Theory Study

Compiled ABRSM Grades 1-5 exam materials covering notes, rhythm, scales, chords and all major exam topics for easy reference and efficient preparation.

Contents

1. Note Values 2. Bars and Time Signatures 3. Pitch Names 4. Staves and Clefs 5. Staff Notation 6. Ledger Lines 7. Sharps, Flats, and Naturals 8. Semitones, Whole Tones, and the C Major Scale 9. G Major, D Major, and F Major Scales 10. Rests 11. Ties and Dots 12. Tonality and Key Signatures 13. Accidentals 14. Scale Degrees 15. Tonic Chords 16. Intervals 17. Beaming Notes within a Bar 18. Performance Directions

ABRSM Grade 1 Knowledge Points

Knowledge Point 6: Ledger Lines

Whenever we use any clef, it is often necessary to write notes that are higher or lower than the stave. In this case, we add one or more short lines above or below the stave, as shown in Figure 10:

Figure 10: Illustration

We call these extra lines ledger lines. Note that a ledger line only needs to be long enough to pass through the note, and ledger lines are not connected to each other, as shown in the incorrect example in Figure 11.

Figure 11: Illustration

In the Grade 1 course, we only use ledger lines placed below the treble clef and above the bass clef.In Figure 12, both of these notes are C. They are very important because they actually refer to the same C, which means there are two different ways to write the same note.The C represented by these two notes is the C closest to the middle of the keyboard. Therefore, this note is generally called middle C. Now we can put together all the white-key notes we have learned in Grade 1 and see their actual positions on the keyboard (Figure 13):

Figure 12: Illustration

Figure 13: Actual positions on the keyboard

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