Theory Grade 5 Zero to Hero

Course links

Day One

Italian words –

Terms and signs quiz

Lists of words by language

List of words by grade

Technical names of notes –

There are seven notes in a scale. Each note can be identified by a technical name:

TONIC
SUPERTONIC
MEDIANT
SUBDOMINANT
DOMINANT
SUBMEDIANT
LEADING TONE

Clefs

You need to know four clefs for the test:

TREBLE
BASS
ALTO
TENOR

The treble and bass clefs are by far the most widely used. The alto clef is used by the viola. The tenor clef is used (as well as the bass clef) by the cello and the trombone, when they need to avoid switching between bass and treble clef in some passages.

Chord descriptions –

In Grade 5 Theory, you only have to recognise chords I, II, IV and V.

When the root is the lowest note, the chord is in root position.

Chords can also be inverted (re-ordered).

When a chord is “inverted” the position of the notes is changed around so that the lowest note of the chord is the third or the fifth, rather than the root. We use a lower-case “a” to signify root position, “b” for first inversion (the 3rd is the bottom note) and “c” for second inversion (the 5th is the bottom note).

We use the letters a, b and c (written in lower case letters) to describe the lowest note of a chord.

SO –

When the chord is in root position (hasn’t been inverted), we use the letter a.

When the lowest note is the third, (e.g. E in C major), we use the letter b. This is also called first inversion.

When the lowest note is the fifth, (e.g. G in C major), we use the letter c. This is also called second inversion.

Here is chord I in C major, in its three possible positions: