Following on from chopin-bag's great thread about remembering the notes of a stave, I began wondering what other areas of music theory are ripe for the same treatment.

For those who have already done some theory exams ,what "lists" have you needed to know?
What general bits of information need to be available in the head, in order to work out the answers to other questions.

Daughter is starting to learn theory, and last night we played around with learning the sequence for key signatures, i.e. going up by one sharp or one flat in turn.
She knows notes in treble clef from playing, and is pretty good at bass. She can draw a reasonable keyboard from memory. What else?


Many thanks.



By the way, my favourite list was [F]arts [C]an [B]e [D]angerous [A]fter [E]ating [B]iscuits
But now, not being musical myself, I can't remember what this sequence of notes was all about!

It sounds like the order of sharps, but with a glitch. The first B would need to be G.

(ed can GET dangerous?? maybe)

Yes that was it. It's a good job its not me that needs these things!

I always remember [F]ather [C]harles [G]oes [D]own [A]nd [E]nds [B]attle

Or the reversible version.

Father Christmas Gave Dad An Electric Blanket (order of sharps).
Blanket Explodes And Dad Gets Cold Feet (order of flats).

I teach the Father Charles one to remember the order of sharps. It is reversible too, to give the order of flats:

Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles' Father.

Thats what my teacher taught me too, I think it is great as you only have to learn one phrase. I use it all the time.

Thanks for the replies.

I found the "Father Charles" thing in a book, but thought it wasn't very child-friendly. (then again I still remember the colours of the rainbow from my own childhood...)



However, my real question is not so much about how to remember something, but rather what are the things that need to be remembered ?


Many thanks

That's the problem with trying to learn things by using the mnemonics instead of learning to understand them first THEN using the mnemonic if necessary as an aid to memory.

I don't use that (or every good boy etc.) until I've established the understanding and then only if needed.