POPULAR MUSIC THEORY
PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING NOTES CAREFULLY BEFORE STARTING YOUR EXAM
Instructions
■■ Please use the pencil provided to complete your answers.
■■ A sheet of blank manuscript is provided at the back of your paper for any rough work.
■■ Any work you do not want marked should be clearly crossed through.
■■ Answer all questions in the space provided
Exam Content
■■ This exam comprises 4 sections. Answer the questions from all 4 sections:
■■ Musical Notation
■■ Popular Music Harmony
■■ Band Knowledge
■■ Band Analysis
Exam Marks and Classification
■■ The maximum mark for this paper is 100.
■■ Candidates must achieve at least 40% in each section to pass the exam.
■■ Candidates must achieve at least 60% in total to pass the exam.
■■ The maximum mark available is shown in the box to the right of each question.
© Rock School Ltd. 2015.
Rockschool | Popular Music Theory
Section 1 | Music Notation Total marks for this section: 20
Mark:
Q 1.01 | Identify the missing time signature: (Tick one box) 1
# œœ Œ œ œ œ œ
& ˙ . œ œ . w
œ œ J ˙
§ s § d § f
Q 1.02 | Identify the missing time signature: (Tick one box) 1
j ‰
œœ œœœ‰ Œ
ã œ œ Œ œ
œ œ œœ œ
§ s § d § f
Q 1.03 | Identify the missing note value as indicated by a question mark: (Tick one box) 1
44 œr œœœœœ Œ
?
r
§ q § q . § e . § q .
Q 1.04 | Identify the missing rest as indicated by a question mark: (Tick one box) 1
43 œ . œ œ œ œ
Theory_Grade2_01a
§ h § Œ . § ‰ §Œ
2
Music Notation | Section 1
Q 1.05 | Add the three note values together and identify the matching note value from the 1
options below: (Tick one box)
& œ œ œ
§ q . § h . § q § h
Q 1.06 | Add the three note values together and identify the matching note value from the 1
options below: (Tick one box)
& ˙ œ. œ
J R
§ h § q . § w § h .
Q 1.07 | Which note has the same value as the written rest? (Tick one box) 1
& ‰.
r
§ h . § q . § e . § q .
Q 1.08 | Which rest has the same value as the written note? (Tick one box) 1
˙.
&
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§ ‰. § h . § w . § Œ .
3
Section 1 | Music Notation
Q 1.09 | Identify the missing clef and the correct scale name: (Tick two boxes) 2
œ œ #œ œ
œ œ #œ œ
§ Treble clef § Bass Clef
§ G major § F major § D major § B b major
Q 1.10 | Identify the missing clef and the correct scale name: (Tick two boxes) 2
œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ
§ Treble clef § Bass Clef
§ F major § G major § B b major § D major
Q 1.11 | What is the meaning of the P dynamic marking? (Tick one box) 1
§ Very quiet § Becoming quieter § Moderately quiet
Q 1.12 | Which of the following musical examples demonstrates the musical term ‘tenuto’? 1
(Tick one box)
§ œ. œ. œ.
3
§ œ- œ- œ-
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œœ œœ œœ œœ
§ œ œ œ œ
> > > >
4
Music Notation | Section 1
Q 1.13 | Which of the following is the correct symbol for the musical term ‘diminuendo’? 1
(Tick one box)
§ § f § §
Q 1.14 | Circle the three consecutive notes that form the G major chord in the stave below: 3
#4 ˙ œ œ œ œ œ. œ ˙
& 4 ˙ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ J
Q 1.15 | Write down the sequence of letters that represent the order in which the following bars 2
are played from the start to the finish:
.. ..
1. 2.
& A B C D E F
Your answer:
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5
Rockschool | Popular Music Theory
Section 2 | Popular Music Harmony Total marks for this section: 25
Mark:
Q 2.01 | Write ‘S’ in the boxes between notes that are a Semitone apart: 2
b b
&
§ § § § § § §
Q 2.02 | Add a note to the right of each of the following notes to create the requested melodic intervals: 3
& œ & bœ ? #œ
major 3rd minor 3rd major 2nd
Q 2.03 | Using whole notes, write a one-octave descending scale of B b major. Do not use a key 5
signature; instead, add accidentals as needed:
&
Q 2.04 | Using whole notes, write a one-octave ascending scale of E natural minor. Add the correct 5
key signature if needed:
?
