Has anybody who did Grade 3 this time had a look at Grade 4 yet with a view to doing it in November?? What do you think of it?

I'll be doing it in November , but as I'll have a new teacher in September, I may end up having to do it in March instead...

Naming the intervals is the hardest part for me.

Car Expert

I was wondering how school students managed cos there's the whole summer holiday and then only about 6 weeks back before the exam I have an "ad hoc" theory teacher who marks past papers for me, and who I see for occasional sessions.

I haven't looked in detail at intervals yet. I've been looking at the Music Theory in Practice book and doing the section for putting the rhythm to words - scrummy

It's not that long ago since the girls were doing this lol! One is on the path for Grade 5 in Nov the other wants ot be.

Bet I can guess which one wants to be

Has anyone had their results yet?

I'm just working through the Time Signatures section of Music Theory in Practice. I don't find the exercise about changing the given rhythm very easy to understand, or what it says about it in the two ABRSM theory books (First Steps and the AB Guide). Is anybody using an alternative theory book which explains things in a different way?






PS. Melody Amour - no, I've not had my results yet either

Do you mean re writing with a different time signature so that is sounds the same?

Yes that's right - it gives one pretty easy example, and then all the re-writes you're given to do are more difficult and the books don't really seem to explain it very well.

I was planning on doing Grade 8 in November-time! I passed my Grade 6 in April, and I thought I could make a running-jump and skip Grade 7 altogether and get to Grade 8 standard!! I'm finding it t00 difficult though to get up to it confidently by then. So, I have decided to ring ABRSM up tomorrow and ask to change my theory paper lol! I'll keep working at Grade 8, and take it sometime next year.

I'll try.....

Start by working out how many beats in a bar and if it helps mark out each beat.
Work out what value note equals one count in each time signature.
Try to sustitute 1 for 1.
Where you have the beat divided into 3 in compound time that becomes a triplet in simple time.
Lose the triplet going the other way.
If you are still stuck bring the book to Stalybridge and I'll try to find some time to have a look at it with you.

I can't believe it's as simple as that, and yet the books make it sound so complicated

I've just done the exercises now and yes, that works! Eureka!

The only bit I can't figure now is a bar in 9/16 where there's a dotted crotchet followed by a quaver/semiquaver. There's also an upbeat which is just a quaver/semiquaver. It has to be re-written into 3/8. Can't fathom this one but the rest has been really easy now - thanks

Dotted crotchet is 2 beats and quaver/semi is one beat divided into 3.

[quote name='skylark' date='Jul 16 2007, 09:05 PM' post='553723']
I was wondering how school students managed cos there's the whole summer holiday and then only about 6 weeks back before the exam I have an "ad hoc" theory teacher who marks past papers for me, and who I see for occasional sessions.


How does one get hold of past papers, please?
I've got the grade 2 Music theory in practice book and I can manage most of it - though I get some funny looks in the supermarket when I'm chanting Italian playing directions whilst reaching for the baked beans

You can get them from music shops and I think from ABRSM publishing too.

I thought that was the only thing it could be but it just looked a bit odd. Thanks for the help

This is the list of theory papers available on the ABRSM Publishing web site. I ordered from them (it's handled by the OUP) and the packet arrived within about 4-5 days. If you order from them, check the delivery address carefully as some computer glitch got mine wrong and I had to contact them. P&P was £3.

You can also get Model Answers for some of the papers.

i'll do grade 4 or possibly grade 5 theory in nov . i personally hate the four-bar rhythms and am not too keen on the alto clef (is quite confusing )