Remembering Relatives

Related keys share the same key signature. You can work out the relative minor of any
major key by ‘counting’ down 3 semitones. In Grade 2 we learned that the best way to
remember relatives is to make up a word beginning and ending with the letters of the
related keys!

Relatives Key Signature of these keys Word to remember relatives

Word beginning with ‘C’ and
C major  ending with ‘A’:
is related to
A minor  ______________

 Word beginning with ‘G’ and

G major
 ending with ‘E’:
is related to
E minor  ______________

'
Word beginning with ‘F’ and
F major
ending with ‘D’:

is related to
D minor ' ______________



Word beginning with ‘D’ and
D major
ending with ‘B’:
is related to
B minor

______________

Write these key signatures (watch out for clef changes!):

    

D major E minor D minor F major G major

DID YOU KNOW... B minor is not actually one of the keys set for study in Grade 3.
But since B minor is D major’s relative minor, it’s handy to know it anyway!
3
 Three New Flat Keys
There are three new major keys with flats in Grade 3.

' ' '

' ' '  ' ''
 ''  ''  '' '
' '
B flat major E flat major A flat major

How many flats does E flat major have? ____ How many flats in A flat major? ____
What about B flat major? ____ Do the flats always appear in the same order? ______ .

'
 ' '''''


Flats also are ALWAYS written in the same order: 

 '''
B E A D G C F. Here is the entire ‘family’ of flats: 

''''
2.

You might be thinking we need to make up another sentence for the order of flats. 
Well guess what? We don’t have to... it’s the same as the order of the sharps, but 
BACKWARDS! (How convenient) 

We also need to get the positioning of the flats just right. Write these key signatures 
(watch out for clef changes!):
3.

     

B flat major A flat major E flat major B flat major A flat major 

4.

DID YOU KNOW... The Blitz Key Signature Table is the perfect aid
for memorising key signatures!
5 6
 for memorising key signatures!
5 6

Let’s Write Scales

Top Tips for Superb Scales

Semitones in major scales fall between scale degrees 3-4 and 7-8
Semitones in minor scales fall between scale degrees 2-3, 5-6 and 7-8
Avoid marking 6-7 in minor scales - this is not a tone OR a semitone!
Count up from the lowest note of the scale when marking tones or semitones
Remember to raise the 7th note in minor scales
Tick off each scale instruction after you have completed and checked it!

__ . Write an E major scale:

 write the key signature

 use semibreves 
 write one octave going up

2. Write a D harmonic minor scale:

 use accidentals 
 use crotchets
 write one octave going down

es  mark the tones

3. Write the major scale with the given key signature:

 use minims
'
 write one octave going up '
or  mark the semitones

4. Add a clef and any accidentals required to make this an A flat major scale.

N N N N N N N N
5 6
 Scale Practice (what fun) Scale Degree Names
1. Write the scale of G harmonic minor Many times we have referred to scale degree no.1 as the ‘tonic’ (e.g. tonic triads). This
is known as a ‘technical’ scale degree name. Now it’s time to learn the technical names
 use accidentals – not the key signature
for all the other scale degrees!
 use crotchets
 write one octave going up and one octave going down
 mark the tones Scale Degree Number Technical Name Handy Hint for Remembering
 complete the scale with a double bar line
1 ToNiC You already know this one

 2 SuPertoNic ‘Super’ means above

3 MEDiANT Think ‘Doh-Reh-Mediant’!

2. Write the major scale with the given key signature ‘Sub’ means ‘under’: no. 4 is
4 SuBDoMiNANT
under no. 5!
 use minims
 write two octaves going down 5 DoMiNANT You just need to know this one
 mark the semitones
Mediant is 3 above (-2-3), so
6 SuBMEDiANT
 '' ' ‘sub’ mediant is 3 below (-7-6)
' 7 LEADiNG NoTE It ‘leads’ to the tonic!

3. Write the harmonic minor scale that starts on the given note

 add the key signature Notice how there is no number ‘8’? We talk about no. 8 when referring
 write one octave going down and one octave going up to scales, but no. 8 is really just the same as no. 1 - it’s the tonic!
 mark the semitones
 complete the scale with double bar line The following notes are all from C major. Can you write the correct scale degree name

N{
under each?

