Grade One Theory of Music - Exercises and Answers

from

www.mymusictheory.com

© www.mymusictheory.com 2008 Page 1 of 41

Grade One Theory of Music - Exercises and Answers

Contents

Exercises Key

1. The Staff and Notes Page 3 Page 30

2. Clefs Page 4 Page 30
3. Accidentals Page 6 Page 31
4. Note Names Page 7 Page 31
5. Rests Page 9 Page 32
6. Dotted Notes Page 10 Page 33
7. Beaming Page 11 Page 33
8. Ties Page 12 Page 34
9. Time Signatures Page 13 Page 34
10. Tones and Semitones Page 15 Page 35
11. Major Scales Page 16 Page 36
12. Key Signatures Page 18 Page 37
13. Intervals Page 20 Page 38
14. Tonic Triads Page 22 Page 39
15. Rhythm Page 23 Page 39
16. Dynamics Page 25 Page 40
17. Musical Symbols Page 26 Page 40
18. Foreign Terms Page 28 Page 41
19. Handwriting Music Page 29 Page 41

© www.mymusictheory.com 2008 Page 2 of 41

Grade One Theory of Music - Exercises and Answers

Lesson 1: The Staff and Notes

Notes

Note Names (Treble Clef)

1. Give the letter name of each of the notes marked *. The first answer is given.

Writing Notes (Treble Clef)

2. Write the notes which these letters represent. (Sometimes there are two possible positions,
as in the first F.)

© www.mymusictheory.com 2008 Page 3 of 41

Grade One Theory of Music - Exercises and Answers

Lesson 2: Clefs

Note Names (Bass Clef)

1. Give the letter name of each of the notes marked *. The first answer is given.

Writing Notes (Bass Clef)

2. Write the notes which these letters represent. (Sometimes there are two possible positions,
as in the first A.)

© www.mymusictheory.com 2008 Page 4 of 41

Grade One Theory of Music - Exercises and Answers

Writing Clefs - (Treble and Bass Clef)

3. Draw the correct clef for each of these notes.

© www.mymusictheory.com 2008 Page 5 of 41

Grade One Theory of Music - Exercises and Answers

Lesson
Lesson 3: Accidentals

Higher or Lower?

1. For each pair of notes, circle the one which one is higher.

2. For each pair of notes, circle the one which is one is lower.

Barlines and Accidentals

3. Circle every A flat in this piece.

4. Circle every C sharp in this piece.

© www.mymusictheory.com 2008 Page 6 of 41

Grade One Theory of Music - Exercises and Answers

Lesson 4: Note Names

Time Names

*You can use either the British or the American terms in all the exercises in this lesson.

1. Give the time name of each note marked with a star (e.g. "Semibreve" or "Whole Note"*)

2. Put these notes in order of length, starting with the longest.

© www.mymusictheory.com 2008 Page 7 of 41

Grade One Theory of Music - Exercises and Answers

Note Names and Time Names

3. Give the note name and time name of each of the following notes.

4. Give the note name and time name of each of the following notes.

© www.mymusictheory.com 2008 Page 8 of 41

Grade One Theory of Music - Exercises and Answers

Lesson 5: Rests

Notes and Rests

1. Next to each note write a rest that has the same time value.

Adding Rests

2. Add the rests together, to make a new rest. The first one has been done for you.

© www.mymusictheory.com 2008 Page 9 of 41

Grade One Theory of Music - Exercises and Answers

Lesson 6: Dotted Notes

Dotted Notes Sums

1. Write one dotted note which is equal in length to the notes given.

More Dotted Notes Sums

2. Write one note (dotted or undotted) which is equal in length to the notes given.

© www.mymusictheory.com 2008 Page 10 of 41

Grade One Theory of Music - Exercises and Answers

Lesson 7: Beaming

Beaming Exercises

Rewrite the following melodies, grouping (beaming) the notes correctly.

1.

2.

3.

© www.mymusictheory.com 2008 Page 11 of 41

Grade One Theory of Music - Exercises and Answers

Lesson 8: Tied Notes

Ties or Slurs?

1. For each pair of notes, say if there is a tie or a slur.

Good Ties

2. Correct the mistakes

© www.mymusictheory.com 2008 Page 12 of 41

Grade One Theory of Music - Exercises and Answers

Lesson 9: Time Signatures

Time Signature Meanings

1. Give the meaning of the 3 in 3/4

True or false? The time signature 4/4

2. means that there are four crotchet (quarter
note) beats in a bar.

Adding a Time Signature

Add the time signature to each of these three tunes.

3.

4.

© www.mymusictheory.com 2008 Page 13 of 41

Grade One Theory of Music - Exercises and Answers

5.

