GRADE TWO THEORY REVISION
Note Pitches – Leger Lines
Use flashcards to make sure you thoroughly know all your grade one notes.
Make sure every note you draw has a correct stem, making a letter p if it is
above the middle line and a letter d if it is below the middle line. Make sure
you also know how to draw these leger lines. When you draw leger lines
space them the same distance apart as the staff lines. They will always be
between the note and the staff, never on the outside of the note.
Time Values
Make sure you know both names for all these notes & rests and how many
crotchet beats they last for.
Note Rest English
American
Crotchet beats


Semibreve
Whole Note
4
.
.
Dotted Minim
Dotted Half Note
3


Minim
Half Note
2
.
.
Dotted crotchet
Dotted Quarter
1½


Crotchet
Quarter Note
1


Quaver
Eighth Note
½
Semiquaver
Sixteenth Note
¼

A dot after a note makes it longer. It adds half of the note value again.
Dotted minim = minim + half a minim = 2 + 1 = 3 crotchet beats
Dotted crotchet = crotchet + half a crotchet = 1 + ½ = 1 ½ crotchet beats.
Time Signatures
The top number is how many beats in a bar.
The bottom number tells you what type of beats they are.
2 on the bottom = minim beats
4 on the bottom = crotchet beats.
8 on the bottom = quaver beats.
So:
3/4 = 3 crotchet beats in a bar.
3/2 = 3 minim beats in a bar.
3/8 = 3 quaver beats in a bar.
2/2 or  = 2 minim beats in a bar.
Make sure you space notes in a bar correctly. Imagine the bar is divided into
boxes, one for each beat. If you write a 2 beat note put it at the beginning of
the first box and leave the second one empty, a pair of quavers should fit
evenly into 1 box if you have crotchet beats, etc.
Grouping Notes & Rests
Grouping notes & rests is easy! Look at the time signature and see what type
of beat it is. Beam together quavers & semiquavers, join tied notes or rests if
they are in the same beat. Think of those shaded boxes again or circle the
beats. Leave a gap between each beat. It might help to draw a box around
each beat and write in the counting.
There are a few places you can join more than one beat. These are:
*
In 2/4 & ¾ you can join a full bar of quavers.
*
In ¾ & 4/4 you can beam 4 quavers at the beginning or end of the bar.
*
In ANY time signature use a semibreve rest for a whole bar of silence.
*
If there are 3 beats in a bar (3/4, 3/2, 3/8) use separate beat rests.
*
In 4/4 you can use a 2 beat rest at the beginning of the bar or the end
of the bar but not across the middle.
*
In 3/8 join all quavers & semiquavers.
Be careful where you use .  that it fits into a minim beat (think about those
shaded boxes again!) or starts on the first beat of the bar or in 4/4 starts on
beat 3. Remember there is an invisible bar line between beats 2 & 3 so don’t
use this pattern in the middle of a bar of 4/4 or at the end of a bar of ¾.
Metronome Speeds
The higher the number the faster the beat! If your metronome is clicking 120
beats it will be faster than if it is clicking 80. Don’t worry about what type of
beat it is (minim, crotchet, etc) just the speed of the beat.
Syncopation
A rhythm that plays between the beats on the “and” or on weak beats and
doesn’t play on the strong beats. E.g. plays on 1 & (not on 2) &, or .
Related Keys
Related Major & Minor keys have the same keysignature.
Major key – down 3 semitones – related minor key
Minor key – up 3 semitones – related Major key.
Key Signatures
Make sure you know the following key signatures and can draw them all
accurately for treble & bass clef.
Writing Scales – Natural & Harmonic Minors
Read the question carefully and double check treble/bass clef, going up/down,
what type of notes to use, key signature/accidentals, double bar line, stems
going in the correct direction.
Natural minor = uses just the notes of the key signature.
Harmonic minor = key signature + raise the 7th note going up and down.
Arpeggios & Broken Chords
Check the question carefully. Is it going up/down, what type of notes,
bass/treble, key signature/accidentals? Don’t forget with broken chords to
check how many notes in each pattern (3 or 4) and to add bar lines if there is
a time signature. Work out the letter names of the chord first and write them in
the margin, be careful to use only these notes! Write small and neatly so you
have enough room on the line and make sure you finish on the note given to
you in the question. Remember each repeat of the broken chord pattern
