Music Matters Music Theory Grades 1 To 5 [TUTORiAL]

It's our belief that every musician needs to have the theory knowledge that supports their playing, singing, or composing skills. This course covers the complete fundamentals of music theory in detail, from the absolute basics, and lays the foundation for advanced music studies.

It covers a range of essential music theory concepts such as notation, rhythm, scales, keys, chords, and cadences, which are fundamental to understanding and analysing music. It equips you with essential skills like reading and writing music, supported by clear explanations, numerous examples, and practice exercises. Key terms are defined, and specimen questions with helpful tips are included. As well as being suitable for candidates preparing for ABRSM music theory exams, this course also provides an excellent resource for anyone wishing to develop general music literacy skills.

Courses Included with Purchase

Grade 1 Music Theory
Starting with the very basics of music theory, this course sets out much of the groundwork of essential theory knowledge with great clarity. It includes videos and practice exercises covering all of the topics on the list.

• Rhythm and time values
• Bar-lines and time signatures
• Notes on the stave
• The treble and bass clefs
• Rests
• Ties and dots
• Accidentals
• Semitones and tones
• Major keys and scales (C, G, D and F)
• Degrees of the scale and intervals
• Tonic triads
• Composing an answering rhythm
• Perfomance directions

Grade 2 Music Theory
Building on the topics previously covered, this course introduces new areas of study. It includes videos and practice exercises covering all of the topics on the list.

• Ledger lines
• Time signatures (2/2, 3/2, 4/2, 3/8)
• Major keys and scales (A, B♭ and E♭)
• Triplets
• Minor keys and scales (A, E and D)
• Grouping of notes and rests
• Intervals
• Composing simple four-bar rhythms
• Perfomance directions

Grade 3 Music Theory
Progressing introducing a number of key topics and reinforcing previous material covered. It includes videos and practice exercises covering all of the topics on the list.

• Demisemiquavers
• Major keys and scales with four sharps or flats
• Beyond two ledger lines
• Transposition
• Compound time
• Minor keys and scales with four sharps or flats
• Grouping notes and rests
• Four-bar rhythms
• Intervals
• Simple phrase structure
• Perfomance directions

Grade 4 Music Theory
Moving through and looking at many of the nuances of theory with simple explanations of new a variety of key subjects. It includes videos and practice exercises covering all of the topics on the list.

• Time signatures
• Alto clef
• Double sharps and double flats
• Breves, double dots and duplets
• Major keys and scales with five sharps or flats
• Minor keys and scales with five sharps or flats
• Technical names of notes in diatonic scales
• Four-bar rhythms
• Triads and chords on I, IV and V
• Intervals
• Writing a rhythm to words
• The chromatic scale
• Ornaments
• Instruments of the Orchestra
• Performance directions

Grade 5 Music Theory
Rounding off the fundamentals and moving towards a more advanced level of theory knowledge. It includes videos and practice exercises covering all of the topics on the list.

• Irregular time signatures
• Tenor clef
• Major keys and scales up to six sharps and flats
• Minor keys and scales up to six sharps and flats
• Transposition
• Voices in score
• Irregular time divisions
• Intervals
• Naming chords
• Composing a melody
• Ornaments
• Chords at cadential points
• Instruments and voices
• Performance directions

Also Included
Along with all the teaching material you'll also get access to many additional resources.

The Circle of Fifths
Find out how to draw the Circle of Fifths and learn how to use the it to work out all the major keys, all the minor keys and all their key signatures.

Practice Exercises
Every grade has a complete set of sample questions for for you to test your knowledge after working through the teaching material.

Performance Directions
Documents are included for every grade which give you a full list of performance directions, musical terms, signs and all of their definitions.

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