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Fundamentals of music theory ( part 4 & 5)
Grade 5 music theory is very important for anyone who wants to take higher practical exams to understand the aspects of music, which means deeper understanding about what you are playing. Learning about theory also makes you a better, all-round musician. Therefore in an indirect way it is compulsory. That does not mean grade 5 music theory is the limit. You can take further grades in music theory.
This course will improve your knowledge of music theory, equipping you with the necessary skills to take Trinity college grade 5 theory exam. Fundamentals of music theory cover part 1 to part 5 Trinity college syllabus, and also there is something for everyone. Music theory is often classified as rather dull, but with this course you will learn in a fun and engaging way.
What are the benefits or learning music theory?
It can help you to sight read. Sight reading is a massive advantage.
Foundation of music theory helps you to improvise.
It can help you to transpose music.
It can broaden your knowledge in playing and understanding different aspects.
What is a pentatonic scale?
The meaning of pentatonic is “five tones”. Think of the pentagon which has a shape with five sides. Therefore, pentatonic scale is made up with 5 notes. it is also one of the easiest scales to play.
What are the types of pentatonic scales?
There are few types of pentatonic scales but most commonly used ones are:
Major pentatonic scale
Minor pentatonic scale
For grade 5 you only have to learn C and G major pentatonic scales.
Watch the video to find out an easy way to construct a pentatonic scale.
A musical cadence is a melodic or harmonic figure that gives a
sense of closure. It is a special kind of chord progression of at
least two chords that are used to signify that a piece, phrase or
a section has come to an end. Composers use cadences like
punctuation in sentences. They give structure and meaning to
the music.
What are the main types of cadences?
There are 4 main types of cadence you will come across – 2 of
them sound finished, whilst the other 2 sound unfinished. Two
sound finished cadences are also called full close and other
two are called half close cadences.
There are only three cadences that you need to know for grade
5 theory. However most commonly used cadences are:
Perfect - Full close or sound finished
Plagal - Full close or sound finished
Imperfect- Half close or sound unfinished
Interrupted- Half close or sound unfinished
Perfect Cadence
This cadence moves from chord V to chord I. This is also called
as the authentic cadence. Perfect cadence always sounds like
an ending. This is an equivalent of a musical full stop.
Plagal cadence
A Plagal Cadence moves from chord IV to chord I. This
cadence is rarer than the perfect cadence and it can be found a
lot in church music. Many musicians remember the plagal
cadence by singing “AMEN”. This is also an equivalent of a
musical full stop.
Imperfect cadence
An imperfect cadence ends on chord V. It can start on chord I,
II or V. It’s sort of like a musical comma as the music doesn’t
feel quite finished.
Another type of cadence you might want to know although it is
not in grade 5 syllabus is Interrupted cadence. This is
sometimes called “deceptive cadence”. This moves from chord
V to chord VI. This will be useful in GCSE music.
What is modulation?
In music when the original key changes to another key, it is called modulation. When you compose music, one of the key things that you need to do is to choose a key. This key is sometimes called the “home key”.
Why modulation is important?
When you compose a piece of music, if you repeat the same chord progression over and over it will run the risk of becoming dull and boring. In the process of modulation when you change the key, at the very least, the listener will find it interesting because it provides a contrast between different keys .Modulation also gives a structure to a piece, and it is necessary for a longer piece.
What is the requirement for Grade 5 music theory?
Modulation into either the relative major/minor key
Modulation into either the dominant major/minor key
You have to find the perfect cadence in the new key signature and the relationship to the tonic key.
| Modulate from a major key to a relative minor | Sharpen the 5th note of the old key |
| Modulate to the dominant major | Sharpen the 4th note of the old key |
Look at the above example:
The original key is in A major. As per the chart you can see the 5th note of the A major scale (which is E) has been sharpened. Therefore we can say the relationship is relative minor of A major which is F sharp minor.
Also note that the first note at the bottom is C,which is the fifth note of F sharp minor and the last note at the bottom is F. These two notes form the perfect cadence.
| Modulating from a minor key to a relative major | Lower the 7th note of the old key |
| Modulatinf from a minor key to a dominant minor | Sharpen the 4th note of the old key |
Look at the above example:
The original key is in C minor. As per the chart the seventh note, which is B has been changed to a natural. Therefore we can assume that is has been modulated to E flat major. First bottom note is B, which is the fifth note of E flat major scale and the last bottom note is E.
