Music Theory Sample Paper 2020 Grade 2
Exam duration: 11/2 hours maximum
Total marks (out of 75):
The following sample exam paper is a printed representation of how this exam will appear
online. The structure of the questions, the knowledge required and the topics covered will be
the same. However, in order to suit an online platform, the wording of the questions and the
method of answering them may be different.
Terminology:
bar
semibreve
minim
crotchet
quaver
semiquaver
measure
whole note
half note
quarter note
8th note
16th note
© 2020 by The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music
1
Music Theory Sample Paper 2020 Grade 2
Exam duration: 1 ½ hours maximum
1 Rhythm
⁄15
1.1 Circle the correct time signature for each of these bars.
(a)
(b)
(c)
b œ
b
& bb œ
&b
&b œ
?
? ˙™
? ˙™
˙™
# œ
& ## œœ
&
&
œ œ œ œ
œ
œ œœ œœ œœ
œ œ
œ œ
œ œ
œ œ
œ
œ 3œœ
œ
œ
œ
œ
œ
œ
˙
˙
˙
œ
œ
œ
(3)
3
4
4
2
3
8
2
4
3
4
2
4
3
4
c
C
3
˙™
3œ ˙
? # 3 ˙™ œ ˙ ˙˙ œœ œœ œœ œ #œ œ
?one
# 23missing
œ #œ œ
œ ˙to each˙of theseœ five
œ œmelodies.
1.2 Add the
bar-line
? # 23 ˙™
œ #œ œ
˙™
œ
2
œ
˙
œ
˙
œ
? # 3 ˙™
23
œ ˙ ˙ œ œ œ œœ ##œœ œœ
?
#
(a)
œœ ‰ œ œ œœœœ˙
2 œœ œ™
Ϫ
b
& b 2 œ œ™ œœ œ ‰ Jœ œ œ œ œ œ ˙˙
& b 2 œ™ œ ‰ Jœ œ œ œ œ œ
& 22 œ
œœ
œœ˙
J
œ
œ
œ
œ
b
‰
(b) & 2 œ œ™ œ œ
Jœ œ œ œ œ œ ˙
2
b
‰
œ
&
? b 23 œ œ œœ œ œ Jœ œ œ ™ œœ œ
? b 43 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ™ Jœ œ
? b 43 œ
œ œ 3œ œ œ ™ JJ œ
(c)
4
œ
? b 3 œ œ œ œ 3œ œ œ ™ œ œ
? #b 43 œ œ œ œ œ 3œ œ œ ™ œJ œ
###4422 œ œ œ ™ œ 3 œœ œ œœ œ œ J
&
œ œ œ œ œ™ œ3 œ œ œ œ
(d) & # 4
2
#
& ## 42 œœ œ œ œœ œ ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ
& ## 42 œ œ œ 3œ œ ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
& b c4 œ œ œ 3œ œ ™ œ œ œ œœœœ œ œ ˙˙
(e) &
œ œœ3 œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ ˙
Ϫ
c
b
& b c œ™ œ œ3 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
& œ™ œ 3 œ œ œ œ
œœ˙
œ
œ
c
b
œ
œ
& œ™ œ œ œ œ œ
˙
œ
œ
œ
œ
c
b
& Ϫto answer
œ œ œeach
œœ œ
œ question.
1.3 Tick ( ) one box
(5)
(2)
(a) How many semiquavers are there in a q. ?
3
4
5
6
(b) How many crotchets are there in a semibreve?
2
4
6
8
2
1.4 Tick ( ) one box to show which bar is grouped correctly.
bb44b4444œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ
&
&&
(1)
bb44b4444œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ
&
&&
bb44b4444œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ
&
&&
1.5 Tick ( ) or cross ( ) each box to show whether the rests are correct or incorrect.
3
& 4 Ϫ
œ œ
J
œ
Ó
? # 22
œ
≈
œ œ œ œ? # 2 œ ‰ Œ œ
2 Jœ œ œ œ œ œ
œœœœœ œ
1.6 Look at this bar of music:
? # 22
? # 42
(3)
œ œ œ œ œ œ (1)
œœœœœ œ
? # 42
? # 22
? # 42
œ
œ
œœ œ
œ
œ
œ
œ
œ
œ
œ the bar above œcorrectly rewrittenœusing notes of half
œ œtheœ value?
Which of œ
the following shows
? #( 42) one box. œ
Tick
#
œ œ œ œ œ
&#
w
2
?
#
? # 42
2
?
