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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 on theory papers Grades 1-5
Expert: Clare Redfarn - 10/28/2009
Question
Hi Clare! How did you like the marathon effort of the last correspondence? I seemed to be typing for ages, needless to say I write it out initially. This one is going to be 'longish' also
About the site you recommended to view the positions of the key signatures for alto and tenor clefs it said that it seems to not exist; whether that means here in Australia. Did find one, however,also UK, that uses ABRSM content called "My music theory".
Is that the one you were referring to because it said initially when I clicked on the reference it said site didn't exist. I sort of 'fell upon' the site "My Music Theory" when I googled a question about theory and that site came up (along with others but that was the one I investigated).
With regards to Grade 4 - Paper 2
Question 4.1
Were you eluding to the fact that it is a given that it is to be written in the treble clef? I did do some research and it mentions in Germany the alto clef is used but for the most part treble and bass is used so wasn't really sure what you were alluding to.
With 'hearing it in my head', I'm not very good at it, however, I do attempt to do it at this point, to the best of my ability.
Grade 5 - Paper 1
Question 1.2
I did tick the 3 crotchet rests however thought it could actually be the dotted minim rest.
Question 1.3
I ticked 4/4, (it took some working out).
Question 1.4
I ticked 'G'
Question 1.8
I ticked II
Question 1.9
I did look this up, wouldn't have known otherwise and hopefully ticked correctly 'viola'.
Question 1.10
I ticked 'Imperfect cadence in A major'
Question 2.2
Same signature as E major - 4 sharps FCGD and I had placed them correctly this being verified by printing out a copy of the clefs from the site I googled when the one you recommended I click on didn't work. Anyway the result is all good.
I put 'C#' 3rd line; 'G#' 1st space; 'E' 1st space below stave, beamed together as semiquavers; then 'C#' 2nd space below stave; 'E' 1st space below stave; 'G#' 1st space, beamed together as semiquavers; then 'C#' 3rd line as quaver.
Question 3.1
Sleep little child (as written) 'go' as a minim; 'to' crotchet/ 'sleep' dotted minim/ 'Mo-' dotted crotchet; 'ther' quaver; 'is' crotchet/ 'here' minim; crotchet rest/'by' minim; 'your' crotchet/ 'bed' dotted minim/
'Sleep little child' (as written at beginning); 'go' minim; 'to' crotchet/ 'sleep' dotted minim/ 'Rest' dotted crotchet; 'on' quaver; 'the' crotchet/ 'pil' crotchet; 'low' crotchet; 'your' crotchet/ 'head' dotted minim//
Question 4.1
Is this correct? By transposing this line of music the key changes and thus the key signature? If that is correct I made the key signature Bflat. I must admit I wasn't sure as to what key it originally was; Eflat major or C minor.
Just an aside does the orginal key modulate into G major because of the 'F#' leading to the 'G'?
Now to what I wrote:
'A' 1st line above stave (first two notes);/ 'F' 5th line (next three notes); 'E' 4th space (next three notes);/ 'D' 4th line (crotchet); 'F' 1st space (next two notes); 'A' 2nd space (crotchet); 'D' 4th space (next two notes);/ 'F' 5th line (minim); 'G#' 1st space above stave (minim)/ 'A' 1st line above stave (crotchet); crotchet rest; minim rest //
Question 5.1
F minor ib: bass - 'Aflat' 1st space; tenor - 'Aflat' 5th line; alto - 'middle C'; soprano - 'F' 1st space.
D major Ic: bass - 'A' 1st space; tenor - 'A' 5th line; alto -'D' space below stave; soprano - 'F#' 1st space.
Question 6.1
'A' second space, beaming together as quavers with GAB; 2 beamed quavers C'C'/ D' quaver beamed with semiquavers C'D'; crotchet rest/ beamed together quavers BABC then beamed together D' quaver and semiquavers C'B/ quavers beamed together GABA; crotchet A //
Thank you for letting me know about 'Bo'. I don't know whether I interpreted it correctly. I was able to 'sort of hear' the melody in my head.
