Syllabus for Grade 1

Introduction

1) the theory
In Note examinations
values of semibreve,
you may writeminim,
yourcrotchet, quaverwith
answers either anda pencil
semiquaver,
or with aand
pen.their
equivalent
Most people use a pencil, but the choice is yours. The important thing is that the answers
should(candidates
rests may useIfthe
be clearly written. youterms
use a whole
pencil,note',
choose half
onenote' etc.).
that is not Tied notes.
too faint, andSingle-dotted
make
notes and rests.
sure that it is sharp. If you use a pen (of whatever kind), choose one that does not make too
thick
2) a stroke:
Simple some of the linesofyou will
time signatures need to and
, bar-lines, drawthewill have toofbethe
grouping thin.
notes
listed above within these times. Composition of a two-bar rhythm in answer to a given
The advantage
rhythm starting of
onusing a pencil
the first beat ofisathat
bar. you can make corrections easily and neatly. But this
needs care - and also a good-quality, clean rubber if you are to avoid smudges (and perhaps
a3)crumpled
) The page as weH!).
stave. Treble (G) and bass (F) clefs. Names of notes on the stave, including
middle
Right fromclefs.
C in both the beginning,
Sharp, flatitand
is important to learn
natural signs, and to write
their down music clearly. Badly
cancellation.
written work may be misunderstood, so it could lose you marks in an examination. And
4) apart
quite Construction of the major
from examinations, badscale, including
writing leads tothe positionoroftotones
mistakes wasteand semitones.
of time when Scales
and key signatures of the major keys of C, G, D and F in both clefs, with
musicians have to sing or play from manuscript. Some hints about writing will be given their tonic triadsin
(root work-books,
these position), degrees
and any(number
printedonly),
musicandwhich
intervals
you above the tonic
are learning win(by number
provide only).
a good model.
Look
5) closely
Some to see how used
frequently the notes
termsand
andsigns
signsare written, and
concerning where
tempo, they are placed.
dynamics, Practise
performance
copying
directions outand
music carefully.
articulation To doSimple
marks. it well questions
may take time at first,
will be askedbut speed
about win come
a melody with in
written
practice. In the examination marks will be lost for inaccurate copying and untidy work.

A Elementary time values

(see The AB Guide to Music Theory, I\I)

Exercise 1 What are these notes called?

o Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Name
Name .............. Name

Exercise 2 First published

Complete theinfollowing
1990 by sentences by adding the right
number on each of the dotted lines.
The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (Publishing) Ltd
(As an example,
Reprinted the answer
in 1991, 1992, to the
1993, 1994, first
1995, one1997,
1996, is given.)
1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
1990 lasts
A by TheasAssociated
long as Board
2 of~ thes.Royal Schools of Music
ISBN 1 85472 490 8
A o lasts as long as . . . s.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval
A o lasts as longsystem,
as . . or. .transmitted
s. in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,
without the prior permission
A lasts as long as . . of. the s. copyright owner.
Typesetting and music processing by Halstan & Co. Ltd, Amersham, Bucks
A - lasts
Printed as long
in Great asby. .Headley
Britain . s.Brothers Ltd, Ashford, Kent
 Like semibreves, the note-heads of minims and shorter notes are also oval (not round),
though drawn a Rule smaller. (Some people draw black note-heads as single slanting strokes,
C BNotes on theand
Bar.-lines stave
time signatures
thus: but these are not easy to read and can lead to mistakes.)

The stem of a note goes down on the left and up on the right .
(see(see
The The AB Guide
AD Guide to Mu
to Music T, 1I2)
TheorV, 1\1 & 2\I)
The stems of notes on the top two lines go down.
The
Exercise 3 The
What easiest
areof notelines
these to draw is the. .semibreve: . . . .itgoisup.
simply an oval, o .
stems notes oncalled?
the bottom. .two. . . .lines
The stems of notes on the middle line may go upexactly
If it is meant to be on a line, the line should run through the middle,
or down.
and the semibreve should cover only half the space on either side. For example,

| Jl I1 II
x
II x

~
------
not or
Notice how long the stems are, and do not draw them too long or too short.
What is this pair of lines called? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Also, they should stand up straight. Here
If it is meant to be in a space, it should fill are the some spacegood (not andoverlap bad examples:
a line):
x x
Exercise 4 At the beginmng of a piece of music you will usuaHy fwd two numbers: for example,
~ not
,or `~` orcaned?
. What are these ~__ .`. `. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Good Bad Good Bad Good Bad Good Bad Good Bad
It is not clear where the notes marked x are meant to be.

