-write the music with a key signature.

From "With" a Key Signature to "Without"

Look carefully at the key signature and accidentals in this melody, and think about which notes need to have sharps or
flats next to them:

All the Bs and Es will need to be flat, the low ones and the high ones, except where there are accidentals.
Start by pencilling in a cross above each flattened note, so you don't forget any.

Copy out the music neatly, adding the flats (or sharps) where they are needed. Remember that you only need to
put oneaccidental in a bar for it to affect the rest of the notes in that bar that are the same pitch.
Check whether you need to keep any of the accidentals from the original tune, like the E natural here.

20
Write the accidentals on the left side of the note, making sure they are right next to the note-head on the same line or
space:

Here's the finished answer:

(The flat on the 2nd tied B flat could be left out and it would still be correct).

From "Without" to "With"

If you have to rewrite a melody with a key signature in your music theory exam, you will be told the key of the melody
(phew!)
Start by putting in the correct key signature. Check above if you've forgotten them!
Now start to copy the notes. Every time you come across an accidental, check if it's already in the key signature. If it is,
don't copy it. If it isn't in the key signature, you'll need to keep it there in the music as an accidental.
We'll use the same tune as before, but work backwards on it!

The key is Bb major, so the key signature will have Bb and Eb in it.
The only accidental in this tune which is neither a Bb nor an Eb is the E natural in bar 4. So, we need to get rid of all
the flats but keep this E natural:

Always go back and check your answers, as it's very easy to miss out an accidental by mistake!

Grade Two Music Theory Lesson 7: Working with Key

Signatures Exercises
Rewriting Melodies without a Key Signature
1. Rewrite the following melodies, without using a key signature. Remember to include sharp, flat or natural signs
where they are needed. The key and the first three notes are given in each melody.
21
a. D minor

b. Bb major

c. F major

Rewriting Melodies With a Key Signature

2. Rewrite the following melodies using the correct key signature. Leave out any unnecessary accidentals, but
remember to include any that may be needed. The key and the first three notes are given for each melody.
a. A major

b. Eb major

22
c. E minor

Grade Two Music Theory Lesson 8: Writing Scales

Types of Scales Questions

In the ABRSM Grade Two Music Theory exam there are lots of different types of questions with scales.
Here are some things you might have to do:
Write a major or minor scale either ascending or descending, and either with or without a key signature.
Add clefs, key signatures or accidentals to a given scale.

You will need to remember the pattern of tones and semitones (whole and half steps) for scales:
For major scales the pattern is T-T-S-T-T-T-S.
For minor harmonic scales, the pattern is T-S-T-T-S-3S-S.
For minor melodic ascending scales, the pattern is T-S-T-T-T-T-S
For minor melodic descending scales, the pattern is T-T-S-T-T-S-T

You will also need to remember the key signatures for the keys in this grade:
C major/ A minor - no key signature
G major / E minor - 1 sharp (F#)
D major - 2 sharps (F#, C#)
A major - 3 sharps (F#, C#, G#)
F major / D minor - 1 flat (Bb)
Bb major - 2 flats (Bb, Eb)
Eb major - 3 flats (Bb, Eb, Ab)
More information about tones and semitones can be found in major, minor harmonic and minor melodic scales, and
about key signatures in the key signatures lesson.
We now need to practice each type of question which might come up in the exam.

23
 Writing Scales in a Music Theory Exam
Here are two important rules for you:
1. Write ONE note per line or space
2. Use semibreves (whole notes)
Here's an example question, and the steps to follow to get full marks in your music theory exam:
Write as semibreves (whole notes) the scale of A minor ascending, without key signature but adding any necessary
sharp or flat signs. State which form of the minor scale you have used.

1. Whatever the scale is, the first thing you need to do is put in your starting note (the tonic, or "keynote"). If you're writing
an ascending scale, start low. For descending scales, start high. Make sure you leave enough room on the left for the
key signature, if you need one.
2. Next, using semibreves (whole notes), fill up the lines and spaces - one note per line/space, until you have eight notes.
Don't draw the notes too close together!
3. Look again at the type of scale you need to write - is it major or minor? Think about the sharps and flats you'll need for
that scale - what sharps or flats appear in the key signature?
4. Do you need to add any extra accidentals? Major scales and and minor melodic descending scales don't
need any extra accidentals. In minor harmonic scales you need to raise ONE note by a semitone (half step): the 7th
degree of the scale. In minor melodic ascending scales you need to raise TWO notes by a semitone: the 6th and 7th
degrees of the scale.
5. Put in the key signature, if you've been asked to write one. Now add any necessary extra accidentals. (Note - you'll
NEVER write a flat as an accidental in a scale with a key signature - only sharps and naturals are possible). If there is
a key signature, remember that the only degrees of the scale which could ever need an accidental are the 7th (all
minor scales) or 6th (melodic minor ascending).
6. If you were asked to write the scale without a key signature, add the necessary sharps and flats next to each note of
the scale. Don't forget to add an accidental to the top note of the scale if you are writing Bb or Eb major.

