Music Theory

Grade 1
Based on the ABRSM Syllabus

Associated Board of the Royal School of Musicians

Name:

1
 Syllabus

Lesson Topic Score

1 Note Values

1 Dotted Notes
/40
2 Rest values
/5
3 Tied notes
/10
4 Time signatures
/4
5 Composing a 2 bar
/10
rhythm
6 Notes of the treble
clef
7 Notes of the bass clef

8 Accidentals
/30
9 Constructing major
/6
scale
10 C, G, D and F major
/12
scales
11 Tonic triads
/8
12 Degrees of the Scale
& Intervals
On- Vocabulary
going
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 Notes Values

Draw the note Name the note How many beats

length does it last?

Dotted Notes

A dot next to the note (not above or below) means that you half the
note value and then add it on.

For example: A semibreve is worth 4 beats

The dot means I halve it which is 2 beats

And then I add it on

4+2=6

A dotted semibreve is worth 6 beats

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Do the same for the following:

Note Without the dot Half the value Added together

Clap these rhythms

4
 Homework

Note Value Knowledge Check

Do these musical sums

Let’s make it a little harder…

5
 Total score: _____ of 40

www:

ebi:

Teacher comment:

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 Rest Values

Draw the Name the How many

note note length beats does Rest
it last?

Practice drawing the rests:

7
 Tied Notes

Sometimes notes are tied together because they cross a bar line or
you can’t make the note length you want by dotting it; e.g.

You can only tie notes that are on the same line or space within the
stave.

Circle the notes that can be tied and write the note length they
create underneath.

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8
 Time Signatures.

Time signatures explained:

The top number tells you how many beats are in a bar.

The bottom number tells you what type of beat it is. Having a 4 on
the bottom represents a crotchet beat.

3 means 3 crotchet beats in a bar.

4

Write the time signature at the start of the music.

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 Composing a 2 bar rhythm

Because you’re writing a rhythm and not a melody you only need to
use one line on the stave.

Advice for writing a 2 bar response.

 Look at the time signature first.

 Tap the written rhythm to yourself.
 Tap a response that sounds good.
 Make the rhythm interesting.
o Use the existing rhythm and amend it to be an answer.
o This will make it similar but different.
 End on a longer note.

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 Notes of the treble clef

Firstly, practice drawing 10 treble clefs on the staff below. Copy the
first one as accurately as you can.

Next you need to start learning what notes are on what lines and in
which spaces.

The best way is with mnemonics.

The notes on the lines:

The notes in the spaces

Spell FACE

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When you go beyond the lines and spaces you keep going through the
alphabet from A – G and then start again at A, like this:

Notes of the bass clef

Firstly, practice drawing 10 bass clefs on the staff below. Copy the
first one as accurately as you can.

Next you need to start learning what notes are on what lines and in
which spaces.

The best way is with mnemonics again.

The notes on the lines:

The notes in the spaces:

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E

Insert resource worksheets

Accidentals – sharps, flats and naturals

# is the symbol for sharp

This means that you raise the note by a semi tone.

A semi tone is the very next note.

So seeing C# means that you play the back note above C.

b is the symbol for flat

This means that you lower the note by a semi tone.

A semi tone is the very next note.

So seeing Ab means that you play the back note below A.

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 is the symbol for natural

This means that a # or b note returns to being ‘normal’.

Practice drawing some # b and

Accidentals – sharps, flats and naturals

Name these notes

____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____

____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____

Match the notes to the piano. The first one is done for you.

C# F# A# D# G#

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 Eb Bb Gb Db Ab

30

Constructing a major scale.

All music scales are made up of tones and semitones.

A semitone is the very next note.
A tone is 2 notes away.
All major scales follow the same pattern of tones (T) and
semitones (St)
C major scale is: C D E F G A B C
What is the pattern of T and St used?

____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____

Using the pattern of tones and semitones, write out all the notes
(including # and b) for the following scales:

G major

G ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ G

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 D major

D ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ D

F major

F ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ F

Constructing a major scale.

Now it’s time to draw these scales on the staff. Using crotchets,
draw the C, G, D and F major scales using the correct # or b.

C Major

G Major

D Major

F Major

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 Tonic Triads
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Look at the scales you have drawn. The first note of any scale is
called the tonic.

On the previous page put the numbers underneath your notes as

shown on the PowerPoint.

A triad is made of 3 notes; the tonic, 3rd and 5th.

Draw the triads for C, G, D and F major in both treble clef and bass
clef on the staves below. Don’t forget sharps or flats if needed.

C major

G major

D major

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 F major

8
Degrees of the Scale and Intervals

Degrees of the scale are exactly what you did on p16 when you
wrote the number underneath your scales. Here is an example of C
major with roman numerals rather than numbers:

What degree of the scale is:

F ___ B ___ C ___ G ___

D ___ A ___ E ___

An interval is the gap between 2 notes that is expressed in numbers.

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 You count both the bottom note and the note you end on when
counting intervals.

Complete the following worksheets on intervals

Insert resource worksheets

Vocabulary

Tempo - Speed, time

Accelerando (accel) Gradually getting quicker

Adagio Slow

Allegretto Fairly quick

Allegro Quick, cheerful

Andante Walking pace

Legato Smoothly

Lento Slow

Rallentando (rall) Getting slower

Ritardando (rit) Getting slower

Dynamics – Volume

ff Fortissimo Very loud f Forte Loud

mf Mezzo forte Quite loud mp Mezzo piano Quite quiet

p Piano Quiet pp Pianissimo Very quiet

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Crescendo (cresc) Getting louder

Diminuendo (dim) Getting quieter

Symbols

Pause Hold the note, pause on the note

Accent Above or below a note. Accent the note.

Vocabulary

Other Italian terms

Mezzo half

Moderato Moderately

Poco A little

Poco a poco Little by little

Staccato Detached (a dot under or over a note)

Describing Music with Dr P Smith

Dynamics Volume

Rhythms Note lengths

Pitch High and Low

Structure How music is built from start to end

Melody The tune

Instrumentation What instruments are used

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Tempo Speed

Texture Layers of sound. How music is built from top to bottom.

Timbre Sound quality

Harmony What backs up the melody.

Well done for getting through grade 1 theory!

There are now some practice exercises on the following pages.

Revise ready for your test.

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