Basic Rudiments

As part of an ongoing series of posts on the 2009 RCM Theory Syllabus, I’m examining the changes in the Basic Rudiments requirements in comparison to the 2002 syllabus. There are actually very few changes, so you may sense that I’ve having to dig deep to find them.

The biggest change, I suppose, is the title. Previously called Preliminary Rudiments, the old title gave the impression that the “real” rudiments started at the Grade 1 Level (old terminology), but that you needed to know a few things before you got started. The change is a good one, in my opinion. This does represent the basics of music theory, beginning at . . . well, the beginning.

Starting in the category of pitch, the first addition to the requirements is the topic of enharmonic equivalents. This is a foundational concept that must be understood before moving on to diatonic and chromatic semitones. In the past, it has likely been assumed, but I’m glad they added this to the list of concepts.

As before, the candidate is expected to be able to add time signatures, bar lines and rest to a passage in simple time, but now the requirements specify that the passage may include an anacrusis (upbeat). This is important to be aware of, lest students automatically begin counting at beat 1. Consider the possibility of beginning on beat 3 or 4!

Another topic that was assumed in the previous edition of the syllabus (perhaps under key signatures?) is that of related keys. The 2009 edition spells out the requirement of understanding relative major and minor scales. A potential question: Write the relative minor of E major in melodic form using half notes.

While the old requirements indicated that the candidate must know perfect, major and minor intervals above a given note, the new requirements clarify and expand these expectations. Students must be able to write or identify these intervals (within the octave – good clarification), but also to identify intervals below a given note in melodic form. This doesn’t present a huge challenge. The student will still base his computation on the lower note, though it comes after the higher note. These intervals are still limited to keys up to and including 4 sharps and flats.

The triad requirements are essentially the same but have expanded to include identification of broken triads in close position. Like intervals, this is simply a challenge for the eyes to gather the notes together into a group in order to identify the chord.

One small clarification exists in the transposition section. Transposition can go up or down one octave at this level. It can also move between clefs. However, it does not need to do both. In other words, the question could be worded thus: Rewrite the following (bass clef) melody into the treble clef at the same pitch. Note that this isn’t a transposition in the true sense of the word, just a clef switch. The treble clef result will have the melody located much lower on the staff than the original bass clef example.

In the Terms and Signs section, the Italian term “tenuto” has been pulled down into the Basic Rudiments requirements from the Intermediate level. The 8va sign must also be identified below the staff (ottava basso), not just above. The pedal marking “Ped” was in the old syllabus, but students must also identify the line under the staff as a pedal marking.

Overall, the Basic Rudiments requirements haven’t changed dramatically. Most of the changes in the new syllabus are merely eliminations of redundancies and some good clarifications of question format. It remains a good introductory course for those needing a solid foundation in music reading and comprehension and a good start for the RCM/NMCP theory system.