Working Through a Music Theory Exam Question on Scales

Let's work together through the scales question at the beginning of this lesson, using the steps we suggested above.
1) We write the first note: A. It's an ascending scale, so we start with an A low on the stave:

2) We'll fill up the lines and spaces, until we have 8 notes:

24
3) We need to write a minor scale, without a key signature. (We'll choose A minor harmonic.) A minor has no sharps
or flats in the key signature, like its relative major, C major.
4 & 5) Minor harmonic scales have an accidental sharpened 7th degree of the scale, so we need a G sharp. Let's put it
in.

That's our finished scale of A minor (harmonic) ascending.

Adding Clefs and Key Signatures

Sometimes you'll be asked to write in the clef and/or key signature of a scale.
Look at the first note and key of the scale. Decide if the first note must be treble or bass clef:

In this scale, the first note needs to be a G, so we should write a treble clef. The key of G major has one sharp: F#.
Add the clef, then the key signature.

Grade Two Music Theory Lesson 8: Writing Scales

Exercises
Adding Clefs and Accidentals
1. Add the correct clef and any necessary sharp or flat signs to make each of the scales named below. Do not use a
key signature.
a. E flat major

b. G major

c. A major

25
d. D minor. Which form of the minor scale have you used?

Scales with Key Signatures

2. Write as semibreves (whole notes) the scales named below, with the key signature.
a. F major ascending

b. B flat major descending

c. D major ascending

d. A minor descending. Which form of the scale have you used?

Scales without Key Signatures

3. Write as semibreves (whole notes) the scales named below, without a key signature but adding any necessary sharp
or flat signs.
a. D major ascending

b. B flat major ascending

c. E minor descending. Which form of the scale have you used?

26
d. E flat major descending

Grade Two Music Theory Lesson 9: Simple Time

Signatures

Quick Time Signatures Review

In Grade One Music Theory we learnt three time signatures: 2/4, 3/4 and 4/4. We learnt that the lower number "4" tells
us that we need to count crotchet beats and that the top number tells us how many beats to count.
So, 2/4 means "count 2 crotchets per bar", 3/4 means "count 3 crotchets per bar" and 4/4 means "count 4 crotchets per
bar".

New for Grade Two Music Theory

In Grade Two Music Theory, we have some new time signatures to look at.
First, let's look at 2/2, 3/2 and 4/2.
The lower number "2" tells us to count minims. 2/2 means "count two minims per bar", 3/2 means "count three minims
per bar" and 4/2 means "count four minims per bar".
And finally, we need to know 3/8. The lower number 8 tells us to count quavers, so 3/8 means "count three quavers per
bar".
All the time signatures you have learned so far (3/8, 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 2/2, 3/2 and 4/2) are simple time signatures. All
simple time signatures have 2, 3 or 4 as their top number.

Types of Question
In the Grade Two Music Theory exam, you might get a question asking you something like this:
Complete this sentence:
The time signature 2/4 means that there are two ...........beats in a bar.
We need to figure out what kind of beats - so we look at the lower number. The lower number is "4", which means
"crotchet" beats. So, the correct answer is "The time signature 2/4 means that there are two crotchet beats in a bar.

Writing Time Signatures

27
In a typed page like this one, it's ok to write out time signatures as two numbers with a slash between them, like so -
3/8. But when you write time signatures on a stave, in your music theory exam you should make sure you don't write
them like this! On a stave, time signatures should be written one number directly above the other and without a
slash or line, like so:

Time signatures are placed at the beginning of the stave, after the clef and key signature. They only appear right at
the beginning of a piece (unless there is a change of time signature in the middle of the piece somewhere).

Examples
Here are some short tunes using the new time signatures from the grade two music theory syllabus. Click the play
buttons to hear them.

For a complete list of time signatures with examples of how the rhythms are written and grouped, please see our time
signatures chart.
In the next lesson, we will look at the types of questions about time signatures that come up in the grade 2 exam.

28
Grade Two Music Theory Lesson 9: Simple Time
Signatures Exercises

True or False?
1. The time signature means that there are 2 minim (half note) beats in a bar.

2. The time signature means that there are 4 crotchet (quarter note) beats in a bar.

3. The time signature means that there are 3 semiquaver (16th note) beats in a bar.

4. The time signature means that there are 2 crotchet (quarter note) beats in a bar.

Complete the sentences

5. The time signature means that there are three ........beats in a bar.

6. The time signature means that there are three ........beats in a bar.

7. The time signature means that there are two ........beats in a bar.

8. The time signature means that there are three ....... beats in a bar.

Grade Two Music Theory Lesson 10: Working with

Time Signatures
In the Grade Two Music Theory exam, your knowledge of time signatures will be tested in a variety of ways. Here are
some of the questions that are likely to come up:
Adding bar lines to a melody with a given time signature
Adding a time signature to a melody with given bar lines
Rewriting a melody in a new time signature
Adding rests of the correct time value
Composing a rhythm
Questions about the meaning of the numbers in time signatures
In this lesson we will look at adding bar lines or a time signature. Rewriting in a new time signature is explained in
lesson 11, adding rests in lesson 12, and composing a rhythm is covered in lesson 16.

