I've been doing practice papers for grade 5 theory and my tutor has given me my marks today but I'm not sure what a pass is.

I got 90 on the first one but that was done untimed and with looking up the stuff.

The others I got 56, 60 and 69 on the others. having said that on these I missed out the composition bit because just don't get that!!

pass is 66, merit 80, distinction 90.

x

Untimed and looking up stuff is ok at the start.
I allow my students to use the first few papers as revision but ask that they mark the things they've looked up so that I can reinforce these areas if necessary.
You need to decide when you are ready to go for timed with no looking up. Make in in plenty of time before the exam if you can.
I'd normally expect consistant 80+ marks before putting in the exam entry. This allows time for both improvement if needed and a safe margin for error.

Are you thinking of entering for 14th June?

Are you practicing composing though? That´s 15 marks and it would be silly to give away all of them. I thought I was bad at composition, so I sat down and worked my way through some of the examples in the "Music theory in practice" workbook - first using the piano and then trying without.

In my opinion, the "continue the melody" option in the exam is easiest. The first thing I did was sketch in a rhythm - mainly repeating the rhythm of the first two bars, then I put in the melody, making sure that the last note was the dominant. The last thing was to put in some dynamics and performance directions. I am sure that with your teacher´s help you can develop your own method of writing an acceptable composition which will get you more marks (I got 13 out of 15 for mine and I really don´t enjoy composition).

The composition is worth 15 marks and the good news is that the more you do it, the easier it gets so do start soon! It's also easier than its sounds, because there are certain rules to follow and when you break it down, it's becomes less daunting.

mymusictheory website has a downloadable PDF giving advice on how to write a melody, and so does musicteachers.co.uk


I think the deadline for entry for the June session is next week, with a further week for online entries

Good luck if you decide to go for it!

My tutor is going to go over it with me. She doesn't seem to think there will be a problem for me to sit it in june (and I have to sit it in june anyway or else I lose my place at London Met for september).

This was my first theory paper I'd looked out or about 10 years so I was quite impressed with what I remembered without looking up.

See this thread: http://forums.abrsm.org/index.php?showtopic=28512
LOTS of advice on the composition bit, from this forum and other places. One of those links is marking guidelines - it says there that any complete working up to 7 bars, you'll get at least 5 marks - so it's got to be worth a try!

I get the composition bit. The bit I don't get is what you have to put in to show that you've considered what instrument it's for. Like for example, the one i attempted was for the flute so i know to include trills. But what do I include for trumpets etc.

If you don't know then don't put anything in.
Likewise bowing indications if you are not a string player.
Keep it reasonably simple you don't need any fancy stuff and unless you can use it effectively (and in 8 bars there's little room for much anyway) it won't get you extra marks.
The main consideration instrument wise is the range of the instrument. It's not necessary to go any deeper than that.
Some instrument specific markings if well used could turn a good effort into an excellent one but won't rescue something that is otherwise not sound.

It's as much what you don't put in as what you do put in. You wouldn't include double-stops or bowing directions for a woodwind or brass instrument, whereas you might if you chose the stringed instrument option. Tra-laa - you have shown that you've considered what a trumpet can't do by not including impossible things!

Sorry to bring this back to the top.

Well I've worked on bits a lot. Still having a few composition problems but I'm getting there. I'm now coming out with 82 consistently!!

I'm quite enjoying it now.

?? Music for flute doesn't have to include trills - although of course it can do. They're talking about things like bowing, possibly pizz, mutes etc., but it's not essential to include these extra details to get a good mark and it's better to leave them out than include something erroneous.