Tips to learn music theory

[MerylSqueak]

I dont have any music education but DD is in y11 doing Music GCSE.

Last year, her teacher left after months of absence. He appears not to gave taught the curriculum when he was there, according to the Head of Music who has taken over the class.

DD has extra piano lessons so her performance is predicted a decent grade. The current teacher is getting them through their composition . However Dd is struggling with the appraisal part and her understanding of music theory is weak, compounded by lack of teaching last year. She got a very poor grade on her appraisal mock though predicted A/B for performance and composition.

The plan had been for the HoD to hit this once the compositions were finished but now she is leaving so who knows what will happen.

I'm aware of the material available on the exam board's website. Dd is making herself PowerPoint ( because she likes doing it) of the information. We have past papers and flash cards.

I have no idea how else to help her and I don't understand the stuff myself so I'm hoping that someone with more knowhow will be able to give us some ideas. I would be very grateful for any tips.

That’s a really rotten situation with the teachers leaving - so sorry for your daughter. She’s obviously musical if she’s doing well on her performance and composition.

I did the equivalent of GCSE music many years ago but having looked at a few exam papers just now, the appraisal part looks more demanding. I’d imagine it can’t just be crammed, but has to practised frequently over time.

Are you in a position to pay for some private tuition? Because there would be tutors who could teach music theory. Other than that, you could ask the piano teacher if they could help?

If nothing else, look at past papers online and work through the appraisal part, listening to the examples, answering the questions as best she can then comparing her answers to the marks scheme.

Can her piano teacher help, I often help my piano students with gcse stuff.

My dd1 did music & dd2 is now studying it. Her school use the Abrsm music theory books. They work through them and the the teacher goes over anything they find tricky. This might be helpful.

This is a link to book 1.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1786013452?ref_=cm_sw_r_apan_dp_0TF4KRBHZBBCDV2JKE22&language=en-GB

Ah! I think I may have that book from an old tutor who we gave up because she was online and it wasn't working for dd. I'll have a look tomorrow. Thanks.

She does have private lessons but the focus now is on her pieces for performance. She's going to get to it after. I'd just like to lay some groundwork because, although I have told her that dd feels confident with none of it, she seems to have higher expectations. For example, she gave us some vocabulary to use in some programme notes and neither of us understood it. We told her and it really just came back in the same form. I want to help dd with the basics ready for when she's ready to teach it.

Thanks for your replies. I really appreciate it.