3 3
 3 3
3 3
HERE’S A THOUGHT: If you are asked to write a C minor scale using accidentals instead of a key
signature, the 7th note doesn’t actually need a natural sign! _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________
8 9
 8 9

is In
ru

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e

9 2
 intervals
In Grade 3 we approach intervals in exactly the same way as we did for Grade 2. The
rules are the same, there are just more keys to learn! Let’s do some quick revision:
  3
 Unisons, 4ths, 5ths and 8ves are PerFect  3  '3  3 3
 2nds and 7ths are MAJoR

 3rds and 6ths are either MAJoR or MiNoR

The bottom note is always the tonic, and the top note comes from the major or minor
3
3
 '3  '33  '3
scale on that tonic. Just like Grade 2, there’s only one way to blitz your intervals...
3   '33
LEARN youR KEy SiGNATuRES!
'3

HOT TIP: 3rds and 6ths will always be major if the tonic is F, B flat, E flat, or A flat. That’s because we
only study major keys on those notes!

33  '3 3
Name these intervals. Remember that the bottom note is the tonic!

  '3
3  3  3
3 3 3
3
 '3
3  3  3
3 '3
 3
'  '3
__________ __________ __________ __________ __________

Write these intervals above the given tonic notes. Don’t forget that ‘perfect’ intervals
   3 '3
 '3 3
often need accidentals - especially if the bottom note is B , E or A !
 3 
 3   '3  
 '3 
'3 3
major 3rd perfect 4th perfect 5th minor 6th perfect 8ve

'3   3
 '3   3 '3 '3  
'3    '3
major 2nd perfect 5th perfect 4th major 6th major 7th '3 3
2
 major 2nd perfect 5th perfect 4th major 6th major 7th '3
2

Timed Test
Timed Test Time:
Time: Triads
Time
Timeyourself
Time yourself
yourselfdoing
doing
doingthis
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quiz.
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it
itas
as
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youcan,
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then
thenrecord
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recordyour
your
yourfinishing
finishing
finishingtime
time
time Up until now we have only dealt with the tonic triad, also known as chord I. If we build
above.
above.But...
above. But...
But...guess
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guesswhat?
what?
what?Your
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oN
oN 1010
10 SECoNDS
SECoNDS
SECoNDSforfor
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every
everymistake
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mistake a triad on scale degree no. 4, it is the subdominant triad (chord IV), and a triad on
you
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clock! no. 5 is - you guessed it - the dominant triad (chord V). Let’s look at C major triads:

3 33 33
''
'' ''  3
 3 33 33
33
3 33
33
3 3
33
33 33
33 33
33
..
. Name
Name
Nametwo
two
twokeys
keys
keyswith
with
withthis
this
thiskey
key
keysignature:
signature:
signature:  __________
__________and
__________ and
and__________
__________
__________
33
33 33
33 3 3

 N NN ''NN NN NN ''NN NN NN
 Tonic (I) Subdominant (IV) Dominant (V)
2.
2. Name
2. Name
Namethis
this
thisscale:
scale:
scale:
N ______________
______________
______________

The chords on the tonic (I), subdominant (IV) and dominant (V) are known as the three
3.
3. Mark
3. Mark
Markthe
the
thesemitones
semitones
semitonesin
in
inthe
the
thescale
scale
scaleabove.
above.
above. PriMArY triads. (Notice we always use Roman numerals when referring to chords!)

''
4.
4. Write
4. Write
Writethe
the
themediant
mediant
mediantnote
note
noteof
of
ofthis
this
thismajor
major
majorkey:
key:
key: '' ''''
 DID YOU KNOW... All of these chords are in ‘root position’. This means that the
bottom note is the ‘root’ of the chord.
5.
5. How
5. How
Howmany
many
manysemiquavers
semiquavers
semiquaversare
are
arethere
there
therein
in
inaaadotted
dotted
dottedcrotchet?
crotchet?
crotchet?______
______
______

''33 When you write chords, you may go up or down to chords IV and V, e.g:

 33
  3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3  3
3 3
6.
6. Name
6. Name
Namethis
this
thisinterval:
interval:
interval: ____________
____________
____________
3 or 3 3
3
3 3
3
33
7.
7. Write
7. Write
Writeaaamajor
major
major7th
7th
7thabove
above
abovethis
this
thisnote:
note:
note: 
 Write the three primary triads in the following major keys, then write the name and
number of each chord underneath.

