Contents
Message from the President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5
Getting Started
What’s New . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Quick Guide to Online Examination Registration . . .
Contact Us . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6
6
6
The Royal Conservatory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Royal Conservatory Examinations . . . . . . . . . . . .
Meet our Examiners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Examinations Offered. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Notable Alumni. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Excellence Since 1886. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Quick Reference
9
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12
Level-by-Level Theory Requirements
Rudiments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Preparatory Rudiments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Basic Rudiments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Intermediate Rudiments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Advanced Rudiments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Harmony, Counterpoint, and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . .
Introductory Harmony . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Basic Harmony . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Intermediate Harmony . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Counterpoint. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Advanced Harmony . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Keyboard Harmony. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Basic Keyboard Harmony. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Intermediate Keyboard Harmony . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Advanced Keyboard Harmony. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
History 1: An Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
History 2: Middle Ages to Classical . . . . . . . . . . . .
History 3: 19th Century to Present . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Comprehensive Theory Examination . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Part 1: Examination Papers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Part 2: Compositions and/or Research Papers. . . . . .
Part 3: Viva Voce Examination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
44
45
47
48
Register for an Examination
About Us
Certificate Program Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Theory Examinations Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Co-requisites and Prerequisites. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Specialized Theory Examinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Comprehensive Theory Examinations . . . . . . . . . .
ARCT Diploma in Composition and/or Theory. . . .
Musicianship Examinations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ARCT Diploma in Composition
and/or Theory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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36
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Examination Sessions and Registration Deadlines . .
Online Registration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Examination Fees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Examination Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Examination Scheduling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
49
49
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50
50
Examination Regulations
Examination Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Credits and Refunds for Missed Examinations . . . . .
Candidates with Special Needs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Examination Results. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Re-Evaluation of Written Theory Examinations . . . . .
Certificates and Diplomas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Transfer Credits and Exemptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
School Credits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Medals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
RESPs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
RCM Examinations Official Examination Papers . . . .
Correspondence Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
51
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Appendix
Musical Terms and Signs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Descriptions of Scores . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chord Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Non-chord Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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70
Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
72
Frequently Asked Questions . . . . . . . .
78
Examination Day Checklist
for Candidates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
80
5
Message from the President
The Royal Conservatory was founded in 1886 with the idea that a single institution could
bind the people of a nation together with the common thread of shared musical experience.
More than a century later, we continue to build and expand on this vision.
Today, The Royal Conservatory is recognized in communities throughout North America
for outstanding service to students, teachers, and parents, as well as a strict adherence to
high academic standards through a variety of activities—teaching, examining, publishing,
research, and community outreach.
Our students and teachers benefit from a curriculum based on more than one hundred
years of commitment to the highest pedagogical objectives. The strength of the curriculum
is reinforced by the distinguished College of Examiners—a group of fine musicians and
teachers carefully selected from across Canada, the United States, and abroad for their
demonstrated skill and professionalism. A rigorous examiner apprenticeship program
combined with regular evaluation procedures ensures consistency and an examination
experience of the highest quality for candidates.
As you pursue your studies or teach others, you become not only an important partner
with The Royal Conservatory in the development of creativity, discipline, and goal-setting,
but also an active participant, experiencing the transcendent qualities of music itself. In a
society where our day-to-day lives can become rote and routine, the human need to find
self-fulfillment and to engage in creative activity has never been more necessary. The Royal
Conservatory will continue to be an active partner and supporter in your musical journey of
self-expression and self-discovery.
Dr. Peter C. Simon
President
6
Getting Started
What’s New?
• New theory examination titles (p. 10)
• Frequently Asked Questions (p. 78)
• Examination Day Checklist for Candidates (p. 80)
Visit examinations.rcmusic.ca to register.
Contact Us
• Phone: 416-408-5019
• Toll Free: 1-800-461-6058
• Fax: 416-408-3151
273 Bloor Street West
Toronto, ON Canada M5S 1W2
Getting Started
7
About Us
The Royal Conservatory
The Royal Conservatory is one of the largest and most respected music education
institutions in the world. Providing the definitive standard of excellence through its
curriculum, assessment, performances, and teacher education programs, The Royal
Conservatory makes a substantial impact upon the lives of millions of people globally.
The Royal Conservatory Examinations
The Royal Conservatory provides a recognized standard of musical success through an
effectively sequenced course of study and individual student assessments from beginner
to advanced levels. One-hundred thousand examinations are conducted annually in 260
communities across Canada.
• The Frederick Harris Music Co., Limited
As The Royal Conservatory’s publishing division, The Frederick Harris Music Co., Limited
produces The Consevatory’s renowned curricula and related teaching materials, as well as
additional publications and tools supporting music educators and their students.
Additional programs of The Royal Conservatory are delivered through the following divisions:
• The Glenn Gould School offers the most gifted young artists professional music training
at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
• The Young Artists Performance Academy provides supportive, comprehensive training for
the most promising musicians aged nine to eighteen.
• The Royal Conservatory School provides acclaimed early childhood music education
programs and music classes for people of all ages and stages of musical literacy.
• Learning Through the Arts® supports excellence in public education programs by
utilizing the arts to enhance learning.
• The Performing Arts Division programs superb performances and events in The Royal
Conservatory’s three venues: Koerner Hall, Mazzoleni Concert Hall in historic Ihnatowycz
Hall, and the Conservatory Theatre.
• The Royal Conservatory Music Development Program promotes and expands musical
activity and makes the study of music a central part of the lives of all Americans.
Meet our Examiners
Examiners are highly trained, professional musicians, and theorists from across North
America. All examiners complete an Examiner Apprenticeship Program before being
admitted to the College of Examiners. Professional development and training continues
throughout each examiner’s career to ensure consistent examination standards
throughout North America.
Examinations Offered
Practical Examinations
Accordion, Bassoon, Cello, Clarinet, Double Bass, Euphonium, Flute, French Horn, Guitar,
Harp, Harpsichord, Oboe, Organ, Percussion, Piano, Recorder, Saxophone, Speech Arts
and Drama, Trombone, Trumpet, Tuba, Viola, Violin, Voice
Theory Examinations
Rudiments, Harmony, Keyboard Harmony, Counterpoint, Analysis, History
Musicianship Examinations
Junior, Intermediate, Senior
Piano Pedagogy Examinations
Elementary, Intermediate, Advanced
About Us
Read
Re
d ab
bo
outt our Col
oll
lle
lege
lege
e
of Examiners, including
examiner biographies,
h
at
examinations.rcmusic.ca.
u
a..
8
Notable Alumni
Notable alumni include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Isabel Bayrakdarian
the Gryphon Trio
Aline Chrétien
Adrienne Clarkson
Bruce Cockburn
Naida Cole
David Foster
Glenn Gould
Robert Goulet
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Norman Jewison
Lois Marshall
Oscar Peterson
Richard Raymond
Paul Shaffer
Mitchell Sharp
the St. Lawrence String Quartet
Teresa Stratas
Jon Vickers
Excellence Since 1886
1886 The Toronto Conservatory of Music is founded.
1887 The Conservatory has its official opening in a two-storey space above a music
store. In addition to weekly lessons, courses include acoustics and piano tuning.
1896 Affiliation with the University of Toronto enables preparation for university degree
examinations.
1898 Local examination centers are established outside of Toronto.
1906 The Toronto Conservatory Orchestra is founded; two years later, this group
becomes the first Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
1907 Approximately 1,500 students across Canada take Toronto Conservatory
examinations—more than half from outside of Toronto.
1916 The first piano repertoire book based on the Conservatory curriculum is
published by The Frederick Harris Music Co., Limited, and distributed throughout
Canada.
1928 Composer Boris Berlin begins teaching at the Conservatory; he remains on the
faculty until his death in 2001.
1935 A ten-level examination system is established.
1946 Pianist Glenn Gould receives an ARCT. In the same year, the Conservatory Opera
School is established; several years later it plays a major role in the formation of
the Canadian Opera Company.
1947 In recognition of its status as one of the Commonwealth’s greatest music schools,
the Conservatory receives a Royal Charter from King George VI, allowing it to be
called The Royal Conservatory of Music.
1991 The Conservatory re-establishes independence from the University of Toronto.
Plans for restoration and expansion of the Toronto facilities begin.
2002 The Conservatory launches its Building National Dreams Campaign to expand the
Toronto facilities and build a state-of-the-art center for performance and learning.
2003 RCM Examinations expands into the United States of America.
2008 The Conservatory’s TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning opens.
2009 The Royal Conservatory launches its Performing Arts Division and Koerner Hall
opens.
About Us
9
Quick Reference
Certificate Program Overview
Theory examinations are essential components of the prestigious Certificate Program
of The Royal Conservatory Examinations. Internationally recognized certificates and
diplomas are awarded when a candidate successfully completes each practical level (study
of an instrument or voice) and the required co-requisite theory examinations. Certificates
are also awarded when a candidate successfully completes each theory level. Candidates
may enter the Certificate Program at any practical level from Preparatory A, Preparatory B,
or Introductory, to Grade 10. The following table summarizes the examinations required
for each theory certificate. For detailed information on practical certificate requirements,
please consult the current syllabus for the relevant discipline.
Theory Certificates
Examinations Required
Preparatory Rudiments
Preparatory Rudiments
Basic Rudiments
Basic Rudiments
Intermediate Rudiments
Intermediate Rudiments
Advanced Rudiments
Advanced Rudiments
Introductory Harmony
Introductory Harmony
History and Theory: Basic
Basic Harmony or Basic Keyboard Harmony
History 1: An Overview
History and Theory: Intermediate
Intermediate Harmony or
Intermediate Keyboard Harmony
History 2: Middle Ages to Classical
History and Theory: Advanced
Counterpoint
Advanced Harmony or
Advanced Keyboard Harmony
History 3: 19th Century to Present
Analysis
Quick Reference
10
Theory Examinations Overview
The Royal Conservatory graded theory system assesses essential tools in a student’s
musical development. Candidates may begin theory examinations at any point in their
practical music studies but are encouraged to begin theoretical studies as early as possible.
With the exception of Keyboard Harmony and Musicianship, which occur during the
practical examination session, all theory examinations take place in a formal written setting.
Preparing for a Theory Examination
• Each examination requires preparation with a qualified teacher.
• The Royal Conservatory Examinations Official Examination Papers, available at music retailers,
are published annually by The Frederick Harris Music Co., Limited to aid with
examination preparation.
Subject
Examination Title
Preparatory Rudiments (1 hour)
– Building blocks of music notation
Rudiments
Basic Rudiments (1 hour)
– Elements of music for the beginner
Intermediate Rudiments (2 hours)
– Continuation of basic rudiments
Advanced Rudiments (2 hours)
– Continuation of intermediate rudiments and preparation for harmony
Introductory Harmony (2 hours)
– Chord symbols; non-chord tones; elementary four-part and melodic writing
Basic Harmony (3 hours)
– Four-part writing; melodic composition; harmonic and structural analysis in major and minor keys
or
Basic Keyboard Harmony (20 minutes)
– Melodic improvisation; keyboard-style harmonization; accompaniment; melodic transposition;
harmonic and structural analysis
Intermediate Harmony (3 hours)
– Four-part writing and melodic composition in major and minor keys; modulation; harmonic and
structural analysis of musical forms
Harmony and
or
Counterpoint
Intermediate Keyboard Harmony (25 minutes)
– Melodic improvisation; keyboard-style harmonization; modulation; accompaniment; melodic
transposition; harmonic analysis; C-clef reading
Counterpoint (3 hours)
– Composition and analysis of simple counterpoint in Baroque style
Advanced Harmony (3 hours)
– Advanced harmonic and contrapuntal techniques
or
Advanced Keyboard Harmony (30 minutes)
– Melodic improvisation; keyboard-style harmonization; figured bass; accompaniment; melodic and
orchestral transposition; score reading
Analysis
Analysis (3 hours)
– Advanced structural and harmonic analysis of musical forms
History 1: An Overview (3 hours)
– Introduction to styles, composers, and music from 1600 to the present
History
History 2: Middle Ages to Classical (3 hours)
– Styles, composers, and music of the Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, and Classical periods
History 3: 19th Century to Present (3 hours)
– Styles, composers, and music from the Romantic era to the present
Quick Reference
11
Co-requisites and Prerequisites
The following table summarizes all the co-requisite and prerequisite examinations
required to obtain practical examination certificates. Beginning in Grade 5, candidates
must complete theory co-requisites. There are no prerequisite or co-requisite theory
examinations for Preparatory A, Preparatory B, Introductory, and Grades 1 to 4.
Candidates for the ARCT in Performance, the Teacher’s ARCT, or any of Parts 1, 2, or 3 of
the Intermediate Piano Pedagogy or Advanced Piano Pedagogy levels must complete
prerequisite examinations at least one session prior to registration.
Grade
5 6 7 8 9 10 Perf. Elem. Int. Adv. Teacher’s
ARCT Ped. Ped. Ped.
ARCT
Required Examinations (C = Co-requisite
P = Prerequisite)
C
Basic Rudiments
C
Intermediate Rudiments
C C C C
Advanced Rudiments
P
C
Basic Harmony
P
P
P
C
P
P
C
C
Intermediate Harmony
C
P
Counterpoint
C
C
C
Advanced Harmony
C
C
C
Analysis
C
C
C
P
P
P
C
P
P
C
C
P
P
History 1: An Overview
C C
P
C
P
History 2: Middle Ages to Classical
C
C
History 3: 19th Century to Present
C
Grade 9 Practical
Grade 10 Practical
P
Grade 6 Piano Co-requisite (not applicable for piano, accordion,
guitar, harp, harpsichord)
C
P
C
Grade 8 Piano Co-requisite (not applicable for piano, accordion,
guitar, harp, harpsichord)
C
P
Elementary Piano Pedagogy Part 2: Viva Voce and Part 3: Written
P
Intermediate Piano Pedagogy Part 2: Viva Voce and Part 3: Written
Recommended Examinations
Preparatory Rudiments
Introductory Harmony
Alternative Examinations
C
Basic Keyboard Harmony (can be substituted for Basic Harmony)
Intermediate Keyboard Harmony (can be substituted for
Intermediate Harmony)
C
C
Advanced Keyboard Harmony (can be substituted for Advanced
Harmony)
Junior Musicianship (can be substituted for Grade 8 Ear Tests and
Sight Reading)
Intermediate Musicianship (can be substituted for Grade 9 Ear
Tests and Sight Reading)
Senior Musicianship (can be substituted for Grade 10, Teacher’s
ARCT, and Advanced Piano Pedagogy Ear Tests and Sight Reading)
P
C
C
P
P
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
Quick Reference
C
12
Specialized Theory Examinations
Comprehensive Theory Examinations
Specifi
fic requirements
re
s
for the
he Comprehensive
Com
Theory
ory Examination
E
can be
b found
on p. 43.
Candidates may register to write a Comprehensive Theory Examination if they have
degrees or diplomas from other recognized music institutions. Successful completion of
the Comprehensive Theory Examination exempts candidates from all theory prerequisites
and co-requisites for all practical levels. This examination tests the candidate’s
comprehensive knowledge of:
• rudiments
• harmony and counterpoint
• analysis
• music history from the Middle Ages to the present
To request permission to write the Comprehensive Theory Examination, submit a Transfer
Credits and Exemptions Request Form (available online) by the examination registration
deadline.
ARCT Diploma in Composition and/or Theory
The ARCT Diploma in Composition and/or Theory is an advanced course of study covering
musical styles and techniques from the Renaissance to the present. The diploma may be
awarded in Composition, in Theory, or in Composition and Theory combined.
Specific requirements
em s
for the ARCT diploma
iplo
can be found
d on
p 44.
p.
The examination process for the ARCT diploma comprises three parts:
• multiple examinations of counterpoint, harmony, orchestration, analysis, music history,
and ear training
• compositions and/or research papers
• an oral defense
Musicianship Examinations
Musicianship examinations test sight singing and recognition of scales, chords, and
intervals. They may replace the Ear Test and Sight Reading sections of the following
examinations:
Musicianship
Level
Practical Examination Exemption
All candidates except Voice
Practical Examination Exemption
Voice candidates only
Junior
Grade 8 Ear Tests and Sight Reading
Grade 8 Ear Tests
Intermediate
Grade 9 Ear Tests and Sight Reading
Grade 9 Ear Tests
Senior
Grade 10, Teacher’s ARCT, and
Advanced Piano Pedagogy Ear Tests
and Sight Reading
Grade 10 and Teacher’s ARCT Ear
Tests
Please visit examinations.rcmusic.ca to view the examination requirements and resources
for Musicianship examinations.
Quick Reference
13
Level-by-Level Theory Requirements
Rudiments
The study of Rudiments introduces students to the basic elements and notational conventions of music. These building
blocks of musical grammar provide the foundation for students’ further explorations in harmony, history, counterpoint,
and analysis.
Preparatory Rudiments
Examination length
1 hour
Co-requisite for
n/a
Recommended theory
prerequisites
n/a
Recommended for
concurrent study with
Preparatory A, Preparatory B,
and Introductory Practical
Examinations
Resources
The Royal Conservatory Examinations Official
Examination Papers—p. 56
“Appendix”—p. 58
“Rudiments” resources—p. 72
Annotated Resource List—available online at
examinations.rcmusic.ca
The Preparatory Rudiments examination tests
candidates’ recognition and understanding of
preparatory elements of musical notation, including the
following topics:
Pitch
• grand staff; treble (G) and bass (F) clefs
• names of notes up to two ledger lines above or below
treble and bass clefs
• accidentals (sharp, flat, and natural)
• whole tones (whole steps) and semitones (half steps)
• matching notes to a keyboard picture
• naming or drawing notes shown on a keyboard picture
Rhythm
Scales
Write or identify the following in C, G, or F major:
• scales, ascending or descending, one octave
• key signatures for the above scales
• scale degrees: tonic
Intervals
Write or identify the following above a given note:
• all intervals up to and including an octave (numerical
size only), harmonic or melodic forms
Identify the following below a given note:
• all intervals up to and including an octave (numerical
size only), melodic form
Triads
Write or identify the following in C, G, or F major:
• solid (blocked) triads, root position on the tonic, with or
without key signatures, close position only
Identify the following in C, G, or F major:
• broken triads, root position on the tonic, with or
without key signatures, close position only
Analysis
Candidates will be asked to analyze a short musical
composition, identifying any of the requirements for
Preparatory Rudiments, including the terms below.