29
 Adding Bar Lines
If you are asked to add bar lines to a short melody, you'll be given the time signature and the first bar line will be in
place already.
The question could look something like this:
Add the missing bar lines to this tune. The first bar line is given.

Look carefully at the time signature - how many beats are there per bar, and what type of beats are they?
This melody is in 3/4, so we need to have three crotchet (quarter note) beats per bar.
Underneath each note, carefully pencil in its value, like this:

Now count out the note values, and draw a bar line when each bar has the value of three crotchets (quarter notes):

See lesson 15 for more about adding bar lines to melodies that contain triplets.

How to Draw Bar Lines in Your Music Theory Exam

You could lose points if your work is messy or difficult to read. Always use a ruler to draw your bar lines neatly. Place
them closer to the edge of the 1st note in the bar, like this:

Don't draw the bar line too close the last note of the bar, and make sure you leave more space for longer note values.
This bar line is in the wrong place because there isn't enough space after the minim (half note), and it's not close
enough to the crotchet (quarter note):

30
This bar line is also in the wrong place, because it's more or less exactly half way between the two notes, instead of
being closer to the crotchet (quarter note):

In the Grade Two Theory Exam, every bar should be a complete bar, even the last one (although in real life the last bar
can be incomplete).

Working Out a Time Signature

The method for adding a time signature is the opposite of that for adding bar lines.
Here's an example question:
Add the time signature to this tune.

Start by counting the notes in each bar. Use a value of 1 for a crotchet (quarter note), 1/2 for a quaver (eighth note), 2
for a minim (half note) and so on. Group quavers (8th notes) and semiquavers (16th notes) together to make complete
beats:

Here you can see that each bar contains three crotchet (quarter note) beats. The top number of the time signature tells
you how many beats to count in each bar, so the top number must be 3 in this case. The lower number tells you what
kind of beats to count, and the number 4 means "crotchet" (quarter note) beats, so our time signature needs to be 3/4.
Remember that the lower number of the time signature tells you the type of beats you need to count. In Grade Two,
there are only three possibilities:
2 = minims (half notes)
4 = crotchets (quarter notes)
8 = quavers (eighth notes)
And, in Grade Two, there are only three possibilities for the top number too. Your top number will always be 2, 3 or 4.
This means the answer can only be one of these time signatures: 3/8, 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 2/2, 3/2 or 4/2.

Difficult Time Signatures

Let's try another question, this time a bit harder. What's the time signature for this tune?

31
When you count up the notes in each bar, you'll find there are in fact 8 crotchet (quarter note) beats per bar. So is the
time signature 8/4?
Well, no. (The time signature 8/4 does exist, but it's very rare and it's definitely not on the Grade Two Music Theory
syllabus!)
We can count the minims (half notes) instead, and we'll find that we have four minim beats per bar.
When we count minims (half notes), the time signature has the number "2" as the bottom number. We counted four
minims, so the time signature must be 4/2. Other "minim" (half note) time signatures you might see in the Grade Two
music theory exam are 2/2 and 3/2.
Here's a final question. What time signature do we need here?

Here, we can't count crotchets (quarter notes), because we would have one and a half beats per bar, which is not
possible - no half beats allowed! We can't count minims (half notes) either, so we'll need to count quavers (eighth
notes).
This melody has three quaver (8th note) beats in each bar, so the time signature must be 3/8. Remember that the "8"
means "quaver beats" (eighth note beats).

2/2 or 4/4?
You might be wondering what the difference is between 4/4 and 2/2, as they have exactly the same number of beats
per bar?
Well, the answer is, not much! If you see lots of minims (half notes), you could choose the 2/2 time signature. If you
see lots of crotchets (quarter notes), you could use the 4/4 time signature. But don't worry if you're not sure which one
it should be - in the Grade Two music theory exam these two time signatures are completely interchangeable.
Here are some typical 4/4 bars - you can usually find crotchets and quavers (quarters and eighths) in the melody:

And here are some 2/2 bars - you'll often see more minims and crotchets (half notes and quarters), and not so many
quavers (8th notes):

32
Grade Two Music Theory Lesson 10: Working with
Time Signatures Exercises

Adding Barlines
1. Add the missing barlines to these tunes. The first barline is given in each.
a.

b.

c.

d.

Adding Time Signatures

2. Add the time signature to each of these tunes.
a.

b.

c.

d.

33
Grade 2 Music Theory - Lesson 11: Rewriting a
Melody in a New Time Signature
What's New in Grade Two
Grade 2 Music Theory introduces a new kind of exercise with time signatures which you didn't see in Grade 1: rewriting
music in anew time signature.
The question will ask you to rewrite a melody using notes and rests which have either TWICE or HALF the value of the
original.
The new time signature will already be in place, and you'll get a few notes done for you to get you started.