And what does the bottom number tell you? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

So what is the full meaning of ? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Exercise 11 Draw a crotchet on every line.
And what is the full meaning of ? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Notes higher or lower than those provided for by the stave can be shown by drawing
an additional line or lines when required. For example,
Exercise S ~o the sign which is sometimes used instead of . . .
Write
__________
__________
Draw a minim in every space.
Add ONE note at each of the places marked * to make the bar complete.
Exercise 7 __________

(a)
A line should not be drawn over the note immediately above the stave, nor underneath
the note
Quavers immediately
(and below
shorter notes) it:
are shown with ued mils in printed music,
(c)
but youomay draw them with rr straight tails __________
if it is easier. Notice that
. __________
the tail is always on theand
not right-hand
- not side of the stem.
(d)
down. They should be the same
Addyou
When thedraw
time extra
signature
lines,atthey
the beginning of each
must not slope up of
or the foHowing.
Exercise S
distance apart as the stave lines:
Exercise 12 Tum each of
omthese notes into a quaver.o om
Ca
)
As many lines as are needed may be drawn, but in Grade I we shall go no further than one
above or below the stave:

(b)

(c)
Exercise 10 What are these additional lines called?
(d)
 D The treble (G) clef
(see The AB Guide to Music Tbeory, 2/I)

The treble clef is not easy to draw at first. The most important part is the loop
around the second line (G) of the stave: start (from left to right) like this -

Exercise 13 Under each of these notes write its letter name.

Exercise 14 Under each of these notes write its letter name.
.

Name

Exercise 15 Under each of these notes write its letter name,

Name

Name

Exercise 16 Before each of these notes draw the clef which will make the letter name correct.

EA FDG

___________________________________________________________________________
CF BGC
E The bass (F) clef
___________________________________________________________________________
(see T AB Guide to Music Tbeory, 2/I)

The bass clef can be drawn in two ways:

Notice that they both have two dots: one on either side of the F line.
Try drawing both ways here:
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

In Grade I, only one ledger line will be used in the bass clef: the one above the stave.
A note on this line is middle C:
10

F More on time values

(see The AB Guide to Music The, I/I-2)
.a
Exercise 17 What is this note called: ? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Complete the following sentences by adding the right number on each of the dotted lines.

A lasts as long as . s.

A ] lasts as long as . . s.

A lasts as long as . s.

A o lasts as long as . s.

Exercise 18 Add ONE note at each of the places marked * to make the bar complete.

Exercise 18 Rewrite the following, joining up the quavers and semiquavers.

AG DCB

GA D FE
 11

G Rests
(see Tbe AD Guide to Music Tbey, 311)

The semibreve rest hangs bel a line, normaHy the fonrth line if there is only one melody
on the stave:

The rnlmm rest sits on a line, normally the third:

} * .} * . * .*._*

,'. '.' ,.'

. '''.

__________________________________________________________________________
* .*
,-..-..,

Exercise

(d)

_ ____________________________________
12

H Ties
(see The AB Guide to Music Theory, 3/2)

A tie ( or ) joins notes which sound the same. It turns them into one sound
( , for example, sounds lihe ). Any number of notes can be joined in this way,
but they must be the same notes, and they must be next to each other. The tie goes
from the head of the first note to the head of the next, on the outside:

21
Exercise Add ties wherever possible in the following. Underneath each, write the total number of
crotchet beats made by the tie (as shown in the first example).

Ca)
beats

1amtc

(b)

(c)

·1 bea
ts

I Dots
(see The AB Guide to Music TheorV, 3/2)
A dot after a note makes it half as long again.

Exercise 22 Complete the following sentences by adding the right number on each of the dotted lines.
A ' lasts as long as . . . . s. A ~. lasts as long as . .

A . lasts as long as . . . . s. A lasts as long as . .

A ' lasts as long as . . . . s. A . lasts as long as .