• time values of notes and rests (whole, half, quarter, and
eighth)
• dotted notes (half and quarter)
• time signatures:
(c)
• adding time signature, bar lines, and rests to a given
line of music in simple time
Rudiments
14
Musical Terms and Signs
Candidates will be asked to define or supply musical
terms or signs from the following list, or to recognize these
terms and signs in a musical passage. The definitions
and translations given below are acceptable for theory
examinations, but candidates may also use any definitions
and translations found in standard rudiments textbooks,
music dictionaries, or other music reference books.
Terms
a tempo
allegro
andante
crescendo, cresc.
decrescendo, decresc.
diminuendo, dim.
forte,
largo
legato
mezzo forte,
mezzo piano,
moderato
piano,
ritardando, rit.
staccato
Rudiments
return to the original tempo
fast
moderately slow; at a walking
pace
becoming louder
becoming softer
becoming softer
loud
very slow
smooth
moderately loud
moderately soft
at a moderate tempo
soft
slowing down gradually
detached
Signs
bar line
a vertical line
separating
measures
measure/bar
a unit of musical
time
double bar
line
indicates the end
of a piece
repeat sign
repeat the music
within the double
bar lines
fermata
(pause)
hold the note or
rest longer than
its written value
slur
play the notes
legato
tie
hold for the
combined value of
the tied notes
crescendo
becoming louder
decrescendo/
diminuendo
becoming softer
staccato
detached
15
Basic Rudiments
Examination length
1 hour
Co-requisite for
Grade 5 Practical Examination
Recommended theory
prerequisites
Preparatory Rudiments
Recommended for
concurrent study with
Grades 1 to 5 Practical
Examinations
Intervals
Write or identify the following in keys up to and including
four sharps or flats above a given note:
• perfect, major, and minor intervals within the octave (no
inversions), harmonic or melodic forms
Identify the following in keys up to and including four
sharps or flats below a given note:
• perfect, major, and minor intervals within the octave (no
inversions), melodic form
Resources
The Royal Conservatory Examinations Official
Examination Papers—p. 56
“Appendix”—p. 58
“Rudiments” resources—p. 72
Annotated Resource List—available online at
examinations.rcmusic.ca
The Basic Rudiments examination tests candidates’
recognition and understanding of basic elements of
musical notation, including the following topics:
Pitch
• grand staff; treble (G) and bass (F) clefs
• names of notes up to five ledger lines above or below
treble and bass clefs
• accidentals (sharp, flat, and natural)
• enharmonic equivalents of notes
• whole tones (whole steps), diatonic and chromatic
semitones (half steps)
Rhythm
• time values of notes and rests from sixteenth to whole
• dotted notes (half, quarter, and eighth)
• triplets (quarter, eighth, and sixteenth)
• time signatures: ( )
(c)
• adding time signature, bar lines, and rests to a given
passage in simple time, which may include an anacrusis
(upbeat)
Scales
Write or identify the following in keys up to and including
four sharps or flats:
• major and minor (natural, harmonic, and melodic)
scales, ascending and descending
• key signatures for the above scales
• scale degrees: tonic, subdominant, and dominant
• related keys (relative major and minor)
Triads
Write or identify the following in keys up to and including
four sharps or flats:
• solid (blocked) triads of major and minor quality, root
position on the tonic, subdominant, and dominant of
major and harmonic minor scales, with or without key
signatures, close position only
Identify the following in keys up to and including four
sharps or flats:
• broken triads in root position of major and minor
quality, on the tonic, subdominant, and dominant of
major and harmonic minor scales, with or without key
signatures, close position only
Recognition of Keys
• keys up to and including four sharps or flats
• identify the key (major or minor) of a given passage with
a key signature
Transposition
•
•
•
•
keys up to and including four sharps or flats
transpose a melody up or down one octave
transpose a melody from one clef to another
rewrite a melody at the same pitch in the alternate clef
Analysis
Candidates will be asked to analyze a short musical
composition, identifying any of the requirements for
Basic Rudiments, including the terms below.
Rudiments
16
Musical Terms and Signs
Candidates will be asked to define or supply musical
terms or signs from the following list, or to recognize
these terms and signs in a musical passage. The
definitions and translations given below are acceptable
for theory examinations, but candidates may also use any
definitions and translations found in standard rudiments
textbooks, music dictionaries, or other music reference
books.
Terms
a tempo
adagio
allegretto
allegro
andante
andantino
cantabile
con pedale, con ped.
crescendo, cresc.
da capo, D.C.
dal segno, D.S.
D.C. al Fine
decrescendo, decresc.
diminuendo, dim.
dolce
fine
forte,
fortissimo, ƒ
grazioso
larghetto
largo
legato
lento
maestoso
mano destra, M.D.
mano sinistra, M.S.
marcato, marc.
mezzo forte, F
mezzo piano, P
moderato
Rudiments
return to the original tempo
a slow tempo (slower than
andante, but not as slow as largo)
fairly fast (a little slower than
allegro)
fast
moderately slow; at a walking
pace
a little faster than andante
in a singing style
with pedal
becoming louder
from the beginning
from the sign
repeat from the beginning
and end at Fine
becoming softer
becoming softer
sweet, gentle
the end
loud
very loud
graceful
not as slow as largo
very slow
smooth
slow
majestic
right hand
left hand
marked or stressed
moderately loud
moderately soft
at a moderate tempo
ottava, 8va
pedale, ped.
pianissimo, π
piano, p
prestissimo
presto
rallentando, rall.
ritardando, rit.
staccato
tempo
Tempo primo (Tempo I)
tenuto
the interval of an octave
pedal
very soft
soft
as fast as possible
very fast
slowing down
slowing down gradually
detached
speed at which music is
performed
return to the original tempo
held, sustained
Signs
U
accent
a stressed note
staccato
detached
tie
hold for the combined
value of the tied notes
slur
play the notes legato
fermata
pause; hold the note
or rest longer than its
written value
crescendo
becoming louder
decrescendo/
diminuendo
becoming softer
ottava, 8va
play one octave above
the written pitch
ottava, 8va
play one octave below
the written pitch
dal segno, D.S. from the sign
repeat sign
repeat the music within
the double bar lines
pedal marking
pedal marking
17
Intermediate Rudiments
Examination length
2 hours
Co-requisite for
Grade 6 Practical Examination
Recommended theory
prerequisites
Preparatory Rudiments
Basic Rudiments
Recommended for
concurrent study with
Grades 4 to 6 Practical
Examinations
Resources
The Royal Conservatory Examinations Official
Examination Papers—p. 56
“Appendix”—p. 58
“Rudiments” resources—p. 72
Annotated Resource List—available online at
examinations.rcmusic.ca
The Intermediate Rudiments examination tests
candidates’ knowledge of the requirements for the Basic
Rudiments examination plus the additional material
listed below.
• whole-tone scale beginning on any note (using six
different letter names, starting and finishing with the
same letter name)
• chromatic scale beginning on any note (using any
version of chromatic scales found in standard
textbooks; no letter name may appear more than twice
in a row, and the scale must start and finish on the
same letter name)
Identify the following, beginning on any note:
• blues scale
• major pentatonic scale
• minor pentatonic scale
• octatonic scale
Blues scale
Major pentatonic scale
Pitch
• double sharps
• double flats
Minor pentatonic scale
Rhythm
•
•
•
•
time values of thirty-second notes and rests
time signatures in simple time
time signatures in compound time:
irregular groupings, for example:
– quintuplets and septuplets in simple time
Octatonic scale
Intervals
– duplets and quadruplets in compound time
• double dots
• breve note and rest
Scales
Write or identify the following:
• all major and minor (natural, harmonic, and melodic)
scales
• related keys: relative major and minor, tonic (parallel)
major and minor
• enharmonic major or minor scales
• technical names of scale degrees: tonic, supertonic,
mediant, subdominant, dominant, submediant, and
leading note
Write or identify the following above or below a given note:
• all intervals and their inversions up to and including the
perfect octave, harmonic and melodic forms
Triads
Identify the following:
• solid (blocked) or broken triads of major and minor
quality, root position and inversions, in major and
harmonic minor scales, close or open position
Write the following:
• solid (blocked) triads of major and minor quality, root
position and inversions, in major and harmonic minor
scales, close position only
Recognition of Keys
• identify the key for given excerpts without key signatures
(candidates may be asked to rewrite the excerpt with
the correct key signature and name the key)
Rudiments
18
Transposition
Terms
• major keys only
• transpose a melody up any interval within the octave
accelerando, accel.
alla, all’
animato
assai
Cadences
Identify the following by name (in keyboard style only) in a
musical excerpt in any major or minor key:
Perfect (authentic)
major keys
V–I
minor keys
V–i
Plagal
Imperfect (half cadence)
IV–I
I–V, IV–V
iv–i
i–V, iv–V
ben, bene
brillante
col, coll’, colla, colle
con
con brio
con espressione
con moto
e, ed
espressivo, espress.
fortepiano,
grave
leggiero
loco
ma
Analysis
Candidates will be asked to analyze a short musical
composition, identifying any of the requirements for
Intermediate Rudiments, including the terms below.
Musical Terms and Signs
Candidates will be asked to define or supply musical
terms or signs from the following list plus those from
the Basic Rudiments examination, or to recognize these
terms and signs in a musical passage. The definitions
and translations given below are acceptable for theory
examinations, but candidates may also use any
definitions and translations found in standard rudiments
textbooks, music dictionaries, or other music reference
books.
meno mosso
M.M.
molto
non
non troppo
più
più mosso
poco
poco a poco
quasi
rubato
sempre
senza
spiritoso
tranquillo
tre corde
troppo
una corda
vivace
Rudiments
becoming quicker
in the manner of
lively, animated
much, very much (for example:
allegro assai, very fast)
well (for example: ben marcato,
well marked)
brilliant
with (for example: coll’ottava, with
an added octave)
with
with vigor, spirit
with expression
with movement
and
expressive, with expression
loud, then suddenly soft
slow and solemn
light, nimble, quick
return to normal register
but (for example: ma non troppo,
but not too much)
less movement, slower
Maelzel’s metronome
much, very
not
not too much
more
more movement (quicker)
little
little by little
almost, as if
with some freedom of tempo to
enhance musical expression
always, continuously
without
spirited
quiet, tranquil
three strings; release the left
(piano) pedal
too much
one string; depress the left
(piano) pedal
lively, brisk
19
Advanced Rudiments
Examination length
2 hours
Co-requisite for
Grades 7 to 10 Practical
Examinations
Elementary Piano Pedagogy
Prerequisite for
ARCT in Performance
Teacher’s ARCT
Intermediate and Advanced Piano
Pedagogy
Recommended theory
prerequisites
Preparatory Rudiments
Basic Rudiments
Intermediate Rudiments
Recommended for
concurrent study with
Grades 7 and 8 Practical
Examinations
Resources
The Royal Conservatory Examinations Official
Examination Papers—p. 56
“Appendix”—p. 58
“Rudiments” resources—p. 72
Annotated Resource List—available online at
examinations.rcmusic.ca
The Advanced Rudiments examination tests candidates’
knowledge of the requirements for the Basic and
Intermediate Rudiments examinations plus the
additional material listed below.
Chords
Write or identify the following:
• all triads (major, minor, augmented, and diminished),
root position and inversions, close or open position
• dominant 7ths, root position and inversions, in major
and minor keys, close or open position
• diminished 7ths of harmonic minor scales, root position
only
Identify the following:
• the scale (major, natural minor, or harmonic minor) in
which a group of triads or chords may be found
Cadences
Identify the following cadences in any major or minor key:
major keys
Perfect (authentic)
V–I, V7–I
Plagal
IV–I
Imperfect (half-cadence) I–V, IV–V
minor keys
V–i, V7–i
iv–i
i–V, iv–V
Write the following cadences in keyboard style, in any
major or minor key, at the end of a melodic fragment:
major keys
minor keys
Perfect (authentic)
V–I
V–i
Plagal
IV–I
iv–i
Imperfect (half-cadence)
I–V, IV–V
i–V, iv–V
Clefs
• alto and tenor clefs (C clefs)
Rhythm
• time signatures for hybrid meters such as , , and
Scales
Write or identify the following:
• all major and minor scales, beginning on any scale
degree
• Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, and Aeolian
modes, beginning on any note
Intervals
Write or identify the following above or below a given note:
• all intervals and their inversions, harmonic and melodic
forms, including simple intervals, compound intervals,
and enharmonic equivalents.
Transposition
• major and minor keys
• transpose a melody up or down any interval within the
octave
• rewrite a melody at the same pitch in an alternate clef
(including C clefs)
• transpose to concert pitch a single line of music for
orchestral instruments
– in B flat (clarinet, trumpet)
– in F (French horn, English horn)
Rudiments
20
Score Types (See “Descriptions of Scores” on p. 62.)
Rewrite a given passage into the following score types:
• modern vocal score
• string quartet score
• short score (on two staves)
Analysis
Candidates will be asked to analyze a short musical
composition, identifying any of the requirements for
Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced Rudiments, including
the terms below, as well as imitation, inversion, measures
(m., mm.), sequence, and tritone.
con sordino
dolente
giocoso
grandioso
largamente
l’istesso tempo
martellato
mesto
morendo
pesante
pizzicato
Musical Terms and Signs
Candidates will be asked to define or supply musical
terms or signs from the following list plus those from
the Basic and Intermediate Rudiments examinations,
or to recognize these terms and signs in a musical
passage. The definitions and translations given below
are acceptable for theory examinations, but candidates
may also use any definitions and translations found in
standard rudiments textbooks, music dictionaries, or
other music reference books.
French Terms
cédez
léger
lentement
modéré
mouvement
vite
yield; hold the tempo back
light; lightly
slowly
at a moderate tempo
tempo; motion
fast
German Terms
bewegt
langsam
mässig
mit Ausdruck
sehr
schnell
moving
slow; slowly
moderate; moderately
with expression
very
fast
primo, prima
quindicesima alta
(15ma)
risoluto
ritenuto, riten.
scherzando
secondo, seconda
semplice
sforzando, ,
simile
sonore
sopra
sostenuto
sotto voce
stringendo
subito
tacet
tutti
vivo
volta
volti subito, v.s.
with mute
sad
humorous, jocose
grand, grandiose
broadly
the same tempo
strongly accented, hammered
sad, mournful
dying, fading away
weighty, with emphasis
for stringed instruments: pluck the
string instead of bowing
first; the upper part of a duet
two octaves higher
resolute
suddenly slower, held back
playful
second; second or lower part of a duet
simple
a sudden strong accent of a single
note or chord
continue in the same manner as has
just been indicated
sonorous
above
sustained
soft, subdued, under the breath
pressing, becoming faster
suddenly
be silent
a passage for the ensemble
lively
time (for example, prima volta, first
time; seconda volta, second time)
turn the page quickly
Italian Terms
ad libitum, ad lib.
agitato
allargando, allarg.
arco
attacca
calando
comodo
con fuoco
con grazia
Rudiments
at the liberty of the performer
agitated
broadening, becoming slower
for stringed instruments: resume
bowing after a pizzicato passage
proceed without a break
becoming slower and softer
at a comfortable, easy tempo
with fire
with grace
Chord Types
cluster
a chord consisting of at least three
adjacent notes of a scale
polychord
a combination of two or more
different chords
quartal chord
a chord built on a series of 4ths
seventh (7th) chord a chord consisting of a root, a third,
a fifth, and a seventh
triad
a chord consisting of a root, a third,
and a fifth
21
Harmony, Counterpoint, and Analysis
The study of Harmony and Counterpoint builds on the knowledge of basic elements acquired in Rudiments to address
melody writing, harmonization, and analysis. The study of Analysis continues to build on the knowledge and skills
acquired in Rudiments, Harmony, Counterpoint, and History by incorporating a detailed study of musical forms,
elements, and compositional techniques and approaches. Overall, students gain an understanding of musical structure
and syntax that allows them to engage more deeply with the music they hear and play.
Introductory Harmony
The Introductory Harmony examination is strongly
recommended as preparation for Basic Harmony.
Examination length
2 hours
Recommended theory
prerequisite
Advanced Rudiments
Recommended for
concurrent study with
Grade 8 Practical Examination
Cadences
• perfect (authentic), imperfect (half-cadence), plagal, and
deceptive
Four-part Writing
• types of motion: parallel, similar, oblique, contrary,
stasis (no motion)
• SATB vocal ranges
• principles of voice-leading
Non-chord Notes (See “Non-chord Notes” on p. 69.)
Resources
The Royal Conservatory Examinations Official
Examination Papers—p. 56
“Appendix”—p. 58
“Rudiments” resources—p. 72
Annotated Resource List—available online at
examinations.rcmusic.ca
The Introductory Harmony examination tests candidates’
knowledge of the requirements for the Basic,
Intermediate, and Advanced Rudiments examinations
plus the additional material listed below. These elements will
be tested in major and minor keys.
• passing notes, neighbor notes, and appoggiaturas
Baroque Dances
• allemande, courante, sarabande, gigue, menuet,
bourrée, and gavotte
Examination Questions
Candidates should be prepared to answer the following
types of examination questions:
Writing and Identification of Individual Chords
Chord Symbols (See “Chord Symbols” on p. 63.)
• Identify the root and quality of diatonic triads and
7th chords found in major, natural minor, and harmonic
minor scales.
• Write a chord symbol (either the functional chord
symbol or the root/quality chord symbol or both may
be required) for a given chord, which may appear in
solid (blocked) or broken form, keyboard or SATB
style, open or close spacing, and in root position or
inversions.
• For a given functional chord symbol root/quality chord
symbol, write the chord in a specified format (as
described above).
• root/quality chord symbols
• functional chord symbols
Melody Writing
Chords
Qualities of triads and 7th chords
• triads: major, minor, diminished, and augmented
• 7th chords: major 7th, major-minor 7th (for example,
dominant 7th), minor 7th, half-diminished 7th
(diminished-minor 7th), and diminished 7th
Chords in keyboard style and chorale (SATB) style
• I, ii, IV, V, and vi in major keys, in root position and
first inversion
• i, iiº, iv, V, and VI in minor keys, in root position and
first inversion
• dominant 7th chord in root position and all
inversions
• cadential chord
• Extend a phrase to a specified length from a given
opening motive.
• Supply a melody for a given rhythmic structure.
• Supply a four-measure response to a given four-measure
melody.
• Name the type of cadence implied at each phrase
ending.
• Write and name two-part (melody and bass) cadences
(functional chord symbols may be required).
Harmony, Counterpoint, and Analysis
22
Two-part Texture (mainly note-against-note)
Chords
• Add a bass line to a given melody.
• Add a melody to a given bass line.