Twice the Value

Here's an example question:
Rewrite the following in notes of twice the value, beginning as shown.

There's actually nothing very complicated about doing this!

Start by jotting down, lightly in pencil, the value of each note in order, like this:

Each of the original notes needs to be twice as long. This means you need to change each one into the next longest
type of note. So, if you have a

, change it into a ;

if you have a , change it into a ,

and so on.

Dealing with Dotted Notes and Ties

What do we do with dotted notes? Just change them in the same way, but keep the dot there!

34
Looking at small dotted notes like quavers (eighth notes) can get confusing, so let's compare a dotted crotchet and a
dotted minim to see what happens.

= 1½ beats (or 3 quavers/8th notes)

= 3 beats (or 6 quavers/8th notes)

So, you can see that a dotted minim (half note) is twice as long as a dotted crotchet (quarter note). In the same way, a
dotted quaver (eighth note) is twice as long as a dotted semiquaver (16th note), and so on.
Here's the finished answer to our question:

Tied notes don't need any special treatment either - just add any ties in the same place in your rewritten tune.

Half the Value

If you are asked to rewrite the music in notes/rests of half the value, the process is the same, but the other way round.
A semibreve (whole note) will become a minim (half note), a minim will become a crotchet (quarter note) and so on.
Again, dots don't make a difference, just keep them there! Look at the finished answer for the question we just did - if
we halve all the note values in our answer we'll get back to the original note values again!
Make sure you write your notes and rests out as neatly as you can, and don't forget to add any ties or accidentals if
necessary!

Grade 2 Music Theory - Lesson 11: Rewriting a

Melody in a New Time Signature - Exercises

Half the Value

1. Rewrite the following tunes in notes and rests of half the value, beginning as shown.
a.

35
b.

c.

Twice the value

2. Rewrite the following tunes in notes and rests of twice the value, beginning as shown.
a.

b.

c.

36
Grade 2 Music Theory - Lesson 12: Adding Rests

Rests Review
Do you remember how to draw each of the rests correctly?
Here's some quick revision:

UK Rest Name US Rest Name Tips

Semibreve Whole Hangs off the second line from the top

Minim Half Sits on the middle line (think 'middle=minim')

Crotchet Quarter Draw it like a backwards '3'

Quaver Eighth Like a '7' with a blob on the top!

Semiquaver Sixteenth A '7' with 2 blobs!

How to Add Rests to a Melody

If you get a question asking you to add a rest or rest to a melody, the first thing you need to check is the time
signature.
Here's an example question:
Add the correct rest(s) at the places marked * in this tune to make each bar complete.

The time signature is 2/2, so we need to have 2 minim (half note) beats per bar.
Find the first bar with missing rests, and pencil in the values of the notes that you do have. Add small values together
to make complete beats, where you can.

37
Here we can see that we only have one and a half beats in the second half of the bar, where in fact we need 2. So we
need a quaver (eighth note) to complete the full minim beat. Here's the rest added to the bar:

Try to work out the other rests for yourself, in the same way. Remember that your rests need to make complete beats.
Think carefully about the last bar - you need to complete the first minim (half note) beat first, then finish the bar off, so
you'll need two rests in the last bar. Hover your mouse over the stave to reveal the answer.

Is this wrong?
Look at that last bar again. Students often wonder if it's wrong to write something like a dotted minim (half) rest, or a
minim followed by a crotchet (quarter), in this type of bar. After all, it's just a silence isn't it, so does it really matter?
Well, the short answer is, yes, it does matter! You must look carefully at the time signature, and you must make
up complete beats before you do anything else. A similar situation often comes up when we compare the time
signature of 3/4 with 6/8. What's the right way to add rests to this 6/8 and this 3/4 bar?

First we need to remember that in 6/8, we have two dotted crotchet (dotted quarter note) beats per bar. So the first
thing we need to do is make the first beat complete - so we add a quaver (eighth). Then we have one dotted crotchet
beat (dotted quarter) left, so we can that value of rest, like this:

If the time signature is 3/4, we will get a different answer, although the length of the silence is technically exactly the
same! In 3/4, there are three crotchet (quarter note) beats per bar. We already have one complete beat, so we just
need to put in two crotchet (quarter) rests, like this, for the other two beats:

38
Grade 2 Music Theory - Lesson 12: Adding Rests
Exercises
Writing Rests
In each of the numbered spaces add the rest named below, as shown in the answer to [1].
[1] crotchet (quarter) rest
[2] quaver (eighth) rest
[3] whole bar rest
[4] dotted crotchet (quarter) rest

[5] whole bar rest

[6] semiquaver (sixteenth) rest
[7] quaver (eighth) rest
[8] minim (half) rest
[9] crotchet (quarter) rest

[10] minim (half) rest

[11] semibreve (whole) rest
[12] quaver (eighth) rest

Working Out Rests

Add the correct rest(s) at the places marked * in these tunes, to make each bar complete.

