Music Theory Sample Paper 2020 Grade 2

Exam duration: 11/2 hours maximum Total marks (out of 75):

The following sample exam paper is a printed representation of how this exam will appear
online. The structure of the questions, the knowledge required and the topics covered will be
the same. However, in order to suit an online platform, the wording of the questions and the
method of answering them may be different.

Terminology:
bar semibreve minim crotchet quaver semiquaver
measure whole note half note quarter note 8th note 16th note

© 2020 by The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music 1

Music Theory Sample Paper 2020 Grade 2
Exam duration: 1 ½ hours maximum

1 Rhythm ⁄15

1.1 Circle the correct time signature for each of these bars.
b œ œ œ œ œ
(3)

b
& bb œ œ
&b œ œœ œœ œœ 3 3 2
(a) &b œ 4 8 4
?
? ˙™ œ œ œ ˙ 4 3 C
(b) ? ˙™
˙™
œ œ
œ œ
œ
œ ˙
˙
2 4
# œ œ œ œ œ
c 3 2
(c) & ## œœ œ
œ 3œœ
œ
œ
œ
œ 4 4
&
&
? # 3 ˙™ œ ˙ ˙˙ œœ œœ œœ œ #œ œ
˙™ 3œ ˙
3

?one# 23missing œ #œ œ
? # 23 ˙™
1.2 Add the
˙™
œ ˙to each˙of theseœ five
bar-line
œ
œ œmelodies.
œ #œ œ
œ ˙ œ
(5)

? # 3 ˙™ ˙ œ
œ ˙ ˙ œ œ œ œœ ##œœ œœ
2
? #
2 œœ œ™ œœ ‰ œ œ œœœœ˙
23
(a)
b Ϫ
& b 2 œ œ™ œœ œ ‰ Jœ œ œ œ œ œ ˙˙
& b 2 œ™ œ ‰ Jœ œ œ œ œ œ
& 22 œ œœ J
œ œ œ œ œœ˙
b
(b) & 2 œ œ™ œ œ ‰
b œ ‰ Jœ œ œ œ œ œ ˙
&
? b 23 œ œ œœ œ œ Jœ œ œ ™ œœ œ
2
? b 43 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ™ Jœ œ
? b 43 œ
œ œ œ 3œ œ œ ™ JJ œ
(c)
? b 3 œ œ œ œ 3œ œ œ ™ œ œ
? #b 43 œ œ œ œ œ 3œ œ œ ™ œJ œ
4

& ###4422 œ œ œ ™ œ 3 œœ œ œœ œ œ J
(d) & # 4
# œ œ œ œ œ™ œ3 œ œ œ œ
& ## 42 œœ œ œ œœ œ ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ
2
& ## 42 œ œ œ 3œ œ ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
& b c4 œ œ œ 3œ œ ™ œ œ œ œœœœ œ œ ˙˙
(e) &
b œ™ œ œœ3 œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ ˙
& b c œ™ œ œ3 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
& œ™ œ 3 œ œ œ œ œœ˙
c
b
& œ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
b œ œ œ œ ˙
œ œ œeach œœ œ
c
& Ϫto answer
c
1.3 Tick ( ) one box œ question. (2)

(a) How many semiquavers are there in a q. ? 3 4 5 6

(b) How many crotchets are there in a semibreve? 2 4 6 8

2
1.4 Tick ( ) one box to show which bar is grouped correctly. (1)

&
&&bb44b4444œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ &
&&bb44b4444œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ &
&&bb44b4444œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ

1.5 Tick ( ) or cross ( ) each box to show whether the rests are correct or incorrect. (3)

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ? # 2 œ ‰ Œ œ
& 4 œ™ J Ó ≈ 2 Jœ œ œ œ œ œ
3

? # 22 ? # 42
1.6 Look at this bar of music: œœœœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ (1)
? # 22
œœœœœ œ
? # 22 œ ? # 42 œ ? # 42 œœ œ
Which of œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œtheœ value?
œ the bar above œcorrectly rewrittenœusing notes of half
the following shows
? #( 42) one box. œ #
œ œ œ œ œ &#
Tick
w
? # 42 ? # 2 ? # 2
œ œ œ œ œ œ 4œœœœœ œ 4œœœœœ œ
?# 2 ##
4 œ œ œ œ œ œ & ?
w
? # 42 ? # 42 ## w
œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœœœ œ & w
? # 42 ## œ ? ? w
&œ œ œ w œ œ bb
? # 42
2 Pitch
œ # w ?
⁄15
œœ œ œ œ & # w
? ? bb w w
w
2.1 Tick ( ) one box to show the correct name of each note. & (6)
## w ? ?b w
(a) & w (b) (c) b
bw

? bb w w
wG
F A F# G# &A B E &
A F Bb Ab
? ? bb w w
&
w bw
(d) & w (e) &
?
b#w
(f)

? w
D bb E B C & Eb w Ab Db
Bb & G# D# F#
C#
bw
?
&

b#w
w ?
& & #w
?
ABRSM Sample Paper 2020 Grade 2 3 Turn the page

b#w
 ?
2.2 Tick ( ) the correct clef needed to make each of these named notes. (2)

w &
(a) (b) w
w
w
A B
? ?
&
& ? & ?
&
w & ?
w
w
?
& w ?
2.3 Rewrite these notes in the new clefs, keeping the pitch the same. (4)

&
? ? w &
(a) & (b)
w
w
(c) & w ? (d)
?
&
? w & & ?
w
w
? &# w
2.4 Circle true or false for each statement. w
?## ww ?
(3)

&
& ?
?
?
&
(a) & n ww
& nnww The first note sounds lower than the second note. true false

? nnww nw
& w ?
?
(b) ?
& bw
& The second note sounds lower than the first note. true false
bb ww &
bbbwww
?
? &
?
(c)
& nnww
&
The second note sounds higher than the first note. true false
nw

ABRSM Sample Paper 2020 Grade 2 4

 # # ###
3 Keys and Scales & ## & ## & ⁄15

?b
3.1 Tick ( ) one box to show the correctly written key signature of A major.
# ### b (1)

#
& ## & ## & & ###
?b ? bb
b
# ###
& ## ?
& bb ?
& b#b# # ? bb
3.2 Tick ( ) one box to show the correctly written key signature of Bb major. (1)

?b ? bb ? bb ? bb
#b##
& & ###
? bb ? bb ? bb

? #b#b #
& ? bb
3.3 Tick ( ) three boxes to show which notes need an accidental to create a melody
in the key of D major.
(3)

˙ œ œ œ
? 4bb œ ™ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ ˙
&4 J œ

? 44 œ #œ œ œ
3.4 Circle the correct key of each of these two melodies.
œ #œ œ #œ ˙
(2)

(a)
? 44 œ #œ œ œ œ #œ œ #œ ˙
A minor E minor G major D major

3 j
(b) & 43 œ™ œj œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ F major C major Bb major A minor
& 4 œ™ œ œ œ
œ œ bœ œ œ

3.5 Circle true or false for this statement. (1)

& bw This is the 5th degree of the scale of Eb major true false

w bw w w
? w w
ABRSM Sample Paper 2020 Grade 2 w w 5 Turn the page
 bw w w
3.6 Tick ( ) one box to show the correctly written scale of Eb major, descending.
bw
(1)
& bw w bw w w bw
& bw w bw bw w
w w bw bw w bw
& w w bw
& bbw w w bw bw w w
& bw w w bw bw w
bw
& w w w bw bw w
w
w
bw
bw
bw w w bw bw
& bw w w w w w
& bw w bw bw w w
& w bw bw w w
w w

3.7 Tick ( ) two boxes to show the two pairs of notes in this scale which are a semitone apart. (2)

& bw w w w bw w w bw

? w
w w w #w w
3.8 Cross ( ) the two incorrect notes in the following scale. (2)

A harmonic minor, ascending

? w w w w
w w #w w

& bw w w w bw w w
3.9 Tick ( ) one box for X and one box for Y to show which notes are needed bw (2)
to complete the scale of D major.
X Y
? w
w w w #w w
X C C# A A#

Y E E# C C#

ABRSM Sample Paper 2020 Grade 2 6

 ? bw
& w bw w & w w w
? b ? bw
w & w ⁄10
4 Intervals w ?
& w & bw w
? bw ? b w bw b w ? w
Tick ( ) onebw
bw w
& ?
box to show the correct number
b w
of each ?
interval. The key is F major.
bw
w
(10)

w
(a) &
? bbw ? bw ? bw
w bw
? bb w
(b) (c)
w bw
w 4th w 6th 4th & 5thw 6th b w 7th & 3rd 4th 5th
2nd 3rd bw 2nd
& w & w & w bw w

? ? w b w
& bw w bw #w & w w
(d) &
b w ? w w (f) &
?
(e)
w #w
b#7th
w ? w
w
w & bw
5th
? bw
6th 8th/8ve 5th
b w
6th 7th 8th/8ve 1st w 3rdw 4th
2nd
w & w w &
w w ? ?
& w bw
(g) & w ? ? bw
w bw (h) bw (i)
? bw bww w ?
& & bw 5th
1st
? 2nd b3rd 5th 1st 6th 7th 8th/8ve
& bw
2nd
w w
3rd 4th

? #w & w w
bw & w w & w
w w w
(j) & w ?
w bw & w #w
bw ? w
& 6thw w 7th w 8th/8ve # w
5th
? ? w

? ? #w
#bw w & w w w w
? bw ? w
w w
& w w ?
5 Tonic Triads
? #w w w ⁄10
& w w w ?
w w
? & w w (2)
w
5.1 Circle true or false for each statement.
& w
w & w
#w w
wtriad ofwD minor
(a) & ? w w w ? w
w This is the tonic
& w false
true

& w w
? w
w
(b) w This is the tonic triad of F major true false
w
? w w w & w w
w

ABRSM Sample Paper 2020 Grade 2 7 Turn the page

& w
 bw
5.2 Add one missing note to complete each triad, with the tonic as the lowest note. (3)

#w
Use accidentals if necessary.
w
& w ? ?
& w w
b www w
(a) (b) (c)

& Bb major w
w
w
A major E minor
& w
w
#
5.3 Circle the correct ww
& w
##www
key for each tonic triad.
w
(5)

(a) & ? w ?
#w w
w
G major
wA minor Bb major D major
& w
? b#bww
w
(b) & b w
# w
D major F major G major D minor
? bw
& bww
? b w
? bbwww
(c) Bb major C major Eb major E minor
?
w
w
? bwb w
w
w
(d)
? w D minor F major A minor C major
w
w
? w
(e) & w
w
w
C major G major E minor A minor
? w
& w
w
w
& w
w
w
6 Terms and Signs w ⁄5
& w
w
Tick ( &
w each term/sign.
 ) one box forw
w
w
molto means:
œ. œ. means: dal segno means:

less slightly separated repeat from the beginning

very, much slur in time
more smoothly the end
movement staccatissimo repeat from the sign $

dolce means: Allegretto means:

smoothly slow
slow fairly quick
in a singing style gradually getting quicker

sweet slow, stately

ABRSM Sample Paper 2020 Grade 2 8

7 Music in Context ⁄5

Look at this melody and then answer the questions that follow.

Andante con moto

1 œ #œ œ 2 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ3 4
? # 44 œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ #œ œ
p dolce p

5 6 7 8
? # œ #œ œ œ j
œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ™ œ œ œ œ œ
w
pp

7.1 Circle true or false. (1)

All the notes in bars 1–4 of this melody can be found in the key of E minor
true false

7.2 Tick ( ) one box to show how many times the 7th degree of the scale occurs. (1)

3 4 5 6

7.3 Complete the following three sentences by ticking one box for each. (3)

(a) The highest note in the melody is …

B C D E

(b) The softest note in the melody is in …

bar 1 bar 4 bar 6 bar 8

(c) The notes in bar 2 have the same rhythm as the notes in …

bar 3 bar 5 bar 6 bar 7

ABRSM Sample Paper 2020 Grade 2 9 End of exam