Trinity Music Theory Study Guide – Grade 1

The Foundations: Stave, Notes, and Clefs

Music is typically written on a set of five horizontal lines known as a stave. Oval-shaped note-heads are placed either on the lines or in the spaces between the lines. Note-heads are oval, not round. Some note-heads are solid black, while others are not.

High notes are written near the top of the stave, and low notes are written near the bottom. Lines extending from the note-heads are called stems. Generally, stems go down for high notes and up for low notes. The middle line is the only one where the stem can go either up or down to improve readability. Keyboard players often associate high notes with the right hand and low notes with the left hand. When adding stems, they should be placed carefully and kept a consistent length. For high notes, stems are typically on the left, and for low notes, they are on the right.

Notes are named using the letters A, B, C, D, E, F, G, which repeat higher and higher. People have used letter names for notes since the time of the Ancient Greeks. To show the exact pitch, clefs are used.

For high notes, a treble clef, also known as a G clef, is used. The curved line in the middle of the treble clef curls around the second line up, indicating that this line represents the note G.

For low notes, a bass clef, also known as an F clef, is used. In the bass clef, dots are placed on either side of the line representing the note F.

Middle C is a specific note that sits in the middle of most keyboard instruments. In both the treble and bass clefs, Middle C is written on a short, extra line of its own, called a leger line. Leger lines are written the same distance away from the stave as the stave lines themselves. In the treble clef, Middle C is written above the stave on a leger line. In the bass clef, Middle C is written below the stave on a leger line. Although written differently and often played with different hands on the keyboard (right hand in treble clef, left hand in bass clef), both notes represent the same sound.

Notes with the same letter name but in different places on the stave are said to be at different registers. The distance between one note and the next note with the same letter name is called an octave.

For Grade 1, you need to know specific notes in both clefs. In the treble clef, the notes on the lines from bottom to top are E, G, B, D, F. The notes in the spaces from bottom to top are F, A, C, E. You can use mnemonic devices like “Every Green Bus Drives Fast” for the lines.

In the bass clef, the notes on the lines from bottom to top are G, B, D, F, A. The notes in the spaces from bottom to top are A, C, E, G.

To check notes, you can always relate them back to the G in the G clef, the F in the F clef, or Middle C. Practice naming notes quickly to test yourself. Remember to put stems in the correct place.

Understanding Rhythm: Note Values and Rests

Each note in music lasts for a specific length of time. Musicians measure this duration by counting regular, silent beats within the note value. For Grade 1, the crotchet is the beat used to measure notes. Sometimes, other names for note values are used, especially in America; these are shown at the back of the book for interest, though not required for Grade 1. For example, a crotchet can be called a quarter note, a minim a half note, a semibreve a whole note, and a quaver an eighth note.

Different ways of drawing notes show how many beats they last:

• A semibreve (empty oval note-head without a stem) lasts for four crotchet beats.
• A minim (empty oval note-head with a stem) lasts for two crotchet beats.
• A crotchet (solid black oval note-head with a stem) lasts for one crotchet beat.
• Quavers (solid black oval note-heads with stems and flags, or beamed together) last for half a crotchet beat each. For Grade 1, quavers are always beamed together.

A dot placed after a note increases its length by half its original value. A dotted minim lasts for three crotchet beats (a minim’s two beats plus half its value, one crotchet beat, added). Dotted minims in a space or on a line are shown with the dot positioned in the space or on the line next to the note-head.

Just as notes represent sounds of specific lengths, rests represent silences of specific lengths. Musicians measure rests using the same beats as notes. For Grade 1, the crotchet is the beat used to measure rests.

Different ways of drawing rests show how many beats the silence lasts:

• A semibreve rest (a thick rectangle hanging down from the fourth line) lasts for four crotchet beats or represents a whole bar of silence in any time signature. To remember it hangs down, think ‘semibreve submarine’.
• A minim rest (a thick rectangle sitting on the third line) lasts for two crotchet beats. Minim and semibreve rests look similar at first glance.
• A crotchet rest (a jagged symbol) lasts for one crotchet beat.

A dot after a rest adds half its value to its length. However, for a three-beat rest (like a dotted minim rest would be), you write a minim rest followed by a crotchet rest, not a dotted minim rest symbol.

Structuring Music: Bars, Bar Lines, and Time Signatures

Beats are organised into units called bars. A bar line is placed at the end of each bar. Bars are sometimes numbered at the beginning of each line of music to help players find their place. A double bar line is used at the end of a piece.

For Grade 1, bars can hold two, three, or four crotchet beats. The first beat in a bar is usually slightly stronger, which gives the music a particular character.

A time signature appears at the beginning of the music. It consists of two numbers, one above the other.

