Music Theory and Notation
What the exam tests
Theory and notation questions cover clefs, key signatures, scales, intervals, chords, rhythm and meter, transposition, and notation symbols. Accuracy and speed matter; many items are quick identification tasks.
Concepts to master
- Clefs: treble (G), bass (F), alto and tenor (C clefs); middle C placement.
- Key signatures: order of sharps (F, C, G, D, A, E, B) and flats (B, E, A, D, G, C, F); relative and parallel keys.
- Circle of fifths: moving clockwise adds a sharp; counterclockwise adds a flat.
- Intervals: quality (major, minor, perfect, augmented, diminished) and quantity (second through octave); inversion rules (major↔minor, perfect stays perfect, augmented↔diminished).
- Meter: simple vs. compound; duple, triple, quadruple; irregular meters (5/4, 7/8).
- Notation symbols: fermata, trill, mordent, turn, accent, tenuto, staccato, slur vs. tie.
Traps
A frequent trap is confusing relative and parallel keys (A minor is relative to C major; A major is parallel to A minor). Another is misreading compound meter (6/8 is two beats, not six). Also watch for enharmonic equivalents that change interval spelling (C-sharp to F is a diminished fourth, not a major third).
Worked example
A question asks for the key signature of E-flat minor. Rule: relative major of E-flat minor is G-flat major, which has six flats (B, E, A, D, G, C). So E-flat minor also has six flats.
Rule of thumb
To find a minor key signature, go up a minor third to the relative major and read its signature.