ABRSM GRADE 7

1. Composing a melody

My Music Theory.com has free lessons guiding you through the ABRSM grade 7 syllabus.
Each section of the grade 7 exam is covered, in slightly different ways. If you need a
teacher to look over your work and give you advice, please read about our marking
services.
The grade 7 music theory exam questions are as follows:
1. Create a figured bass to fit a provided melody and bass line
2. Reconstruct a chorale or keyboard piece from a provided harmonic outline
3. Composition - complete a melody to fit a provided accompaniment OR continue a provided
opening (may include a chord progression to follow)
4. & 5. Questions derived from a real musical score - chamber music and orchestral music
What would you like to learn?

1.1. The Marking Criteria

See http://www.abrsm.org/en/our-exams/information-and-regulations/music-theory-marking-
criteria-grades-6-8/ for full details about the marking scheme for the grade 7 composition
question.
For question 3a, you need to have good musical grammar - this means observing the rules
which learnt about when studying harmony for grade 6, and includes things like avoiding
consecutive and doubling the appropriate note of the harmony.
You also need to make sure, of course, that the solo part actually fits together properly with
the piano part.
For question 3b you need to make sure you add performance directions, and they need to
be meaningful ones! You need to use the ideas from the given opening or chord
progressions, if you were asked to do that specifically.
There are 20 points available for the composition question, and you'll get awarded a
minimum of 7 points for handing in a complete attempt at the composition, so make sure
you do put something down on the page, even if you're having a really bad day.

2. Composition Question 3a

Complete the solo part to fit a given piano accompaniment. Normally you'll be asked to
complete about two full staves-worth, and you'll be given about 2 bars of the solo part to
start you off.
The idea behind this question is that you are being tested on:
 your ability to understand the harmonic structure from the piano part, and
 your ability to create a melody which fits nicely with that accompaniment.

3. Composition Question 3b

You are given 1 or 2 bars as a given opening for a solo instrument to complete, with a
choice of two instruments. If you choose this question, you will need to add performance
directions.
Occasionally in this question, you are also given a harmonic progression to work from.
You'll also be given an opening of 1 to 2 bars, but whether you choose to use it or not is up
to you.

4. playing