• Write functional chord symbols to indicate the
harmonic implication of a given melody or bass line.
Root position and all inversions
Harmonization in Four Parts (SATB)
• Given a series of functional chord symbols, write brief
harmonic progressions in four-part chorale style, using
the chords indicated.
•
•
•
•
all triads, including the cadential chord
dominant 7th and supertonic 7th chords
V/V, V7/V, and viiº/V
qualities of 7th chords: major 7th, major-minor 7th
(dominant 7th), minor 7th, half-diminished 7th
(diminished-minor 7th), and diminished 7th. For
7th chords other than V7, ii7, and iiø7, only identification
of quality is required.
Chord symbols (See “Chord Symbols” on p. 63.)
• root/quality chord symbols
• functional chord symbols
Pedal Points (See “Chord Symbols” on p. 63.)
Analysis
For a given piece or excerpt:
• Identify the key.
• Identify the cadences.
• Mark the structural phrasing.
• Provide chord symbols (root/quality chord symbols or
functional chord symbols or both).
• Circle and classify non-chord notes.
• Identify traditional Baroque dances by their rhythmic
character (if applicable to the excerpt).
• State an appropriate tempo marking for a given dance
or excerpt.
• Answer brief questions concerning the musical
elements found in a given piece or excerpt.
(Vocabulary and concepts will be drawn from theory
examination requirements from Basic Rudiments up to
and including this level.)
• on the tonic and dominant scale degrees
Sequences (See “Sequences” on p. 70.)
• do–fa–ti–mi (descending 5ths)
Modulation
• to a traditional goal key: to V from major keys and to III
or v from minor keys
• in formal analysis only: identification of modulations to
all closely related keys
Non-chord Notes (See “Non-chord Notes” on p. 69.)
• passing notes, accented passing notes, neighbor notes,
accented neighbor notes, incomplete neighbor notes,
échappées, suspensions, anticipations, and appoggiaturas
Form
• binary, rounded binary, and ternary
Examination Questions
Basic Harmony
Candidates should be prepared to answer the following
types of examination questions:
Examination length
3 hours
Melody with Added Bass Line at the Cadences
Co-requisite for
Grade 9 Practical Examination
Elementary Piano Pedagogy
Recommended theory
prerequisites
Advanced Rudiments
Introductory Harmony
(Please visit examinations.rcmusic.ca for “Models from
the Repertoire.”)
• Extend a given melodic opening to create a sixteenmeasure composition with four four-measure phrases.
– The style will be that of an 18th-century dance.
– The composition is to be in rounded binary form with
repeat signs appropriate to this form.
– The melody will remain in the principal key;
modulation is not required.
– The four phrase endings of the melody are to be
accompanied by a bass part and functional chord
symbols; candidates will be required to name the
type of each cadence. Two-part (melody and bass)
cadences are required; stem directions are to be
consistent with two-part writing.
Resources
The Royal Conservatory Examinations Official
Examination Papers—p. 56
“Appendix”—p. 58
“Rudiments” resources—p. 72
Annotated Resource List—available online at
examinations.rcmusic.ca
The Basic Harmony examination tests candidates’
knowledge of the requirements for Introductory Harmony
plus the additional material listed below. These elements will
be tested in major and minor keys.
Harmony, Counterpoint, and Analysis
23
– The first eight measures or fewer will be given, with
both the melody and the bass part at the cadences.
Candidates will complete the melody and add the
bass part at the cadences and will mark the phrasing
for the entire composition.
– The third phrase should demonstrate some melodic
contrast and inventiveness, while remaining
consistent with the style of the given opening. Literal
restatement, transposition, etc., are discouraged in
the third phrase.
– Candidates may also be asked to indicate the implied
harmony throughout the composition using either
functional chord symbols or root/quality chord
symbols.
Harmonization I: Given Chord Symbols
• Harmonize in four parts (SATB) a series of given
functional chord symbols.
Harmonization II: Given Melody (major keys only,
for this question only)
Intermediate Harmony
Examination length
3 hours
Co-requisite for
Grade 10 Practical Examination
Intermediate Piano Pedagogy
Prerequisite for
ARCT in Piano Performance
Teacher’s ARCT
Advanced Piano Pedagogy
Recommended theory
prerequisites
Advanced Rudiments
Introductory Harmony
Basic Harmony
Resources
The Royal Conservatory Examinations Official
Examination Papers—p. 56
“Appendix”—p. 58
“Rudiments” resources—p. 72
Annotated Resource List—available online at
examinations.rcmusic.ca
• Harmonize in four parts (SATB) a given melody with or
without a given bass line.
– The melody may be a chorale or hymn, an excerpt
from a chorale or hymn, or a melody in a similar style.
– When a text is present, candidates are to write a
correct rhythmic setting of the text.
The Intermediate Harmony examination tests candidates’
knowledge of the requirements for Introductory and Basic
Harmony plus the additional material listed below.
Harmonic and Structural Analysis
• diatonic 7ths
• secondary (applied) dominants (V, V7)
• secondary (applied) leading-note chords (vii, viio7, and
viiø7)
• For a given example:
– Provide chord symbols (root/quality chord symbols or
functional chord symbols or both).
– Indicate pedal points for their entire duration.
– Circle and classify non-chord notes.
• For a given simple dance movement containing
modulations to closely related keys:
– Mark the structural phrasing.
– Identify the cadences (perfect [authentic]), plagal,
imperfect ([half-cadence], or deceptive) and their keys.
– Identify the form (binary, rounded binary, or ternary)
and label the sections of the form by placing letters
(A, B, etc.) directly on the score.
• Answer brief questions concerning the musical
elements found in a given piece or excerpt. (Vocabulary
and concepts will be drawn from theory examination
requirements from Basic Rudiments up to and including
this level.)
Chords
Root position and all inversions
Root position only
• dominant 9ths, 11ths, and 13ths
• secondary (applied) dominants (V9, V11, and V13)
Chord symbols (See “Chord Symbols” on p. 63.)
• root/quality chord symbols
• functional chord symbols
• figured bass
Pedal Points (See “Chord Symbols” on p. 63.)
• on any scale degree
Sequences (See “Sequences” on p. 70.)
• do–fa–ti–mi (diatonic descending 5ths and chromatic
descending 5ths; i.e., with secondary dominants)
• do–sol–re–la
• do–fa–re–sol
• do–sol–la-mi
Harmony, Counterpoint, and Analysis
24
Modulation
Harmonic and Structural Analysis
• to all closely related keys
• between tonic major and tonic minor
• For a given example:
– Provide chord symbols (root/quality chord symbols or
functional chord symbols, or both).
– Indicate pedal points for their entire duration.
– Circle and classify non-chord notes.
• Provide a detailed analysis and/or answer brief
questions concerning the structure of a movement in
one of the forms listed above. (Vocabulary and concepts
will be drawn from theory examination requirements
from Basic Rudiments up to and including Intermediate
Harmony.)
Form
• binary, rounded binary, and ternary (including
compound ternary form in which the individual sections
have identifiable forms)
• rondo
• sonata
Examination Questions
Candidates should be prepared to answer the following
types of examination questions. Each question may
appear in a major or a minor key.
Counterpoint
Melody with Added Bass Line at the Cadences
• Extend a given melodic opening to create a sixteenmeasure composition with four, four-measure phrases.
– The style will be that of an 18th-century dance.
– The form is to be either binary or rounded binary with
appropriate repeat signs; candidates are to identify
the chosen form.
– The composition should demonstrate motivic unity
and must include a modulation to a traditional goal
(to V in major keys, to III or v in minor keys) and a
return to the home key.
– The four phrase endings of the melody are to be
accompanied by a bass part and functional chord
symbols; candidates will be required to name the
key and type of each cadence. Two-part (melody and
bass) cadences are required; stem directions are to
be consistent with two-part writing. Candidates are to
mark the structural phrasing.
– Candidates may also be asked to indicate the implied
harmony throughout the composition using either
functional chord symbols or root/quality chord
symbols.
Examination length
3 hours
Co-requisite for
ARCT in Performance
Teacher’s ARCT
Advanced Piano Pedagogy
Recommended theory
prerequisites
Advanced Rudiments
Introductory Harmony
Basic Harmony
Intermediate Harmony
Resources
The Royal Conservatory Examinations Official
Examination Papers—p. 56
“Appendix”—p. 58
“Rudiments” resources—p. 72
Annotated Resource List—available online at
examinations.rcmusic.ca
The Counterpoint examination tests the application
of materials studied in Intermediate Harmony to
contrapuntal writing in the style of the Baroque period.
Candidates should be prepared to answer the following
types of examination questions.
Harmonization I: Given Chord Symbols
Fugal Exposition
• Harmonize in four parts (SATB) a series of given
functional chord symbols.
• Realize in keyboard style a brief passage with a given
figured bass.
Complete a two-part fugal exposition with a countersubject
written in invertible counterpoint; the exposition will include
a redundant entry. Candidates will be required to label the
components of the exposition that they have completed.
Harmonization II: Given Melody
• Harmonize in four parts (SATB) a given melody with or
without a given bass line.
– The melody may be a chorale or hymn, an excerpt
from a chorale or hymn, or a melody in a similar style.
– When a text is present, candidates are to write a
correct rhythmic setting of the text.
– Candidates are expected to maintain the style of the
given material.
Harmony, Counterpoint, and Analysis
Short Pieces for Melody and Bass
• Add a bass line to a given melody. Continue the style
of the given material to create a unified contrapuntal
composition in Baroque style.
• Realize a given figured bass in keyboard style and add
a melody (three staves will be given). Continue the style
of the given material to create a unified contrapuntal
composition in Baroque style. (See “A Standardized
Notation for Figured Bass” on p. 64.)
• Answer brief questions concerning the musical
elements (such as form, dance types, sequences, etc.) in
the given material.
25
Analysis
Two-Part Counterpoint
• Analyze a piece or an excerpt of contrapuntal music.
Helpful models can be found in J.S. Bach’s The WellTempered Clavier (books 1 and 2), Two-Part Inventions, or
Three-Part Inventions (Sinfonias).
• Identify appearances of subject, real and tonal answers,
countersubject, codetta (link), stretto, redundant entries,
counter-exposition, augmentation, diminution, and
inversion.
• Answer brief questions concerning the musical
elements found in a given piece or excerpt.
• Analyze the harmony implied by the given material for
specified passages.
• Extend a given opening to create a two-part
contrapuntal composition in binary or rounded-binary
form with appropriate repeat signs. Use a style and
harmonic vocabulary similar to that of an 18th-century
dance or invention. The composition should have
motivic unity and the key structure should be consistent
with the form.
Harmonization I
• Harmonize a given chorale melody in the style of
J.S. Bach.
Harmonization II
• Harmonize in four parts (SATB) given material featuring
the vocabulary of Advanced Harmony.
Advanced Harmony
Examination length
3 hours
Co-requisite for
ARCT in Performance
Teacher’s ARCT
Advanced Piano Pedagogy
Recommended theory
prerequisites
Advanced Rudiments
Introductory Harmony
Basic Harmony
Intermediate Harmony
Counterpoint
Resources
The Royal Conservatory Examinations Official
Examination Papers—p. 56
“Appendix”—p. 58
“Rudiments” resources—p. 72
Annotated Resource List—available online at
examinations.rcmusic.ca
The Advanced Harmony examination tests candidates’
knowledge of the requirements for Introductory Harmony,
Basic Harmony, Intermediate Harmony, and Counterpoint
plus the additional material listed below.
Chords
Root position and all inversions
Modulation
• Continue a given opening in four-part texture; include a
modulation to a specified key, a cadence in the new key,
a modulation back to the tonic key, and a final cadence.
The use of a particular pivot chord may or may not be
specified.
Analysis
• For a given example:
– Provide chord symbols (root/quality chord symbols or
functional chord symbols, or both).
– Circle and classify non-chord notes.
– Answer brief questions concerning the musical
elements. (Vocabulary and concepts will be drawn
from theory examination requirements from Basic
Rudiments up to and including Advanced Harmony.)
Analysis
Examination length
3 hours
Co-requisite for
ARCT in Performance
Teacher’s ARCT
Advanced Piano Pedagogy
Recommended theory
prerequisites
Advanced Rudiments
Introductory Harmony
Basic Harmony
Intermediate Harmony
Counterpoint
Advanced Harmony
• advanced chromatic harmony including:
– b II and other altered triads
– augmented 6th chords
– common-tone diminished 7th chords
(See “Chord Symbols” on p. 63.)
Modulations
• to remote keys
Examination Questions
Resources
The Royal Conservatory Examinations Official
Examination Papers—p. 56
“Appendix”—p. 58
“Rudiments” resources—p. 72
Annotated Resource List—available online at
examinations.rcmusic.ca
Candidates should be prepared to answer the following
types of examination questions:
Harmony, Counterpoint, and Analysis
26
The Analysis examination tests candidates’ knowledge
of the requirements for Introductory Harmony, Basic
Harmony, Intermediate Harmony, Counterpoint, and
Advanced Harmony, as well as the ability to provide
detailed harmonic and structural analyses of, and answer
questions about, the musical forms and elements listed
below.
Fugues
• fugues from J.S. Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier, books 1
and 2
Instrumental Works
• movements in the following forms from piano and
chamber sonatas by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, and
Schubert
– binary
– rounded binary
– ternary (including compound ternary)
– theme and variations
– rondo (including sonata-rondo)
– sonata form
Art Songs (19th century)
• solo song in strophic, modified strophic, and throughcomposed forms
• the relationship of text and music (translations will be
provided as needed)
Harmony, Counterpoint, and Analysis
Short Post-1900 Works
Music composed after 1900, demonstrating any of the
following elements:
Scale Types
• Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian,
Locrian, pentatonic (various types), blues, chromatic,
whole-tone, octatonic (diminished)
Chord Types
•
•
•
•
•
tertian harmony (triads, 7th, 9th, 11th, and 13th chords)
chords with added notes
quartal chords
clusters (based on various scales)
polychords
Textures
• pedal, ostinato, parallelism (layering), contrary motion,
imitation
Forms of Non-tonal Organization
• Twelve-tone style and its associated techniques,
including:
– manipulation of note cells and tone rows (such
as octave displacement, inversion, retrograde,
retrograde-inversion, etc.)
– completion of row tables/matrices (candidates will
not be required to construct an entire matrix).
27
Keyboard Harmony
The study of Keyboard Harmony allows students to explore melody writing, harmonization, and analysis at the
keyboard in a direct and practical manner. Utilizing the vocabulary of Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced Harmony,
students gain an understanding of musical structure and syntax, while also building aural awareness, gaining ease
and confidence in practical musicianship, and developing the creative impulse.
Basic Keyboard Harmony
Examination length
20 minutes, plus 20 minutes of
preparation time
Co-requisite for
Grade 9 Practical Examination
Elementary Piano Pedagogy
Recommended theory Advanced Rudiments
prerequisites
Introductory Harmony
Please note: The Basic Keyboard Harmony examination
may be substituted for the Basic Harmony examination
for the purpose of obtaining a practical examination
certificate or theory certificate.
Sequences (See “Sequences” on p. 70.)
• do–fa–ti–mi (descending 5ths)
Modulations
• to the dominant key
Non-chord Notes (See “Non-chord Notes” on p. 69.)
• passing notes, accented passing notes, neighbor notes,
accented neighbor notes, incomplete neighbor notes,
échappées, suspensions, anticipations, and appoggiaturas
Examination Questions
Candidates should be prepared to perform the following:
Melodic improvisation (major or minor keys)
Resources
The Royal Conservatory Examinations Official
Examination Papers—p. 56
“Appendix”—p. 58
“Rudiments” resources—p. 72
Annotated Resource List—available online at
examinations.rcmusic.ca
The Basic Keyboard Harmony examination is based
on the harmonic vocabulary listed below. Prior to
the examination, candidates will be given twenty
minutes to prepare the examination questions at the
piano. Candidates are not permitted to write on the
examination paper.
Keys
• Improvise four-measure responses to two four-measure
melodic phrases.
• Each response, together with the given opening, should
create a unified melody.
• Add bass notes only at the cadences.
Melodic Ornamentation
• Add non-chord notes to a given excerpt consisting of a
simple melody with left-hand chordal accompaniment.
Harmonization I: Sequences
• Play a sequence of descending 5ths in keyboard style.
• Use any arrangement that demonstrates good voiceleading.
Example only
• up to and including two sharps or two flats
• major keys only unless otherwise specified
Chords
Root position and all inversions
• all triads, including cadential chords
• dominant 7th and supertonic 7th chords
• V/V, V7/V, and viiº6/V
Chord symbols (See “Chord Symbols” on p. 63.)
• root/quality chord symbols
• functional chord symbols
Pedal Points
• on the tonic and dominant scale degrees
Harmonization II: Chord Progressions
• Play diatonic chord progressions in keyboard style.
– Use the harmonic vocabulary required for Basic
Keyboard Harmony.
– A soprano line may be provided.
Harmonization III: Chorale (or Chorale-style Passage)
• Harmonize a given soprano and bass in keyboard style.
– Some functional chord symbols or figures will be
provided.
Keyboard Harmony
28
Accompaniment
Resources
• Create an accompaniment in an appropriate style
for a given instrumental or vocal melody.
– Some functional chord symbols (ii, V , I) or root/
quality chord symbols (Dm, G7/B, C) may be
provided. Familiarity with both systems is required.
The Royal Conservatory Examinations Official
Examination Papers—p. 56
“Appendix”—p. 58
“Rudiments” resources—p. 72
Annotated Resource List—available online at
examinations.rcmusic.ca
Melodic Transposition (major or minor keys, treble
or bass clef)
The Intermediate Keyboard Harmony examination is
based on the harmonic vocabulary listed below. Prior
to the examination, candidates will be given twentyfive minutes to prepare the examination questions at
the piano. Candidates are not permitted to write on the
examination paper.
• Name both the given and the resultant keys of a
diatonic melody (resultant key will not exceed two sharps
or two flats).
• Transpose the melody up or down a major or minor
2nd, or a major or minor 3rd.
• During the examination, candidates will not be given
the opportunity to play the passage as written.
Analysis I: Harmonic Analysis (major or minor keys)
• Name the key of a short passage of music.
• Play the passage, indicating the chord symbols (root/
quality or functional) for each chord as it is played.
• Identify the circled non-chord notes.
Analysis II: Structural Analysis (major or minor keys)
• Name the key of a simple dance in 17th- or 18th-century
style and identify the form as binary, rounded binary, or
ternary.
• Play the passage, pausing at the end of each phrase to
name the cadence and key.
• Sight-reading ability will not be evaluated.