• The top number indicates the number of beats in a bar.
• The bottom number indicates the type of beat. For Grade 1, crotchets are always the beats used, so the bottom number is always 4 (except when C is written).

The time signatures for Grade 1 are 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, and C (common) time. C time is sometimes called ‘common time’ and is equivalent to 4/4.

Correctly grouping note and rest values within bars according to the time signature is important.

Pitch Concepts: Scales, Keys, Accidentals, Intervals, and Arpeggios

Music often moves up or down in steps, which are called degrees. A scale usually moves in these steps. Playing all the white notes from C to C on a keyboard gives you the scale of C major.

The distance between adjacent notes is not always the same.

• If a black note is between two white notes on the keyboard, the distance is a tone.
• If there is no black note between two white notes on the keyboard, the distance is a semitone (meaning ‘half a tone’). In other words, the distance between every next-door note (black or white) on the keyboard is a semitone. String players can feel the different distances between tones and semitones with their left-hand fingers.

Accidentals are signs placed directly before a note to alter its pitch temporarily. They show how to change the pitch. Handy tip: Write flat and natural signs in two parts, and tilt the lines across the sharp sign to avoid confusion with stave lines. Position accidentals carefully so they apply to the correct note.

• The flat (♭) lowers the pitch by a semitone.
• The sharp (♯) raises the pitch by a semitone.
• The natural (♮) cancels any previous accidental. It returns the note to its original pitch by cancelling out a sharp or a flat.

An accidental lasts until another accidental on the same line or space cancels it, or until the next bar line is reached.

When a piece of music is said to be in a specific key, like C major, it means that most of the notes used in the music are from that key’s scale. For Grade 1, you need to know about the keys of C major, F major, and G major.

Within any key, the 1st degree of the scale is called the tonic. It can also be called doh. Tunes often begin and end on the tonic, making it sound special. The 1st degree of the scale is also known as the key note or home note.

In any major scale, semitones occur only between the 3rd & 4th degrees and the 7th & 8th degrees. If the scale goes down, the degrees are counted downwards (8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1).

A chord is two or more notes played at the same time. A tonic triad is a chord formed using the 1st, 3rd, and 5th degrees of a scale. In the key of C major, the tonic triad is built on the 1st degree (C) and consists of the notes C, E, and G. Tonic triads can be labelled with a Roman numeral below the music (I) or a chord symbol above the music (e.g., C in the key of C major). Any chord or tune using just the notes C, E, and G (in any register) fits well together in C major. The brace symbol { is used to show that notes on two staves should be played simultaneously. Handy tip: Write Roman numerals below the stave(s) and chord symbols above the stave(s). Stems on chords follow the same rule as single notes (down for high chords, up for low chords).

The key of C major uses only the white notes of the keyboard. Other major keys require sharps or flats to maintain the major-scale pattern of tones and semitones. For example, in the scale of G major, an F sharp is needed between the 7th and 8th degrees. In the scale of F major, a B flat is needed.

To simplify music, key signatures are used at the beginning of every stave. A key signature indicates which notes are consistently raised or lowered throughout the piece. For instance, the key signature for G major has one sharp on the F line, meaning all Fs (whatever the register) should be played as F sharp. The key signature for F major has one flat on the B space, meaning all Bs should be played as B flat. The key signature for C major has no sharps or flats. Handy tip: Key signature flats or sharps apply to every note with the same note name, regardless of register. The key signature always appears just before the time signature.

The circle of 5ths is a map of keys. It helps determine the number of sharps or flats in a key signature. For Grade 1, you focus on C major, G major (one sharp, found by moving up a 5th from C), and F major (one flat, found by moving down a 5th from C). Understanding the circle is useful for higher grades.

An interval is the distance between two notes. To find an interval, count upwards from the bottom note, including the bottom note itself. For Grade 1, you need to identify intervals as a number only. The intervals you need to know are unison, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and octave.

• A unison is when both notes are the same pitch.
• An octave is an 8th. It’s the distance between a note and the next note with the same letter name. Intervals of a unison, 3rd, or 5th are formed by notes that are either both on lines or both in spaces. Intervals of a 2nd, 4th, or octave always involve one note on a line and one note in a space. Handy tip: Count up from the bottom note.

An arpeggio is created by playing the notes of a chord one after another, ‘breaking up’ the chord like a tune. For Grade 1, you need to know one-octave arpeggios. These typically go up from the tonic to the octave and then back down. An arpeggio of the tonic triad in F major, for example, would use the notes F, A, C, F (octave), C, A, F. Handy tip: Look for arpeggios moving up or down.

Organising Notes: Grouping and Beaming

Grouping notes and beaming quavers makes music easier to read. When two quavers fall within one crotchet beat, they are usually joined by a thick line called a beam. This is called beaming. When four quavers fall within two adjacent crotchet beats, they are normally beamed together.

