Outline of the Advanced Theory Module for LMusTCL

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    The Introduction begins by explaining what examiners are looking for.  A second section explains the terminology that Trinity College use and accept, particularly regarding those identifying chords, chord figurations, cadences, keys, and notes of melodic decoration.  In general, “traditional” analytical terms of the type popular in the United Kingdom are used.  (There is another analytical system devised by Schenker and extended by Forte, which is now popular in North America.  For the sake of students who are familiar with such terms, they are sometimes included;  however candidates do not have to know these terms for the examination, as such terms are not normally used by Trinity examiners.) The Materials of Music lists theoretical concepts that candidates are expected to be familiar with when sitting the exam.

1.   The Rhythm section studies devices such as hemiola, cross-rhythm, and particularly syncopation (and ways in which it is created).  There is a list (with explanations) of types of rhythmic transformation commonly used in developing motifs (such as relative durations and displacement) - which candidates may be expected to recognise in scores and to use in their arrangements. 

2.   In the Melody section, How Tunes are Made relates types of melody to types of tonality; it then studies ways of ornamenting, repeating and transforming ideas to build them into complete melodies; finally it shows how all of those elements contribute to the style or character of the music. There are brief descriptions of melodic forms, the ways in which melodies can be described (such as register, articulation and progression), types of melodic decoration (such as auxiliaries and échappées) that can be used to make tunes more interesting, and types of melodic transformation (such as isorhythm and inversion, which were used particularly often by Geman composers from Bach through Beethoven to Brahms).  There is a separate file about non-diatonic melodies, such as those using modes, pentatonic scales and the whole-tone scale (all of which are common in music by Debussy, for example), as well as atonal melodies, which may appear in question 2a of Section A of the exam.

3. The Harmony section clarifies concepts and terms used by Trinity College. It discusses the use of dissonance and the "mediant" relationship in key and chord changes, which became popular in Beethoven's time.  It also describes types of harmony, referring to the harmonies that arise from the use of modes; diatonic and chromatic harmony;  bi- and poly-tonal music, cluster chords, and atonal music.  There is a brief description of jazz harmony, which sometimes arises in extracts in questions 2a of Section A.  Assignments include extracts from scores of vocal music, chamber music and orchestral music.  Students are expected to be familiar with the chromatic chords covered in the Grade 6 and AMusTCL courses, including secondary (chromatic) dominants;  chromatic sevenths;  ninth and thirteenth chords; and chords borrowed from the tonic minor that are used in a major key.  Students who have not passed Trinity grade 8 or AMusTCL would be wise to order Harmony in the  Score Analysis module of the AMusTCL course.  (These chords are not covered in the Royal Schools grade 8 syllabus.)  

4.   Scoring contains notes on the various keyboard instruments (including organ) which have been in use since the Renaissance, the various textures in which pieces have been written for them, the growth of the orchestra from 1600.  There are also notes about the development of vocal groups.  There is a list of Terms in Instrumental Scores (including note names and instrument names in English, German and Italian;  extracts used in question 2a of Section A of the examination could be in any of these languages.)  There are descriptions of bowing techniques that examiners will expect to see indicated in the string quartet and orchestration questions, and an explanation of the difference between tremolo and vibrato (which are often confused).  Instruments which are not part of the standard orchestra but have sometimes been included in instrumental groups, lesser-known techniques such as sul tasto and au talon,  and stopping and muting horns, as well as the registers of the clarinet, are included, as they may appear in extracts in question 2a of Section A of the exam.  Candidates will often want to write for clarinets and horns in the orchestration question, 2c. There are no notes about percussion, and other standard wind instruments, as there is a list (with explanations) of terms and techniques associated with instrumental performance, including clefs used and reading and writing music for transposing instruments, in the Studying Scores section of the Grade 6 Course.  There are however exercises in analysing, describing and comparing scores to help students with question 2a of Section A and with orchestral and vocal set works. 

5.   In the Structure section, there is much more detail than there is in the similar section of the Musical Knowledge module of AMusTCL, especially regarding those forms which emerged during the Baroque Period - and have influenced much of the music written since then.  There are more precise descriptions of the elements of binary form and ternary form, and the way in which they developed.  There are sections about Baroque dances (and the part they played in the early development of the suite), the sonata, the overture (French and Italian), and the concerto.  The section about fugue.has sections about the definition, form and parts of a fugue, and examples of the way in which countersubjects developed over the 18th century   There are summaries of Air and Variations  (a more detailed study is included in the Piano Variations section of Module 3 Instrumental Arrangements) and the overture (a more detailed study is in the Orchestration section of Module 4 Genre.)  Special attention is given to combining unity and variety, a major feature of music by all composers. 

6.   The Texture section studies the  main textures found in music of different periods, from the Middle Ages to the twentieth century.  there are many examples and diagrams to illustrate the points made.

7.  The section on General Style has a summary of the elements of musical style, including a summary of basic ways in which style changed between the Middle Ages and the end of the eighteenth century.  There are several one-page analyses for varying forces ranging from piano piano solo to choir and orchestra.  These include questions on melody, texture, rhythm, scoring, harmony, structure and style - features which candidates are expected to recognise in question 2a of Section A and all questions in Section B of the paper.

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