Enter for your Popular Music Theory exam in four quick steps

The next deadline is 1 May

Popular Music Theory Grade 3

The Popular Music Theory Grade 3 exam will test your increasingly sophisticated understanding of music notation and theory with a thorough look at time signatures, scale intervals, and working with different tempos.

Key Skills at Grade 3

What you'll learn at Grade 3:

  • Sophisticated music notation, time signatures and note values
  • Sophisticated elements of popular music harmony
  • Instrumental components and notation
  • Music notation modification, harmony, stylistic traits and instrumental characteristics
  • Score interpretation to make appropriate harmony choices for improvised music and interpret improvisational directions

What You're Marked On

Your Popular Music Theory Grade 3 exam lasts 90 minutes and is split into four key sections.

Music Notation

At Grade 3 you will cover the following aspects of music notation:

  • Understanding note lengths, and adding barlines
  • Recognising note values
  • Beaming notes correctly
  • Understanding and adding time signatures: 3/8, 6/8, 12/8
  • Understanding how to beam notes of different values, and adding missing notes where applicable

Popular Music Harmony

At Grade 3 you will cover the following aspects of popular music harmony:

  • Identifying intervals: perfect 4th and 5th
  • Applying interval knowledge
  • Identifying scale intervals
  • Recognising tones and semitones
  • Understanding, and writing, scales with accidentals

Band Knowledge

At Grade 3 you will cover the following aspects of band knowledge:

  • Identification of drum kit parts
  • Identification of guitar and bass guitar parts
  • Identification of keys on acoustic and electronic piano keyboards
  • Understanding vocal pitch ranges
  • Understanding and identifying varied instrumental notation

Band Analysis

At Grade 3 you will cover the following aspects of band analysis:

  • Understanding scores with up to three different instruments
  • Identification of tempo including an understanding of BPM
  • Understanding time signature
  • Recognising chord symbols
  • Instrument-specific techniques
  • Understanding pitches

Timing

Your Grade 3 exam lasts 90 minutes. Candidates are asked to arrive at least 15 minutes before their exam starts.

Get Started Today!

You can start working towards your Grade 3 exam now! Simply buy or Debut – Grade 5 Guidebook and corresponding Grade 3 Workbook book below and start preparing alongside your music teacher.

If you don't have a music teacher that can help you with music theory, you can quickly find the perfect teacher nearest to you with our handy find a music teacher map.



Books for Popular Music Theory Grade 3

  • Guidebook Debut - Grade 5 Book Cover Guidebook Debut - Grade 5

    Rockschool's Guidebooks are the ideal introduction to music theory for musicians, composers, students and teachers.

  • Workbook Grade 3 Book Cover Workbook Grade 3

    The Rockschool Grade 3 Theory Workbook is the ideal preparation for your Grade 3 theory exam.

  • Workbook Grade 4 Book Cover Workbook Grade 4

    The Rockschool Grade 4 Theory Workbook is the ideal preparation for your Grade 4 theory exam.

  • Workbook Grade 5 Book Cover Workbook Grade 5

    The Rockschool Grade 5 Theory Workbook is the ideal preparation for your Grade 5 theory exam.