Find a Grade 4 Music Theory tutor

Both boards build on earlier theory knowledge, but their Grade 4 syllabuses are different. Use these selected examples to identify the teaching you need, then work from the full syllabus for your board.

Duplets are a Grade 4 extension; 6/8 itself is covered earlier. Here is a constructed practice example: write three ordinary quavers, followed by two quavers under a bracket marked 2. Put the bracket over the last pair only.

Counting five written notes can make the bar look short. Instead, count the time they occupy. A 6/8 bar has two dotted-crotchet beats. The first three quavers fill beat one. The duplet divides beat two into two equal notes, taking the same time as three ordinary quavers. The bar is complete: three quavers’ worth of time plus another three.

Each note in that duplet lasts one and a half ordinary quavers. A clear explanation would be: “There are five notes, but the pair marked 2 still fills the whole second beat.” Try tapping two steady main beats and fitting three sounds into the first, then two into the second.

For a follow-up, replace the first three quavers with one dotted crotchet. The bar still lasts two beats. Being able to explain both versions shows more understanding than recognising a familiar answer.

Trinity Grade 4 includes transposing tunes by a perfect fourth or fifth. Try this constructed task: start with four crotchets, C–D–E–G, rising in C major. Move the whole phrase up a perfect fifth into G major.

Count letter names including both ends: C–D–E–F–G gives a fifth. A perfect fifth spans seven semitones. Apply that same move to each note: C becomes G, D becomes A, E becomes B and G becomes the D above that B. The answer is G–A–B–D, with the rhythm unchanged.

Write the G-major key signature with F-sharp, even though this short phrase contains no F. Moving only the opening note would alter the melody; putting the final D below B would send the last movement in the wrong direction. Check every note’s distance and the shape of the phrase.

Then reverse the task, moving the answer down a perfect fifth. It should return to C–D–E–G in C major. This example shows a Trinity Grade 4 task; ABRSM’s Grade 4 requirements should be checked separately.

Latimer offers online one-to-one tuition, a free matching request and a free introductory meeting to discuss goals, teaching approach and arrangements. Use that meeting to explain whether the aim is an exam, support alongside instrumental lessons or understanding music more confidently. It is an introductory conversation, not a full free teaching lesson.

Tutors set their own hourly rates, shown on their profiles, and lessons are billed after they take place on a pay-as-you-go basis. Agree the lesson length, frequency and any materials before booking. A useful comparison is how well the tutor can explain the learner’s actual difficulty and plan the next independent task.

For online theory lessons, have your workbook or score ready and agree how both of you will see and annotate the notation. Microsoft Teams is the default platform; another can be agreed with the tutor. In-person lessons require an individual arrangement.