Music Matters Music Theory Grades 1 To 5

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.