Last Updated on 24 May 2026 by Victoria Williams
Pass Your Grade 5 Music Theory with Distinction!
Trinity Grade 5 Theory Video Course
Expand your knowledge of rhythm with some of more complex time signatures and less common note values. In pitch, explore the tenor clef, as well as double sharps and flats!
Expand your knowledge of harmony, chords and cadences, learn how to write chords in four part harmony.
See the full syllabus below!
The course includes around 2 hours of short video lessons (2-4 minutes each), plus PDF with answers included.
View Trinity Grade 5 Music Theory Video CourseAlso Available…
Trinity Grade 5 Theory Syllabus
As in the preceding grades, with the addition of:
Rhythm & Form
- Time signatures of 4/2, 6/4 and 7/4
- Time signature changes within an extract
- Rules for grouping note and rest values within new time signatures (including grouping indications at the beginning of bars or scores, e.g. 2,3 or 3,2)
- Grouping demisemiquavers (32nd notes) in simple and compound time
- Semiquaver (16th note) triplets
- The breve (double whole note)
- Strophic, Verse and Refrain (or Chorus) and binary forms
Pitch
- Naming and using notes in tenor clef
- Ab, Db, E and B major keys (for all major keys for the grade: scales, key signatures, one-octave arpeggios, broken chords and tonic triads (root, first or second inversion))
- F, Bb, C# and G# minor keys (for all minor keys for the grade: scales — natural (Aeolian mode) and harmonic and melodic, key signatures, one-octave arpeggios, broken chords and tonic triads (root, first or second inversion))
- Identifying the key of a piece in Ab, Db, E or B major, and F, Bb, C# or G# minor
- 2nd degree of the major/minor scale being known as the supertonic or re (major keys only)
- Supertonic triads for all keys covered so far
- Major/minor supertonic triad labelled:
— as a chord symbol above the music (e.g. Dm in the key of C major or B dim (or B°) in the key of A minor)
— as a Roman numeral below the music (e.g. ii in the key of C major or ii° (dim) in the key of A minor) - Recognising imperfect cadences
- Double sharps and double flats and general enharmonic equivalents
- Recognising and writing C and G pentatonic major scales
- Inversions of all intervals covered in Grades 1–4 within an octave
- Recognising and writing accented passing notes and understanding acciaccatura, appoggiatura, upper and lower mordents and trills
- Understanding upper and lower auxiliary notes
- Writing tonic, supertonic, subdominant, dominant or dominant 7th chords in root, first or second inversions in any key for the grade as well-balanced 4-part chords for SATB
- Transposing a tune up or down any major, minor or perfect interval within an octave (within the keys for the grade) or for transposing instruments for the grade
- Ranges of the alto saxophone in Eb and trumpet and clarinet in Bb as defined in the Trinity workbook
- Concept of modulation
- Identifying a modulation to the dominant or the relative major/minor keys
- Musical terms and symbols
Download the complete Trinity Music Theory Syllabus here.
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