'
8.
8. What
8. What
Whatis
is
isthe
the
thetechnical
technical
technicalname
name
nameof
of
ofscale
scale
scaledegree
degree
degreeno.6?
no.6?
no.6?_____________
_____________
_____________

'' ' ' 3

3
3
9.
9. Name
9. Name
Namethis
this
thisminor
minor
minorkey
key
keyand
and
andscale
scale
scaledegree:
degree: '' 33
degree:  _____________________
_____________________
_____________________
Tonic (I) ______________ _____________

StoP
StoP tHe
StoP tHe
tHe cLocK
cLocK
cLocK --- FiLL
FiLL
FiLL iN
iN
iN Your
Your
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At
At tHe
tHe
tHe toP!
toP!
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After
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After marking
markingthis
this
thiswith
with
withyour
your
yourteacher,
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tick
tickone
one
oneof
of
ofthe
the
thefollowing:
following:
following:

______________ ______________ ______________

IImade
madenonomistakes!
mistakes!II IImade
made_____ mistakes. 
_____ mistakes.
_____

keepmymytime
keep timeofof_______
_______ !!
_______ MyMynew
newtime
timeisis________
________
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______________ ______________ ______________
4
4
4 5
d

5
5

Chord V in Minor Keys terrific

terrific triads
triads
Chord V contains the leading note, and - as you know - in minor keys the leading note .. Write
Writethe
thefollowing
followingtriads
triadsusing
usingkey
keysignatures
signatures



needs to be raised. Let’s look at the dominant chords of G minor and C minor:


 

' ' 3
' 3
3
3
These leading notes need to be raised
with a sharp (do this now)
' 3
3 AAflat
flatmajor
major EEminor
minor AAmajor
major
Subdominant
Subdominant(IV)
(IV) Dominant
Dominant(V)
(V) Dominant
Dominant(V)
(V)
' 3 ' 3
3
' ' 3 ' ' 3
These leading notes need to be raised Firstinversion
First inversion Firstinversion
First inversion Rootposition
Root position
3 with a natural (do this now)
REMEMBER:You
REMEMBER: Youonly
onlyhave
haveto
toraise
raisethe
theleading
leadingnote
noteininchord
chordVVininMINOR
MINORkeys!
keys!

DID YOU KNOW... In root position, the leading note is the middle note of chord V, but in first 2. When
2. Whenwriting
writingtriads,
triads,we
wemust
musttake
takespecial
specialcare with:(circle
carewith: (circlecorrect
correctanswer)
answer)
inversion, the leading note is on the BOTTOM of chord V! A.
A. Chord
ChordVVininall
allkeys
keys
B.
B. Chord
ChordVVininminor
minorkeys
keysonly
only
The following are all dominant triads in minor keys. Find the leading note in each chord C.
C. Chords
ChordsI,I,IV
IVand
andVVininminor
minorkeys
keys
and raise it with the correct accidental:
3
 '' 3
3
3  3
3
3  '' 3
3
' 3  3
3
' 3
3 3
3.
3. Name
Namethese
thesetriads
position
positionor
triadsas
orfirst
asI,I,IV
IVor
firstinversion.
inversion.
orVVof
oftheir
theirkey,
key,and
andstate
statewhether
whetherthey
theyare
areininroot
root

33
 ''' ''
 33 ''
'' 33
33  
 33
33
3 '' 33
33
3
Write the following dominant triads with key signatures in root position (remember to raise the ' '' 33
33  3  3
leading note in minor keys only):

  
  
Key
Key____________
____________ Key
Key____________
____________ Key
Key____________
____________ Key
Key____________
____________
   Triad
Triad___________
___________ Triad
Triad___________
___________ Triad
Triad___________
___________ Triad
Triad___________
___________
Position
Position_________
_________ Position
Position_________
_________ Position
Position_________
_________ Position
Position_________
_________
D major G minor A flat major A minor F major
dominant (V) dominant (V) dominant (V) dominant (V) dominant (V)

HERE’S
HERE’SAATHOUGHT...
THOUGHT...WhenWhenchord
chordVVisiswritten
writtenwith
withaccidentals
accidentalsinstead
insteadofofaakeykeysignature,
signature,it’s
it’s
And now write these dominant triads in first inversion with key signatures:
impossible
impossibletototell
tellwhether
whetherit’s
it’sfrom
fromthethemajor
majorororminor
minorkey.
key.Your
Youranswer
answerwill
willbebecorrect
correcteither
eitherway!
way!
    
4.
4. Name
Namethe
thekey
keyof
ofthese
thesedominant
dominanttriads:
triads:

33
E major D minor B flat major E minor C minor

 3
33
33
3 
 3
33
3
dominant (V) dominant (V) dominant (V) dominant (V) dominant (V) _______________
_______________ _______________
_______________
8 9
9
_
__
_

___
9
___
9

Vocal ranges and Spacing

Before you start to write your own chords in 4-part vocal style, it is important to know
how high and low each voice can sing. Here are the ranges of each voice:
These are usually female voices
3 3
Soprano  3 Alto 
These are usually male voices 3
3
 3 3

Tenor Bass 3
Sing some melodies with your teacher. Which ‘voice’ are you? ____________

DID YOU KNOW... Each voice has a range of 12 notes, or an octave plus a fifth. If you memorise
the lowest note for each voice, it’s easy to work out the highest note!

