ABRSM Grade 5 Music Theory
Short Courses – 10 Week – Online
Overview
These classes will be taught online and you can take part from the comfort of your own home.
This seven-week online course will improve your knowledge of musical theory, equipping you with the skills necessary to sit the ABRSM Grade 5 theory exam. Please note, exam entry is not included in the course fee. For further information about the exam please see Course Outline.
Held over seven weeks, you will be encouraged to apply your learning in a practical context using your instrument/voice.
By the end of this course, you can expect to have:
- learnt all the necessary concepts to sit the Grade 5 theory exam
- improved your composition skills, including how to set words to music
- developed your score reading
- applied many of the concepts practically to tie in with the higher grade aural tests (e.g. aural recognition of chord progressions, singing back a melody, etc
Please note, on application you will be asked to confirm that you have read and understood our Online Teaching Policy – please read this in advance of applying.
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Contact us
If you have any questions about this course before you book it, please get in touch with us at shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk.
FAQs
Please see our FAQs for more information about all aspects of choosing, booking and attending your course.
The important details
Age:
12+
Cost:
£185
Date:
15 April - 17 June 2025
Time:
Tuesdays, 7:30pm - 9:00pm
Venue:
Online
Course Information
This course is designed for students, teenagers and adults alike, who hope to sit the Grade 5 theory exam. Students may wish to do this to:
- progress to higher grade practical exams
- prepare for the Royal Conservatoire’s Bachelor of Education Music degree programme theory entrance exam
- simply with to advance their theoretical knowledge
Students should have a reasonable grounding in musical theory which includes knowledge of:
- treble/bass clef pitch notation
- rhythmic notation including semiquavers and dotted rhythms
- key signatures up to 4 sharps/flats and ideally the circle of 5ths
- some major/minor scales
You will need access to a device such as a desktop computer, laptop or tablet which allows you to access the internet with a screen large enough to see the group members during online sessions. You will need internet connection which is fast enough to take part in video sessions on MS Teams/Zoom and to watch film footage.
You may also want to consider whether you have a space you can use where you can work without interruption. Please keep in mind that the other students taking part in the course will be able to see what’s behind you when you are online.
Students should obtain a copy of Discovering Music Theory – Grade 5 (currently priced at approximately £8.95) — the exercises in the book will be completed as part of the course.
If you have any questions in advance of booking, please contact us at shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk
Throughout the course you will cover the following areas of study:
- clefs — treble/bass revision plus alto and tenor
- key signatures up to 6 sharps/flats, how to construct a circle of 5ths
- constructing scales
- transposition
- diatonic and chromatic intervals
- chord recognition
- cadential progressions using roman numeral chord notation
- writing a melody for instrument & voice
- complex rhythmic notation (tuplets, double dots etc.)
- ornaments
- Italian vocabulary
Booking/Taking the exam
The ABRSM Grade 5 Music Theory exam is online and is changing to be ‘on demand’ – this means that students can book the exam at a time to suit them.
You can find out more information by visiting the ABRSM website directly. Further information about booking the exam will be sent to students during the course.
This course will run online on Monday evenings for 10-weeks from 15 April – 17 June 2025, 7pm – 9:00pm.
The course fee is £185 which is the equivalent to £18.50 per session, and can be paid in full or in instalments before the course end date.
Further Information
We want to ensure as many children, young people and adult learners as possible can access the performing and production arts education that is offered through Short Courses at RCS. Financial support options available for Short Courses include:
Agnes Allan Bursary
Agnes Allan was a teacher, passionate about inclusion, and this bursary scheme exists to offer support to students to participate in the performing or production arts.
The Agnes Allan Bursary provides some support to students who may require financial assistance to take part in a short course in dance, drama, music, production or screen.
Anyone who wishes to take part in our Short Courses and faces a financial barrier can apply for bursary support to help meet the cost of tuition fees.
James McAvoy Drama Scholarships
BAFTA-winning and Golden Globe nominated actor James McAvoy is committed to nurturing the creative potential of young Scots who experience barriers to access and participate in drama at RCS Short Courses.
James is a graduate of the BA Acting programme at RCS and Patron of the Junior Conservatoire of Drama. The Glasgow-born actor has funded the new James McAvoy Drama Scholarships to enable young people to experience the world-class drama training at RCS as he did.
The scholarship aims to support applicants who would otherwise find meeting the cost of tuition fees at RCS a barrier to accessing pre-Higher Education drama training at the Royal Conservatoire.
You can find more information about these funds on our Financial Support page.
We run various promotional offers for our Short Courses and Summer Schools. You can view our current offers on our Promotional Offers page.
You should contact us at shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk to request your discount code before booking a course.
Please note, only one promotional offer can be applied per course and should be used at the time of booking as we are unable to apply a discounts retrospectively.
Please see our Short Course FAQs for more information about all aspects of choosing, booking and attending your course.
Please see our Short Courses – Terms and Conditions for more information about your contract with Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and Cancellation and Refund policies.
Sign up to our mailing list to receive the latest updates of courses, offers and news from Short Courses. You can do this by completing this short online form found here.
Short Courses
shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk
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summerschools@rcs.ac.uk
Credit-Rated
credit-rated@rcs.ac.uk
Bursary and Scholarship
bursaryscholarship@rcs.ac.uk