Adding Barlines

Add the missing barlines to these three tunes. The first barline is given in each.

6.

7.

8.

© www.mymusictheory.com 2008 Page 14 of 41

Grade One Theory of Music - Exercises and Answers

Lesson 10: Tones and Semitones

Tones and Semitones

Describe each pair of notes as either a tone or a semitone.

1.

2.

Tones and Semitones in Major Scales

3. How many semitones are there in one octave of a major scale?

4. What is the pattern of tones and semitones in ascending major scales?

© www.mymusictheory.com 2008 Page 15 of 41

Grade One Theory of Music - Exercises and Answers

Lesson 11:
11: Major Scales

Degrees of the Scale

Name the degree of the scale (e.g. 2nd, 3rd, 4th) of the notes marked *.

1. The key is F major

2. The key is G major

© www.mymusictheory.com 2008 Page 16 of 41

Grade One Theory of Music - Exercises and Answers

Writing Scales

Write as semibreves (whole notes) the scales named below. Do not use a key signature, but
remember to add any necessary sharp or flat signs.

3. C major descending

4. D major ascending

Naming Scales

Name the key of each of these scales. Draw a bracket over each pair of notes making a
semitone.

5.

6.

Scales in Melodies

7. This melody uses all the notes of the scale of C major - true or false?

© www.mymusictheory.com 2008 Page 17 of 41

Grade One Theory of Music - Exercises and Answers

Lesson 12: Key Signatures

Naming Key Signatures

Name the major keys shown by these key signatures.

1.

2.

Writing Key Signatures

Add the correct key signatures to these bars.

3.

© www.mymusictheory.com 2008 Page 18 of 41

Grade One Theory of Music - Exercises and Answers

4.

5.

Reading Key Signatures

6. Give the letter name of each of the notes marked *, including the sharp or flat sign where
necessary.

© www.mymusictheory.com 2008 Page 19 of 41

Grade One Theory of Music - Exercises and Answers

Lesson 13:
13: Intervals

Naming Intervals

1. Give the number (e.g. 2nd, 3rd, 4th) of each of these harmonic intervals. The key is D
major

2. Give the number (e.g. 2nd, 3rd, 4th) of these melodic intervals. The key is F major.

© www.mymusictheory.com 2008 Page 20 of 41

Grade One Theory of Music - Exercises and Answers

Writing Intervals

3. Above each note, write a higher note to make the named harmonic interval. The key is
C major.

4. After each note, write another note to make the named melodic interval. The key is G
major.

© www.mymusictheory.com 2008 Page 21 of 41

Grade One Theory of Music - Exercises and Answers

Lesson 14: Tonic Triads

Naming Tonic Triads

1. Name the keys of each of these tonic triads (e.g. C major).

Adding a Clef & Key Signature

2. Add the correct clef and key signature to each of these tonic triads.

© www.mymusictheory.com 2008 Page 22 of 41

Grade One Theory of Music - Exercises and Answers

Lesson 15: Rhythm

What's Wrong?

In each of the following rhythms the answering phrase (bars 3 &4) is not very good, but why?

1.

2.

3.

© www.mymusictheory.com 2008 Page 23 of 41

Grade One Theory of Music - Exercises and Answers

Choose the Best Response

4. Choose the best 2-bar answer (a, b or c) to the given rhythm.

a)

b)

c)

© www.mymusictheory.com 2008 Page 24 of 41

Grade One Theory of Music - Exercises and Answers

Lesson 16: Dynamics

Order of Static Dynamics

1. Write the dynamics p mf ff pp f mp in the correct order, from the loudest to the quietist. The
first answer is given.

Changing Dynamics

What do the following mean?

2.

3.

© www.mymusictheory.com 2008 Page 25 of 41

Grade One Theory of Music - Exercises and Answers

Lesson 17: Musical Symbols

Symbols

What do these symbols mean?

1.

2.

3.

4.

© www.mymusictheory.com 2008 Page 26 of 41

Grade One Theory of Music - Exercises and Answers

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

© www.mymusictheory.com 2008 Page 27 of 41

Grade One Theory of Music - Exercises and Answers

Lesson 18: Foreign Terms

Foreign Musical Terms

What do these Italian terms mean in English?

