Theory: a very practical matter
One of the things which sets the Associated Board apart from other graded music exam providers is the requirement to achieve a pass at Grade 5 Theory (or Practical Musicianship or Jazz) before moving on to a Grade 6 practical exam. Is this really necessary, or just a hurdle put in the way of aspiring performers?
If music is a language, then musicians should be ‘literate’ in every sense. The UK regulatory authorities have recently classified theory exams as ‘music literacy’, implying that to be musically literate you need skills, knowledge and understanding in this area. We agree, and feel that the value of an Associated Board Grade 6, 7 or 8 practical certificate is significantly enhanced because holders have also successfully demonstrated their literacy in music.
A thorough understanding of the elements of music is essential for the full and satisfying performance of a piece, especially at the stage when ‘standard repertoire’ items come into the picture (at about Grade 6).
Once we start to use labels like ‘theory’, though, we run the risk of creating artificial divisions. Eric Taylor, in The AB Guide to Music Theory, reinforces this point, that while the Associated Board makes a distinction between its theory and practical exams, that distinction can be misleading. In ordinary speech the word ‘theory’ is often used as the opposite to ‘practice’ but in a musical context, theory is a very practical matter, inextricably linked to the performance and composition of music in the Western tradition. Quoting Eric Taylor, ‘Beethoven’s symphonies would have stayed in his head and we should never have heard them if he had not been able to write them down on paper, and if performers did not understand exactly what his written signs meant. Nor could musicians rehearse together if they did not all know the meaning of terms such as ‘F sharp’, ‘crescendo’, ‘6/8’, ‘rallentando’, ‘Da Capo’ and so on.’
The complex system of symbols dealing with pitch, rhythm, dynamics, meter, tempo and structure is a shorthand able to express the core elements of music. A knowledge and understanding of how these symbols relate to sounds, and the skill to interpret and transform them into musical communication, is an important part of the learning process for a musician.
By Grade 5, the Associated Board Theory Syllabus has introduced students to most of the basic building blocks of music shared by performers in the Western tradition, and has given singers and instrumentalists insights into each others’ worlds.
Candidates demonstrate their understanding through a combination of describing, analysing and creating, exploring phrasing, chord progressions and overall punctuation, shape and form. This working knowledge of music theory gives to a performer the basis on which to make music with sensitivity, understanding, and confidence, and to a listener an enhanced appreciation of what they are hearing. In an ideal world, all the various labels under which aspects of music are taught and learned would be integrated and not boxed into compartments, with aural perception, theory, sight-reading, technique and performing activities all overlapping and feeding each other.
The Music Teacher’s Companion, by Paul Harris and Richard Crozier (ABRSM Publishing) explores approaches to simultaneous learning and the many benefits it provides. Try to seize opportunities in lessons to discuss, sing and listen critically to the various elements of music as they arise in the learning process – good for understanding the music, good for performance and excellent preparation for aural tests and theory exams!
There are other routes into Grade 6 practical, giving flexibility of access. Pencil and paper in the form of theory exams remains the most popular option, but for candidates who prefer to take up a practical challenge rather than a written one there are the alternatives of Grade 5 Practical Musicianship or Jazz. Both these syllabuses require the understanding and demonstration of many of the same concepts tested in the theory exams, concepts which everyone who takes their music-making seriously should be thoroughly conversant with, knowing that their performing can only be more fulfilling as a result.
This article first appeared in Libretto, the journal of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music.