When you write chords for choirs, it’s very important to know how to space the notes.
The rules for spacing are:

 Soprano must not be more than one octave away from Alto

 Alto must not be more than one octave away from Tenor
(this can be tricky to spot since these two voices are written on different clefs)
 Tenor and Bass can be as far apart as they like!

r
(But they must stay within vocal range!)
3 3 3 3 3
3
 3 3 3 3
3 3  Tenor may not sing higher than alto and alto may not sing lower than

3 3
3 3 3 3 tenor in any one chord (i.e. these voices may not ‘cross’)

 3
s 3 3 3 3 3
r
Check out these chords for choirs. Spot the mistakes in spacing or voice-crossing!
3
3 3
3 3 3
3
 3 3 3 3
3
3 3
3 3 3
 3
s 3 3 3
3 3 3
23
 HOT TIP: One way to ensure good spacing of your chords is to keep the tenor part quite high. This way it’s
easy to keep the alto part within an octave of the tenor!
ow
Now you can write your own combinations of the following chords in 4-part vocal style.
Write the key signature, and add stems to make all the notes minims.

r r r
  
  
s s s
A major A flat major E minor
Chord IV Chord I Chord V (Be careful!)

r r r
  
  
s s s
s.
C major A minor E major
Chord V Chord V Chord I

r
 3
3
Did you know, it’s actually possible to have tenor and
bass singing the same note! To show this in semibreves,
 33
s
write the notes side by side, like the ‘unison’ interval:

r
an

 N
N
To show two voices on the same note in minims
or crotchets, simply put two stems on the same
 N
s
note, one up and one down, like this:

Go to www.blitzbooks.com.au and download some free ‘cadence style’

manuscript paper. Write chords I, IV and V in D, G and A major AND minor!
23 25
 manuscript paper. Write chords I, IV and V in D, G and A major AND minor!
23 25

the Perfect cadence

Play through some pieces on your instrument. You will notice that most of the time, the

. last two notes or bars are based on chords V and I. This is called a Perfect Cadence.

A Perfect Cadence is made up of chords V-I. Chord V always goes first!

r 
Here is a perfect cadence in G major written in 4-part vocal style:

 3
3 3
3
3 3

) s 3 3
Things to Notice V I

Which voice is singing the leading note in chord V? ______________

Which voice is singing the tonic in chord I? ______________ (apart from the Bass)

Which voice is singing the same notes in both bars/chords? ______________

Which voice is singing the root of the chord in both bars/chords? ______________

What key is the above Perfect Cadence in? _________________

This D minor cadence is voiced differently.

Which voice is singing ‘Leading note to r ' 3 3

Tonic’? _______ Which voice has the  3 3
3
' 3
‘Note in Common’? _______

s 3 3
Which voice is singing the root of the
chords? _______
V I

HOT TIP: Perfect cadences in minor keys need special attention. You’ll need to find the leading
! note (which is always in chord V) and raise it with a sharp or a natural sign!
25 26
 HOT TIP I: The leading note does not appear in plagal cadences, so you don’t need to worry about including
accidentals in minor keys - phew!)
HOT TIP II: Sometimes the question does not tell you which rhythmic value to use when writing cadences. In
this case it’s usually easiest to write in semibreves - no stems to worry about!

Write these two plagal cadences with key signatures. Remember the three steps:

. Bass sings the root of the chords

2. Note in common
3. Remaining two voices step down

r r
 

 
s s
A major D minor

Now let’s revise plagal AND perfect cadences. Write the key signature and use minims:

r r
 

 
s s
A minor E flat major
perfect cadence plagal cadence

Go to www.blitzbooks.com.au and download some free ‘cadence style’

manuscript paper. Then write perfect and plagal cadences in E, C and G major
AND minor! (That’s 12 cadences in total - have fun!)
30
 Pianoforte Style cadence Practice

r
‘Pianoforte style’ cadences have 3 notes in the treble and a single note in the bass. . Write the following cadences using minims. Write the key signature first.
Think of this style as ‘chords for pianists’ rather than ‘chords for choirs’!
 