#
4œœœœœ œ
4œœœœœ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ
?# 2
##
?
4 œ œ œ œ œ œ
&
w
? # 42
? # 42
##
w
œ
œ
œ
œ
œœœœœ œ
œ
œ
&
w
? # 42 ##
w
?
œ
?
œ
b
œ
œ
œ
&œ
b
w
2 Pitch
⁄15
? # 42
w
#
œ
?
œ
#
œ œ
œœ
&
w
w
w
? bb
?
w
2.1 Tick ( ) one box to show the correct name of each note.
(6)
&
w
w
##
?b
?
(a) &
(b)
(c)
b
w
bw
w
w
? bb
wG
&
&
F
A
F#
G#
A
B
E
A
F
Bb
Ab
w
? bb
?
w
&
bw
w
?
w
(d) &
(e) &
(f)
b#w
w
?
D bb E
B
C
Bb
C#
& G# D# F#
& Eb w Ab Db
bw
?
&
b#w
?
w
&
&
#w
3
ABRSM Sample Paper 2020 Grade 2
Turn the page
?
b#w
?
2.2 Tick ( ) the correct clef needed to make each of these named notes.
w
(a)
A
&
&
?
w
w
&
(b)
?
?
w
B
&
?
&
w
w
?
w
(2)
&
?
& w ?
? w &
2.3 Rewrite these notes in the new clefs, keeping the pitch the same.
(a)
(c)
&
w
&
?
& w ?
? w &
?
w
&# w
?## ww
(b)
(d)
?
&
2.4 Circle true or false for each statement.
(a)
(b)
(c)
&
&
?
?
?
n
w
&
w
& nnww
nw
?
nnww
w
?
?
&
& bw
?
&
bb ww &
bbbwww
?
? &
?
& nnww
&
nw
ABRSM Sample Paper 2020 Grade 2
?
w
w
w
(4)
&
?
&
(3)
The first note sounds lower than the second note.
true
false
The second note sounds lower than the first note.
true
false
The second note sounds higher than the first note.
true
false
4
#
3 Keys and Scales & ##
###
&
#
& ##
⁄15
?b
b
& ###
? bb
3.1 Tick ( ) one box to show the correctly written key signature of A major.
#
& ##
#
& ##
#
& ##
###
?
& bb
?b
#b##
&
? bb
? bb
& ###
? bb
###
&
?b
b
(1)
? bb
?
& b#b# #
3.2 Tick ( ) one box to show the correctly written key signature of Bb major.
? bb
? #b#b #
&
(1)
? bb
? bb
? bb
3.3 Tick ( ) three boxes to show which notes need an accidental to create a melody
in the key of D major.
4bb œ ™
?
&4
œ œ
J
œ
˙
? 44 œ #œ œ œ
? 44 œ #œ œ œ
œ
œ
œ
œ
œ
(3)
˙
œ
˙
3.4 Circle the correct key of each of these two melodies.
(a)
(b)
3
& 43 Ϫ
& 4 Ϫ
œ #œ œ #œ ˙
œ #œ œ #œ ˙
j
œj œ œ
œ œ œ
(2)
œ œ bœ œ œ
œ œ bœ œ œ
A minor E minor
G major D major
F major
Bb major A minor
C major
3.5 Circle true or false for this statement.
&
? w
bw
This is the 5th degree of the scale of Eb major
w
ABRSM Sample Paper 2020 Grade 2
w
w
5
w
bw
true
w
(1)
false
w
Turn the page
bw
& bw
& bw
&
w
w
w
w
w
w
bw
bw
bw
bw
bw
bw
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
bw
bw
bw
bw
bw
bw
bw
bw
bw
w
w
w
w
w
w
bw
bw
bw
3.6 Tick ( ) one box to show the correctly written scale of Eb major, descending.
& bbw
& bw
& w
bw
& bw
& bw
&
w
w
w
w
w
w
bw
bw
bw
bw
bw
bw
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
3.7 Tick ( ) two boxes to show the two pairs of notes in this scale which are a semitone apart.
& bw
w
? w
w
w
bw
w
w
w
w
#w
w
(1)
(2)
bw
w
3.8 Cross ( ) the two incorrect notes in the following scale.
(2)
A harmonic minor, ascending
?
w
w
#w
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
bw
w
w
bw
& bw
w
3.9 Tick ( ) one box for X and one box for Y to show which notes are needed
to complete the scale of D major.