starts on the second note of the one before and adds one new note at the
end. Double check that you are using only the letter names of the tonic triad
you have written in the margin and then check your stem direction carefully.
For beamed groups you have to decide which way most are going, let the
beam slope, stem lengths should be 2 ½ spaces long.
1st Inversion Chords
Root position chords use the 1st, 3rd, 5th notes of the scale with the tonic (1st)
at the bottom. 1st inversion chords are the same 3 notes but the tonic has
been taken from the bottom and put above the other two. 1st Inversion chords
go 3rd, 5th, tonic.
Tonic Triads in minor keys
You write these just like in Major keys. Write the keysignature. If you can’t
remember it work out the related Major. The notes of the chord are the 1st, 3rd
& 5th notes of the minor scale. The tonic triad of a minor key will always be a
minor chord. Label them Am (for A minor), Dm, Em, etc. For Roman
Numerals use a small i for minor chords.
Finding Mistakes
CIRCLE the 5 mistakes before you start trying to write out the correct version.
Check: Clef, key signature & time signature (in that order).
Grouping of notes & rests and remove unnecessary ties.
Spelling and placement of words.
Dynamics go below the staff directly under the note they change on.
Terms for speed changes go above the staff.
Articulation marks go above or below the note head (not the stem).
Double bar line, repeat marks, stems of notes and any other symbols.
Intervals
Unison = Two of the exact same note.
Minor 2nd = semitone
Major 2nd = tone
Minor 3rd = 1st & 3rd notes of a minor scale
Major 3rd = 1st and 3rd notes of a Major scale
Perfect 4th = 1st & 4th notes of a Major or minor scale
Perfect 5th = 1st & 5th notes of a Major or minor scale
Perfect Octave = The same letters 8 notes apart.
Sequences
A sequence is a repeated pattern of notes, each repeat starts on a new note
but the pattern of intervals between the notes stays the same. Be careful
writing sequences to check the pattern carefully. E.g. if the original moves up
a note, up a note again and then jumps down a 3rd make sure each of your
repeats also moves up a note, up a note again and then down a 3rd. Check
your stem directions & spacing carefully!
Sequences must repeat immediately with no extra notes in between. When
you bracket a sequence look carefully for where one finishes and the next
starts. Sequences aren’t always a bar long, they can be longer or shorter.
Transposition
Make sure you draw the clef, key signature & time signature correctly. Check
each letter name, don’t just count up or down! Space your notes correctly, the
easiest way to do this is to line up each note & bar line directly under the
original tune. Make sure your stems are going in the right direction. Make
sure you shift the notes up or town 1 octave, keeping the letter name the
same, don’t go two octaves!
Writing a Melody
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Work out the notes you are allowed to use, either the three notes of the
tonic triad or the first 5 notes of the scale and write them in the margin.
Write the clef, keysignature & time signature carefully (in that order).
Tap & count the rhythm a few times.
Try to hear in your head what shape of melody would sound good with
this rhythm.
Use some repeated notes.
Move mainly to the closest available note, don’t jump around too much.
Make sure you finish on the tonic.
Analysis and Terms & Signs
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Learn the terms & signs flash cards for Grades 1 & 2.
Read through the tune and try to imagine how the music would sound,
this is what the questions are about.
Read each question carefully, e.g. Roman numeral below the last note,
Chord symbols above.
To work out the key look at the key signature (remember there is a
major and minor for each key signature). Look at the notes in the first
bar, often they will be notes of the tonic triad, the last note of the tune
will often be the tonic.
To describe the “shape” of the tune imagine that all the dots of the
notes are connected, what overall shape would the line make? A
curve, a wave, up or down? Use either bar numbers or phrases to
explain. E.g. the first phrase starts high and goes down then up like a
curve, etc.
A musical word describing the pitches of notes. Look for arpeggios,
broken chords, sequences, or scales.