 NN NN
One stem for 3 notes in the
N N One note in the bass.  
treble. The middle note decides The normal rules for s
 N
the direction of the stem N stem direction apply G minor, perfect cadence E major, plagal cadence
pianoforte style four-part vocal style

Rules for Pianoforte Style Check list: Notes spaced correctly in each style

 Write 3 notes in the treble and one note in the bass (see above for rules for stems) L.N. to tonic in same voice or same part of chord (perfect cadences only)
 The bass notes must be the root of the chords. No leaps except for the bass part - all parts move by step.
 The leading note (L.N.) must go to the tonic. (In the cadence above, the L.N. is the
top of chord V and the tonic is the top of chord I. They are in the same ‘voice’.)

r
2. Write a plagal cadence in A minor, first in vocal style then in pianoforte style!
 The note in common must also be in the same ‘voice’. (In the cadence above, the
note in common is the middle note of each chord.)
 
 The 3 notes in the treble must be within one octave.

 
s
 The cool thing is you don’t have to worry about vocal ranges!

Write the following cadences in pianoforte style using minims.

  DID YOU NOTICE... the ‘brackets’ connecting treble and bass clefs are different for the two different styles?
Piano music always has the curvy bracket and choir music always has the straight bracket. Interesting, huh?
 

r 
3. Name the key of each of these cadences and name them as either perfect or plagal.

' 3 N N
' 3
B flat major, plagal cadence E minor, perfect cadence
3
3 3
3  N N
 '' 3  NN N
s
IMPORTANT NOTICE! 3
From 2009 onwards, pianoforte style will not be tested in Grade 3 or 4 Theory exams, only 4-part vocal style.
Key: ________________ Key: ________________
However, pianoforte style is still on the Grade 5 syllabus! Therefore it’s included in some of the exercises.
Cadence:_____________ Cadence:_____________
32 33
 Cadence:_____________ Cadence:_____________
32 33

Tails, Beams and Dots

Quick revision of 2nd grade stuff:

Quaver notes and rests have one tail (  ) or one hook ( ) and they are worth half a
crotchet beat.

Semiquaver notes and rests have two tails ( ) or two hooks (  ) and are worth one
quarter of a crotchet beat.

Quavers are grouped by one beam () - they are worth half a crotchet beat each.
Semiquavers are grouped by two beams () - they are worth one quarter each.

New Grade 3 Stuff:

Sometimes we get a mixture of beams! For instance: 
How many notes have one beam? ____How many notes have two beams? ____

So this needs some fancy maths: ½ + ¼ + ¼ = ____

How about this one: Answer: _______

In grade 3 we also get more complicated dotted rhythms. A dot makes a note or rest
longer. The dot equals half the value of the note or rest.

 = ____ (4 + 2) = ____ (½+¼) = ____ (½+¼)

Dotted quavers are ALWAYS followed by a semiquaver, e.g.   or   or 

al.
HOT TIP: has exactly the same value as  - it’s worth one crotchet beat!

A A A A{ ? A A ? A ? A I A{ A A A{ ?
Add the correct time signature to these rhythms:

 ! ! 

A{ A A ? I A A A ? A A ? I{ A
! ! ! !
33 35
 introducing  and  Completing the bar can be tricky in  and . Let’s complete this bar with rests:
. Always follow  with , no matter what the
 and  we have a ‘2’ for the bottom number. This means that the beats are
 0
 AA0
In time signature!
MINIM beats. The minim beats are not dotted, so these are SIMPLE time signatures. 2. Add to make it up to a crotchet beat
 means two minim beats per bar, simple duple.  can also be written as . This is 3. Next add  to complete the first minim beat
known as ‘Cut Common’ time. 4. Fill the rest of the bar with two minim rests!

 means three minim beats per bar, simple triple.

In  () and , quavers are grouped in fours, to show the minim beats, like this: Handy Hints for completing the bar in  and :

 with 
 A A A A A A A A A A A A
 FIRST make semiquaver beats up to quaver beats, e.g. follow

A A A A A A A A  THEN make quaver beats up to crotchet beats, e.g. follow  with 

 THEN make crotchet beats up to minim beats, e.g. follow  with 

HOT TIP:  and  look very similar as they both contain 4 crotchet beats. The grouping of quavers can be  In  you may need two minim rests in a row to complete the bar. Don’t be tempted
your big clue when trying to tell the difference between them!
to use  instead - you may not group two minim rests together!

Complete the following bars using rests.

Add the correct time signatures to these bars. (Warning: Do not write  as your answer! You must write )

AAAAAA?
 A0  A+
3 3
A A AAAAAAAA 3

0 +  N A
0  A{
A AAA{ A I AAA ? A K A A AAA A A A A

Add a time signature and bar lines to these FOUR-BAR melodies (watch out for an anacrusis!).

