The rhythm writing question in ABRSM Grade 1 is unique because it gives you your first real taste of composition. You're given a two-bar opening and asked to write a two-bar answer — something that feels connected to the start [...]
In ABRSM Grade 2, key signatures and tonic triads go beyond memorisation — the goal is to understand the pattern well enough that you can work anything out from scratch. Once you know how a major scale is built, you [...]
Legacy Reference: This collection of videos was originally recorded for the 2018 LCM Step 2 syllabus. While this specific exam cycle has concluded, these performances remain an excellent technical benchmark for students advancing through the preliminary stages of piano [...]
Figured bass is essentially an older way of notating chords, commonly used for writing a continuo part. Where modern notation might use a chord symbol like "C Major," figured bass focuses on the most important element: the bass line. Everything [...]
From 2016 to the beginning of 2020 I worked as a piano and music theory teacher in Togher Music Project in Cork. The project's goal was to provide classes for people with an aptitude for music who had been unemployed [...]
In music theory, symbols and notes are just ink on a page until they become sound. To develop true musicianship, we must develop the skills required to turn the visual input of the printed notes into the sounds which they [...]
Triplets are one of those topics that look intimidating on paper but make complete sense the moment you hear them. In this video I explain ABRSM Grade 2 triplets from scratch — what they are, why they exist, and exactly [...]
In this lesson, we progress to ABRSM Grade 2 Theory Time Signatures, exploring how rhythm is constructed when using different beat units. While in Grade 1 only crotchets/quarter notes are used as a "denominator" unit of measure for the beat, [...]
In this lesson, we break down the essentials of rhythm for ABRSM Music Theory Grade 1. Understanding the relationship between the pulse, the notation, and the bar / measure is the foundation of all music literacy. We look at how [...]
In this lesson, we explore an easy piano cover of Run by Snow Patrol. Originally a pop ballad, this arrangement is stripped back for late beginners and arranged for solo piano. The focus is on keeping the song instantly recognizable, [...]