ANALYSING BOOK

General Information:
Title: ABRSM Discovering Music Theory: Grade 1
Author: Simon Rushby
Page: 50 pages (with practice exam paper)

CHAPTER CONTENT EXERCISE

Chapter 1: RHYTHM (part 1) Time values Total: 8 exercises
- Name of notes (semibreve, minim, crotchet, quaver)
Bars & meter
- Definition of rhythm and bar-lines (bars containing 2, 3, and 4 beats)
Time signature
- Definition & how to read time signature (2/4, 3/4, 4/4)
- Other symbol of 4/4 (called common time)
Chapter 2: PITCH (part 1) Notes in treble clef Total: 9 exercises
- Explanation why it’s called treble clef
- How to read note in treble clef
- Middle C location in treble clef
- Picture of all notes in treble clef (use ledger line as well)
Notes in bass clef
- Explanation why it’s called bass clef
- How to read note in bass clef
 - Middle C location in bass clef
- Picture of all notes in bass clef (use ledger line as well)
(Showing notes in both clefs in order)

Notes with stems

- Definition of stems
- How to draw stem in right position (stem go up or down)
Quavers with stems
- How to draw stem in right position for quaver (the flag)
Chapter 3: RHYTHM (part 2) The semiquaver notes Total: 9 exercises
- Explanation of semiquaver with chart of notes
- How to beam semiquavers note (beam in group of four)
Grouping notes
- How to beam the notes correctly
- Explanation that notes are beam together to make one full beat
Rests
- Explanation of rests for all notes value (semibreve rest, minim rest, crotchet
rest, quaver rest, semiquaver rest)
Chapter 4: PITCH (part 2) Accidentals Total: 6 exercise
- Definition of accidentals and how it works
- Explain three main accidentals symbol with pictures (sharp, flat, natural)
- Explain the rules of accidental in music
1. Accidental changes all the notes of the same pitch in a bar
2. Accidental applies only to notes on the same line or space
 3. Accidental applies only within the same bar and cancelled by the bar line
4. To cancel accidental within a bar, use natural
Semitones and tones
- Definition of semitone and tone with example
Chapter 5: RHYTHM (part 2) Ties Total: 10 exercises
- Definition of tie using picture and how it sounds
- How to write ties (placed above or below the notes depends on the position)
Dotted notes
- How adding dots change the time value of the notes (a dot = half the time
value of the note) using pictures
Grouping dotted notes
- Review of beaming quavers and semiquavers
- Grouping the dotted notes into beats
- Grouping the notes and add the time signature as well
Chapter 6: SCALES The scale of C major Total: 7 exercises
- Definition of scale (ascending and descending)
- Introduction of scale example using C major because it has no sharps and flats
(scale in picture)
The degrees of the scale
- Definition of degrees in scale
- How the degrees in scale are numbered (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and so on)
- Introduction of degrees name (1st = tonic)
Tones and semitones in scales
- Pattern of tones and semitones in major scales (T-T-S-T-T-T-S)
 The scale of G major, D major, and F major
- Review the pattern of tones and semitones in major scales
- Explanation how to make the pattern of tones and semitones correct on those
scales (F# is needed in G major, and so on)
Chapter 7: KEYS & KEY Keys Total: 7 exercises
SIGNATURES - Review of notes in C major, G major, D major, and F major scales
- Explanation that a melody is written in a particular key uses notes from the
scale of that key (G major has one sharp, D major has two sharps, F major has
one flat)
Key signatures
- Definition of key signatures
- Explanation of the importance of key signatures
- The position of key signatures (write at the start of the stave, after clef and
before time signature) using pictures
- Explanation of how a sharp or flat in a key signature will apply to every note
of that name, wherever it is on the stave (using pictures)
More on accidentals
- Explanation on how accidentals are sometimes still needed in music with a
key signature (using pictures)
Chapter 8: INTERVALS Intervals Total: 6 exercises
- Definition of interval
- Explanation on how to measure the intervals using the degrees of the scale
Chapter 9: TONIC TRIADS Tonic triads Total: 4 exercises
 - Definition of tonic triad and how it’s made-up using 1st, 3rd, and 5th degree of
the scale
Chapter 10: TERMS & SIGNS Terms and signs: dynamics Total: 4 exercises
- Explanation on how dynamic terms will help to express the music better
- Italian term for dynamic with the meaning
1. Fortissimo (ff) = very loud (-issimo means ‘very’)
2. Forte (f) = loud
3. Mezzo forte (mf) = moderately loud
4. Pianissimo (pp) = very quiet
5. Piano (p) = quiet
6. Crescendo (cresc.) = gradually getting louder
7. Decrescendo (decresc.) = gradually getting quieter
8. Diminuendo (dim.) = gradually getting quieter
Terms and signs: tempo
- Italian term for tempo with the meaning
1. Allegro = quick
2. Allegretto = fairly quick
3. Moderato = at a moderate speed
4. Andante = at a medium speed
5. Adagio = slow
6. Accelerando (accel.) = gradually getting quicker
7. Rallentando (rall.) = gradually getting slower
8. Ritardando (rit.) = gradually getting slower
9. A tempo = in time (resume the original speed)
Signs

PRACTICE EXAM PAPER GRADE 1