A { A+ {
At each place marked with an arrow, write one note to complete the bar.
 A 3 A A A A A A A A N
N
N{ A A A A

 AA AA AA II AA AA AA AA AA NN A{ AA A{
A{ A{ AA II AA AA
 ''
' A A AAA A A A A A { A+ A A A A 3{ 33
 
36 37
 36 37

 is just like 
e

 has 9 quaver pulses per bar, and the pulses are grouped into threes. So  means
‘three dotted crotchets per bar, compound triple’. It’s like an extension of !
at

s! Time signature Beats Pulses

    
       
The grouping rules for are the same as . Within each dotted crotchet beat, it’s OK
to group the first two quaver pulses together, but not the second two.
Wrong Right!
 + @ +
A AAAI @   A+ I I A A A @ I
ed

Complete these bars using rests. In Grade 3 you can use  instead of  if you like!
 0  +
A A

 ! You have to write N{ A{

HERE’S A THOUGHT... there’s no note long enough to fill a whole bar of 

In Grade 3 we often see a dotted quaver/semiquaver pattern, like this: 

Just imagine that  is a variation of  - it’s worth one dotted crotchet beat!
Look! In grade 3 you can use 
Write the correct time signature for these rhythms:

A{ A A @ I N{ @{

A
+
A A A I A{ A
+ I I @{
37 39
 The Duplet
2
A A. It is equal to three quavers, or one
A duplet looks like this A A or like this
dotted crotchet beat. For instance: 2

2
A A = A A A = A < < <

The definition of a duplet is:

‘two notes played in the time of three notes of equal value’ (learn this!)
Fill these bars with duplets (don’t forget the number ‘2’)

OK  

Compose 4 bars of rhythm here in  . Use some dotted rhythms and at least one
duplet. Remember, in compound time you can use  instead of   if you want to!
! 

DID YOU KNOW... Duplets are mostly found in compound time signatures -  and . But it is
also possible to have a duplet in , and it would fill up the entire bar!

A A A { A A A
Add time signatures and the missing bar lines to these melodies.

A A+ I I A { A A A A A A + A+ I
   A
2

 A A A { A A A{ A A A A A +
A N{ A{ A A N { A{

2 2

 A A
Complete this bar with rests:
2
39 40
 2
39 40
 Transposition
This is just like Grade 2 transposition - the rhythm and shape of the transposed melody
must be the same as the original. However, in Grade 3 you’ll come across all sorts of
accidentals. You must always include these accidentals in your transposed melody, BUT...
you have to be very careful, because sometimes the accidentals CHANGE! (Veeeery tricky)
For example, here is a melody in C major:

AAA A A A A -A A A
  A A A A A A A A 3

And now here it is again, transposed up to D major. You’ll notice that the accidentals
remain the same:

 A A A A A A A -A A A A A A A A A 3
  A A

But look what happens when the same melody is transposed down to B flat major. The
accidentals CHANGE because of the new key signature:

' A A -A 'A A A
'  A A A A A A A A -A A A A 3

The most important thing to remember is that accidentals do a job:


A sharp sign ( ) always raises a note by one semitone


A flat sign ( ) always lowers a note by one semitone


A natural sign ( ) could be raising or lowering a note - it depends on the
key signature!
47
 the Anacrusis in Poetry More About rhythm Writing
Sometimes the first word or syllable of a line is not accented. All you have to do is Sometimes the second line of poetry is a little shorter, and you may end up with only 7
remember that the upright lines show us the strong or medium accents in the bar. accents, like this:
I used to like Winter but now I like Spring
The wind was strong, the rain was harsh, The flowers are ev’rywhere.

The storm was the worst of the year so far.

In ,  and , it is not enough to have only 7 bars - this is not regarded as a
In the first line, “The” will be an anacrusis. ‘balanced’ rhythm. You must add an 8th bar and tie the last note over, e.g.

In the second line, “The” is not accented and actually belongs in the bar before. It will  + + +
go in the same bar as “harsh”. A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A{ A
I used to like Win - ter but now I like Spring The flow - ers are ev' - ry - where.
It’s best to use a crotchet anacrusis in , ,  and , and a quaver anacrusis in  and
. But here’s the most important thing to remember... Look! The 8th bar
Try writing this verse again in : has been adjusted
you MuST ADJuST youR FiNAL BAR!

See if you can finish these rhythms to the verse above. (Refer to the rhythmic patterns on pages 51
and 52.) Remember to deduct the value of the anacrusis from the last bar!
(A A A
The wind was

Now add some excitement: change  into , or change into !