? w
X
Y
w
w
X
C
C#
A
A#
Y
E
E#
C
C#
ABRSM Sample Paper 2020 Grade 2
w
6
#w
w
(2)
? bw
& w bw
&
w
w
w w
? b
? bw
&
w ⁄10
w
w
4 Intervals
?
bw w
&
&
w
b
w
? w
? bw
? b w bw
bw
w
Tick ( ) onebw
box to show the correct number
of each
interval. The key is F major.
(10)
?
?
b
w
&
bw
w
w
?
? bw
? bw
(a) &
(b)
(c)
bbw
bw
w
bw
? bb w
w
& 3rd 4th 5th
& 5thw 6th
b w 7th
w 6th4th
w 4th
2nd
3rd
2nd
bw
&
& w bw
&
w
w
w
w
b
w
?
?
& bw
& w w
w bw
#w
b
w
?
w w
(d) &
(e)
(f) &
#w
w
?
?
w
b#7th
w
&
w
5th
6th
8th/8ve
5th
6th
7th
8th/8ve
1st
2nd
bw
w
w 3rdw 4th
b
w
? bw
w
& w w
&
w w
?
?
bw
&
w
?
?
bw
(g) &
(h)
(i)
w
bw
w bw
w w
bw
? bw
?
&
&
bw 5th
1st
5th 1st
6th
7th 8th/8ve
2nd
3rd
4th
? 2nd b3rd
w w
& bw
& w w
#w
?
bw
w
&
w
&
w
w
w w
?
w
(j) &
bw
& w #w
w
?
bw
w
w 8th/8ve
& 6thw
w 7th
#
w
5th
?
? w
#w
?
?
w w
& w w
#bw
w
w
?
? bw
w
w
?
w
& w
#w
5 Tonic Triads
w w ⁄10
?
?
w
w
& w
w
w
?
& w w (2)
5.1 Circle true or false for each statement.
w
&
w
w
w
&
w
#w
wtriad ofwD minor
? w w
?
(a) &
This
is
the
tonic
true
w
w
& w false
w
& w w
?
w
w
(b)
This is the tonic triad of F major
true
false
w
w
? w w
w
& w w
w
ABRSM Sample Paper 2020 Grade 2
&
w
7
Turn the page
bw
5.2Add one missing note to complete each triad, with the tonic as the lowest note.
Use accidentals if necessary.
?
w
(b)
w
b www
w
w
& Bb major
w
w
w
&
#
w
5.3 Circle the correct w
key for each tonic triad.
w
&
w
##www
?
?
w
(a) &
G major
#w
w
w
&
#bw
w
?
b
w
(b) &
D major
b
w
w
#
?
bw
&
bw
w
?
b
w
(c)
Bb major
?
? bbwww
w
w
b
w
?
w
bw
w
(d)
D minor
w
?
w
w
w
?
(e) &
C major
w
w
w
w
?
&
w
w
w
w
&
w
w
6 Terms and Signs
w
&
w
w
w each term/sign.
Tick ( &
) one box for
w
w
w
(a)
#w
w
&
&
(c)
?
A major
(3)
w
w
E minor
(5)
wA minor
w
Bb major
D major
F major
G major
D minor
C major
Eb major
E minor
F major
A minor
C major
G major
E minor
A minor
⁄5
molto means:
œ. œ. means:
dal segno means:
less
slightly separated
repeat from the beginning
very, much
slur
in time
more
smoothly
the end
movement
staccatissimo
repeat from the sign $
dolce means:
Allegretto means:
smoothly
slow
slow
fairly quick
in a singing style
gradually getting quicker
sweet
slow, stately
ABRSM Sample Paper 2020 Grade 2
8
7 Music in Context
⁄5
Look at this melody and then answer the questions that follow.
Andante con moto
1
? # 44 œ
œ #œ œ
2
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ3
œ œ œ œ œ
4
˙
#œ œ
p dolce
p
5
6
7
? # œ #œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ
8
j
œ™ œ œ œ œ œ
w
pp
7.1 Circle true or false. All the notes in bars 1–4 of this melody can be found in the key of E minor
true
false
7.2 Tick ( ) one box to show how many times the 7th degree of the scale occurs.
3
4
5
(1)
(1)
6
7.3 Complete the following three sentences by ticking one box for each.
(3)
(a) The highest note in the melody is …
B
C
D
E
(b) The softest note in the melody is in …
bar 1
bar 4
bar 6
bar 8
(c) The notes in bar 2 have the same rhythm as the notes in …
bar 3
bar 5
ABRSM Sample Paper 2020 Grade 2
bar 6
bar 7
9
End of exam