Intermediate Keyboard Harmony
Keys
• up to and including four sharps or four flats
• major and minor keys
Chords
Root position and all inversions
•
•
•
•
•
all triads
dominant 7th chords
diatonic 7th chords
secondary (applied) dominants of all degrees
secondary (applied) leading-note chords of all degrees
Root position only
• dominant 9th and 13th chords
Chord Symbols (See “Chord Symbols” on p. 63.)
• root/quality chord symbols
• functional chord symbols
• figured bass
Pedal Points
• on the tonic and dominant scale degrees
Examination length 25 minutes, plus 25 minutes of
preparation time
Sequences (See “Sequences” on p. 70.)
Co-requisite for
Grade 10 Practical Examination
Intermediate Piano Pedagogy
(substitute for Intermediate Harmony)
• do–fa–ti–mi (diatonic descending 5ths and chromatic
descending 5ths; i.e., with secondary dominants)
Prerequisite for
ARCT in Performance
Teacher’s ARCT
Advanced Piano Pedagogy
(substitute for Intermediate Harmony)
Recommended
Advanced Rudiments
theory prerequisites Introductory Harmony
Basic Harmony or Basic Keyboard
Harmony
Please note: The Intermediate Keyboard Harmony
examination may be substituted for the Intermediate
Harmony examination for the purpose of obtaining a
practical examination certificate or theory examination
certificate.
Keyboard Harmony
Modulations
• to all closely related keys (with a change of no more
than one sharp or flat in the key signature)
Examination Questions
Candidates should be prepared to perform the following:
Melodic Improvisation
• Improvise four-measure responses to two four-measure
melodic phrases.
– Each response, together with the given opening,
should create a unified melody.
– In major keys, the given phrase will contain a brief
tonicization of the dominant. In minor keys, the given
phrase will contain a brief tonicization of the mediant
(the relative major).
– Add bass notes only at the cadences.
29
Advanced Keyboard Harmony
Harmonization I: Sequences
• Play a sequence of descending 5ths using diatonic
7ths in keyboard style. Use any arrangement that
demonstrates good voice-leading.
Example only
Examination length
30 minutes, plus 30 minutes of
preparation time
Co-requisite for
ARCT in Performance
Teacher’s ARCT
Advanced Piano Pedagogy
(substitute for Advanced Harmony)
Recommended theory
prerequisites
Advanced Rudiments
Introductory Harmony
Basic Harmony or Basic Keyboard
Harmony
Intermediate Harmony or
Intermediate Keyboard Harmony
Harmonization II: Chord Progressions
• Play chord progressions in keyboard style.
– Use the harmonic vocabulary required for
Intermediate Keyboard Harmony.
– A soprano line may be provided.
Please note: The Advanced Keyboard Harmony
examination may be substituted for the Advanced
Harmony examination for the purpose of obtaining a
practical examination certificate or theory certificate.
Harmonization III: Chorale Style
• Harmonize a given soprano and bass in keyboard style.
– Some figures may be provided.
Accompaniment
• Create an accompaniment in an appropriate style
for a given instrumental or vocal melody.
– Some functional chord symbols (ii, V , I) or root/
quality chord symbols (Dm, G7/B, C) may be
provided. Familiarity with both systems is required.
Melodic Transposition (major or minor keys, treble
or bass clef)
• Name both the given and the resultant keys of a melody
that will contain chromatic notes (resultant key will not
exceed four sharps or four flats).
• Transpose the melody up or down a major or minor
2nd, or a major or minor 3rd.
• During the examination, candidates will not be given
the opportunity to play the passage as written.
Reading C Clefs
• Play a short, two-part composition containing treble,
alto, tenor, or bass clefs.
– One of the two parts will be written in a C clef.
Harmonic Analysis (major or minor keys)
• Name the key of a short passage of music.
• Play the passage, indicating the chord symbols (root/
quality or functional) for each chord as it is played.
• Identify the circled non-chord notes.
Resources
The Royal Conservatory Examinations Official
Examination Papers—p. 56
“Appendix”—p. 58
“Rudiments” resources—p. 72
Annotated Resource List—available online at
examinations.rcmusic.ca
The Advanced Keyboard Harmony examination is
based on the harmonic vocabulary listed below. Prior
to the examination, candidates will be given thirty
minutes to prepare the examination questions at the
piano. Candidates are not permitted to write on the
examination paper.
Chords
Root position and all inversions
•
•
•
•
•
all triads
dominant 7th chords
diatonic 7th chords
secondary (applied) dominants of all degrees
secondary (applied) leading-note chords of all degrees
• advanced chromatic harmony (including b II, other
altered triads and chords, augmented 6th chords, and
common-tone diminished 7th chords)
(See “Chord Symbols” on p. 63.)
Root position only
• dominant 9th and 13th chords
Pedal Points
• on the tonic and dominant scale degrees
Modulations
• to closely related keys and distant keys
Keyboard Harmony
30
Examination Questions
Harmonization II: Chord Progressions
Candidates should be prepared to perform the following:
• Play chord progressions in keyboard style.
– Use the harmonic vocabulary required for Advanced
Keyboard Harmony.
– Progressions may involve modulations and
enharmonic relationships of all types.
Melodic Improvisation
• Extend a given four-measure melodic phrase to create a
sixteen-measure composition with four phrases, adding
bass notes only at the cadences. The composition
should demonstrate:
– motivic unity
– modulation to a traditional goal (major keys:
dominant; minor keys: mediant or dominant) with a
return to the home key
– binary or rounded binary form (candidates will be
asked to identify the form)
Harmonization I: Sequences
• Play a sequence in keyboard style, starting in any
major key and moving through the cycle of descending
5ths back to the same key, using a chain of secondary
(applied) dominant 7ths. Use any arrangement that
demonstrates good voice-leading.
Moving through a cycle of descending 5ths, from C7 back
to C major:
Example only
Harmonization III: Realization of a Continuo Bass
• Realize a continuo accompaniment for a given figured
bass in Baroque style.
– The selection will reflect the style of either a recitative
or a composition for solo instrument.
– The examiner will play the solo part either on the
candidate’s keyboard in a higher register than notated,
or at pitch on a second keyboard instrument.
Accompaniment
• Create an accompaniment in an appropriate style
for a given instrumental or vocal melody.
– Some functional chord symbols (ii, V , I) or root/
quality chord symbols (Dm, G7/B, C) may be
provided. Familiarity with both systems is required.
Melodic Transposition I (major or minor keys,
treble or bass clef)
• Name both the given and the resultant keys of a
chromatic melody.
• Transpose the melody up or down a major or minor
2nd, or a major or minor 3rd.
• During the examination, candidates will not be given
the opportunity to play the passage as written.
Melodic Transposition II
Moving through a cycle of descending 5ths, from E7 back
to E major:
Example only
• Play at concert pitch a single-line excerpt for any of the
transposing instruments listed below:
– piccolo
– English horn
– clarinet in B flat or A
– bass clarinet in B flat
– contrabassoon
– trumpet in B flat or D
– horn in F
– double bass (contrabass)
• Name both the given and the resultant keys.
• During the examination, candidates will not be given
the opportunity to play the passage as written.
Score Reading
• Play a passage written in either string quartet score or
modern vocal score.
Keyboard Harmony
31
History
The study of music history allows students to develop a context for the sounds and symbols that already form the
basis of their musical experience. Through the study of composers’ lives and musical styles, encounters with great
works from the literature, and exposure to genres and terms that help to build a musical vocabulary, students become
more musically literate and gain an increased awareness of music as a living art.
Preparing for Music History Examinations
The following guidelines are provided to help candidates
in their preparation for history examinations.
General Information
• All examinations are 3 hours in length.
• It is strongly recommended that candidates listen to
recordings of all the required musical compositions.
• Candidates will be expected to recognize all titles given
in their original language, but are permitted to use
English translations in their answers.
• Candidates will be expected to describe in detail
all movements of required works, unless otherwise
indicated in the Syllabus.
• There are choices possible within some required topics.
However, regardless of their choice, candidates will be
expected to know all the genres and related terms listed
in the charts below and cite the work to which the term
applies.
Basic Terminology
To facilitate the study and analytical description of
musical works, candidates should understand and be
able to use the following terms:
• notation
• pitch
• rhythm
• meter
• melody
• harmony
• dynamics
• timbre
• texture (monophonic, polyphonic, and homophonic)
• vocal ranges (soprano, alto, tenor, and bass)
• keyboard instruments: organ, harpsichord, clavichord,
and piano
• orchestral instruments: strings, woodwinds, brass, and
percussion, including individual instruments within
each family (Benjamin Britten’s Variations and Fugue on a
Theme of Purcell [The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra] is
recommended as an aural introduction to the orchestra,
but is not required for examination purposes.)
General Components of Music History
Examinations
The Study of Musical Eras
For each era (as defined by the curriculum), candidates
will be expected to demonstrate a knowledge and
understanding of:
• dates (as specified within this Syllabus)
• representative composers
• general musical styles
• musical genres cultivated, including examples
(composition titles)
• social and historical context of music in society
• patronage of the arts
Terms and Definitions
Candidates will be expected to demonstrate a knowledge
and understanding of all terms, concepts, genres, and
forms, as listed in the charts below, along with examples of
composers and works specific to the examination. Terms
are listed the first time they apply to a representative work;
they may be applicable to other works.
The Study of Composers
Candidates’ knowledge of the major representative
composers (identified by bold type in the charts listing
the requirements for each examination) should include
the following details:
For History 1 and History 3 only
Biographical information
• year of birth and year of death
• birthplace and nationality
• family background
• education and professional training
• musical career, including places of employment,
patrons, and accomplishments over the course of the
composer’s life
• significant associations or connections with people,
places, and events
For History 1, History 2, and History 3
Musical style and contributions
• stages or style periods (where applicable)
• innovations
• musical influences
• impact and significance
• genres cultivated
• titles of works representing each genre
History
32
The Study of Musical Compositions
Candidates’ knowledge of representative compositions
(identified by bold type in the charts listing the
requirements for each examination) should include the
following details (where applicable):
Overview
• date of composition
• historical context and circumstances of composition
• genre
• performing forces
• structure, including number of movements
• text (if applicable), including source, author, language,
and general meaning
• plot summary (if applicable)
History
Musical description of required selections
• context within the whole work
• form
• key structure, including main modulations and tonal
centers
• tempo
• meter
• musical character, mood, or atmosphere
• extra-musical connections
Thematic Excerpts
Candidates will be expected to identify principal
thematic excerpts drawn from the list of required works,
and be able to answer specific questions relating to
that excerpt or work. All thematic excerpts, as they
would appear on an examination, are published in the
recommended study guides, Explorations (three volumes).
33
History 1: An Overview
Examination length
3 hours
Co-requisite for
Grade 9 and 10 Practical Examinations
Elementary Piano Pedagogy
Prerequisite for
ARCT in Performance
Teacher’s ARCT
Intermediate and Advanced Piano
Pedagogy
Resources
The Royal Conservatory Examinations Official Examination
Papers—p. 56
“History” resources—p. 74
Annotated Resource List—available online at
examinations.rcmusic.ca
History 1 is an introduction to music history through an
overview of four historical style periods: the Baroque,
Classical, Romantic, and Modern eras. Candidates will be
examined on the following:
Recommended
Advanced Rudiments
theory prerequisites
THE BAROQUE ERA
(ca 1600–ca 1750)
General terms as they apply to music of
the Baroque era
Representative Composers
baroque
basso continuo
equal temperament
figured bass
homophonic texture
polyphonic texture
terraced dynamics
the Affections
word painting
Representative Genres and Works
Solo Concerto
Antonio Vivaldi
La Primavera from
Le Quattro Stagioni
George Frideric Handel
Messiah
Overture
“There were shepherds”
“Glory to God”
“Rejoice greatly”
“Hallelujah!”
Related Terms
drone
ostinato
ripieno
ritornello form
Oratorio
da capo aria
French overture
homorhythmic texture
libretto
melisma
recitativo accompagnato
recitativo secco
Prelude and Fugue
Johann Sebastian Bach
one selection (of the candidate’s choice)
from
The Well-Tempered Clavier
counterpoint
subject
real and tonal answers
countersubject
episode
stretto
pedal point
tierce de Picardie
History
34
THE CLASSICAL ERA
(ca 1750–ca 1825)
General terms as they apply to
music of the Classical era
Representative Composers
absolute music
binary and ternary forms
chamber music
classicism
menuet and trio
rondo form
sonata cycle
sonata form
Viennese School
Representative Genres and Works
String Quartet
Franz Joseph Haydn
String Quartet, op. 76, no. 2 (“Quinten”)
fourth movement
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Eine kleine Nachtmusik, K 525
Related Terms
exposition
development
recapitulation
coda
Serenade
rocket theme
rounded binary
Symphony
Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony no. 5 in C minor, op. 67
cyclical structure
motive
scherzo and trio
theme and variations
THE ROMANTIC ERA
(ca 1825–ca 1900)
General terms as they apply to
music of the Romantic era
Representative Composers
Franz Schubert
exoticism in music
nationalism in music
program music
romanticism
Representative Genres and Works
Art Song
Erlkönig, D 328
OR
Gretchen am Spinnrade, D 118
Related Terms
Lied
through-composed (durchkomponiert)
Piano Music
Frédéric Chopin
Polonaise in A flat major, op. 53
OR
Polonaise in A major, op. 40, no. 1
chromaticism
polonaise
rubato
Program Symphony
Hector Berlioz
Symphonie fantastique, op. 14
fifth movement: “Songe d’une nuit de
sabbat”
cloches
col legno
Dies irae
idée fixe
ophicléide
portamento
Opera
Georges Bizet
Giacomo Puccini
History
Carmen
Act I: Prelude
“Quand je vous aimerai?”
“L’amour est un oiseau rebelle”
OR
Madama Butterfly
Act I: Prelude
Act II: “Un bel dì vedremo”
aria
habañera
prelude (in opera)
recitative
pentatonic scale
verismo
whole-tone scale
35
THE MODERN ERA
(ca 1900 to Present)
General terms as they apply to
music of the Modern era
Representative Composers
atonality
pentatonic scales
polyrhythm
polytonality
modal scales
whole-tone scales
choreography
Representative Genres and Works
Related Terms
Symphonic Poem
Claude Debussy
Prélude à “L’après-midi d’un faune”
antique cymbals
glissando
Impressionism in music
Symbolism
Ballet
Igor Stravinsky
Petrushka
First tableau
changing meter
choreography
folk song
Petrushka chord
OR
Le sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring)
excerpts from Adoration of the Earth (Part I):
Introduction
Dance of the Youths and Maidens
Game of Abduction
primitivism
flutter tongue
Musical
Leonard Bernstein
West Side Story
two of:
Dance at the Gym: Mambo
Tonight Ensemble
Maria
America
I Feel Pretty
Alexina Louie
Distant Memories
from Music for Piano
cha-cha
hemiola
mambo
tritone
verse–chorus structure
Piano Music
arch form
berceuese
senza misura
History
36
History 2: Middle Ages to Classical
Examination length
3 hours
Co-requisite for
Grade 10 Practical Examination
Intermediate Piano Pedagogy
Prerequisite for
ARCT in Performance
Teacher’s ARCT
Advanced Piano Pedagogy
Recommended theory
prerequisites
Advanced Rudiments
Basic Harmony
History 1: An Overview
Resources
The Royal Conservatory Examinations Official Examination
Papers—p. 56
“History” resources—p. 74
Annotated Resource List—available online at
examinations.rcmusic.ca
History 2 is based on four historical style periods—
the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, Baroque, and
Classical eras—with emphasis on the development of
musical genres and forms. Detailed accounts of the lives
of representative composers are not required. Candidates
will be examined on the following:
THE MIDDLE AGES
(ca 476–ca 1450)
General terms as they apply to music
of the Middle Ages
a cappella
countertenor
drone
Mass Ordinary: Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Agnus Dei
Mass Proper
modes
neumes
text settings: syllabic, neumatic, melismatic
textures: monophonic, polyphonic
Individuals and publications of
significance
Pope Gregory I
Liber usualis
Musica enchiriadis
Hildegard von Bingen
Notre Dame School: Léonin, Pérotin
Ars nova: Philippe de Vitry
Messe de Nostre Dame
Chansonnier du roy
Instruments and ensembles
bas: dulcimer, lute, psaltery, rebec, recorder, vielle
haut: cornetto, crumhorn, sackbut, shawm
keyboard: portative, positive, regal
percussion: nakers, tabor, tambourine
Representative Composers
Anonymous
Representative Genres and Works
Gregorian Chant
Haec dies
from the Mass for Easter Day
Related Terms
gradual
plainchant
responsorial singing
Organum
Anonymous
(in the style of Léonin)
Haec dies
Anonymous
O Mitissima/Virgo/Haec dies
cantus firmus
tenor
Polytexual Motet
ostinato
Monophonic Chanson
Moniot d’Arras
Ce fut en mai
Raimbaut de Vaqueiras
Kalenda maya
strophic form
trouvère
OR
estampie
guitarra moresca
medieval pipe
troubadour
Polyphonic Chanson
Guillaume de Machaut
Puis qu’en oubli
Anonymous
Royal Estampie no. 4
from Chansonnier du roy
rondeau
musica ficta
Dance Music
History
heterophonic texture
37
THE RENAISSANCE ERA
(ca 1450–ca 1600)
General terms as they apply to music of the Renaissance
chromaticism
continuous imitation
homorhythmic texture
modal counterpoint
word painting
Individuals, events, and publications of significance
Franco-Flemish School
Reformation: Martin Luther
Counter-Reformation: Council of Trent
Musica transalpina
Fitzwilliam Virginal Book
Instruments and ensembles
consort of instruments
keyboard: virginal
stringed: viols, viola da gamba
Representative Composers
Representative Genres and Works
Motet
Josquin des Prez
Ave Maria…virgo serena
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
Missa Papae Marcelli
Gloria
Carlo Gesualdo
Moro lasso, al mio duolo
John Farmer
Fair Phyllis
Anonymous,
arranged by Tielman Susato
Danserye
Pavane “Mille regretz”
Mass
Italian Madrigal
English Madrigal
Dance Music
History
38
THE BAROQUE ERA
(ca 1600–ca 1750)
General terms as they apply to music
of the Baroque era
baroque
basso continuo
dance suite: allemande, courante, sarabande, gigue
figured bass
forms: binary, rounded binary, ternary
ground bass
libretto
terraced dynamics
textures: homophonic, polyphonic
the Affections
Individuals, developments, and
publications of significance
Florentine Camerata
Le nuove musiche
monody
stile rappresentativo
Instruments
keyboard: clavichord, clavier, harpsichord
Representative Composers
Claudio Monteverdi
Representative Genres and Works
Italian Opera
The Coronation of Poppea
Act III, scene 7:
“A te, a te sovrana augusta”
Sinfonia
“Pur ti miro”
Related Terms
castrato
opera seria
stile concitato
English Opera
Henry Purcell
Dido and Aeneas
Act III, final scene:
“Thy hand, Belinda”
“When I am laid in earth”
aria
recitativo secco
Cantata
Johann Sebastian Bach
Cantata no. 80, “Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott” canon
first, second, fifth, and eighth movements
chorale
fugal texture
ritornello
Concerto Grosso
Brandenburg Concerto no. 2 in F major,
BWV 1047
first movement
concertino
ripieno
ritornello form
Orchestral Suite
George Frideric Handel
Water Music
Suite in D major, HWV 349
Allegro
Alla Hornpipe
hornpipe
Harpsichord Sonata
Domenico Scarlatti
Sonata in F minor, L 187/K 481
OR
Sonata in D major, L 463/K 430
History
gravicembalo
39
THE CLASSICAL ERA
(ca 1750–ca 1825)
General terms as they apply to music chamber music
of the Classical era
sonata cycle
sonata form: exposition, development, recapitulation, coda
Viennese School
Individuals, developments, and
publications of significance
Representative Composers
Franz Joseph Haydn
C.P.E. Bach: Essay on the True Art of Playing Keyboard Instruments
Christoph Willibald Gluck
Mannheim School
Sturm und Drang
Representative Genres and Works
Symphony
Symphony no. 104 in D major (“London”)
first movement
Related Terms
monothematic exposition
Oratorio
The Creation
Part 1, scene 3:
“And God said: Let there be light”
“In splendor bright”
“The heavens are telling the Glory of God”
recitativo accompagnato
Opera Buffa
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
The Marriage of Figaro
Overture
Act I, scenes 6 and 7:
“Non so più”
“Ah! Son perduto!”