Top Tips for Ripper Rhythms

Mark the accents first and treat the upright lines as bar lines

 + +
A A A In ,  and , each accent represents one bar
The wind was
In  and , each accent represents HALF a bar
If you have only 7 bars, remember to add an 8th bar and tie the last note over

If there is an anacrusis, make sure you adjust the last bar

Try using  instead of , or  instead of  just for a bit of variety!
REMEMBER: Write the time signature on the first line only, even if your rhythm takes up two lines!
53 54
 53 54

bar
ed
 Terms and Signs
There are LOTS more terms to learn for Grade 3 (oh well). The terms listed
below are in addition to the terms for Grades 1 and 2, which you can download
from www.blitzbooks.com.au. Also try the BlitzBook of Theory Games!

Agitato – with agitation

Attacca – go on at once
Animato – with animation
Tranquillo – calmly
Con anima – with feeling
Con brio – with spirit
Con grazia – with grace
Con forza – with force
Dolce – soft and sweet, sweetly
Risoluto – with resolution
Ben marcato – well marked
Una corda (U.C.) – (one string) with the soft pedal
Tre corde (T.C.) – (3 strings) release the soft pedal
Main droite (M.D) - right hand
Main gauche (M.G) - left hand

Ad libitum – at pleasure, quite freely

Opus (Op.) - a work or group of works
Loco - at normal pitch (after an 8va sign)
Sforzando (sfz or sf) - a strong accent
Forte-piano (fp) - loud then immediately soft
Calando – getting softer and slower
Morendo – dying away
Largamente - broadly
Larghetto - rather broadly
Con moto - with movement
Prestissimo - extremely fast
8va (‘ottava’) - play one octave higher than written
M.M. - Maelzel’s metronome (metronome
marking)

62
 the Sequence Sequences are not always easy to see. Let’s try spotting the sequences in this melody:

  A @ A A A A A A A @ A @ A AA A AAA @
The definition of a sequence is ‘a pattern of notes repeated at a higher or lower pitch’.

A A
 A @ A A A A A A A
All the rhythms and intervals are exactly the same, only the notes are different.
A A A A A
Look at the sequence in this melody: A 3
  A A A A A A A AAA A A AAA A AAN Bars  and 2 are completely different; bars , 3 and 5 are the same in rhythm and
intervals but are not next to each other. Maybe you are thinking: ‘There is no sequence
The first three bars have the same rhythm and the same intervals, but each bar begins here!’ But let’s look again...
one note higher. Which bar breaks the sequence by not following the pattern? ______
Look at bars  and 2, now look at bars 3 and 4. Can you see the similarities? So the
Here is another melody with a sequence: pattern in this sequence is 2 bars long. Mark the sequence with square brackets.

A A A A
 '  A A A A A A A A A A @ Look at bar 5 of the melody above. It seems a third pattern is starting - but bar 6 is different! You must
always check that the patterns are exactly the same length, otherwise they cannot be part of the sequence.
Which two bars have the same rhythm? ________
Sometimes the repeating patterns are a lot higher or lower than the original pattern.
Do they also have the same intervals (shape)? ________
Mark the sequence here with square brackets.:
Then this is a sequence! Put square brackets like this over bars

' A
2 and 3 to ‘mark’ the sequence (one bracket for each pattern).

 ' '  A A A A A
A A A A
A A A A A A @
A sequence must have two or more identical patterns. Look at bars 5 and 6 of this
melody. The rhythm is the same, but the intervals are different, so this is NOT a
sequence: It is possible to have an entire sequence in one bar! Mark the sequence here:

AAAA AAA A A A A A A A A A+ I @ A { A N {

 A N A
  A A A A A A A A  ( N
3
A N @ A A A @
A 
Now look at bars  and 3 of the melody above. They DO have the same rhythm and the
same intervals, but they are not consecutive bars so this is NOT a sequence! Sometimes the patterns have an ‘anacrusis’. You’ll find that the brackets for this
sequence go over the bar lines!

REMEMBER: To make a ‘sequence’, two or more patterns must have identical rhythm and intervals, AND
  + A IA AAA N
they must be consecutive. If the patterns are not next to each other, it’s not a sequence!   A{ A+ A A I A A A A I A A A 
64 65
 
64 65

Timed Test
Timed Test ii
ii Time:
Time:
Once again,
Once again, time
time yourself
yourself doing
doing this
this quiz.
quiz. Do
Do itit as
as fast
fast as
as you
you can,
can, but
but remember
remember your
your
teacher will
teacher will ADD
ADD oN oN 10
10 SECoNDS
SECoNDS for for every
every mistake.
mistake. Start
Start thethe clock!
clock!

