Grade 5 Music Theory

By Chloë

---

Most musicians despise music theory with a passion unmatched to anything else. It lasts two hours, it’s boring and dull and feels like a waste of time. However, if you want to progress and do the higher grades in your instrument(s), it’s a necessity for most major exam boards.

I took this compulsory exam around a year ago and, weirdly enough, I really, really enjoyed it. So much so that I’m currently working towards doing Grade 6 Music Theory, with the aim to continue upwards, and I’ve even stopped the practical side of music altogether. There’s something about the pure logic and the mathematical structure which I love, especially since I’m not doing maths at A Level; it’s nice to continue facing those types of questions.

Thankfully, I passed the exam with a Merit, which is why I want to take the time to explain how I revised for this exam.

1. Get a good textbook. Yes, your teacher is handy, but it will take more than a half-hour lesson per week to feel fully equipped for this exam (sorry if that comes as a disappointment, but it has to be said). The book I used was incredibly user-friendly, fun and informative, and I doubt I would’ve passed without it. This is what the book’s called on Amazon: How To Blitz! ABRSM Theory Grade 5 (2018 Revised Edition)  How To Blitz! ABRSM Theory Grade 5 (2018 Revised Edition) *Pre-Order Now*: Amazon.co.uk: Samanatha Coates: 9781785589393: Books
   
2. Do practice questions. When I did my exam, I didn’t do too many physical notes, instead deciding to spend most of my time working through the past paper questions, which really helped!
   
3. Make flashcards. Most of the information is more memory-based, rather than needing to understand what you are doing fully (that happens in Grade Six and, trust me, I’ve got a stack of notes to prove it). 
   
4. Don’t waste your time. Some of the questions on the exam are worth barely any marks, but require a lot of work and memorising. For instance, there are questions asking what one of those French or German or Italian markings mean- ignore them. Unless you fully understand everything else, there’s no point in learning around 50 terms for 2 marks. 
   

There’s also a few things that you need to note for when you are actually in the exam which I want to briefly touch upon:

1. Write down the circle/cycle of fifths as soon as you sit down. If you don’t know what this is, learn it and learn what it does- it’s a lifesaver. I’d also recommend drawing out a sketch of a piano to refer to throughout the exam.
   
2. Ask for paper. Don’t feel embarrassed to do this, even if no one else is. In my exam I was continuously putting up my hand to the point where they gave me a small stack of paper because I was disturbing the other candidates. Ultimately, if you need to make notes, then do it. 
   
3. Stay in your own headspace and try not to be intimidated. When I took my exam, I was the eldest there, surrounded by 9-year-olds who finished the entire paper in about half the time it took me. Try to ignore this and stay focused on your own work, and don’t feel pressured to leave early when other people do. Use your time, and take as long as you need to.
   

These are all my tips for now and I really hope they helped. I understand that Grade 5 Music Theory can seem like a chore and a hassle (as well as confusing and intimidating), but soon it will be over and, you never know, you might even end up enjoying it!