“Cosa sento!”
modified sonata form
terzetto
trouser role
Piano Concerto
Piano Concerto in G major, K 453
first movement
cadenza
double exposition
Piano Sonata
Ludwig van Beethoven
Piano Sonata in C minor, op. 13 (“Pathétique”)
tremolo
rondo form
OR
Piano Sonata in C sharp minor, op. 27, no. 2
(“Moonlight”)
menuet and trio
Piano Quintet
Franz Schubert
Piano Quintet in A major, D 667 (“Trout”)
fourth movement
theme and variations
History
40
History 3: 19th Century to Present
Examination length
3 hours
Co-Requisite for
ARCT in Performance
Teacher’s ARCT
Advanced Piano Pedagogy
Recommended theory Advanced Rudiments
prerequisites
Basic Harmony
History 1: An Overview
History 2: Middle Ages to Classical
Resources
The Royal Conservatory Examinations Official Examination
Papers—p. 56
“History” resources—p. 74
Annotated Resource List—available online at
examinations.rcmusic.ca
History 3 is based on the music of the Romantic and
Modern eras. Candidates will be examined on the
following:
THE ROMANTIC ERA
(ca 1825–ca 1900)
Representative Composers
Representative Genres and Works
Concerto
Felix Mendelssohn
Violin Concerto in E minor, op. 64
first movement
Robert Schumann
Dichterliebe, op. 48
“Und wüssten’s die Blumen”
OR
“Im wunderschönen Monat Mai”
OR
Related Terms
cadenza
double stopping
pedal point
sonata form
Art Song
Lied
song cycle
strophic form
modified strophic form
Character Piece
Carnaval, op. 9
“Eusebius”
“Florestan”
piano cycle
cross rhythm
Piano Music
Franz Liszt
“La Campanella”
from Grandes études de Paganini
étude
Choral Music
Johannes Brahms
Ein deutsches Requiem
fourth movement: “Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen”
Giuseppe Verdi
La Traviata
Act II, Scene 2:
“Invitato …” to end of act
rondo form
Opera
aria
bel canto
coloratura soprano
libretto
recitative
OR
Rigoletto
Act III:
“La donna è mobile”
“Un dì”
“Bella figlia”
Opera
Richard Wagner
Die Walküre
Act III:
“Der Augen leuchtendes Paar” to end of act
chromatic harmony
Gesamtkunstwerk
Heldentenor
Leitmotif
music drama
Symphonic Poem
Bedřich Smetana
Vltava
from Má vlast
Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
Romeo and Juliet Overture
nationalism in music
program music
Concert Overture
History
41
THE MODERN ERA
(ca 1900 to Present)
Representative
Composers I: Europe
Representative Genres and Works
Related Terms
Symphony
Gustav Mahler
Symphony no. 4 in G major
fourth movement
Maurice Ravel
Jeux d’eau
Béla Bartók
Concerto for Orchestra
fourth movement
Sergei Prokofiev
Romeo and Juliet, Suite no. 2, op. 64c
Act I, Scene 4:
“The Montagues and Capulets: The Capulet Ball”
Arnold Schoenberg
Pierrot lunaire, op. 21
“Der Mondfleck”
“O alter Duft aus Märchenzeit”
cyclical structure
Piano Music
glissando
Impressionism in music
pentatonic scale
whole-tone scale
Orchestral Music
changing meter
neo-Classicism
ostinato
polytonality
quotation in music
Ballet
choreography
en pointe
Song Cycle
atonality
canon
Expressionism in music
Klangfarbenmelodie
rondeau
Sprechstimme
Opera
Alban Berg
Wozzeck
Act III, scene 4:
“Das Messer?”
Orchestral Interlude
Act III, scene 5:
“Ringel, Ringel, Rosenkranz”
celesta
cluster chord
Orchestral Music
Anton Webern
Symphony, op. 21
second movement
Olivier Messiaen
Quatuor pour la fin du temps
mode of limited transposition
second movement: “Vocalise, pour l”Ange qui annonce la
fin du Temps”
serialism
theme and variations
tone row
twelve-tone music
Chamber Music
Orchestral Music
György Ligeti
Atmosphères
micropolyphony
Choral Music
Arvo Pärt
Cantate Domino canticum novum
minimalism
tintinnabulation
History
42
THE MODERN ERA (continued)
(ca 1900 to Present)
Representative Composers II: North America
Representative Works
Candidates must be prepared to discuss the musical style and the given representative work of FOUR of the following
composers:
John Cage
Sonata V, from Sonatas and Interludes
Aaron Copland
“Street in a Frontier Town,” from Billy the Kid
Jean Coulthard
“The Contented House,” from Canada Mosaic
George Crumb
“The Little Boy Is Looking for His Voice,” from Ancient Voices of Children
Duke Ellington/Billy Strayhorn
Take the “A” Train
Christos Hatzis
Nadir
Paul Lansky
Notjustmoreidlechatter
Steve Reich
Electric Counterpoint
R. Murray Schafer
String Quartet No. 2 (“Waves”)
Harry Somers
any TWO contrasting movements, from Picasso Suite
Stephen Sondheim
“My Friends,” from Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Joan Tower
For the Uncommon Woman
Healey Willan
Hodie Christus Natus Est
Representative Performers on the World Stage: Past and Present
Candidates should also be prepared to discuss the careers of FOUR of the following performing artists:
Laurie Anderson
Joshua Bell
Miles Davis
Renée Fleming
Glenn Gould
Angela Hewitt
Diana Krall
History
Alison Krauss
Kronos Quartet
Louis Lortie
Yo-Yo Ma
Wynton Marsalis
Joni Mitchell
Oscar Peterson
43
Comprehensive Theory Examination
The Comprehensive Theory Examination covers material from all examinations in rudiments, harmony and
counterpoint, analysis, and history. Candidates who have music degrees or diplomas from other recognized music
institutions may be exempted from all theory prerequisites and co-requisites for all practical levels by writing a
Comprehensive Theory Examination. Candidates must submit a Transfer Credits and Exemptions Request Form
(available online) by the examination registration deadline.
Please note: Candidates wishing to use the Comprehensive Theory Examination to fulfill the prerequisite and corequisite theory requirements for the ARCT in Performance, Teacher’s ARCT, or ARCT in Piano Pedagogy, must
complete the Comprehensive Theory Examination at least one session prior to registering for any of the examinations
of the respective diploma levels.
Examination length
3 hours
Counterpoint
Co-requisite for
n/a
Prerequisite for
n/a
• composition of two-part counterpoint in 18th-century
style
Resources
“Resources”—p. 72
Annotated Resource List—available online at
examinations.rcmusic.ca
This examination tests candidates’ knowledge of the
following:
Rudiments
• as per the Advanced Rudiments examination
Analysis
Analysis of the following forms:
• sonata movement
• fugue
• song form (strophic, modified strophic, throughcomposed)
History
Short essays and other short answer questions
demonstrating general knowledge of:
• music history from the Middle Ages to the present
Harmony
• harmonization in chorale style
• secondary (applied) dominants
• modulation; use of altered chords (including diminished
7th, augmented 6th, and Neapolitan 6th)
• composition of a simple piano accompaniment to a
given melody
Comprehensive Theory Examination
44
ARCT Diploma in Composition
and/or Theory
The ARCT Diploma in Composition and/or Theory represents an advanced course of study covering musical style
and technique from the Renaissance to the present. The examinations for the ARCT diplomas comprise three parts.
Candidates must successfully complete each part before proceeding to the next. Diplomas may be awarded in
Composition, in Theory, or in Composition and Theory (combined). ARCT diplomas will be awarded to candidates
at the annual Convocation ceremony or forwarded immediately following convocation. Candidates must not use the
designation “ARCT” before Convocation.
Co-Requisite
Grade 6 Piano
Recommended theory
prerequisites
Intermediate Harmony
Advanced Harmony
Counterpoint
Analysis
Resources
“Resources”—p. 72 (materials marked with an * are
suitable for candidates preparing for the ARCT in
Composition and/or Theory examinations)
Annotated Resource List—available online at
examinations.rcmusic.ca
Composition
Theory
Composition and Theory
1 research paper
3 compositions and
1 research paper
Part 1
12 examination papers
Part 2
3 compositions
Part 3
Oral defense of work from Part 2
ARCT Diploma in Composition and/or Theory
45
Part 1: Examination Papers
The following twelve examination papers must be taken for the ARCT in Composition, Theory, or Composition and
Theory. They may be taken in any order.
Part 1 Examination Papers
Location
Timeframe
Renaissance Counterpoint
Baroque Harmony and Counterpoint I
Romantic/Post-Romantic Harmony/Counterpoint
Post-1900 Composition Techniques
Orchestration I
Analysis
History I
History II
Ear Test
Examination center
3 hours each
Baroque Harmony and Counterpoint II
Classical Harmony and Counterpoint
Orchestration II
Take-home examination 9:00 A.M. Friday–2:00 P.M. Monday
Candidates must pick up the papers at the examination
center and return them to the Center Representative
at a designated location during the regular theory
examination session.
Ear Test
Examination center
Written during the regular theory examination session
3 hours
Recording provided at examination
Renaissance Counterpoint
Baroque Harmony and Counterpoint II
The Renaissance Counterpoint examination assesses
knowledge of 16th-century contrapuntal style and
techniques based on the work of Giovanni da Palestrina.
The Baroque Harmony and Counterpoint II examination
requires candidates to apply Baroque composition
techniques (Baroque Harmony and Counterpoint I) to the
composition of a fugue.
Examination Requirements
Candidates may be asked to:
• Complete a short liturgical movement for four to eight
voices in the style of Palestrina. A Latin text and/or an
opening may be given.
• Write a composition demonstrating canonic devices
such as mirror, inversion, augmentation, and
diminution.
Examination Requirements
Baroque Harmony and Counterpoint I
Candidates may be asked to:
• Write a three- or four-voice fugue on a given subject in
Baroque style.
• Use specific contrapuntal devices (for example, stretto or
invertible countersubject).
• Use scoring for a typical Baroque instrumental or vocal
medium (for example, keyboard, chamber group, or
choir).
The Baroque Harmony and Counterpoint I examination
assesses fluency with Baroque composition techniques.
Scores
Examination Requirements
Candidates may be asked to:
• Write a four-voice setting of a given chorale melody in
the style of J.S. Bach. A chorale melody will be given.
• Write a dance in binary, rounded binary, or ternary form.
An opening will be given.
• Write a two-part invention. An opening will be given.
• Write a three- or four-voice fugal exposition.
Scores
Bach, Johann Sebastian. Chorale Harmonizations.
—. Inventions and Sinfonias.
—. The Well-Tempered Clavier.
Bach, Johann Sebastian. The Well-Tempered Clavier.
—. Musical Offering.
—. Art of Fugue.
Classical Harmony and Counterpoint
The Classical Harmony and Counterpoint examination
requires candidates to apply harmony and counterpoint
principles to the composition of a complete movement in
Classical style.
Examination Requirements
For a given opening, candidates must compose one of
the following for keyboard or string quartet:
• A movement in sonata form.
• A set of five to eight variations on a given theme.
• A movement in a given classical form other than sonata
form or theme and variations.
ARCT Diploma in Composition and/or Theory
46
Scores
Orchestration I
Piano sonatas and string quartets by:
• Ludwig van Beethoven
• Franz Joseph Haydn
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
The Orchestration I examination tests knowledge of
orchestral writing, including instrumental features, score
layout, and orchestration terminology.
Romantic and Post-Romantic Harmony and
Counterpoint
Candidates may be asked to:
• Notate the ranges, registers, and tessiture of orchestral
instruments.
• Discuss the overtone series in relation to tone
production, overblowing, and harmonics.
• Solve short orchestration problems that concern the
technical features of instruments, including: reeds,
trombone positions, harp pedaling, bowing, natural and
artificial string harmonics, multiple stops, and fingering.
• Copy a section of an orchestral score.
• Extract a part from an orchestral score.
• Detect errors in orchestral scores or parts.
• Transpose orchestral parts.
• Set a given chord for orchestra.
The Romantic and Post-Romantic Harmony examination
requires candidates to apply 19th-century harmony and
counterpoint principles to practical composition.
Examination Requirements
Candidates will be asked one of the following:
• For a given text, compose a composition for voice and
piano accompaniment.
• For a given melody, add a piano accompaniment.
• For a given opening and/or other material, write a
composition for piano.
Scores
Examination Requirements
Piano and vocal works by:
• Franz Schubert
• Robert Schumann
• Frédéric Chopin
• Johannes Brahms
Orchestration II
Post-1900 Composition Techniques
Candidates will be asked to:
• Arrange a short composition for symphony orchestra.
The Post-1900 Composition Techniques examination
requires candidates to apply techniques in 20th-century
tonality, serialism, indeterminate (aleatoric) notation,
integral serialism, and extended instrumental and vocal
techniques.
Examination Requirements
Given a specific ensemble and musical element (such as
motive, pitch set or row, graphic representation, or ratio),
candidates will be asked to:
• Write a short work.
• Briefly explain how the composition is organized.
The Orchestration II examination requires candidates
to apply orchestral techniques to the orchestration of a
complete work.
Examination Requirements
Analysis
The Analysis examination requires candidates to analyze
musical compositions from the Renaissance to the 20th
century.
Examination Requirements
Candidates will be asked to analyze musical works from
different historical style periods using the following:
• general harmonic and formal analysis
• analysis of voice-leading and contrapuntal techniques
• various 20th-century techniques and serial procedures
Scores
Compositions by:
• Claude Debussy, Igor Stravinsky, Béla Bartók, Paul
Hindemith, and Dmitri Shostakovich (20th-century
tonal techniques)
• Arnold Schoenberg and his followers (serial techniques
including twelve-tone)
• Witold Lutoslawski and Krzysztof Penderecki
(indeterminate/aleatoric notation)
• Pierre Boulez and his followers (integral serialism)
• Composers using extended instrumental and vocal
techniques
ARCT Diploma in Composition and/or Theory
History I
The History I examination tests knowledge of Western
art music from the Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque,
Classical, and Romantic periods. Use of books or notes is not
allowed during the examination
Examination Requirements
Candidates will be asked to write essays demonstrating
knowledge of all musical eras, including:
• Specific genres (for example, operas, sonatas, and
suites).
• Biography, works, and significance of prominent
musicians.
47
• Impact on music history of prominent historical
developments (for example, Protestant Reformation,
decline of the patronage system, and rise of
democracy).
• Relevant compositions and technical procedures.
History II
The History II examination requires detailed knowledge
of music composed after 1900, with an emphasis on
Canadian music. Textbooks are permitted during the
examination.
Examination Requirements
Candidates will be asked to write two or three essays
demonstrating knowledge of:
• General knowledge of music from the period.
• Prominent compositional genres and techniques.
Ear Test
The Ear Test is given aurally (recording is provided at the
examination) and examines candidates’ skill in dictation.
Examination Requirements
Candidates will be given dictations in the following
areas:
• Melodic dictation
• Chord series dictation
• Rhythmic dictation
• Harmonic dictation: write soprano and bass parts for
four-part chorale style harmonic progressions, and give
a harmonic analysis. Skill level: Advanced Harmony
examination.
Part 2: Compositions and/or Research Papers
Within three years of completing the last examination for Part 1, candidates must submit a group of compositions or a
research paper, as specified below.
Diploma
ARCT in Composition
Part 2 Requirements
Length
3 compositions:
• work for a solo instrument (with or without accompaniment)
20–30 minutes
in total
or an electronic composition
• chamber work for 3–10 performers
or a choral composition
ARCT in Theory
ARCT in Composition
and Theory
• work for orchestra
1 research paper:
• on a theoretical, historical, or pedagogical topic, approved by the
College of Examiners
3 compositions and 1 research paper:
• as outlined above
5,000 words
same as above
Submission Specifications
• Candidates should submit the required compositions or research paper with an examination registration form and fee
before the registration deadline.
• Submissions will be immediately accepted (a mark of special distinction), accepted pending revisions, or rejected.
• If revisions are required, they must be completed within 90 days after the date on which the submission is returned to
the candidate.
• Acceptance of revisions will be determined by the Office of the Chief Examiners.
ARCT Diploma in Composition and/or Theory
48
Part 3: Viva Voce Examination
The Viva Voce Examination is modeled on a traditional thesis defense. The candidate’s work will be assessed by
experienced composers and theorists who will pose questions to the candidate about their work.
