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Welcome to the Trinity Grade 5 Music Theory start page!

Trinity Grade 5 Syllabus

Rhythm and Form

  • Time signatures of 4/2, 6/4 and 7/4
  • Time signature changes within an extract
  • Rules for grouping note and rest values within new time signatures (including grouping indications at the beginning of bars or scores, e.g. 2,3 or 3,2)
  • Grouping demisemiquavers (32nd notes) in simple and compound time
  • Semiquaver (16th note) triplets
  • The breve (double whole note)
  • Strophic, Verse and Refrain (or Chorus) and binary forms

Pitch

  • Naming and using notes in tenor clef
  • Ab, Db, E and B major keys (for all major keys for the grade: scales, key signatures, one-octave arpeggios, broken chords and tonic triads (root, first or second inversion))
  • F, Bb, C# and G# minor keys (for all minor keys for the grade: scales — natural (Aeolian mode) and harmonic and melodic, key signatures, one-octave arpeggios, broken chords and tonic triads (root, first or second inversion))
  • Identifying the key of a piece in Ab, Db, E or B major, and F, Bb, C# or G# minor
  • 2nd degree of the major/minor scale being known as the supertonic or re (major keys only)
  • Supertonic triads for all keys covered so far
  • Major/minor supertonic triad labelled:
    — as a chord symbol above the music (e.g. Dm in the key of C major or B dim (or B°) in the key of A minor)
    — as a Roman numeral below the music (e.g. ii in the key of C major or ii° (dim) in the key of A minor)
  • Recognising imperfect cadences
  • Double sharps and double flats and general enharmonic equivalents
  • Recognising and writing C and G pentatonic major scales
  • Inversions of all intervals covered in Grades 1–4 within an octave
  • Recognising and writing accented passing notes and understanding acciaccatura, appoggiatura, upper and lower mordents and trills
  • Understanding upper and lower auxiliary notes
  • Writing tonic, supertonic, subdominant, dominant or dominant 7th chords in root, first or second inversions in any key for the grade as well-balanced 4-part chords for SATB
  • Transposing a tune up or down any major, minor or perfect interval within an octave (within the keys for the grade) or for transposing instruments for the grade
  • Ranges of the alto saxophone in Eb and trumpet and clarinet in Bb as defined in the Trinity workbook
  • Concept of modulation
  • Identifying a modulation to the dominant or the relative major/minor keys
  • Musical terms and symbols

Download the complete Trinity Music Theory Syllabus here.