RIAM Theory

ChemHickey

Hi everybody. I'm planning on sitting my Senior Cert Theory exam this November and I am just wondering if there are any facilities for it at all (any books or syllabi?) I went to the RIAM website and I couldn't find a syllabus for it, and there seems to be no books published for it as well. I emailed the Academy last week and still have heard back so I am just wondering if anyone has completed it and if they have any advice on it?

Thanks in advance

The Mad Hatter

ChemHickey wrote: »

Hi everybody. I'm planning on sitting my Senior Cert Theory exam this November and I am just wondering if there are any facilities for it at all (any books or syllabi?) I went to the RIAM website and I couldn't find a syllabus for it, and there seems to be no books published for it as well. I emailed the Academy last week and still have heard back so I am just wondering if anyone has completed it and if they have any advice on it?

Thanks in advance

I teach theory up to Senior Cert, and there is a syllabus printed at the back of the syllabus for keyboard. (Probably at the back of the other syllabi too, but I can't say for certain.) There is no course book, however.

If you've done Grade 8 theory, then it's not too much of a step above that. The historical focus is on composers of the twentieth century (mostly the first half - I think the Academy only grudgingly accepts the existence of the last hundred years) rather than the nineteenth, and the harmony is a bit more advanced, but not much.

I teach it using the course books I used as an undergraduate in college. A great one for harmony is actually just called Harmony, by Walter Piston and Mark DeVoto, but it doesn't come cheap. This will cover you for the first three questions - harmony and two- and four-part counterpoint (and remember to give loads of practice to the two-part counterpoint especially). For history, there are plenty of books on composers available in your local library, and I'd try to be familiar with a lot of the movements and jargon in 20th century music, especially (off the top of my head) serialism, minimalism, polyrhythm, atonality, primitivism and aleatoric music. If you can get someone to give you a few lectures on these, and listen to some of the main composers and their works, it would do no harm at all.

Lastly, try to drop into the Academy some time soon or call them and buy a few past papers. Around ten should do, and you'll start to see the patterns to the questions they ask.

Doshea3

Theory Senior Cert? I've got one I'm not using if you like. ;-)

Seriously though, what Mad Hatter said. The past papers give you a good idea of the standard (that's what I used to practise mostly).

ChemHickey

Cool guys! That's amazing! I'll definitely look into all you have said above! I did enjoy the theory part, and I'll also definitely look into the books you have mentioned and I'll have a chat with some people I know studying music in college for their help! :L


Thank you very much for your instantaneous replies! Extremely thankful!