Theory of Music - taking exam on my own!

March 6, 2007 at 5:50 AM

I’ve decided to sit for AMEB Grade 4 music theory exam in May. This decision came quite out of the blues really when I was browsing the AMEB website yesterday. I thought since I’ve decided to take extra time to prepare for Grade 8 violin exam, I might as well take the required music theory exam in the mean time.

The last time I took a music theory exam was in 1991, ABRSM Grade 5. When I looked at the AMEB syllabus, they took ABRSM Grade 5 as equivalent to AMEB Grade 2. I find this quite ridiculous since many of the topics covered in ABRSM Grade 5 are more equivalent to AMEB Grade 4.

There are so many things to brush up:
- Long list of Italian terms
- All major and minor scales
- Intervals and triads
- 4-part harmony
- 4 type of cadences
- Memorise 3 folk songs
- Rhythms, signs, time signatures etc.
- Writing simple melodic lines to given lyrics
- Knowledge of Baroque dances for keyboard instruments (those of Handel, Bach etc.)
- Knowledge of string instruments (this I should know!)
- Definition and recognition of counterpoints
…
…
…

I’ve bought 3 exam practise books, totalling over 30 exams to practise. With 2 Harmony textbooks and Penguin’s Concise Music Dictionary (not that concise really), I think I should be able to manage the exam on my own. I hope my violin and cello teachers won’t mind that I ask theory questions after lessons.

Something I thought I knew but found out I didn’t:
In diatonic scales, there are actually 3 minor scales in a given key instead of the 2 I knew (harmonic and melodic). The third being natural minor, having the mediant, submediant and leading note a semitone lower than its relative major scale. How could I be this ignorant??!!

Somehow deciding to take music theory exam excites me and depending on how it goes, I might just pursue further grades. Not only it will help in my practical studies, I will certainly enjoy music listening more, and how cool it is to be able to compose!

Wish me luck, I think I will need it.

p/s: Anyone has Fifty Folk Songs by Brandon (Allans) I can borrow? I just need 3 songs from the book (Polly Oliver, ye Banks and Braes). I’ve never heard of them but don’t want to buy the whole book just for 3 songs.

From Natasha Marsalli
Posted on March 7, 2007 at 11:42 PM

Music Theory!? *runs off and hides*
:)

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Theory of Music - taking exam on my own!

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