The Brass
The Orchestral Brass Section In a score, horns are at the top of the brass section, followed by trumpets, trombone and tuba. Trumpets in Bb and horns in F are …
The Woodwind
Standard woodwind section (from Classical era) Extended woodwind section (from Romantic era) More Facts “a2” or “zu” means “both players” “solo” or “I” or “II” (etc.) means one player Stems …
The Strings
Standard Instruments Open String Tunings When a string player plays a note without pressing a finger down anywhere on the string, this is called an “open note”. If the player …
Identifying the Era
Identifying the Era of a Score In your music theory exam you may be asked to identify the era or possible composer of a score you have not seen before. …
The Modern Era
Modern music is defined by a general abandonment of the rules that were laid down in earlier times. Where Romantic music had irregular phrase lengths, modern music often goes one …
The Romantic Era
The Romantic era in music was (roughly) between the years 1830 to 1900. Some of the most famous composers of this era are: Robert Schumann, Edward Elgar, Frédéric Chopin, Felix …
The Classical Era
The Classical era in music was (roughly) between the years 1750 to 1830. Some of the most famous composers of this era are: W.A. Mozart, Franz Schubert, Joseph Haydn, Muzio …
The Baroque Era
The Baroque Era The Baroque era in music was (roughly) between the years 1600 to 1750. Some of the most famous composers of this era are: J.S. Bach, Henry Purcell …
Texture
Homophonic and Polyphonic The words homophonic and polyphonic describe two ways a piece of music can be layered to create different textures. Homophonic describes music that has one main melody, …
Composition Questions (ABRSM Grade 6)
On this page you can download a free PDF with ABRSM Grade 6 Composition questions to practise at home. Click the image to download! Preparation Task: