Last Updated on 22 May 2026 by Victoria Williams
Pass Your Grade 4 Music Theory with Distinction!
ABRSM Grade 4 Theory Video Course
Grade 4 is a great preparation course if you know a lot of music theory basics but are a bit scared of jumping right in at grade 5!
Grade 4 teaches you about scales, chords and intervals in all keys with up to 5 sharps or flats in the key signature. A new clef is introduced – the C alto clef, double sharps and double flats are examined, as well as enharmonic equivalents.
We look at how to construct a chromatic scale, investigate duplets, learn about various ornaments (trills and so on) and learn some useful facts about some of the more common musical instruments.
Learn at home at your own pace, with a structured course in logical order!
View ABRSM Grade 4 Music Theory Video CourseThe course includes around 1.5 hours of short video lessons (2-4 minutes each), plus PDF with answers included.
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ABRSM Grade 4 Theory Syllabus
As in the preceding grades, with the addition of:
- All simple and compound duple, triple and quadruple time signatures, and the grouping of notes and rests within these
times. - The breve and its equivalent rest.
- Double-dotted notes and rests.
- Duplets.
- Alto clef (C clef centred on 3rd line). Notes in the alto clef in any of the keys set for this grade (see below). Notes of the same pitch written in different clefs (treble, alto, bass) and transposition at the octave from the treble or the bass clef to the alto clef, and vice versa.
- Double sharp and double flat signs, and their cancellation.
- Enharmonic equivalents.
- Scales and key signatures of all major and minor keys up to and including five sharps and flats, with both forms of minor scales.
- Technical names for the notes of the diatonic scale (tonic, supertonic, etc.).
- Construction of the chromatic scale.
- All intervals, not exceeding an octave, between any two diatonic notes in any of the keys set for this grade.
- Triads (root position) on the tonic, subdominant and dominant notes in any of the keys set for this grade.
- Chords in root position on the tonic, subdominant and dominant notes in any of the keys set for this grade (the harmonic form of the scale will be used in minor keys).
- More terms and signs, including the recognition and naming of the trill, turn, upper and lower mordent, acciaccatura and appoggiatura.
- Questions about a passage of music will include simple related questions about standard orchestral instruments.
Read the ABRSM music theory syllabus here.
Get a Free Music Theory Cheat Sheet PDF!