39
Grade 2 Music Theory - Lesson 13: Tonic Triads
Building Tonic Triads
What are tonic triads? Tonic triads are simple chords with just three notes in them.
To build a tonic triad, we start by taking the first note from any scale (which is also known as the "tonic" or "key note").
Let's make a tonic triad of D major.
We start by writing the first note of the scale of D major - D:

Next we add a note which is 2 notes higher (also known as the third degree of the scale). In the scale of D major, the
note which is 2 notes higher than D is F#:

Finally, we add the note which is two notes higher than the last note - otherwise known as the fifth degree of the scale.
In the scale of D major, the fifth degree of the scale is A:

The notes D-F#-A make up the tonic triad in the key of D major.
We can also build tonic triads in minor keys of course. The rules are the same, but we need to use the minor scale. In
D minor, the tonic is D, the third degree of the scale is F (natural) and the fifth degree of the scale is A. So, the tonic
triad of D minor looks like this:

Tonic triads are always built on the tonic, third and fifth degrees of the scale of the same key.
40
Adding a Clef to a Tonic Triad
You might be asked to add a clef (either treble or bass) to a tonic triad. You'll see the tonic triad on the stave, and will
be told what key it's in, like this:

Remember that tonic triads are always built on the first note of the scale, so in this tonic triad, the lowest note has to
be a G, because the key is G major. This note will be a G if we add a bass clef:

Adding Accidentals to a Tonic Triad

Sometimes you might need to add some accidentals as well as a clef. Look at this tonic triad:

Here we need to add a treble clef, so that the lowest note is a B, and we also need to put a flat sign on the B, to
make it a Bb:

Naming the Key of a Tonic Triad

Another type of question you might get in the Grade Two Theory Exam, is to name the key of a tonic triad.
Again, you need to think first about the lowest note of the chord. Look carefully at the clef and the key
signature or accidentalstoo. You should also look at the middle note of the chord to see if it's a major or
a minor tonic triad.
What key is this tonic triad in?

41
The lowest note is A (it's in the bass clef), so it's a tonic triad in the key of A. The middle note is C#, which is the third
degree of the scale in A major (in A minor, the third degree of the scale is C natural). So, this tonic triad is in A major.

Grade Two Tonic Triads

Here's a list of all the tonic triads you'll need to recognise for Grade Two, in both the treble and bass clef:

Finding Tonic Triads in a Melody

Sometimes you might need to find three notes in a melody which form a tonic triad when they're put together.
You'll be told what key the melody is in, and could see a question like this:
This melody is in C major. In which bar can all three notes of the tonic triad be found?

Because the piece is in C major, the tonic triad must contain the notes C-E-G. (They could be in any order.) Bar two
contains the notes C, E and G, so that's the right answer. (Bar one doesn't contain a G, so it's not right!)

Grade 2 Music Theory - Lesson 13: Tonic Triads

Exercises

Adding Clefs & Accidentals

A. Add the correct clef and any necessary sharp or flat signs to each of these tonic triads. Do not use a key signature.

42
 Naming Keys
B. Name the keys of these tonic triads

Finding Tonic Triads

C. Draw a circle round 3 notes next to each other that form the tonic triad. (The key is given.)
1. B flat major

2. D major

D. In which bar can all three notes of the tonic triad be found? (The key is given.)
1. E flat major

2. A major

Grade 2 Music Theory - Lesson 14: Intervals

New for Grade Two

What you need to know about intervals for the Grade Two theory exam is more or less the same as for Grade One.
You need to be able to write and recognise any harmonic or melodic interval, written in any of the keys for this grade
(C, D, Eb, F, G, A and Bb major and A, E and D minor).
There are no new techniques to learn, just the new key signatures.

43
Harmonic and Melodic Intervals
A harmonic interval is the distance between two notes played at the same time. It is called a "harmonic interval",
because the two notes together create harmony, or a chord.

A melodic interval is the distance between two notes played one after the other. It's called a "melodic interval",
because the two notes occur as part of a melody.

Working out Intervals

The method of working out intervals is the same for both melodic and harmonic intervals: Count up the letter names,
starting from the lower note.
Look again at the intervals above.
The lower note is Eb. The higher note is G. This means we count the letter names E, F and G. Three letters, so this
interval is a third.
When two notes are exactly the same pitch (the same position on the stave), the interval is called a unison.

An interval of an 8th is normally called an octave, or "8ve" for short.

Writing Intervals
You might get a question which asks you to write a note to make the named interval, something like this:
Add a note next to this note, to make the melodic interval of a 6th. The key is A major.

Count the letter names, starting with the given note, A. We need to count six letters: A-B-C-D-E-F. In this case, the key
signature will turn the note we write into F#. Here is the answer:

44
If there is no key signature, you will need to remember which sharps or flats belong in the scale of that key. In A major,
there are three sharps: F#, C# and G#, so you will need to add an F# accidental to the interval of a 6th.
If the interval you have to write is a unison or harmonic 2nd, you would need to move the top note to the side of the
lower one, otherwise they will cross over each other! They should be right next to each other, touching. A melodic
unison or 2nd should have a clear gap between the two notes.

