Hello!

I've just passed grade 4 violin and now think I have reached the stage when I really should take a theory exam or 2! I wonder if anyone knows of any online help webpages or where I could view past papers as I really don't know what to expect or where to start.

Reading the syllabus would be a good start. Go to the main ABRSM website and drill through to the theory exams section.

Congrats in passing your grade 4, well done, Easy to get passed papers from any good music shop, also if you buy Theory music in Practice, plus the Pink book 1 by Eric Taylor you will be on your way to your first theory exam.

Hi Fizzynoodlepot

Re past papers, you can't view them online, you have to buy them - Music Makers will send them postage-free. There are 3 theory exams a year but 4 sets of papers are supplied in a set, ie the 2007 set will have the papers for the Spring, Summer and Autumn sessions, together with a spare. You can buy model answers as well, separately. (Make sure you get the English version - there's also a Japanese version which looks very similar)

You can also get Music Theory in Practice from Music Makers - that's the ABRSM exercise book, and it also has brief explanations as well.

For fuller explanations you would need a proper theory book. The one I liked best was the ABRSM pocket book "First Steps in Music Theory". It's divided into 5 sections, one for each grade, and within each section, there's a chapter for each element of what you need to know for each grade. It's ideal for working your way up the grades from G1 to G5.

If you're planning to go straight in at grade 5, then there are a few other books to choose from - there's been a thread on G5 books in the past, I'll find a link in a minute.

Theory's great! Hope you enjoy it!



Edit: here are two of the previous threads about theory books:


Take 5 (and other books) - http://forums.abrsm.org/index.php?showtopi...mp;#entry627699

Theory of Music books - http://forums.abrsm.org/index.php?showtopi...436&hl=book

Go for it, the resources people have mentioned are great. I found after I'd passed grade 4 clarinet that I found it fairly easy to teach myself to grade 3 theory level using the ABRSM theory in practice books along with the 'pink book'. You'll probably find you know most of it anyway.

Although if you haven't really seen much bass cleff yet that may take a bit of getting used to.

Trinity Guildhall theory papers can be viewed and downloaded online (although I won't give a url here!). They cover the same sort of ground as the AB exams, but the requirements are slightly different for each grade.

Do you have a piano? Learning its basics will be useful and teach you bass clef.