In 4/4 time, there is an imaginary barrier between beats 1 & 2 and 3 & 4. You should never beam quavers across this barrier, meaning you shouldn’t beam beats 2 and 3 together. A full bar of quavers in 3/4 time usually has all six quavers beamed together.

Correctly grouping rests is also important. A semibreve rest is typically used for a whole bar of silence in any time signature. It is usually placed in the middle of an empty bar. A minim rest should only be used where it would be possible to beam four quavers together in a 4/4 bar, observing the hidden barrier rule. Two crotchet rests are used for two beats of silence in 2/4 time.

Rhythm and Melody Patterns: Answering a Given Rhythm and Ostinato

For Grade 1, you may be asked to answer a given rhythm. This involves creating a second section of rhythm that complements a first section. A good answer uses part of the original rhythm without just copying it entirely and feels complete at the end. An even better answer introduces variety. Handy tip: Practice tapping rhythms to feel the difference. Rhythms may include rests.

An ostinato (plural: ostinati) is a pattern of notes played in a specific rhythm that repeats continuously throughout a piece. Ostinati can be short or long patterns. They are often used as accompaniment for tunes and appear in genres like rap and pop music. Ostinati often include chords.

Bringing Music to Life: Musical Words and Symbols

A written piece of music contains information beyond just the notes and rhythm, including instructions on how to play them. For Grade 1, you need to know various musical words and symbols.

Dynamic markings tell a player how loudly or softly to play. They are usually placed below the music. Abbreviations are often used.

• pianissimo (pp) – very soft
• piano (p) – soft
• mezzo piano (mp) – medium soft (mezzo means half)
• mezzo forte (mf) – medium loud
• forte (f) – loud
• fortissimo (ff) – very loud
• crescendo (cresc. or <) – getting gradually louder
• diminuendo (dim. or >) – getting gradually softer

Articulation marks tell a player how to play the notes, such as smoothly or with an accent. They are usually placed close to the note-heads.

• > (accent) – play with an accent
• legato – play smoothly
• (slur) – play the marked notes smoothly
• (.) (staccato) – play these notes detached, short, and crisp

Tempo marks and other signs indicate the speed of the music and provide other details. Tempo marks are usually placed above the music at the beginning of a piece.

• Andante – at a walking pace
• Allegro – fast
• Moderato – at a moderate pace
• ritenuto (rit.) – getting slower
• ||: (repeat marks) – repeat the section or repeat from the beginning

Some words have different meanings but refer to the same thing in music, such as ‘bar’ or ‘measure’, ‘interval’ or ‘distance’, and ‘pitch’ or ‘sound/note’.

Analysis and Putting It All Together

Analysis involves looking closely at a piece of music to understand its composition. This helps in listening and performing more convincingly. The analysis section in the workbook asks questions about provided musical excerpts. Questions cover topics like identifying the major key and tonic note (or doh), writing Roman numerals or chord symbols for the tonic triad, the number of crotchet beats per bar, identifying scales or arpeggios, describing the direction of scales or arpeggios, adding articulation marks, explaining musical terms (like Allegro, staccato, crescendo), identifying starting dynamics, explaining symbols (like repeat marks, slurs, bar lines), identifying intervals between specific notes or the lowest and highest notes, writing specific notes, identifying specific bars, determining how notes should be played (smoothly/detached), boxing examples of high/low tonic/doh, identifying note values, and identifying tones/semitones.

Sample Examination Paper

The workbook includes a sample examination paper. This paper is structured into sections covering the syllabus areas.

• Section 1 (20 marks) is a general multiple choice section with 20 questions. Examples include naming notes, finding hidden words from notes, adding note values/rests together, matching rests to note values, identifying time signatures, identifying accidentals needed to change pitch, identifying tones/semitones between pairs of notes, identifying the tonic/doh in a key, locating semitones in a scale, identifying a key from its key signature, identifying notes in a tonic triad, understanding chord symbols, adding a note to complete a tonic triad, naming intervals, and explaining dynamic and articulation terms.
• Section 2 (20 marks) involves writing scales and arpeggios, including key signatures and marking semitones.
• Section 3 (15 marks) involves correcting mistakes in music notation.
• Section 4 (15 marks) involves answering a given rhythm.
• Section 5 (10 marks) involves writing out repeats of an ostinato pattern.
• Section 6 (20 marks) is an analysis section where you look at a piece of music and answer questions about it. Questions cover identifying key, tonic, time signature, scales, arpeggios, dynamics, tempo, articulation, symbols, and intervals, similar to the analysis practice section.

Remember that Trinity College London reserves the right to alter the format and content of examination papers, so it’s important to consult the latest syllabus and website before entering for an exam.