Diploma
ARCT in
Composition
and/or Theory
Part 3 Requirements
Oral defense, including questions on the following:
• the candidate’s submissions from Part 2
• identification of music examples from Part 1 examination papers
• general knowledge of the history and theory of music
ARCT Diploma in Composition and/or Theory
Length
2 hours
49
Register for an Examination
Examination Sessions and Registration Deadlines
Exact dates and deadlines can be found online. Register early to avoid disappointment:
late registrations are subject to an additional fee and may be denied.
Winter Session—register by early November
• theory examinations take place in December
• practical examinations take place in January
V
Visit
examinations.rcmusic.ca
inatio
a
to register.
re
Spring Session—register by early March
• theory examinations take place in May
• practical examinations take place in June
Summer Session—register by early June
• theory examinations take place in August
• practical examinations take place in August
Online Registration
All registrations should be submitted using the online registration process.
Visit examinations.rcmusic.ca to register.
Examination Fees
Examination fees must be paid at registration using Visa or MasterCard. Fees for the
current academic year are listed online at examinations.rcmusic.ca.
Register for an Examination
50
Examination Centers
Examinations are conducted in more than 300 communities across North America. Each
examination center has a local Examination Center Representative who ensures that
students and teachers have a successful examination experience.
Examination Scheduling
Written Examinations
All candidates must verify their examination schedules online two weeks before the
examination day. Examination schedules will not be mailed. Teachers may verify their
students’ examination schedules by visiting examinations.rcmusic.ca.
Theory examinations must be written at the scheduled times, dates, and locations. No
changes are permitted, as theory examinations are written concurrently in all examination
centers.
Certain subjects are written at the same time, for example, History 2: Middle Ages to
Classical, and Counterpoint. In such cases, an alternate time for one of the examinations
may be arranged at the discretion of The Royal Conservatory Examinations.
Keyboard Harmony and Musicianship Examinations
Keyboard harmony and musicianship examinations are not scheduled during theory
examination sessions. These examinations involve one-on-one assessment and
consequently are scheduled during practical examination sessions.
Examinations Timetable
Theory examinations are written according to the following timetable:
Examination Subject
Friday
Saturday
Preparatory Rudiments
2:00 P.M.–3:00 P.M.
Basic Rudiments
2:00 P.M.–3:00 P.M.
Intermediate Rudiments
9:30 A.M.–11:30 A.M.
2:00 P.M–4:00 P.M.
Advanced Rudiments
Introductory Harmony
9:30 A.M.–11:30 A.M.
Basic Harmony
9:30 A.M.–12:30 P.M.
Intermediate Harmony
9:30 A.M.–12:30 P.M.
Advanced Harmony
9:30 A.M.–12:30 P.M.
Counterpoint
9:30 A.M.–12:30 P.M.
Analysis
2:00 P.M.–5:00 P.M.
History 1: An Overview
2:00 P.M.–5:00 P.M.
History 2: Middle Ages to Classical
9:30 A.M.–12:30 P.M.
History 3: 19th Century to Present
2:00 P.M.–5:00 P.M.
Comprehensive Theory
9:30 A.M.–12:30 P.M.
Musicianship and Keyboard Harmony
scheduled during practical examination sessions
Examination Schedule Conflicts
Candidates who are unable to attend an examination scheduled for Saturday at the
designated time because of a direct time conflict with a school examination or a religious
restriction may request to have the examination scheduled for Friday at 9:30 A.M. Please
note that there are no alternate examination times for history examinations or the
Comprehensive Theory Examination.
Register for an Examination
51
Examination Regulations
Examination Procedures
An examination will be declared invalid if there is any infringement of the following
examination procedures:
Written Examinations
On the day of the examination, candidates must:
• arrive at the examination center fifteen minutes prior to the scheduled examination time
• bring a copy of the examination schedule
• present the schedule to the presiding officer for admittance to the examination room
(photo ID may be requested)
• bring all pencils, pens (blue or black ink only), erasers, and rulers to the examination
(keyboard facsimiles are not permitted)
• leave all electronic devices, books, notes, bags, and coats in the area designated by the
presiding officer
During the examination, candidates:
• must not communicate with other candidates
• may not leave the examination room before the first thirty minutes have elapsed
• may leave any time after the first thirty minutes when finished writing
• must stop writing when the end of the examination is announced
• must seal the examination paper and all rough work in the provided envelope and give it
to the presiding officer
• may not remove any examination material from the room
• must sign out before leaving the examination room
Candidatess arriv
arriving
more than
an thirty
thir
minutes late
ate wi
will not
be admitted to the
examination
mina
room.
Once candidates
da
leave the
e
examination room,
room
they will not
ot be
re-admitted.
e
Keyboard Harmony and Musicianship Examinations
On the day of the examination, all candidates must:
• bring a copy of the examination schedule and present it to the presiding officer (photo ID
may be requested)
Keyboard harmony candidates should:
• arrive at the examination center approximately forty minutes before the examination time
to preview the examination materials
Musicianship candidates should:
• be ready to perform at least fifteen minutes before the examination time
During the examination:
• all parents, teachers, and assistants must wait in the designated waiting area
• the examiner may interrupt the candidate’s performance when an assessment is reached
• recording devices are strictly prohibited in the examination room
Credits and Refunds for Missed Examinations
Credits (formerly called “fee extensions”) and refunds are only granted under two specific
conditions. Candidates who are unable to attend an examination for medical reasons or
because of a direct time conflict with a school examination are eligible to request either
an examination credit for the full amount of the examination fee or a fifty percent refund
of the examination fee.
Examination Regulations
The Credits/Refunds
Request Form
o is
available online
n
at
examinations.rcmusic.ca
ex
rcmu
a.
52
All requests must
be submitted by
mail or by faxx within
two weeks following
ll
the examination.
a
Requests received
c
after this time
ti
will be
e denied.
den
Requests for examination credits or refunds must be made to The Royal Conservatory
Examinations in writing and accompanied by the following documentation:
• for medical reasons—a physician’s letter and the candidate’s examination schedule
• for direct time conflicts with school examinations—a letter from a school official on
school letterhead and the candidate’s Examination Schedule
Candidates who, for any reason, are unable to attend an examination should contact the
Center Representative listed on their Examination Schedule immediately.
Examination Credit
An examination credit (formerly called a “fee extension”) may be applied to the fee of a
future examination. Examination credits are valid for one year from the date of the original
scheduled examination.
Candidates must
Ca
indicate whether they
are app
applying for an
Examination Credit
Examin
or a F
Fee Refund
on
n the Credits/
Refunds Request
Refu
form. Changes are
form
not permitted after
submission. Changes
are not permitted
rm
afte
af
terr su
subm
bmis
mis
issi
sssion
on..
Examination credits can be redeemed when the candidate registers for their next
examination. The credit will be automatically applied during the online registration
process.
Fee Refund
Candidates who cannot redeem an examination credit within a year may apply instead for
a fifty percent refund of the examination fee.
Requests for examination refunds or credits must be made to The Royal Conservatory
Examinations in writing and accompanied by the necessary documentation (see above).
All requests must be submitted within two weeks following the examination by mail or by
fax. Requests received after this time will be denied.
Candidates with Special Needs
Candidates with special needs should submit a Special Needs Request Form—by mail or
by fax to the The Royal Conservatory Examinations office—as soon as possible before the
registration deadline. Each case will be assessed individually.
The Special Needs
Request Form is
available online at
availabl
examinatio
aminations.rcmusic.caa.
Candidates may receive help in and out of the examination room if required. Please note
that helpers must remain in the waiting area during the actual examination.
Visually impaired candidates may request examination papers in enlarged print or Braille.
Such candidates may also bring a reader or Braille machine at their own expense.
Examination Results
Candidates and teachers can access examination results online starting approximately six
weeks after the examination.
Please note
te that
results will not be
mailed or given
gi
by
telephone.
lephone.
Teachers may access their student’s examination results by visiting
examinations.rcmusic.ca.
Official transcripts are available upon written request to The Royal Conservatory
Examinations and payment of the requisite fee. (Download the Official Transcript Request
Form from the website.)
Classification of Theory Marks
First Class Honors with Distinction
First Class Honors
Honors
Pass
Fail
Examination Regulations
90–100
80–89
70–79
60–69
0–59
53
Re-Evaluation of Written Theory Examinations
All enquiries concerning re-calculation or re-evaluation of marks must be addressed
in writing to The Royal Conservatory Examinations. Candidates should submit all
documentation and fees as outlined below. Please allow four weeks for a reply. Please note
that a re-evaluation or re-calculation of marks may raise, lower, or confirm the original mark.
Candidates may appeal a theory examination mark for two reasons: a tabulation error,
or an inconsistent or incorrect marking. All appeals must be made in writing, with
documentation and appropriate fee, to the The Royal Conservatory Examinations office as
follows:
1. Tabulation error or unmarked question
To request a re-calculation of marks, the candidate must submit:
• a copy of the examination paper(s)
• a letter identifying the tabulation concerns
• fee (found online at examinations.rcmusic.ca)
If an error is found in the candidate’s favor, the mark will be adjusted and the fee will be
refunded.
2. Inconsistent or incorrect marking
To request a re-evaluation of a theory paper, the candidate must submit:
• a copy of the examination paper(s)
• a letter giving reasons and examples for why the marking is incorrect or inconsistent
• fee for theory examination re-evaluation (found online at examinations.rcmusic.ca)
The examination paper will be reviewed by a member of the College of Examiners and
returned with a written critique of the appropriate questions. If the re-evaluation results in
a higher mark, the fee will be refunded.
Deadlines for re-evaluation requests
February 15
theory examinations written in the previous December (winter session)
September 15 theory examinations written in the previous May (spring session)
October 15
theory examinations written in the previous August (summer session)
Certificates and Diplomas
Theory Examinations
Candidates who successfully complete all the theory examinations for each level of study
are awarded a theory certificate in the spring or the fall.
Practical Examinations
Practical examination certificates are awarded to candidates who successfully complete all
the requirements for their practical grade level. This includes successful completion of a
practical examination and its theory co-requisites and prerequisites.
• Beginning in Grade 5, certificates are awarded after the theory co-requisites for that grade
have been successfully completed.
• The following examination substitutions may be made for the purposes of obtaining a
practical certificate:
– Intermediate Rudiments for Basic Rudiments
– Advanced Rudiments for Basic Rudiments or Intermediate Rudiments
– Intermediate Harmony for Basic Harmony
– Advanced Harmony and Analysis for Basic Harmony or Intermediate Harmony
• Candidates are strongly advised to complete their theoretical work before or at the same
time as their practical examination.
• Theory co-requisites must be completed within five years of the original practical examination.
Examination Regulations
Please see “Quick
“Qu
Reference” on
o p. 9
for a full list of theory
co-requisites and
prerequisites.
54
• Candidates for Grade 10, ARCT in Performance, Teacher’s ARCT, or the ARCT in Piano
Pedagogy must complete the necessary theory co-requisites within five years of the
original practical examination, not any subsequent supplemental examinations.
• Candidates for the ARCT in Performance, Teacher’s ARCT, or the ARCT in Piano Pedagogy
must complete all prerequisites at least one session prior to registering for the respective
examinations. Candidates may not complete their ARCT prerequisites in the same session
as their ARCT examination.
• ARCT diplomas are awarded to candidates at the annual Convocation ceremony.
Candidates may not use the designation “ARCT” before Convocation.
Transfer Credits and Exemptions
Under certain conditions, students may be permitted to transfer theory examination
credits or diplomas from other institutions.
Transfer Credits
• Candidates who have taken theory examinations with other recognized examination
systems may apply to transfer these credits for the equivalent RCM Examinations theory
examinations. For more information, please download a Transfer Credits and Exemptions
request from website.
Exemptions
• Candidates who hold music degrees or diplomas from other recognized institutions and
who wish to work towards the ARCT in Performance, Teacher’s ARCT, or ARCT in Piano
Pedagogy, may be exempted from all theory prerequisites and co-requisites by writing
the Comprehensive Theory Examination. Please see p. 43 for Comprehensive Theory
Examination requirements.
• Candidates who have completed examination papers for the ARCT in Composition and/
or Theory may be exempt from some theory examinations required for the Grade 10
practical certificate or ARCT practical diplomas. For more information, please contact The
Royal Conservatory Examinations.
• Candidates who have completed the following five examination papers for the ARCT in
Composition and/or Theory will be exempt from all theory examinations required for a
Grade 10 practical certificate or ARCT practical diploma:
– Renaissance Counterpoint
– History I (ARCT)
– History II (ARCT)
– Classical Harmony and Counterpoint
– Romantic and Post-Romantic Harmony and Counterpoint
School Credits
The Royal Conservatory Examinations results can sometimes be used as a credit toward
high school graduation or toward university entrance. In Canada, the policies of provincial
education ministries can be found online under “Candidate Recognition, Accreditation.”
Candidates are advised to discuss the eligibility of their examination results with their
school principal or guidance counselor.
Medals
Each academic year (September to August) medals are awarded to the candidates who
achieve exceptional examination results in theoretical, pedagogical, and/or practical
examinations. No application is required.
Silver Medals
Practical Examinations
Silver medals are awarded by province or region to the candidates in Preparatory A,
Preparatory B, Introductory, and Grades 1 to 10 who receive the highest marks for the
Examination Regulations
55
respective practical examinations in each discipline. To be eligible, a candidate must
receive a minimum mark of 80 percent in the practical examination, and have completed all the
theory co-requisites for the respective grade.
Piano Pedagogy Examinations
Silver medals are also awarded by province or region to the candidates in Elementary
and Intermediate Piano Pedagogy who receive the highest average for Parts 2 and 3 (Viva
Voce and Written Examination) of the respective Piano Pedagogy level. To be eligible a
candidate must:
• receive a minimum of 80 percent in each of the Part 2 and 3 examinations
• have completed the Grade 9 Piano Certificate (for the Elementary Piano Pedagogy level) or
Grade 10 Piano Certificate (for the Intermediate Piano Pedagogy level)
Gold Medals (Canada and USA)
Theory Examinations
A gold medal for excellence in theory is awarded to the graduating ARCT candidate who
completes the theory examinations listed below with the highest average mark. To be
eligible, a candidate must receive a minimum overall average of 80 percent for the eight
examinations.
• Basic Harmony or Basic Keyboard Harmony
• Intermediate Harmony or Intermediate Keyboard Harmony
• Advanced Harmony or Advanced Keyboard Harmony
• Counterpoint
• Analysis
• History 1: An Overview
• History 2: Middle Ages to Classical
• History 3: 19th Century to Present
ARCT in Performance
A gold medal is awarded to the graduating ARCT in Performance candidate who receives
the highest mark for the practical examination in each of the following disciplines:
accordion, brass, guitar, harp, organ, percussion, piano, speech arts and drama, strings,
voice, and woodwinds. To be eligible, a candidate must receive:
• a minimum of 85 percent in the practical examination
• a minimum of 70 percent in each theory co-requisite examination
Teacher’s ARCT
A gold medal is awarded to the graduating Teacher’s ARCT candidate who receives the
highest mark for the practical examination (Parts 1 and 2 combined) in each of the
following disciplines: accordion, brass, guitar, harp, organ, percussion, speech arts and
drama, strings, voice, and woodwinds. To be eligible, a candidate must receive:
• a minimum of 85 percent in the practical examination (Parts 1 and 2 combined)
• a minimum of 70 percent in the written examination (Part 3)
• a minimum of 70 percent in each theory co-requisite examination
• a minimum of 60 percent in the co-requisite piano examination (if applicable)
ARCT in Piano Pedagogy
A gold medal is awarded to the graduating ARCT in Piano Pedagogy candidate who
receives the highest average for Advanced Piano Pedagogy Parts 1, 2, and 3 (Practical, Viva
Voce, and Written Examinations). To be eligible, a candidate must receive:
• a minimum overall average of 85 percent for the Advanced Piano Pedagogy Parts 1, 2, and
3 examinations
• a minimum of 70 percent in each theory co-requisite examination
Examination Regulations
56
RESPs
Use Education Funds for Music Studies
Candidates who have a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) may be eligible to use
these funds to support private studies in music at the Grade 9, Grade 10, Piano Pedagogy,
and ARCT levels. Candidates should consult their RESP providers for more information.
The Royal Conservatory Examinations
Official Examination Papers
To help students prepare for examinations, The Frederick Harris Music Co., Limited
publishes theory examinations from the past three years in booklets entitled The Royal
Conservatory Examinations Official Examination Papers. These papers are excellent tools for
testing a student’s preparedness for theory examinations and for building student
confidence. The following examination papers are available:
• Basic Rudiments
• Intermediate Rudiments
• Advanced Rudiments
• Introductory Harmony
• Basic Harmony
• Intermediate Harmony
• Advanced Harmony
• Counterpoint
• Analysis
• History 1: An Overview
• History 2: Middle Ages to Classical
• History 3: 19th Century to Present
• Piano Pedagogy Written
• Keyboard Harmony
The Royal Conservatory Examinations Official Examination Papers are available at local music
stores or online at bookstore.rcmusic.ca.
Individual Teacher’s ARCT Written Examination papers (for subjects other than Piano) are
also available upon request from The Royal Conservatory Examinations at:
The Royal Conservatory Examinations
273 Bloor Street West
Toronto, ON Canada
M5S 1W2
Phone: 416-408-5019
Toll-free: 1-800-461-6058
Examination Regulations
57
Correspondence Courses
To meet the needs of students who do not have access to qualified instructors, lessons
are available by correspondence through The Royal Conservatory for the following subject
areas:
• Rudiments
• Harmony
• History
• Counterpoint
• Analysis
• Pedagogy
For more information, please contact The Royal Conservatory at conservatoryschool@
rcmusic.ca, or by mail at:
“Correspondence Courses”
The Royal Conservatory
273 Bloor Street West
Toronto, ON Canada M5S 1W2
Examination Regulations
58
Appendix
Musical Terms and Signs
The definitions and translations that follow are recommended for use in Rudiments
examinations. Candidates may also use definitions and translations found in standard
reference books.
Terms
a tempo
accelerando, accel.
accent
ad libitum
adagio
agitato
alla, all’
allargando, allarg.
allegretto
allegro
andante
andantino
animato
arco
assai
attacca
ben, bene
bewegt
brillante
calando
cantabile
cédez
cluster
col, coll’, colla, colle
comodo
con
con brio
con espressione
con fuoco
con grazia
con moto
con pedale, con ped.
con sordino
crescendo, cresc.
da capo, D.C.