Note: for grade 2, you will not be asked about an interval's quality, e.g. "perfect" or "major" etc.

Grade 2 Music Theory - Lesson 14: Intervals

Exercises

Finding Intervals
1. Draw a circle round two notes next to each other that are a 5th apart.

2. Draw a circle round two notes next to each other that are a 4th apart.

3. Draw a circle round two notes next to each other that are a 6th apart.

4. Draw a circle round two notes next to each other that are an octave apart.

45
Writing Intervals
1. Above each note, write another note to form the named harmonic interval. The key is given.

2. After each note, write a higher note to form the named melodic interval. The key is given.

Grade 2 Music Theory - Lesson 15: Triplets

Triplets
A "triplet" is a group of three notes played in the time of two.
To look at how triplets work, we'll first look at a short rhythm in 3/4 time.
Remember that in 3/4 time, one crotchet beat can be divided into two quavers:

One crotchet beat can also be divided into four semiquavers:

But, if we want to split the crotchet into three equal parts, we need to use a triplet.
To show a triplet, we write the notes as three quavers beamed (joined) together, and we also write "3" on the beamed
side of the notes.
Look and listen to this rhythm using triplets:

46
 Crotchet Triplets
Triplets don't always have to be quavers - we can make triplets out of notes of any length. We can split a minim up into
three equal notes by writing triplet crotchets, for example:

Crotchets don't have beams, of course, so we write crotchet triplets with a square bracket, with the number 3 in the
middle of the longest line.

Mixed Note Value Triplets

Triplets don't always have to have three notes in them: the notes of the triplet just need to add up to three of whatever
value there would normally be two of.
In 4/4 time, for example, a crotchet is worth two quavers, or three triplet quavers. This means you can make a triplet
out of other note values, as long as they also add up to three quavers overall. Here are some different ways one
crotchet beat can be split into triplets with different rhythms.

Adding Bar Lines with Triplets

Adding bar lines to music with triplets can look difficult at first glance, but don't panic! Remember that you are looking
at three notes in the space of two, and that they are grouped together in whole beats. Here's an example:
Add the missing bar lines to this tune.

The time signature is 3/4, so each bar needs to have an equivalent of three crotchet beats.
Each "3" symbol shows a triplet group. One triplet group is worth one crotchet. The quavers beamed in twos are also
worth one crotchet each.
Write a "1" under each group of notes which adds up to one crotchet. (You can write "2" under the minim, and any
other values which are necessary, of course!)

47
Then after each count of three (because this is 3/4 time), draw a bar line.

Adding Rests with Triplets

Here's a melody which you need to add rests to, and the melody contains a triplet:

What do we need to do? We can see that there is a triplet marked with a "3" above the beamed quavers, but there are
only two notes written instead of three. The star (*) shows us where the missing rest is supposed to go - in this case it's
in the middle of the triplet.
The other notes in the triplet group are quavers; we've got two quavers but we need three, so the rest must have the
value of a quaver. Draw the quaver rest carefully, in the place shown by the star. If you have to write a crotchet triplet
rest, make sure it's inside the square "triplet" brackets.
Here's the finished answer, with the quaver rest in place:

Grade 2 Music Theory - Lesson 15: Triplets Exercises

Rests and Triplets

1. Add the correct rests at the places marked * to make each bar complete.

48
 Bar Lines and Triplets
2. Add the missing bar lines to these tunes. The first bar line is given in each case.

Grade 2 Music Theory - Lesson 16: Composing a

Rhythm

Rhythm Review

Composing a rhythm in Grade Two Music Theory is just a little bit harder than for Grade One.
You may find it useful to review the Grade One lesson first, to get the general idea, then return to this page to see
what's new for Grade Two.

What's New
In Grade Two, you're only given one bar of rhythm, and you have to compose three more.
The rhythms you are given (and those you are supposed to write) will be a little bit more complicated than in grade one.
They'll often include dotted rhythms or triplets, for example.

Example Question
Here's a question for us to work through together:
Write a four-bar rhythm using the given opening.

49
How do we start? The first thing to learn is that your 4-bar rhythm must be made up of two phrases - we'll call them A
and B.
Phrase A is the first two bars, and phrase B is the last two.
We can think of phrase A as a "question", and phrase B as the "answer".

Question Phrases
As you can see, in grade two we are actually only given half a question phrase (whereas in grade one you're given a
complete 2-bar question). The same kind of thing in words could be something like why do you.....?" or "have you
ever......?"
There are probably millions of ways to finish these questions in a sensible way, and even more ways to finish them with
something meaningless!
We could ask
Have you ever been to France?
Why do you get up at 7 o'clock?
But it wouldn't make much sense if we asked
Have you ever yesterday afternoon?
Why do you rabbit mountains?

