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About Clare Redfarn
Expertise
All aspects of the academic/theoretical side of music, including harmony, counterpoint, elementary composition, history, harmonic analysis, aural training, sightreading - the lot! Please note: I'm neither a professional composer (so I can't help with composition beyond what's required for Grade 8 theory or A'level) nor a singing teacher (so I can't answer questions about vocal technique or extending your vocal range). And don't ask me about psychoacoustics or music psychology as I have no knowledge of, or interest in, either subject.
Experience
50 years as pianist (professional soloist and accompanist); 35 years as harpsichordist (professional soloist and continuist); 10 years as violinist and 6 years as bassoonist (youth orchestras/chamber groups); 37 years as piano teacher, coach in performance/interpretation (all ages, instruments and levels) and private tutor (mainly the old O'level, Grade VI+ ABRSM theory/practical musicianship, A'level and undergraduates).
Organizations
I've been a member of the Musicians' Union in Britain since 1978.
Publications
I've written many programme notes and a few articles for an online magazine. During the '90s I was also a Music Assessor for London Arts and as such regularly wrote critiques of concerts given by recipients of Arts Council funding.
Education/Credentials
MA in European Cultural Policy & Administration (Warwick University, 1994)
B Mus with Honours (London University, 1977)
Postgraduate Diploma in Arts Administration (City University, 1982)
Licentiate of Royal Academy of Music in Piano Teaching (1976)
Licentiate of Royal Academy of Music in Harpsichord Teaching (1978)
Studied RAM Junior School (1966-74), then as full-time student (1974-78).
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You are here: Experts > Music/Performing Arts > Musicians' Exchange > Musical Composition, Theory, Songwriting, and Singing > questions to theory papers Grades 1-5
Expert: Clare Redfarn - 10/20/2009
Question
Hi Clare! Annette again wanting more help with my theory questions. You are being such a help, thank you.
I hope you don't mind me asking you these questions. How is your foot and how long have you had it in plaster? When it comes off, does it mean that you will go back to work? If so, what do you do whilst your not answering questions from people like myself?
Grade 4 - Paper 1
Question 1.4
Not knowing anything about clefs, other than treble & bass, I have guessed the answer that I have given.
You mentioned and I, having researched it some, - the third line is 'middle C' - is that correct? If it is 'middle C' does it still follow that the third space is 'D', 4th line 'E', 4th space 'F' and in this case 'F#'?
I said it was an 'augmented 4th', counting the semitones.
Question 1.7
Based on what I deduced in the previous question, 1.4, is the answer 'G major scale going up'.
Question 1.9
I said 'Ic' being 2nd inversion of F major.
Question 1.10
Perfect cadence in A minor.
Plagal and 'Amen' cadence are both the same in that they are IV-I.
We moved at the beginning of this year and have things still in boxes including some of my music books where an example of an 'amen' cadence may be. So in order to expedite things rather than me go in search for the appropriate box could you give me an 'amen' cadence so I can see the composition? Thanks, that would be great. I, whilst writing this to you, was hearing the 'amen' in my head and decided to play it and then write it down to see. Is this correct? Bass - G(first line); treble G(3rd space below stave), B (second space below stave), D (first space below stave); resolving to C in the bass; treble G (third space below stave), middle 'C', E (first line).
Question 3.1
Perhaps two crotchet rests could be written as a minim rest.
The word 'sister' needs to be hyphenated so that the 2nd syllable 'ter' is under the note 'A'.
The stem of high 'D' to point downwards.
'sa-il' to have 'C' as 2 crotchet beats written above the syllables,
'lu' (now this is a guess) to be writen as 2 minims, tied, and syllable 'ia' to be written under the note, not the rest.
Question 6.1
GA (quavers), B flat (crotchet),/(bar line) middle 'C' (quaver), DEflat (semiquavers) - joined; E flat (quaver), FG (semiquavers) -joined /F(first space), A (quaver) GF (semiquavers) joined / G (minim).
Section 7 Questions:
7.1 4 sections. I said that because of the 'repeat signs' - correct or not? If not 'correct', it is '2 sections'.