1. A tempo 15. Fortissimo

2. Cantabile 16. Ritenuto
3. Lento 17. Mezzo piano
4. Dal Segno 18. Piano
5. Allegro Moderato 19. Fine
6. Mezzo Forte 20. Legato
7. Poco 21. Ritardando
8. Rallentando 22. Da capo
9. Forte 23. Accelerando
10. Staccato 24. Crescendo
11. Allegretto 25. Mezzo
12. Decrescendo 26. Moderato
13. Diminuendo 27. Adagio
14. Andante

© www.mymusictheory.com 2008 Page 28 of 41

Grade One Theory of Music - Exercises and Answers

Lesson 19
19: Handwriting Music
Music

Handwriting Music

This is something which is really easy to practise at home! Find any piece of music, take a
piece of manuscript paper, (or download some for free), and copy exactly what you see.
Choose music which has a lot of performance directions on it - dynamics, foreign terms and
symbols, and choose music which has different rhythms, especially with beamed notes.

Use a well-sharpened pencil and a ruler.

When you've finished, look very carefully at your work for mistakes, or better still, ask
somebody else to look at it for you.

Keep practising!

Here are a couple of excerpts you can try to copy:

1.

2.

© www.mymusictheory.com 2008 Page 29 of 41

Grade One Theory of Music - Exercises and Answers

Answers

Lesson 1: The Staff and Notes

1.

2.

Lesson 2: Clefs

1.

2.

3.

© www.mymusictheory.com 2008 Page 30 of 41

Grade One Theory of Music - Exercises and Answers

Lesson 3: Accidentals

1.

2.

3.

4.

Lesson 4: Note
Note Names

1.

© www.mymusictheory.com 2008 Page 31 of 41

Grade One Theory of Music - Exercises and Answers

2.

3.

4.

Lesson 5: Rests

1.

2.

© www.mymusictheory.com 2008 Page 32 of 41

Grade One Theory of Music - Exercises and Answers

Lesson 6: Dotted Notes

1.

2.

Lesson 7: Beaming

1.

2.

3.

© www.mymusictheory.com 2008 Page 33 of 41

Grade One Theory of Music - Exercises and Answers

Lesson 8: Tied Notes

1.

2.

Lesson 9: Time Signatures

1. Three crotchets (quarter notes) per bar.

2. True

3.

4.

5.

© www.mymusictheory.com 2008 Page 34 of 41

Grade One Theory of Music - Exercises and Answers

6.

7.

8.

Lesson 10: Tones and Semitones

1.

2.

3. Two.
4. TTS TTTS

© www.mymusictheory.com 2008 Page 35 of 41

Grade One Theory of Music - Exercises and Answers

Lesson 11: Major Scales

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7. False. The melody doesn’t have an A.

© www.mymusictheory.com 2008 Page 36 of 41

Grade One Theory of Music - Exercises and Answers

Lesson
Lesson 12: Key Signatures

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

© www.mymusictheory.com 2008 Page 37 of 41

Grade One Theory of Music - Exercises and Answers

Lesson 13: Intervals

1.

2.

3.

4.

© www.mymusictheory.com 2008 Page 38 of 41

Grade One Theory of Music - Exercises and Answers

Lesson 14: Tonic Triads

1.

2.

Lesson 15: Rhythm

1. The last bar has the wrong number of beats.

2. No new rhythms have been created – they are exact copies.
3. The answering phrase has no rhythmic connection with the given phrase.
4. Correct! This answer is based on the given rhythm.
5. Wrong! This rhythm has no connection with the given rhythm.
6. Wrong! This rhythm is not connected with the given rhythm. Bar 3 also has the wrong
number of beats in the bar.

© www.mymusictheory.com 2008 Page 39 of 41

Grade One Theory of Music - Exercises and Answers

Lesson 16: Dynamics

1.

2. Gradually getting louder.

3. Gradually getting quiter.

Lesson 17: Musical Symbols

1. Tie.
2. Diminuendo/Decrescendo – gradually getting quiter/softer.
3. Repeat everything between the double bars.
4. Accent.
5. Crescendo – gradually getting louder.
6. Slur.
7. Repeat from the start.
8. Staccato – short and detached.
9. Pause.

© www.mymusictheory.com 2008 Page 40 of 41

Grade One Theory of Music - Exercises and Answers

Lesson 18: Foreign Terms

1. In time 15. Very loud

2. In a singing style 16. Held back
3. Slowly 17. Moderately soft
4. From the sign 18. Soft/quiet
5. Moderately fast 19. The end
6. Moderately loud 20. Smoothly
7. A little 21. Gradually slowing down
8. Gradually slowing down 22. From the beginning
9. Loud 23. Accelerando
10. Short and detached 24. Crescendo
11. Fairly quick 25. Half
12. Gradually getting softer 26. Moderately
13. Gradually getting softer 27. Slowly
14. At a walking pace

Lesson 19: Handwriting Music

Music
Compare your answers with the original. Make sure you haven’t forgotten any details like
dynamics or phrasing, that the spacing between the notes is similar to the original, and stems
are pointing in the same direction.

© www.mymusictheory.com 2008 Page 41 of 41