Appendix
return to the original tempo
becoming quicker
a stressed note
at the liberty of the performer
a slow tempo (slower than andante, but not as slow as largo)
agitated
in the manner of
broadening, becoming slower
fairly fast (a little slower than allegro)
fast
moderately slow; at a walking pace
a little faster than andante
lively, animated
for stringed instruments: resume bowing after a pizzicato
passage
much, very much (for example: allegro assai, very fast)
proceed without a break
well (for example: ben marcato, well marked)
moving
brilliant
becoming slower and softer
in a singing style
yield; hold the tempo back
a chord consisting of at least three adjacent notes of a scale
with (for example: coll’ottava, with an added octave)
at a comfortable, easy tempo
with
with vigor, spirit
with expression
with fire
with grace
with movement
with pedal
with mute
becoming louder
from the beginning
59
dal segno, D.S.
D.C. al Fine
decrescendo, decresc.
diminuendo, dim.
dolce
dolente
e, ed
espressivo, espress.
fermata
fine
from the sign
repeat from the beginning and end at Fine
becoming softer
becoming softer
sweet, gentle
sad
and
expressive, with expression
pause; hold the note or rest longer than its written value
the end
forte,
loud
f
fortepiano,
fortissimo, ƒ
giocoso
grandioso
grave
grazioso
langsam
largamente
larghetto
largo
legato
léger
leggiero
lentement
lento
l’istesso tempo
loco
ma
maestoso
mano destra, M.D.
mano sinistra, M.S.
marcato, marc.
martellato
mässig
meno
meno mosso
mesto
mezzo forte, F
mezzo piano, P
mit
mit Ausdruck
M.M.
moderato
modéré
molto
loud, then suddenly soft
very loud
humorous, jocose
grand, grandiose
slow and solemn
graceful
slow; slowly
broadly
not as slow as largo
very slow
smooth
light, lightly
light, nimble, quick
slowly
slow
the same tempo
return to normal register
but (for example, ma non troppo: but not too much)
majestic
right hand
left hand
marked or stressed
strongly accented, hammered
moderate, moderately
less
less movement, slower
sad, mournful
moderately loud
moderately soft
with
with expression
Maelzel’s metronome
at a moderate tempo
at a moderate tempo
much, very
Appendix
60
morendo
mouvement
non
non troppo
ottava, 8va
pedale, ped.
pesante
pianissimo, π
piano, p
più
più mosso
pizzicato
dying, fading away
tempo; motion
not
not too much
the interval of an octave
pedal
weighty, with emphasis
very soft
soft
more
more movement (quicker)
for stringed instruments: pluck the string instead of bowing
poco
poco a poco
polychord
little
little by little
a combination of two or more different chords
presto
very fast
prestissimo
primo, prima
quartal chord
quasi
quindicesima alta (15 ma)
as fast as possible
first; the upper part of a duet
a chord built on a series of 4ths
almost, as if
two octaves higher
rallentando, rall.
slowing down
repeat sign
ritardando, rit.
risoluto
ritenuto, riten.
rubato
scherzando
schnell
secondo, seconda
sehr
semplice
sempre
senza
seventh (7th) chord
repeat the music within the double bar lines
slowing down gradually
resolute
suddenly slower, held back
with some freedom of tempo to enhance musical expression
playful
fast
second; second or lower part of a duet
very
simple
always, continuously
without
a chord consisting of a root, a third, a fifth, and a seventh
sforzando,
sudden strong accent of a single note or chord
simile
slur
sonore
sopra
sostenuto
sotto voce
spiritoso
staccato
stringendo
subito
Appendix
,
continue in the same manner as has just been indicated
play the notes legato
sonorous
above
sustained
soft, subdued, under the breath
spirited
detached
pressing, becoming faster
suddenly
61
tacet
tempo
Tempo primo (Tempo I)
tenuto
tie
tranquillo
tre corde
triad
troppo
tutti
una corda
vite
vivace
vivo
volta
be silent
speed at which music is performed
return to the original tempo
held, sustained
hold for the combined value of the tied notes
quiet, tranquil
three strings; release the left (piano) pedal
a chord consisting of a root, a third, and a fifth
too much
a passage for the ensemble
one string; depress the left (piano) pedal
fast
lively, brisk
lively
time (for example, prima volta, first time; seconda volta,
second time)
turn the page quickly
volti subito, v.s.
Signs
U
accent
a stressed note
bar line
a vertical line separating measures
crescendo
becoming louder
dal segno, D.S.
from the sign
decrescendo/diminuendo
becoming softer
double bar line
indicates the end of a piece
fermata
pause; hold the note or rest longer than its written value
measure/bar
a unit of musical time
ottava, 8va
play one octave above the written pitch
ottava, 8va
play one octave below the written pitch
repeat sign
repeat the music within the double bar lines
slur
play the notes legato
staccato
detached
tie
hold for the combined value of the tied notes
pedal marking
pedal marking
Appendix
62
Descriptions of Scores
Chorale Style
• Four-part, SATB vocal texture
• Two voices in the upper staff and two voices in the lower staff
• Melody in the highest voice
Keyboard Style
• Four-part texture
• Three notes in the upper staff and one note in the lower staff
• Melody in the highest voice
Modern Vocal Score
•
•
•
•
Four-part texture
Each part on a separate staff (open score)
Soprano and alto in the treble clef at actual pitch
Tenor in the treble clef one octave higher than actual pitch. (In some publications a small
“8” is written under the clef.)
• Bass in the bass clef at actual pitch
String Quartet Score
• Four-part texture
• Each part on a separate staff (open score)
• First and second violins in the treble clef, viola in the alto clef, and cello in the bass clef
Appendix
63
Chord Symbols
The following tables provide examples of the harmonic symbols and non-chord note
labels that will be printed on theory examinations.
Due to the multiplicity of systems in common use, it is essential that candidates
familiarize themselves with the following material. Candidates must be able to
comprehend these symbols as they will be used in questions with given chord symbols.
Candidates are strongly encouraged to use the following symbols and labels in their own
analyses. However, any system of harmonic notation found in standard textbooks will
be accepted. Candidates must use a consistent system of chord symbols; marks will be
deducted for inconsistent work.
• Other keys will be required for each examination.
• Chords listed are not exhaustive. Use of other chords may be required for each
examination.
Root/Quality Chord Symbols
Please note that these tables provide examples only—they are not complete lists of
chords for any one grade.
Chord Type
Interval Structure
Symbol
Example
Triads
Major triad
Root
maj 3
P5
Minor triad
Root
min 3
P5
m
E means E–G # –B
letter only
Diminished triad
Root
min 3
dim 5
o
Augmented triad
Root
maj 3
aug 5
aug
Em means E–G–B
Eo means E–G–B b
Eaug means E–G # –B #
E7 means E–G # –B–D
or dim
7th chords
Dominant 7th chord
(major-minor 7th)
Root
maj 3
P5
min 7
7
Diminished 7th chord
Root
min 3
dim 5
dim 7
o
min 7
ø
Half-diminished 7th chord
Root
min 3
dim 5
Eo7 means E–G–B b –D b
Eø7 means E–G–B b –D
7
Minor 7th chord
Root
min 3
P5
min 7
m7
Major 7th chord
Root
maj 3
P5
maj 7
maj7
Em7 means E–G–B–D
Emaj7 means E–G # –B–D #
Derivations of the dominant 7th (notes in brackets are usually omitted)
Chord Type
Interval Structure
Symbol
Dominant 9th chord
Root maj 3
[P5]
min 7 maj 9
9
Dominant minor 9th chord
Root maj 3
[P5]
min 7 min 9
7( b 9)*
Dominant 11th chord
Root [maj 3] P5
min 7 [maj 9] P11
11
Dominant 13th chord
Root maj 3
[P5]
min 7 [maj 9] [P11] maj 13 13
Dominant minor 13th chord Root maj 3
[P5]
Dominant 7th, raised fifth
Root maj 3
Dominant 7th, lowered fifth Root maj 3
min 7 [maj 9] [P11] min 13 7( b 13)*
aug 5 min 7
7 # 5*
dim 5 min 7
7 b5
Example
E9 means E–G # –[B]–D–F #
E7( b 9) means E–G # –[B]–D–F
E11 means E–[G # ]–B–D–[F # ]–A
E13 means E–G # –[B]–D–[F # ]–[A]–C #
E7( b13) means E–G # –[B]– [F# ]–[A]–D–C
E7aug5 means E–G # –B # –D
E7 b 5 means E–G # –B b –D
Appendix
64
Augmented 6th chords
The following chords are augmented 6th chords. The term original bass note (abbreviated as
Ob) is used instead of root when referring to augmented 6th chords because they are not
based on the principle of stacked 3rds.
Chord Type
Italian 6th chord
Interval Structure
Ob
maj 3
aug 6
German 6th chord Ob
maj 3
P5
French 6th chord
maj 3
aug 4
Ob
Symbol
Example
It 6
CIt 6 means C–E–A #
aug 6
Ger 6
aug 6
Fr 6
CGer 6 means C–E–G–A #
CFr 6 means C–E–F # –A #
* The use of the symbols # and b indicate raising and lowering of the pitches by one
semitone. Other systems of notation may use alternate symbols.
Inversions of chords
To indicate an inversion, write the chord symbol followed by a slash and the bass note, or
indicate the bass note under the chord symbol; for example:
#
E major triad in first inversion: E/G# or EG
E minor triad in first inversion: Em/G or Em
G
E major triad in second inversion: E/B or EB
Cadential chord in E minor: Em B7/B or EmBB7
Figured Bass
A Standardized Notation for Figured Bass
Figured bass was the common way of writing instrumental and vocal accompaniments
throughout the Baroque and early Classical eras. Realizing figured bass, whether in written
form or at the keyboard, was an essential part of a musician’s education. The enormous
importance of figured bass is still reflected in the fact that symbols for designating
positions of chords currently in use worldwide for harmonic analysis are derived directly
from figured bass notation.
Over the three centuries when figured bass was in everyday use, countless variations
arose in the notation of the desired harmonies as well as the style of performing or setting
figured bass. The following summary outlines the most essential features of this system:
• The bass part is always written out in full. It is played by the left hand notated on the lower
staff. The three upper parts (soprano, alto, and tenor) are played by the right hand and
are written on the upper staff in close position, with the distance between the voices not
exceeding an octave (Example 1). The bass range should conform to the range indicated in
Example 2. The soprano range should conform to the range indicated in Example 3.
• All the principles of voice-leading, dissonance treatment, relative motion (the avoidance
of inappropriate parallel or similar motion) and doubling of the choral style harmony
are valid in figured bass setting. In general, voice crossing is avoided, but the unison is
entirely accepted (the direction of the stems and use of double noteheads is necessary to
indicate the exact structure of each chord; see Example 4).
Appendix
65
• Chords are indicated by a system of figuration; that is, using figures. The notes in the
chords are represented by numerals corresponding to the intervals formed between the
bass and the other notes of each chord (Example 5). The numerals in the figuration are
written in descending order downward, regardless of the actual vertical arrangement
of the voices. Unison or octave doublings are usually not represented in the figuration,
unless it is necessary to clarify the voice-leading (as in the “8–7” progression, Example 6).
As in functional notation, some abbreviations are very common, such as the omission of
the third and/or fifth of the chord (Example 7).
• The figuration always refers to the notes in the key signature and does not imply any
quality of chord. The accidentals are indicated by placing the appropriate sign beside
the numeral to the left of the note to be altered, and correspond to the accidental that is
actually needed in the music (Example 8). When the note to be altered is a third above
the bass, the accidental may be written alone, the “3” being implied (Example 9).
• Dashes below a stationary bass indicate movement in the upper parts (Example 10). In
the case of dashes over a stationary bass it is the numeral at the end of the dashes that
represent the true chord (Example 11). Dashes below a moving bass indicate that the
notes in the upper parts remain stationary (Example 12).
• A string of six chords with the bass moving up or down the scale may be set with only two
upper parts, thus creating a three-part texture of parallel first-inversion chords. Four-part
texture should resume when the string of six chords ends (Example 13).
Appendix
66
Functional Chord Symbols
All examples are given in C major and C minor only. Please note that the following
examples do not constitute a complete list of chords for any one grade.
Triads in major keys
Triads in minor keys
Note: Accidentals are indicated differently in figured bass and in functional chord
symbols. Observe the following when realizing functional chord symbols.
• For V and viio triads and chords derived from them, use the raised leading note unless
otherwise stated.
• For I and III triads and chords derived from them, use the natural minor scale unless
otherwise stated.
Triad variants in minor keys
Altered triads
Altered triads with an assumed lowered fifth
Altered triads without an assumed lowered fifth
Inversions of triads
Accidentals in inversions (not bass note)
Appendix
67
Altered bass notes in inversions
7th chords in major keys
7th chords in minor keys
Inversions of 7th chords
Altered dominant 7th chords
Dominant 9th, 11th, and 13th chords
Applied chords, including secondary dominants
Applied chord progressions
Appendix
68
Modulation
Principal decorative harmonies
Passing chord
Pedal point
Augmented 6th chords in normal position built on b 6̂
Inversions of Italian 6th chords
Inversions of German 6th chords
Appendix
69
Inversions of French 6th chords
Augmented 6th chords built on b 2̂
Inversions of augmented 6th chords built on b 2̂
Common-tone diminished 7th chords
Non-chord Notes
Non-chord Note
Label
Approach
Departure
Metrical
Position
passing note
pn
by step
by step, same direction
weak
accented passing note
apn
by step
by step, same direction
strong
neighbor note
nn
by step
returns to previous pitch
weak
accented neighbor note
ann
by step
returns to previous pitch
strong
incomplete neighbor note
inn
by leap
by step
weak
appoggiatura
app
free
by step
strong
échappée
ech
by step
by a 3rd, with a change of
direction
weak
suspension
susp
prepared
by step, usually downward
strong
anticipation
ant
free
holds the pitch
weak
Appendix
70
Sequences
The name of each sequence represents the roots of the first four chords in the sequence.
The musical examples shown here are simple examples of the basic forms of the
sequences. Many variations are possible, including inversions of the chords, use of 7th
chords, etc. The following shows sequences moving through the diatonic scale, but
sequences moving through the chromatic scale are possible as well.
Do–fa–ti–mi sequence
Root movement of the harmonic pattern: down a 5th
Interval of transposition: down a 2nd
Typical examples:
Major key: I–IV–viio –iii–vi–ii–V–I
Minor key: i–iv–VII–III–VI–iio –V–i
Other names: descending 5ths, cycle of descending 5ths
Variants:
Do–sol–re–la sequence
Root movement of the harmonic pattern: up a 5th
Interval of transposition: up a 2nd
Typical examples:
Major key: I–V–ii–vi–IV–I
In major keys, the normal third phrase of this sequence is omitted to avoid the viio
triad.
Minor key: i–V–III–VI–iv–i
In minor keys, the normal second phrase is omitted.
Other names: ascending 5ths
Appendix
71
Do–fa–re–sol sequence
Root movement of the harmonic pattern: up a 4th
Interval of transposition: up a 2nd
Typical examples:
Major key: I–IV–ii–V–iii–vi
Minor key: i–IV–ii–V–IIIx–VI
Other names: ascending 4ths, “Sound of Music,” “Rosalia”
Do–sol–la–mi sequence
Root movement of the harmonic pattern: down a 4th
Interval of transposition: down a 3rd
Typical examples:
Major key: I–V–vi–iii–IV–I
Minor key: I–v–VI–III–iv–i
Other names: descending 3rds variant, “Pachelbel”
Appendix
72
Resources
An annotated list of resources is available online at examinations.rcmusic.ca.
* Indicates resource materials that are suitable for candidates preparing for the ARCT in
Composition and/or Theory examinations.
Dictionaries and Encyclopedias
Chwialkowski, Jerzy. The Da Capo Catalogue of Classical Music Compositions. New York, NY: Da
Capo Press, 1996.
Feather, Leonard, and Ira Gitler, eds. The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz. London: Oxford
University Press, 2007.
*Kallmann, Helmut, Gilles Potvin, and Kenneth Winters, eds. Encyclopedia of Music in Canada.
2nd ed. Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press, 1992; available online at
www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com.
Kennedy, Michael, and Joyce Bourne, eds. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music. 5th ed.
London: Oxford University Press, 2007.
—. The Oxford Dictionary of Music. Rev. ed. London: Oxford University Press, 2006. Available
online by subscription at www.oxfordmusiconline.com.
Kernfeld, Barry, ed. The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz. 2nd ed. 3 vols. London: MacMillan, 2001.
Latham, Alison ed. The Oxford Companion to Music. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.
Available online by subscription at www.oxfordmusiconline.com.
Randel, Don Michael, ed. The Harvard Biographical Dictionary of Music. Cambridge, MA:
Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1996.
—. The Harvard Concise Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of
Harvard University Press, 1999.
—. The Harvard Dictionary of Music. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University
Press, 2003.
Rosenthal, Harold, and John H. Warrack. The Oxford Dictionary of Opera. 2nd ed. Oxford:
Oxford University Press, 1992.
Sadie, Stanley, ed. The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. 2nd ed. 29 vols. London:
Macmillan, 2001. Available online by subscription at www.oxfordmusiconline.com.
—. The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. 4 vols. London: Macmillan, 1992.
Slonimsky, Nicholas. Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of Musicians. 9th ed. New York, NY:
Schirmer Reference, 2000.
—. Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of Twentieth Century Classical Musicians. New York, NY:
Schirmer, 1984.
Warrack, John, and Ewan West, eds. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Opera. 3rd ed. London:
Oxford University Press, 1996.
—. The Oxford Dictionary of Opera. London: Oxford University Press, 1992.
Rudiments
Braaten, Brenda and Crystal Wiksyk. Sound Advice: Theory and Ear Training. 8 vols.
Toronto, ON: The Frederick Harris Music Co., Limited, 2005–6. Online audio tracks at
www.soundadvicedirect.com.
Sarnecki, Mark. The Complete Elementary Music Rudiments. 2nd ed. Toronto, ON: The Frederick
Harris Music Co., Limited, 2010.
—. Elementary Music Rudiments. 2nd ed. 3 vols. Toronto, ON: The Frederick Harris Music
Co., Limited, 2010.
—. Elementary Music Theory. 2nd ed. 3 vols. Toronto, ON: The Frederick Harris Music Co.,
Limited, 2010.
Resources
73
Vandendool, Grace. Keyboard Theory. 2nd ed. 3 vols. Toronto, ON: The Frederick Harris
Music Co., Limited, 2010.
—. Keyboard Theory Preparatory Series. 2nd ed. 5 vols. Toronto, ON: The Frederick Harris
Music Co., Limited, 2001.