Section 7 Questions
7.1 Bflat major
7.2 a guess - AABC
7.3 soprano
7.4 There are lots of words that depict ongoing movement - or what wording would you put in this answer, Clare?
7.5 Because that is when the vocal line comes in.
7.6 Perfect Cadence
7.7 Bar 13 - F# to G
7.8 I circled 'A' to 'Eflat'
7.9 They are both in octave intervals - could it be that bars 13-16 are melodic in nature. (this is only a guess)
7.10 I bracketed bars 4-7 and bars 5-11. Reading my research and if I am understanding the explanation, I would say it is 'tonal'.
Answer
Hello again Annette. You seem to be spending every waking moment studying theory<g>! Addictive, isn't it?
I'm sorry the website I suggested didn't work. It wasn't really a recommendation - I just Googled "alto tenor clef order sharps flats" and that was the first one that came up. And that Grade 4 question isn't put very clearly - the bit about the descant recorder is offputting. What they mean is, "write this passage up an octave ie at the pitch it would sound if played by a descant recorder". And off course it'd be in the treble clef - that's a given.
Right, let's whizz through this Grade 5 paper. As usual, if I don't mention a question you've got it right.
Q1.2 - it is the dotted minim rest because 6/4 is compound duple time.
Q1.8 - as far as I'm concerned you're correct, but under the American system it's ii because the supertonic of a major key's always a minor chord.
Q1.9 - yes you're right. Viola uses alto clef; bassoon and cello use tenor and bass clefs.
Q3.5 - nearly right. You need two 8-bar phrases so you're thinking one in a bar with a nice steady swing. Do you really think "by" should be a strong syllable? Much better to have "Moth-er is" dotted crotchet quaver crotchet / "here by your" 3 crotchets" / "bed" dotted minim tied over to / another dotted minim / and that ends the first phrase. And your second phrase only has 7 bars - you'll need to tie that last dotted minim over to a second one, as I did before. Always think in terms of 8-bar phrases.
Q4.1 - yes the key signature has to change. It was in C minor (modulates to dominant at the end) so you have to write it in D minor. You've got it right, though.
Q5.1 - no. You haven't doubled the root, have you? The root doesn't mean the bottom note, it means the root of the chord, which is still F in this case. You could have Ab-F-C-F' or Ab-C-F-F' - both are correct harmony.
Same goes for the second one. The root isn't the bottom note, it's the root of the chord. In a 1st inversion triad the root's at the top and in a 2nd inversion triad the root's in the middle. (A lot of people get this wrong - it's a common mistake.) There's only one correct response to this one - bottom A-F#-D-D'. You can see this chord's in open position - it's correct harmony but fairly unusual. Normally you double the 5th rather than the root in a 2nd inversion.
Q6.1 - oh dear, you've made a right mess of this <g>. Take away the decoration and your tune's in octaves with the bass line - can't do that. Don't forget to sharpen your leading note. Why on earth, if you're writing 6 quavers in bar 1, didn't you beam them together? And you've only got 2 beats in bars 2. Think about the triads more, then put in decoration. Try along the lines of: 6 quavers E’ D C D A down to E / 4 quavers F A up to D’ C#, crotchet D / 6 quavers up to F’ E D C B A / 4 quavers G# B D G#, crotchet A //
Section 7:
Q 7.2 – it’s binary (AB), It’s also strophic ie in verses with the same music for each verse.
Q7.3 – no, it’s for tenor. The clue is the little 8 written under the treble clef in the voice part – it’s the standard way for writing for tenor and indicates that the voice sings an octave lower than the written pitch.
Q7.4 – it’s word painting – the words refer to the water flowing, the millwheels grinding and the millwheel turning and the RH semiquavers depict this ceaseless movement.
Q7.7 – bars 13 -14 modulate to the relative minor. The modulation’s there clear as daylight! I grant you we don’t stay there long, but even so ...
Q7.9 – in bars 13-16 the bass line runs parallel in 10ths to the melodic line – in the rest of the piece it alternates between tonic and dominant.
Q7.10 – a sequence is a group of notes or phrase repeated more or less exactly at a different pitch going either higher or lower by step. In this case the only sequence is bars 13-16 (including the anacrusis), and it’s tonal, because the first time it’s in a minor key (relative minor) and the second time it’s in a major key (dominant).
Hope this helps
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