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Q 2.05 | Using whole notes, complete the stave below by adding the notes of a one-octave ascending 5
and descending arpeggio in the minor key shown by the clef and key signature:
?b
6
Popular Music Harmony | Section 2
Q 2.06 | Circle the group of three notes that form a B b major chord: 1
B b C D B b D G B b D F B b C E b B b E b Ab
Q 2.07 | Circle the group of three notes that form an D major chord: 1
D A C # D F A # D C B D F G D F# A
Q 2.08 | Circle the group of three notes that form a F major chord: 1
F A b D F E C F A C F C D F G# A
Q 2.09 | Circle the major chord that shares its name with the key indicated by the key signature 2
and clef. Finally, add the chord name on the line below the stave:
## œœœ œœœ
& œœœ œœœ
Chord name:
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7
Rockschool | Popular Music Theory
Section 3 | Band Knowledge | Part 1 – Identification Total marks for this section: 25
Mark:
D E
F
C
The following three questions refer to the labelled
B
image of the drum kit on the right:
Q 3.01 | Which letter corresponds to the low tom? 1
Your answer:
Q 3.02 | Which letter corresponds to the crash cymbal? 1
Your answer:
Q 3.03 | What is the name of the part of the drum kit labelled ‘E’? 1
Your answer:
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8
Band Knowledge | Section 3
The following three questions refer to the close-up image
of part of a guitar on the right: D E
F
C
A B C
G
Q 3.04 | Which of the following words best represents the part of the guitar labelled ‘A’ above? 1
(Tick one box)
§ Fret § String § Body § Saddle § Bridge § Fretboard
Q 3.05 | Which of the following words best represents the part of the guitar labelled ‘B’ above? 1
(Tick one box)
§ Fret § String § Body § Saddle § Bridge § Fretboard
Q 3.06 | Which of the following words best represents the part of the guitar labelled ‘C’ above? 1
(Tick one box)
§ Fret § String § Body § Saddle § Bridge § Fretboard
Q 3.07 | How many strings does a bass guitar have? 1
Your answer:
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Q 3.08 | On a piano with two pedals, what is the name of the pedal on the right? 1
Your answer:
9
Section 3 | Band Knowledge
Q 3.09 | On a piano with two pedals, what is the name of the pedal on the left? 1
Your answer:
Q 3.10 | What colour is the key of the note D natural on a piano keyboard? 1
Your answer:
A
B
The following three questions refer to the labelled C
image on the right: D
E
Q 3.11 | Which letter points to the trachea? (Tick one box) 1
§A §B §C §D §E
Q 3.12 | Which letter points to the lungs? (Tick one box) 1
§A §B §C §D §E
Q 3.13 | Which letter points to the jaw? (Tick one box) 1
§A §B §C §D §E
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10
Band Knowledge | Section 3
Section 3 | Band Knowledge | Part 2 – Notation and Techniques
The following three questions refer to the one-bar extract of drum notation below:
j
4
y A5 C y y 5 ‰5 y
ã4 5 5 5 J 5
Q 3.14 | Along with the bass drum, which drum voice is played on beat 1? 1
Your answer:
Q 3.15 | In which beat is the last closed hi-hat played? (Tick one box) 1
§1 §2 §3 §4
Q 3.16 | Name the technique used to play the snare drum on beat 4: 1
Your answer:
The following three questions refer to the one-bar extract of guitar notation below:
b4 œœœ œœ
b
& 4 œ œœœ œ œœœ
.
PM
Q 3.17 | Add notation indicating that the first two notes of the bar should be played as a pull-off. 1
Q 3.18 | Add a tenuto marking to the second eighth-note of beat 3. 1
Q 3.19 | In beat 4, what do the letters ‘PM’ stand for? 1
Theory_Grade2_01a
Your answer:
11
Section 3 | Band Knowledge
The following three questions refer to the one-bar extract of piano/keyboard notation below:
## 4 Œ œœ œ œœ
& 4 œ œ œ œœ œ
> > œ
f >
? # # 44 œj ‰ ‰ œj œ œ œ œ
.
Q 3.20 | Which word best fits the blanked out space below? (Tick one box) 1
The symbol below the first note in the left-hand part is a .
§ Crescendo § Staccato § Tenuto § Accent
Q 3.21 | Name the symbol, shown as long diverging lines between the left and right-hand parts, 1
that gradually affect the music throughout beats 3 and 4:
Your answer:
Q 3.22 | Which word best fits the blanked out space below? (Tick one box) 1
The two eighth notes in the left-hand part in beat 3 are .
§ tied § played legato § grace notes § hammered-on
The following three questions refer to the one-bar extract of vocal notation below:
>œ œ
4
&b4 œ œ œ œ-
1. Think we are go ing out.
2. When will we set off home?
Q 3.23 | Circle the B b note in the notation above. 1
Q 3.24 | What is the second line of lyrics for? 1
Theory_Grade2_01a
Your answer:
Q 3.25 | Find and add the missing hyphen to the lyrics. 1
12
Popular Music Theory | Rockschool
Section 4 | Band Analysis Total marks for this section: 30
Mark:
The following questions relate to a separate document titled ‘Band Analysis Score’ which will have been supplied to
you along with this examination paper. Note that the score contains blank areas that are to be filled as part of the
tasks that follow:
Q 4.01 | Add a tempo marking to the score that indicates the piece is to be played at 1
95 beats per minute.
Q 4.02 | What is the time signature of this piece? 1
Your answer:
Q 4.03 | What is the key of this piece? 1
Your answer:
Q 4.04 | Name the two types of cymbal used in this piece: 2
Cymbal 1:
Cymbal 2:
Q 4.05 | Name the two rest values appearing in the guitar part in bar 4: 2
Your answer:
Q 4.06 | Name the pitch of the only note in the score with a natural sign before it: 1
Your answer:
Q 4.07 | Circle the two consecutive notes that form the melodic interval of a minor 3rd in bar 1 1
Theory_Grade2_01a
of the bass guitar part.
Q 4.08 | Which melodic interval is formed by the last two notes of bar 3 of the bass guitar part? 1
Your answer:
13
Section 4 | Band Analysis
Q 4.09 | How many times is the hi-hat played closed in bar 1? 1
Your answer:
Q 4.10 | The hi-tom is played only once in the score. Add an accent to it. 1
Q 4.11 | Add dynamic markings in bar 1 to show that all instruments play moderately loudly. 1
Q 4.12 | Add an appropriate symbol under the drum part in bar 2 to show that it gradually 1
increases in volume throughout the bar.
Q 4.13 | Add notation to bar 2 of the bass guitar part indicating that the player should slide 1
between the G and F # notes.
Q 4.14 | Add a tenuto symbol to the note of the longest rhythmic value played by the guitar. 1
Q 4.15 | In the bass guitar part, add notation to beat 2 of bar 3 indicating that the two eighth 1
notes should be played as a hammer-on.
Q 4.16 | Briefly describe how the snare drum is played in bar 4. Only naming the technique is 1
not a sufficient answer:
Your answer:
Q 4.17 | Add the following notation to bar 4 of the bass guitar part: 5
Beat 1: An eighth note D (on the stave) followed by an eighth note E above it.
Beat 2: An eighth-note rest followed by an eighth note E below the stave.
Beat 3: A half-note rest.
Q 4.18 | Add a rest to the final bar of the drum part to complete the bar. 1
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14
Band Analysis | Section 4
Q 4.19 | The style of this piece is rock. From the following list, identify three features in the score 6
that are typically found in this style. State the instrument and location (e.g. piano – bars
1 and 3) for each feature you choose: (Tick three boxes)
§ Powerchords Location:
§ Backbeat groove Location:
§ Continuous 16th note hi-hat Location:
§ Walking bassline Location:
§ Eighth-note snare/tom fill Location:
§ Triads in quarter notes Location:
Theory_Grade2_01a
15
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