Wharram, Barbara. Elementary Rudiments of Music. 2nd ed. Ed. Kathleen Wood. Workbook
and Answer Book. Toronto, ON: The Frederick Harris Music Co., Limited, 2010.
Harmony
*Aldwell, Edward, and Carl Schachter. Harmony and Voice Leading. 3rd ed. New York, NY:
Schirmer Books, 2002.
Andrews, William and Molly Sclater. Materials of Western Music. Parts 1, 2, and 3. Toronto,
ON: Gordon V. Thompson Music (Warner Bros. Publications), 1987–1992.
Aston, Peter, and Julian Webb. Music Theory in Practice. Grades 6–8. London: Associated
Board of the Royal Schools of Music, 1992–1993.
Braaten, Brenda and Crystal Wiksyk. Sound Advice: Theory and Ear Training, Book 8. Toronto,
ON: The Frederick Harris Music Co., Limited, 2006. Online audio tracks at
www.soundadvicedirect.com.
Gauldin, Robert. Harmonic Practice in Tonal Music. 2nd ed. New York, NY: W.W. Norton, 2004.
Hindemith, Paul. Traditional Harmony. Parts I and II. London: Schott, 1943–1981.
*Kostka, Stefan, and Dorothy Payne. Tonal Harmony: With an Introduction to Twentieth-Century
Music. 6th ed. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill, 2009.
Mackin, Barbara. Harmony: A Practical Approach. Parts I and II. Edmonton, AB: Concertino,
1996.
—. Harmony: A Practical Approach. Part III. Edmonton, AB: Concertino, 2001.
Melcher, Robert, Willard F. Warch, and Paul B. Mast. Music for Study: A Source of Excerpts.
3rd ed., Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1998.
Ottman, Robert W. Advanced Harmony: Theory and Practice. 5th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Prentice Hall, 2000.
—. Elementary Harmony: Theory and Practice. 5th ed. With CD. Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Prentice Hall, 1998.
*Piston, Walter. Harmony. 5th ed. Rev. and expanded by Mark DeVoto. New York, NY:
W.W. Norton, 1987.
Sarnecki, Mark. Harmony. 2nd ed. 3 vols. Toronto, ON: The Frederick Harris Music Co.,
Limited, 2010.
Satory, Stephen. First-Year Harmony. Toronto, ON: Chorale Publishing, 2001.
Vandendool, Grace. The Basics of Harmony. 2nd ed. Workbook and Answer Book. Toronto,
ON: The Frederick Harris Music Co., Limited, 2010.
—. Intermediate Harmony. 2nd ed. Workbook and Answer Book. Toronto, ON: The Frederick
Harris Music Co., Limited, 2010.
Counterpoint
Andrews, William and Molly Sclater. Elements of 18th Century Counterpoint. Toronto, ON:
Gordon V. Thompson Music (Warner Bros. Publications), 1986.
*Benjamin, Thomas. Counterpoint in the Style of J.S. Bach. New York, NY: Schirmer, 1986.
Gauldin, Robert. A Practical Approach to 18th Century Counterpoint. Long Grove, IL: Waveland
Press, 1995.
*Jeppesen, Knud. The Style of Palestrina and the Dissonance. New York, NY: Dover, 1970.
*Kennan, Kent W. Counterpoint: Based on 18th Century Practice. 4th ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ:
Prentice Hall, 1999.
*Piston, Walter. Counterpoint. New York, NY: W.W. Norton, 1947.
Schubert, Peter. Modal Counterpoint, Renaissance Style. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999.
Scott, Samuel, and Gustave Frederic Soderlund. Examples of Gregorian Chant & Other Sacred
Music of the Sixteenth Century. Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press, 1971.
*Soderlund, Gustave Frederic. Direct Approach to Counterpoint in Sixteenth Century Style.
Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1947.
Resources
74
Analysis
*Benward, Bruce, and Marilyn Saker. Music in Theory and Practice. 8th ed. 2 vols. Boston, MA:
McGraw-Hill, 2009.
*Burkhart, Charles. Anthology for Musical Analysis. 6th ed. New York, NY: Schirmer Books,
2003.
Cadwallader, Allen. Analysis of Tonal Music: A Schenkerian Approach. Oxford: Oxford University
Press, 1998.
*Cook, Nicholas. Analysis through Composition: Principles of the Classical Style. New York, NY:
Oxford University Press, 1996.
Iliffe, Francis. Bach’s 48 Preludes and Fugues Analyzed. 2 vols. London: Novello, [n.d.].
Kostka, Stefan. Materials and Techniques of Twentieth-Century Music. 2nd ed. Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1999.
Lovelock, William. Form in Brief. Deacon House: Hammond, 1954.
MacPherson, Stewart. Form in Music. London: Stainer and Bell, 1978.
Morgan, Orlando. J.S. Bach: 48 Preludes and Fugues, Analysis of the Fugues. (Unknown Binding) 1931.
Rosen, Charles. Sonata Forms. 2nd ed. New York, NY: W.W. Norton, 1988.
*Salzer, Felix. Structural Hearing: Tonal Coherence in Music. 2 vols. New York, NY: Dover, 1962.
*Schoenberg, Arnold. Fundamentals of Musical Composition. Ed. G. Strang and L. Stein.
London: Faber, 1999.
Stainkamph, Eileen. Form and Analysis of the Complete Beethoven’s Pianoforte Sonatas. Melbourne:
Allans Music, 1968.
Keyboard Harmony
Andrews, William and Molly Sclater. Materials of Western Music. Parts 1, 2, and 3. Toronto,
ON: Gordon V. Thompson Music (Warner Bros. Publications), 1987–1992.
Arnold, F. T. The Art of Accompaniment from a Figured-Bass. 2 vols. Mineloa, NY: Dover
Publications, 1965.
Bach, Johann Sebastian. 69 Chorales and Figured Bass. [editions published by Kalmus,
Schirmer, Editio Musica Budapest, Belwin Mills]
Brings, Allen, et al. A New Approach to Keyboard Harmony. New York, NY: W.W. Norton, 1979.
Frackenpohl, Arthur. Harmonization at the Piano. 6th ed. Dubuque, IA: W.C. Brown, 1991.
Melcher, Robert. Music for Keyboard Harmony. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1966.
— and William F. Warch. Music for Score Reading. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1971.
Morris, R.O. Figured Harmony at the Keyboard. 2 vols. London: Oxford University Press, 1932–1933.
— and Howard Ferguson. Preparatory Exercises in Score Reading. London: Oxford University
Press, 1931.
History
General Reference
Bonds, Mark Evans. A History of Music in Western Culture. 2nd ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Prentice Hall, 2005.
*Grout, Donald Jay, and Claude V. Palisca. A History of Western Music. 7th ed. New York, NY:
W.W. Norton, 2006.
Hanning, Barbara Rusanno. Concise History of Western Music. 3rd ed. New York, NY:
W.W. Norton, 2007.
Lang, Paul Henry. Music in Western Civilization. New York, NY: W.W. Norton, 1941; reprint with
new foreword by Leon Botstein, 1997.
Lopinski, Janet, Joe Ringhofer, and Peteris Zarins. Explorations 3 vols. Toronto, ON: The
Frederick Harris Music Co., Limited, 2010.
Machlis, Joseph, and Kristine Forney. The Enjoyment of Music. 10th ed. New York, NY: W.W.
Norton, 2007.
Resources
75
Miller, Hugh. History of Western Music. New York, NY: Harper Collins, 1991.
Schonberg, Harold C. Lives of the Great Composers. 3rd ed. New York, NY: W.W. Norton, 1997.
Stolba, K. Marie. The Development of Western Music: A History. 3rd ed. Boston, MA: McGrawHill, 1998.
Taruskin, Richard. The Oxford History of Western Music. 6 vols. New York, NY: Oxford University
Press, 2005.
Middle Ages
Gleason, Harold, and Warren Becker. Music in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. 3rd ed.
Bloomington, IN: Frangipani Press, 1988.
Hoppin, Richard H. Medieval Music. New York, NY: W.W. Norton, 1978.
Reese, Gustave. Music in the Middle Ages. Rev. ed. New York, NY: W.W. Norton, 2000.
Yudkin, Jeremy. Music in Medieval Europe. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1989.
Renaissance
Atlas, Alan W. Renaissance Music: Music in Western Europe 1400–1600. New York, NY:
W.W. Norton, 1997.
*Brown, Howard Mayer. Music in the Renaissance. 2nd ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall,
1999.
Knighton, Tess, and David Fallows. Companion to Medieval and Renaissance Music. Berkeley, CA:
University of California Press, 1998.
Reese, Gustave. Music in the Renaissance. Rev. ed. New York, NY: W.W. Norton, 1959.
Baroque
Burrows, Donald. Handel. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1994.
—. Handel: Messiah. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991.
*Palisca, Claude V. Baroque Music. 3rd ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1991.
Sadie, Julie Anne. Companion to Baroque Music. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press,
1998.
Wolff, Christoph. Bach, The Learned Musician. New York, NY: W.W. Norton, 2000.
Classical
Cook, Nicholas. Analysis through Composition: Principles of the Classical Style. New York, NY:
Oxford University Press, 1996.
*Downs, Philip G. Classical Music: The Era of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. New York, NY:
W.W. Norton, 1992. (See also “Anthologies.”)
Heartz, Daniel. Haydn, Mozart, and the Viennese School, 1740–1780. New York, NY: W.W. Norton,
1995.
Landon, H. C. Robbins. Haydn, Chronicle and Works. 5 vols. London: Thames and Hudson,
1995.
Pauly, Reinhard G. Music in the Classic Period. 4th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall,
2000.
*Rosen, Charles. The Classical Style: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven. Expanded ed. New York, NY:
W.W. Norton, 1998.
Solomon, Maynard. Beethoven. New York, NY: Schirmer Trade Books, 2001.
—. Mozart, A Life. New York, NY: Harper Perennial, 2005.
Romantic
Finson, Jon W. Nineteenth Century Music: The Western Classical Tradition. Englewood Cliffs, NJ:
Prentice Hall, 2002.
Garden, Edward. Tchaikovsky. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2000. (originally
published 1973)
Millington, Barry. Wagner. Rev. ed. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1992.
Plantinga, Leon, ed. Romantic Music. New York, NY: W.W. Norton, 1985.
Rosen, Charles. The Romantic Generation. With CD. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press,
1995.
Samson, Jim. The Music of Chopin. London: Routyhlege and Kegan Paul, 1985; Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 1994.
Resources
76
Post-1900
*Antokoletz, Elliott. Twentieth-Century Music. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1992.
*Brindle, Reginald Smith. The New Music: The Avant-Garde Since 1945. 2nd ed. London: Oxford
University Press, 1987.
*Cope, David H. New Directions in Music. 7th ed. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland Press, 2001.
Gridley, Mark C. Jazz Styles: History and Analysis. 10th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice
Hall, 2009.
*Kostka, Stefan. Materials and Techniques of Twentieth-Century Music. 3rd ed. Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2006.
Morgan, Robert P. Twentieth Century Music. New York, NY: W.W. Norton, 1991.
Salzman, Eric. Twentieth Century Music: An Introduction. 4th ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice
Hall, 2002.
Whittall, Arnold. Music Since the First World War. London: Oxford University Press, 2000.
Score Anthologies
Bach, Johann Sebastian. 371 Chorales. [editions published by Peters, Schirmer, Editio
Musica Budapest]
Bonds, Mark Evans. Anthology of Scores. 2nd ed. 2 vols. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall,
2005. (Accompanies Bonds, A History of Music in Western Culture. 2nd ed.)
Burkhart, Charles. Anthology for Musical Analysis. 6th ed. New York, NY: Schirmer Books,
2003.
Forney, Kristine, ed. The Norton Scores: A Study Anthology. 8th ed. 2 vols. New York, NY:
W.W. Norton, 1999. (Accompanies Machlis, The Enjoyment of Music.)
*Palisca, Claude V., ed. The Norton Anthology of Western Music. 5th ed. 2 vols. New York, NY:
W.W. Norton, 2005. (Accompanies Grout and Palisca, A History of Western Music.)
20th-Century Composition
Boulez, Pierre. Boulez on Music Today. Trans. S. Bradshaw and R.R. Bennett. London: Faber,
1979.
*Brindle, Reginald Smith. Serial Composition. London: Oxford University Press, 1965.
*Hindemith, Paul. Craft of Musical Composition. 2 vols. Mainz: Schott, 1942.
*Kostka, Stefan. Materials and Techniques of Twentieth-Century Music. 3rd ed. Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2006.
Messiaen, Olivier. The Technique of My Musical Language. Tustin, CA: American Biography
(Reprint of 1954 ed.)
*Persichetti, Vincent. Twentieth-Century Harmony. New York, NY: W.W. Norton, 1961.
*Wuorinen, Charles. Simple Composition. New York, NY: Service. Reprint of 1956 ed. Peters,
1979.
Instrumentation and Orchestration
*Adler, Samuel. The Study of Orchestration. 3rd ed. New York, NY: W.W. Norton, 2001.
Berlioz, Hector, and Richard Strauss. Treatise on Instrumentation. Mineloa, NY: Dover
Publications, 1991.
Brindle, Reginald Smith. Contemporary Percussion. London: Oxford University Press, 1970.
Del Mar, Norman. Anatomy of the Orchestra. London: Faber and Faber; Berkeley, CA:
University of California Press, 1981.
Forsyth, Cecil. Orchestration. Mineloa, New York, NY: Dover Publications, 1982.
*Kennan, Kent Wheeler. The Technique of Orchestration. 6th ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice
Hall, 2002.
*Piston, Walter. Orchestration. New York, NY: W.W. Norton, 1955.
*Stone, Kurt. Music Notation in the 20th Century: A Practical Guidebook. New York, NY:
W.W. Norton, 1980.
Resources
77
Electronic and Computer Music
Chadabe, Joel. Electric Sound: The Past and Promise of Electronic Music. Englewood Cliffs, NJ:
Prentice Hall, 1997.
Dobson, Richard. A Dictionary of Electronic and Computer Music Technology: Instruments, Terms,
Techniques. Oxford; New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1992.
Dodge, Charles, and Thomas Jerse. Computer Music. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Schirmer, 1997.
*Manning, Peter. Electronic and Computer Music. Rev. ed. London: Oxford University Press,
2004.
Wick, Robert L. Electronic and Computer Music. New York, NY: Greenwood, 1997.
Online Resources
Canadian Music Centre
www.musiccentre.ca
Encyclopedia of Music in Canada
www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com
Harvard College Library
hcl.harvard.edu/research/guides/music/resources/index.html
Library and Archives Canada, Music and Performing Arts
www.collectionscanada.gc.ca
Library of Congress
www.loc.gov/index.html
Naxos Music Library
www.naxosmusiclibrary.com/home.asp
Oxford Music Online:
– Grove Music Online
– Encyclopedia of Popular Music
– The Oxford Companion to Music
– The Oxford Dictionary of Music
– The New Grove publications
www.oxfordmusiconline.com
Smithsonian Institution
www.si.edu
Resources
78
Frequently Asked Questions
What are theory examinations?
Music theory examinations (written examinations) ensure that students have a
comprehensive knowledge and understanding of rudiments, harmony, counterpoint,
analysis, and music history.
What is a theory co-requisite?
A theory co-requisite is an examination that must be completed before or within five
years of a practical examination if candidates wish to receive a certificate for the practical
examination. Theory examination requirements for each specific practical level represent
the latest point at which students should complete theory requirements. It is strongly
encouraged that theory studies start as soon as students begin their music studies and
progress every year as part of a well-rounded musical education.
When do the theory examinations take place?
Theory examinations take place three times a year over a period of two days:
Winter Session—the second Friday and following Saturday in December
Spring Session—the second Friday and following Saturday in May
Summer Session—a Friday and following Saturday in mid-August
Where do I go to take my examination?
Theory examinations may take place in various types of facilities, such as schools,
churches, and community centers. The location of the examination facility will be given to
candidates once they apply for an examination.
How long are the theory examinations?
Preparatory Rudiments: 1 hour
Basic Rudiments: 1 hour
Intermediate Rudiments and Advanced Rudiments: 2 hours
All other examinations: 3 hours
Can I take an examination more than once?
Yes, there are no restrictions on the number of times candidates can take a specific
complete examination.
If I get sick or there is an emergency that conflicts with my examination,
can I take it at a different time?
Candidates who cannot attend their examination due to medical reasons or because
of a direct time conflict with a school examination may apply for a credit for the
examination fee, which can be used towards payment of another examination within one
year. Candidates may apply for the same examination or a different examination during
the next year using the examination credit.
Do I have to do my theory and practical examination in the same session?
No. You can take your theory examination in a different session from your practical
examination. You have up to five years following your practical examination to complete
your theory co-requisites.
How do I get my theory results?
Theory marks and marked theory papers can be viewed on the website under
Frequently Asked Questions
79
“Examination Results.” This allows teachers to review marked papers with their students in
order to complete the learning process before proceeding to the next level. Theory results
are not mailed to candidates.
How long does it take to receive theory results?
Candidates can look up their theory marks online approximately six weeks after the
examination. The marked theory papers are scanned and available for online viewing a few
weeks after that.
Where can I find sample theory examination papers?
The Royal Conservatory Examinations Official Examination Papers are published annually by
The Frederick Harris Music Co., Limited to aid with examination preparation. Each book
includes three examinations from the previous December, May, and August examination
sessions plus an additional examination created for extra practice. Editions for three
academic years are available at any given time and may be purchased from your local
music retailer.
Frequently Asked Questions
80
Examination Day Checklist
for Candidates
Before You Leave Home
Written Examinations
Plan to arrive 15 minutes early.
Bring your Examination Schedule.
Bring pencils, pens (blue or black ink only), erasers, and rulers to the examination
(keyboard facsimiles are not permitted).
Keyboard Harmony Examinations
Plan to arrive 40 minutes early to preview the examination materials.
Bring your Examination Schedule.
Musicianship Examinations
Plan to arrive 15 minutes early.
Bring your Examination Schedule.
Points to Remember
• Electronic devices, books, notes, bags, and coats must be left in the area designated by
the presiding officer.
• Photo ID may be requested before candidates are admitted to the examination room.
• Parents, other family members, friends, and teachers must wait in the designated waiting
area.
• Standing and listening outside the examination room door is prohibited.
• Recording devices are strictly prohibited in the examination room.
After the Examination
Access your examination marks and marked theory paper through the “Examination
Results” link on The Royal Conservatory Examinations website (examinations.rcmusic.ca)
approximately 6–8 weeks after the examination.
Examination Day Checklist for Candidates