7.2 G major
7.3 I put it over the last two quavers in bar 11 and all of bar 12.
7.4 D
7.5 I am not aware of what 'harmonic rhythm' means. I notice that bars 9 & 10 move around the dominant chord D then moves into the tonic 'G' in bars 11 & 12 - to beats of 3 crotchet beats to each bar.
7.6 High A & F
7.7 Is it bar 13? If that is correct; I only noticed that as I was typing these answers in order to send them off to you, Clare.
7.8 Bar 9.
7.9 Bar 13.
7.10 Piece opens up being played 'loudly' then 'softly' from 2 quavers at end of bar 2, then 'loudly' again at 3rd beat of 4th bar, 'softly' at 3 quavers in bar 6 - because piece has a 'repeat sign' at end of that section it is to be played again;
next section begins at 'open repeat sign' being played 'moderately loud' then 'very loud' at bar 13; then back to 'softly' on the 3rd crotchet beat of bar 14 playing 'softly' through to bar 16 where, as indicated by the 'repeat sign', this section is to be repeated and so to, the dynamics, from 3rd beat in bar 8.
Eagerly await your reply. Thanks
Annette
Answer
Hello again Annette,
Well, under normal circumstances I work mainly as an accompanist so much of my work is seasonal - exams, festivals, auditions etc plus the occasional concert. I work at a college part-time and also as a ballet pianist so I'm teaching everything from Grade 8 theory/aural to music and movement for 4 yr olds. I've also got a batch of piano pupils. However, I've been out of action since March with this damn foot. I've been diabetic for over 40 years (insulin-dependent) and it's a combination of poor circulation in my feet generally plus the fact that my right foot has had a lifetime of overuse as my pedalling foot - it just collapsed on me (diabetic neuroarthropathy) and I've got three broken bones, which are taking ages to heal. My last lot of X-rays showed improvement, though, and I'm hoping to be out of the cast by Christmas and back at work in the New Year. At least I'm still teaching privately but I can't stand for very long, let alone walk, so I'm pretty much housebound.
It's all very tedious so let's have a look at that Grade 4 paper.
You've got the whole of Section 1 right. As I said, the great thing about the C clefs is you don't need to be able to read them fluently - once you've established which note's middle C you can do the rest by interval recognition.
The problem with your G to C cadence is I don't know what key we're in - unless you specify that from the outset we can't analyse chord relationships. If you're in G major then you've written I IV; if you're in C major then you've written V I, neither of which is a plagal cadence. In plagal cadences, the common note stands still and the other notes fall, so if we're in C major the bass will be F C, and the RH triads will be F-A-C to E-G-C, or A-C-F to G-C-E, or C-F-A to C-E-G. The same goes for minor keys, so go on, write them all out <g>.
Q3.1 - If you're setting words to music you need to ensure that syllables line up under the right notes, so you're right, "sis-ter" needs to be hyphenated. "Sail" doesn't as it's one syllable - you're not going to sing "say ill", are you? "Lu"'s perfectly alright as it is, a semibreve, and "ia" needs to come under the last note. And that D in the second bar needs its tail to point the other way.
Now, those rests. You're right in saying the first two crotchet rests would be written as a minim since in doing so the half bar's clearly shown, but as it's the beginning of the piece you don't need rests at all. The phrase starts with an anacrusis, on the third beat of the bar. Lose the opening rest, and lose the final minim rest too - end with a double barline after "ia".
Q6.1 - Your melody drops a minor 7th in the second bar - not a good idea <g>! Can you hear it as you write it? And you've forgotten to sharpen your leading notes in bar 3. As soon as you know you're in a minor key keep "leading note" in the back of your mind - it's so easy to forget to write in the accidental.
Q7.1 - no, it's in 2 sections, each of which is repeated.
7.4 - since the chord includes the dominant 7th, you'd need to write D7 as the chord symbol.
7.5 - I agree "harmonic rhythm" is an odd way of putting it. If we're talking about the harmonic progression, then bars 9-10 are V7 and bars 11-12 are I.
7.10 - I'd say the first section consists of a rhythmic motif (dotted quaver semiquaver crotchet) played loudly, which alternates with a soft, more florid melody. The second section expands expands on the waltz theme and is moderately loud, followed by the loud motif again and a quiet finish. Or words to that effect.
Anything I haven't mentioned you've got right, so well done.
Hope this helps.
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