Trinity Grade 6 Music Theory

Welcome to the Trinity Grade 6 Music Theory start page!

On this page you can find the syllabus information, and links to the free and paid Trinity Grade 6 Music Theory lessons available on this site.

You will find a large number of free lessons on this website, or get the full Trinity Grade 6 Music Theory course in your preferred format:

Trinity Grade 6 Syllabus

Rhythm, Texture and Form

• Demisemiquaver triplets (32nd note triplets)
• Double dotted notes and rests
• Duplets
• Hemiola
• Swung quavers (8th notes) (writing quavers to be played swing)
• Understand and identify textures (homophonic, polyphonic, imitative, thick or dense, thin or transparent)
• Understand the terms movement and Prelude
• Binary form with reference particularly to Baroque sonatas (da camera and da chiesa) and dance suites (Allemande, Bourrée, Italian Corrente, French Courante, Italian Giga, French Gigue, Gavotte, Minuet and Sarabande — definitions for each as defined in the Trinity workbook)
• Ternary form with reference particularly to Baroque dance suites (Bourrée I and II, Gavotte I and II and Minuet and Trio)
• Air with variations
• Chorale
• Folk ballad

Composers and General Knowledge

The Baroque period.

Composers of particular relevance to this grade are those writing in the Baroque period (approximately 1600–1750), e.g. J S Bach, Corelli, Couperin, Handel, Marcello, Rameau, A and D Scarlatti, Telemann and Vivaldi

Pitch

• All major keys (for all major keys: scales, key signatures, arpeggios, broken chords, broken chords of the dominant 7th, and tonic triads (root, first or second inversion))
• All minor keys (for all minor keys: scales — natural (Aeolian mode) and harmonic and melodic minor, key signatures, arpeggios, broken chords, broken chords of the dominant 7th, and tonic triads (root, first or second inversion))
• 3rd, 6th and 7th degrees of the major/minor scale being known as mediant, submediant and leading note respectively
• Recognising and writing diminished 7th chords (with an understanding of correct spelling and their enharmonic equivalents)
• Broken chords of all diminished 7th chords
• Writing and labelling chords on every degree of the scale (harmonic and melodic minors) in any key as well-balanced 4-part chords for SATB in root, first or second inversions (plus third inversions for dominant 7ths and diminished 7ths), using Roman numerals or chord symbols
• Recognising and writing figured bass for all major and minor chords for the grade in root, first or second inversion
• Recognising and writing augmented chords
• Recognition of all intervals including compound intervals
• Recognising pedal points on the tonic and dominant degrees of the scale
• Recognising and writing harmonic sequences and identifying the keys that they travel through
• Recognising and writing perfect, plagal, imperfect and interrupted cadences
• Labelling the chords of a phrase of a chorale/hymn in Roman numerals and chord symbols, and completing it with an appropriate two-chord cadence (bass line given)
• Writing a short extract from close to open score for SATB (chorale/hymn phrase), or vice versa
• Recognising and writing C, D, F or G pentatonic major scales, A, B, D or E pentatonic minor and A, B, D or E blues scales
• Concept of modes with reference particularly to Aeolian mode (the natural minor)
• Identifying music written using the Aeolian mode (natural minor)
• Writing an 8-bar melody using notes from the major, minor, pentatonic major, pentatonic minor, blues scales or using notes from the Aeolian mode
• Transposing a melody for any transposing instrument for the grade (transposing interval to be known for descant recorder, clarinet in Bb, alto saxophone in Eb, tenor saxophone in Bb, trumpet in Bb, French horn in F, double bass and classical guitar)
• Ranges of clarinet in A, treble recorder, saxophones (tenor in Bb and baritone in Eb) as defined in the Trinity Workbook
• Identifying variation/decoration (harmonic, melodic, dynamic and textural)
  
• Musical terms and symbols

Download the complete Trinity Music Theory Syllabus here.