AMusTCL (Associate Music Trinity College London) is the music theory diploma certificate from Trinity College. Students who wish to obtain this certificate must be knowledgeable in classical music history. This qualification is suitable for music teachers who wants to pursue a higher qualification and is a bonus for those who are keen to offer lower grade music theory lessons. AMusTCL focuses mainly on theoretical and analytical aspect of music, and hence candidates should have at least passed the ABRSM grade 8 music theory exam.
Candidates shall complete the exam within the allocated time of three hours. A total of FIVE questions shall be answers and must include at least one question from Section A and another one from Section B.
Congratulations to our latest 2022 batch of students who scored distinctions for their AMusTCL exams at Lifelong Learning Institute! Bravo!
There is a high demand for Jenny’s lessons! Contact her by Whatsapp Jenny(Click here) using the contact form which can be accessed via the Contact Us! button on the left, email her via pianoplaying@yahoo.com or call/sms via 98256286 .
AMusTCL Lessons At Jenny’s Studio
Jenny offers either online or studio based lessons for AMusTCL music theory. A preview of the free online lessons is available below. Do look at the following playlist for more details. Jenny also provides model answers for past years test papers for downloading.
Question 1 Complete a Bach’s Lutheran chorale in S.A.T.B format for 8 to 12 bars
Candidates are expected to complete this Bach chorale by analysing the given opening section and complete the chorale with same stylistic approach and characteristic.
Question 2 Classical Orchestration
A short score that contains multiple melodic lines within the staves is given. Candidates must allocate those melodic to an open score for orchestration accordingly. Use the given note in the first bar as a clue to continue indicate the melodic lines to each respective orchestra instrument. The open score is provided to write the answers.
Question 3 Early Romantic Pianoforte
Candidates are expected to complete the piano work by filling in the missing parts on the score according to the melodic and rhythmic ideas given and observe the stylistic approach to achieve the cohesiveness in musical style and characteristic of the piano work. Usually the last 3 bars are left totally black and candidates are expected to complete the ending part of the music by following the given instructions.
Question 4 Twentieth Century: Popular Song
To complete the missing parts according to melodic ideas and chord symbols indicated above the staves, advance knowledge of chord symbols and wide variety of pop song stylistic arrangement are required in order to answer this question appropriately. It will be helpful to have deep knowledge about harmonic building of chords and pop song arrangement so that you are able to read and analyse the chord symbols accurately.
Question 5 Twentieth Century: Melodic Composition
Continue one of these given openings to create a complete and coherent melody of between 24 and 30 bars’ duration. Candidates must name the single-line instrument or voice for which they are writing for. The music should be based on some other system than diatonic major/minor keys. Usually string instruments are encouraged as they allow wide varieties of playing technique that can make the composition sound more interesting with special sound effects.
Section B Prescribed works Excerpt questions
Candidates must answer a total of FIVE questions, including at least one question from Section A and at least one question from Section B. For each prescribed work there are two options. Candidates may answer either by writing a single essay (worth 20 marks) or by answering a series of sub-questions requiring answers ranging between a few words and a paragraph. The mark for each sub-question is shown, totalling 20 marks.
Jenny provides a detail analysis on the prescribed work so that her students can score well and confidently answer these questions within the given time frame. In the comment section of her music theory YouTube videos, people often comment that they take long time to search for the answer in the prescribed work. But with detail analysis given by Jenny, students get to familiarize the detail structure of the prescribed work which enable them to find the answers quickly.
Sample Analysis Of Beethoven’s Composition
Below is an analysis of Beethoven’s ‘Archduke’ trio by Jenny. Forty-two examples are provided in Jenny analysis. The first ninety-six bars of the exposition show that the first, second and fourth movements share correlative features with Beethoven’s String Quartet No 7, Op 59 No 1, Violin Concerto in D, Op 61. The correlations of the thematic material of these works with the Piano Trio Op 97 No 1 are also illustrated.
In the second movement, a fugue alternated with a varied middle section is used instead of the ‘traditional’ minuet. The overall structure of the Scherzo movement is also presented.
The third movement is composed in a Theme and Variation style consisting of the theme and four variations before returning to the theme. Unlike other movements, it is composed in D major. An inference to the opening of Beethoven’s Le: Adieux Piano Sonata No 26 was also done.
For the fourth movement, the head motif is compared with the opening found in the first movement. Jenny notes that the melody notes are taken from the first movement’s opening.
