There are many ways for piano students to obtain their piano certifications. One way is through the advanced diploma music theory course (AMusTCL), a diploma certificate granted by Trinity College of London. The qualification requires students to have at least a passing grade in the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) grade 8 music theory examinations. This is an excellent route for students to become professional piano teachers in Singapore with good musical qualifications. Here are some tips on how you can do well in the tested exam topics.
AMusTCL exam topics
There are 5 main topics which will be tested in the AMusTCL exam:
1. Bach chorale four-part writing
This topic focuses on the opening section provided. Candidates are expected to complete the Bach Chorale with a similar style and approach.
You will have to observe which key is being played first and how it ends, which will help you spot the modulations to the key. You should then harmonise the cadential points to get the structure of the melody.
2. Classical orchestration
Candidates are provided with a score containing melodic lines within the staves for this topic. Candidates must assign the melodic lines to an open score. They will have to use the first bar as a guide to derive the melodic lines of each instrument in the orchestra.
For this exercise, candidates must have grade 8 music theory knowledge and be aware of the notes that each orchestra instrument can play so that it will be easier to score in this exam.
3. Romantic Period
This topic will focus on music from the early romantic period. Candidates are required to fill in missing parts of the score using the rhythmic and melodic ideas provided by observing the style of the music.
They will need to understand the style of music from the romantic period using their grade 8 music theory knowledge and then applying it to fill in the ending of the music piece.
4. Pop song
For this topic, candidates must fill in missing parts of the pop song piece by using chord symbols and melodic ideas. It is important to have in-depth knowledge about the harmonic building of chords and pop song arrangement through grade 8 music theory materials, so they can accurately read and figure out the chord symbols.
5. Analysis questions
Lastly, this topic will focus on melodic composition through analysis. Candidates must continue with the openings given to produce a coherent melody of 24 to 30 bars and name the instrument or voice they are scoring for.
They must have in-depth knowledge of melodic composition and ideas from various music composers to spot correlative features in composition so that they can perform well in this topic.
Conclusion
Wowpianowow offers the AMusTCL music theory course to help you pass your exams in the shortest time possible. Amongst our music theory exam candidates who passed their exam with excellent results, 90% of them have scored merit and distinction for their music theory exam. Our team of dedicated piano teachers provide online or studio-based lessons and is committed to helping you reach your goals. Contact us through our contact form or phone call to learn more about our AMusTCL course!