In music, the question must also make sense - musical sense. This means that you need to write something which fits
with the first bar, and not something that is totally unconnected to it. Let's take a look at some examples.

This is ok, but not very interesting. We didn't create anything new, so we shouldn't expect many points for this! You
won't normally get more than 7/10 if you copy the given opening exactly.

This doesn't fit very well because none of the note values in bar 2 appear in bar 1, so there's no connection.

50
This one is good - bar two uses some old material from bar one (the triplet), and some new material (the minim (half
note)).

This one is also good - the note values all appear in the first bar, but we've changed the order of them. So, there is a
strong connection, but it's not an exact copy.

Again, this is good because it re-uses some, but not all, of the rhythms from bar 1.

Not such a good choice - the only note value which appears in both bars is the crotchet (quarter note), but everything
else is completely different. It's probably best not to include rests in your rhythm, unless they are part of the rhythm
given in bar 1.

Answering Phrases
Before we think about answering the question phrase, we need to choose a completed question phrase. Let's say we
finish our question phrase like this:

Look at the types of rhythm we've used on each beat.

51
We've got three types: a plain crotchet (quarter note), a triplet quaver (8th note) group and a dotted quaver/semiquaver
(dotted 8th/16th) pair.
We should use mostly these same types of rhythm in our answering phrase.
The very last note of the phrase should be a reasonably long one (at least a crotchet (quarter note)), so that the rhythm
sounds properly finished.
Let's take a look at some answering phrases and see which ones are any good, and why.

This sounds fine. We re-used some of the important rhythms, but not in the same order, and we finished on a nice long
minim (half note).

This doesn't sound very good. Because we forgot about the triplets, the last two bars don't match the first two very
well.

Here we forgot to re-use the dotted rhythm, and the last bar is certainly not very interesting!

This one is good - the rhythms are re-used in a different order and the final note value is a nice long end note.

This is also a good answer. The rhythms are linked, and the last note is a long enough ending note.

52
Grade 2 Music Theory - Lesson 16: Composing a
Rhythm Exercises
Four-bar rhythms
Write a four-bar rhythm for each of the given openings.
Note: answers will vary.
Check you have put the right number of beats in each bar, that you have a "question" phrase followed by an "answer"
phrase, and that you have re-cycled some of the rhythms from the first bar.

53
Grade 2 Music Theory - Lesson 17: Foreign Terms &
Symbols

On From Grade One

For Grade Two Music Theory, you have to know all the foreign musical terms and symbols which are listed for Grade
One, and a few more.
You can find a list of the Grade One musical terms here, and musical symbols here.
In each grade of the ABRSM music theory exams there are more foreign terms to learn, but you always have to know
all the terms from the earlier grades too.

Metronome Markings
A metronome is a gadget which makes a loud, regular clicking noise. You can set the speed of the clicks. Metronomes
are used so that musicians know exactly how fast to play a piece of music, and they're also useful to practise with.
Metronome markings sometimes appear above the stave, to tell you about the tempo of the music, because the Italian
tempo terms are sometimes not very exact. Metronome directions are made up of a note symbol and a number,
joined together by the equals sign, like this:

= 126
This means that the tempo of the music should be about 126 crotchets (quarter notes) per minute. Metronome
indications always tell you how many notes to play per minute. (Of course, it's best if you actually have a metronome
so that you can set it to click at the speed indicated.)
Metronome markings use the note length which is the beat shown by the time signature. So if the time signature is
3/2, the beat is a minim (half note), and there will be a minim (half note) shown in the metronome marking. Time
signatures with a lower number 4 have a crotchet beat (quarter note), and if the lower number is 8, the beat is a quaver
(eighth note).

New Terms for Grade Two

Italian Term Pronunciation Abbreviation English Meaning

TEMPO

Allargando al-lar-gan-do Broadening (getting a little slower and probably a little louder)

Allegro assai al-leg-ro as-say Very quick

Andantino an-dan-tee-no Slightly faster than andante (or slightly slower)

54
Grave grar-vay Very slow and solemn

Larghetto lar-get-toe Rather slow (but faster than largo)

Largo lar-go Slow and stately

Presto press-toe Very fast

Vivace vi-var-chay Lively and quickly

Vivo vee-voe Lively and quickly

DYNAMICS

Fortepiano for-tay pi-ya-no FP Loud then immediately soft

Sforzando sfor-zan-doe Sf, Sfz Forced, accented

Sforzato sfor-zar-toe Sf, Sfz Forced, accented

PHRASING

Dolce dol-chay Sweetly & softly

Espressivo es-press-ee-voe Espress.,Espr. Expressive

Giocoso jo-ko-so Playfully, merry

Grazioso grat-zee-oh-so Gracefully

Maestoso my-stoe-so Majestically

Sostenuto sos-ten-oo-toe Sustained

Tenuto ten-oo-toe Held

OTHER TERMS

A a (as in "cat") At, To, By, For, In, In the style of

Al, Alla al, a-la To the, In the manner/style of

Assai as-say Very

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Con, Col kon, kol With

E, Ed e (as in "bed") And

Ma ma (as in "man") But

Marcia mar-chia March

Meno men-no Less

Molto mol-toe Very, Much

Mosso, Moto moss-o, mo-to Movement

Non nonn Not

Piu pi-yu More

Senza sen-za Without

Simile see-mi-lay Sim. In the same way

Troppo tropp-o Too much (non troppo = not too much)

