Music Notation

At Grade 7 you will cover the following aspects of music notation:

• Understanding rhythm: 32nd and 64th notes, and equivalent rests.

• Rhythmic values: halving rhythmic values, doubling rhythmic values, working with less-common time signatures.

• Understanding pitch: enharmonic transpositions

• Transposing and re-writing scores across different instruments and clefs

• Understanding time signatures: 5/4, 6/4, 7/4

Popular Music Harmony

At Grade 7 you will cover the following aspects of popular music harmony:

• Identifying compound intervals

• Understanding modes: ionian, dorian, phrygian, lydian, and mixolydian

• Recognising modes and modal differences, and writing out modes in notation

• Transposing melodies: 2nds, 4ths, 6ths

• Chord identification: diatonic 11 and 13

• Recognising harmonic and melodic intervals

• Understanding chord inversions

Band Knowledge

At Grade 7 you will cover the following aspects of band knowledge:

• Identification of Drum parts

• Genre-specific techniques used across different instrumental disciplines

• Identification of Guitar and Bass Guitar parts

• Understanding the use of music technology with band instruments

• Understanding instrumental performance technique

• Identification of keys: acoustic and electronic instruments

• Identification of vocal techniques

• Understanding the function of a microphone

• Understanding how a singer uses music technology to improve performance

• Genre-specific instrumental techniques of brass instruments

• Identification of parts on a brass instrument

• Key musical terms associated with band performance

• Recognising instrument-specific techniques

• Recognising notation across different instrumental disciplines

• Identification of pitch range across different instrumental disciplines

• Understanding instrumental-specific notation

• Recognising melodic ornamentation

• Understanding transposing instruments

• Recognising different parts on band and brass instruments

• How to develop your performance technique across different instrumental disciplines

• Interpreting musical directions on a score for up to 8 players

• Knowing the pitch range across instrumental disciplines

Band Analysis

At Grade 7 you will cover the following aspects of band analysis:

• Understanding scores with up to eight different instruments

• Understanding instrument-specific techniques

• Re-writing a score for transposing instruments

• Chordal analysis and stylistics traits of band and brass instruments

• Interpreting a score for up to eight players

• Understating improvisation techniques across instrumental disciplines

• Understanding style and content of specific instruments

• Recognising the stylistics traits of varied instruments

• Understanding musical devices across instrumental disciplines: melodic/ harmonic/ rhythmic

• Recognising the stylistic traits in different instrumental disciplines

• Generic band score analysis

Digital Popular Music Theory Exams

We’ve been working hard to make our Popular Music Theory Exams available online, and we’re delighted to announce that is now possible to continue your musical progression from the comfort of your own home.

The content of the exams remains largely unchanged and an interactive sheet music editor means you and your students’ exam experience will be straightforward and accessible.

You can learn more about how our Digital Popular Music Theory exams work, including how to enter for an individual exam or arrange a private exam day, here, and download the full list of FAQs below.

During your music theory exam, you will be expected to complete some tasks which involve writing notation. These are completed using software called ‘Flat’, which is embedded into the online exam system. Please download the guidance below for instructions on how to access the software and some sample tasks to help you practise prior to your exam day.