.. Write
Write three
three time
time signatures
signatures for
for simple
simple triple
triple time:
time: _____,
_____, _____
_____ and
and _____
_____

''33
ce 2. Name
2. Name this
this interval:
interval:  ''33
 ____________
____________

3. How
3. How many
many bread
bread rolls
rolls are
are there
there in
in aa baker’s
baker’s dozen?
dozen? ____ (heehee)
____ (hee hee)

4. Complete
4. Complete the
the following
following bar
bar using
using notes,
notes, including
including at
at least
least one
one duplet:
duplet:

 AA


 33
5. Name
5. Name the
the key
key of
of this
this tonic
tonic triad:
triad:  33
33 ________________
________________

6. In
6. In perfect
perfect cadences
cadences and
and melody
melody writing,
writing, the
the leading
leading note
note must
must go
go to
to the
the _______
_______

7. Write
7. Write chord
chord IV
IV of
of EE major
major in
in first
first inversion
inversion with
with accidentals:
accidentals: 

8. Mark
8. Mark the
the sequence
sequence in
in this
this melody
melody with
with square
square brackets.
brackets.

 ++ AA ++AA ++AA ++ AA ++AA ++AA AA A{A{ AA{{ AA AA N{N{

 AA
 AA AA AA AA AA AA 
StoP tHe
StoP tHe cLocK
cLocK -- FiLL
FiLL iN
iN Your
Your tiMe
tiMe At
At tHe
tHe toP!
toP!

II made
made nono mistakes!
mistakes! II II made
made _____ mistakes.
_____ mistakes.

keep mymy time

keep _______ !!
time ofof _______ MyMy new
new time
time isis ________
________
65 66
66
 Being a Form Detective

Form Clues
BiNARy Usually 4, 8 or 6 bars long

Two sections Section A often comes to rest on a note from chord V

(AB) No ‘D.C. al fine’ sign

Often 12 bars long, or 8 bars with a ‘D.C al fine’ sign

TERNARy
Section A often ends on a note from chord I
Three sections
The return of section A may be slightly varied
(ABA)
May look like binary form but has ‘D.C al fine’ sign

Often 20 bars long

RoNDo
Section A occurs 3 times, possibly with some variations
Five sections
Could be presented with ‘D.C al fine’ sign
(ABACA)
Your best clue is pieces in Rondo Form are usually very long!

Study the melodies on this page and the next page and name the form of each. Mark
the sections with A, B, C etc.

   A{ A A A { A A A A A A A A{ A A A { A A A A

A A A{
Fine


  A AAA A A A A A A A{ A A A A A A A A A A A{
A D.C. al fine
Form: ____________ Key: ___________

A{ AAA N
@ {{
A A
  A A A A{ A AA A A A A A
 
Form: ____________ Key: ___________
69
 Form: ____________ Key: ___________
69

ne

{{

69
5. Write the following cadences in four-part vocal style with key signatures.

r r
8

 

 
s s
G major C minor
plagal cadence perfect cadence

DID YOU KNOW... In the exam, you must choose between rhythmic invention and melody writing.
Always do the activity you feel more confident with!

6. eitHer Write a suitable rhythmic pattern to these words. 8

I will make sure that I do my best

In the ‘Absolute Final Revision Test’

oR Compose a balanced melody to this rhythm.

 A N AAA A A A A A A A AAA N

3 3

7. Name an ingredient found in chocolate cake __________ (ok this is not really revision) 1

Total: 40 73
 Total: 40 73

8 Word Search
The answers to the clues at the bottom of the page are hidden in the grid!

N R E S I M P L E I M R
R M P O P E R F E C T G
C O M P O U N D L E D F
E N E R E C C O S O U S
D A T A E H N A T O L M
R I R N M L A R U T A N
O P O O A I A E N I G N
C E N A T N R A I A A I
E T O N G N I D A E L R
R R M R T D G M D G P E
8
T O E N E N H L O R E L
N F N M P A T I M D M R

. Type of cadence often used at the end of church music

2. Italian for ‘loud then immediately soft’

3.  and  are both examples of this type of time

4. This note must always go to the tonic

5. ‘Main droite’ means to play with this hand

6. Italian term meaning release the soft pedal The BlitzBook

7. ,  and  are all examples of _______ triple time of Theory
8. Technical name for scale degree no.3

9. This accidental is sometimes used instead of a sharp to raise the 7th Games has
10. Johann Maelzel invented this in 1815 more games,
. Alternative name for the game of football (not essential Grade 3 knowledge)
1 2. Cadence involving the chords V-I
puzzles and
3. Female vocal range beginning on middle C flashcards!
4. Chord V is also known as the ___________ triad
73 74
IMPORTANT: Pianoforte style is no longer tested in Grades 3 and 4 Theory

77
 Now go to www.blitzbooks.com.au and download the same
paper, as well as worksheets, manuscript and more!
80