Grade 2 Music Theory - Lesson 18: Handwriting

Music

Copying Out Music

Just like in the grade one music theory exam, the final question in the paper is to copy out a section of
music exactly as it is written.
There are ten points available for this question, which seems quite an easy ten points on the face of it, but you really
must be very careful to copy out everything neatly.

Remember to copy out everything, including the markings for tempo, dynamics and expression. Go back and double
check that you haven't forgotten anything, and then check again!
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Try to copy every aspect of the music as it is written - make the notes the same size as the original, the stems the
same length, the beams the same angle, the notes the same distance apart from each other and the bar lines in the
same places (not closer to/further away from any notes).

Common Mistakes
Here are some very common mistakes that students make when copying out music - make sure you don't make them!
Don't forget to put the bar line at the end of the extract.
The first note of each bar is always the same distance (about 1/2 a centimetre) from the barline on its left.
Accidentals are written on the left hand side of the note head, in the line/space of the note they affect.
Try to keep the same distance between the notes as you see in the original.
Make sure the note stems are pointing in the right direction.
Black note-heads must be a good solid colour - make sure you can see no white space at all inside the notehead.
Don't make the note heads too big.
Don't forget ties!
Read the question very carefully - make sure you copy out the right bars!
Ledger lines are an extension of the stave and should be the same height apart, and slightly wider than the note
heads. In this example, the B ledger line is too high, and the A ledger line is not wide enough!

Grade 2 Music Theory - Lesson 18: Handwriting

Music Exercises
Copying Out Music
This is something which is really easy to practise at home!
Find any piece of music, take a piece of manuscript paper, (or download paper from www.mymusictheory.com for free),
and copy exactly what you see.
Choose music which has a lot of performance directions on it - dynamics, foreign terms and symbols, and choose
music which has different rhythms, especially with beamed notes, ties and triplets.
Use a well-sharpened pencil and a ruler.
When you've finished, look very carefully at your work for mistakes, or better still, ask somebody else to look at it for
you.
Keep practising!

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Here are four excerpts you can try to copy:

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Lesson 19: Grade Two Music Theory Practice Exam

Grade 2 Music Theory Test

Time limit: 1.5 hours
Candidates should answer ALL questions.
Answers must be written clearly & neatly, otherwise marks may be lost.
Total marks: 100 (Pass=66, Merit=80, Distinction=90)

1. Add the missing bar lines to these two tunes. The first bar line is given in each. (10 points)

a.

b.

2 . Write a four-bar rhythm using the given opening. (10 points)

3. (a) Give the letter name of each of the notes marked *, including the sharp or flat sign where necessary. The first
answer is given. (10 points)

(b) Give the time name (e.g. crotchet or quarter-note) of the rest in the last bar. ....

4. Add the correct clef and any necessary sharp or flat signs to each of these tonic triads. Do not use key signatures.
(10 points)

a.

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b.

c.

d.

e.

5. Rewrite the following in notes and a rest of half the value, beginning as shown. (10 points)

6. In each of the numbered spaces add the note or rest named below, as shown in the answer to [1]. (10 points)

[1] minim (half-note) rest

[2] F, semibreve (whole-note)
[3] Bb, crotchet (quarter-note)
[4] F#, minim (half-note)
[5] F natural, dotted minim (dotted half-note)
[6] crotchet (quarter-note) rest

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 7. (a) Rewrite these treble clef notes in the bass clef, keeping the pitch the same. The first answer is given. (10 points)

i)

ii)

iii)

iv)

v)

(b) In which major key are all these notes found?

8. Look at this melody, adapted from a piece by Schumann, and then answer the questions below.

(a) Give the meaning of each of these: (10 points)

molto =
cantabile

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 =
=60

dolce =

cresc. =

mp =

(b) (10 points)

i) Give the time name (e.g. crotchet or quarter-note) of the rest in the last bar.

ii) Draw a circle round two notes next to each other which are a 6th apart.

iii) How many times does this rhythm occur? .....

iv) The key of the melody is A major.

On which degree of the scale (e.g. 2nd, 3rd ) does the melody begin?............

v) Answer TRUE or FALSE to this sentence: The time signature 2/4 means that there are two quaver (eighth-note)
beats in a bar. ........

(c) (10 points)

Copy out the music from the start of the melody to the end of bar 6, exactly as it is written above. Don't forget the clef,
key signature, dynamics and all other details. Write the music on the blank stave above question (a). Marks will be
given for neatness and accuracy. (10 points)

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