Hi there everyone!!!

I am in the midst of crisis!! I did grade 5 theory last
year and did quite well, but I started on the
grade 6 book the other day and I may as well
have been reading Chinese! The harmony
is WAY more difficult than grade 5...like...umm...did
I miss something!? And there isn't any "other" theory like
note values and scales and all that.

SOOOoooooo. Where do I start?

Sam

That is exactly how I felt when I first looked at grade 6 from the dizzy heights of 98% at grade 5....

And no, you didn't miss something.... the "other" theory like note values and scales and all that is what you get up to grade 5, after that it's assumed you already know all that stuff.

i just passed my grade 6 theory (exactly on 66... *sighs*) i found it a lot harder than grade 5. I dont know which book you're using, but i used the white one, with a big 6 on the front (i know... not much help) but it seemed a lot more like the exam than the other ones. As sbhoa said, you are expected to know all the note values and scales etc. by now. I don't know where you should start, I found the harmonies easy, maybe do the composition, because that isn't really different from grade 5, if you start with the questions at the end (questions 4 and 5) then you may need to learn a few more things, so maybe start with them...

Thats probably not really helped you at all... but its worth a try, i would recommend the white theory books though...

That is a fantastic book! I bought the white book with the number 6 on the front the other day and it was brilliant, it goes through all the steps you have to go through to approach the question in the easiest possible way. I just wanted to say I highly recommend it!

I can only commiserate. I have just started on the grade 6 work having just passed my grade 5. Like you I find harmonic textbooks difficult in large chunks so I decided the easiest way to approach grade 6 was to do it gradually. I read a little and then spend a lot of time at the piano learning progressions and experimenting with the sounds of chords. I didn't wait until I understood all the instructions about harmonisation. I just got on with the exercises and learned by making mistakes. I really wouldn't worry if you find yourself making errors. Just roll up your sleeves and start doing some exercises. You'll find it is easier than you think.

Are you using Harmony in Practice by Anne Butterworth? It is helpful and the answer book comes separately. You also may find the Theory Workbook Grade 6 is easier to understand than Music Theory in Practice. It is also more up-to-date.

Good luck.