Music Theory Class for Adults: Grade 6
24 classes in 3 terms, two and a half hours a week
Grade 6 introduces the piano music of Chopin, Schumann and Debussy, and chamber music for strings, piano and woodwind. It continues to develop melody-writing with longer melodies, and four-part harmony for a full piece. Participants must have completed Susan's courses of Grades 1 to 5 before attending this course.
Course Outline
Written Section
- Melody
- Harmony: Revision, Mediant, Diminished
- Second inversion chords
- More about non-chord tones
- Four part harmony
- Writing a two-part melody
- The Romantic period
- An Introduction to the Piano
- The piano music of Chopin
- The piano music of Schumann
- The Impressionist period
- The piano music of Debussy
- Set Work: Debussy: Preludes Book I Nos. 1-6
- Woodwind instruments
- Chamber music for strings, piano and woodwind
- Set Work: Brahms: Piano Quartet in C Minor, op. 60
Participants will need to own both scores and recordings of the set works for this grade. The cost of these are not included in the course fee.
Aural Section
- Intervals from major and minor scales
- Ascending and descending intervals
- Major, minor and diminished chords
- Chords in inversions
- Perfect, imperfect and interrupted cadences
- Cadences in major and minor keys
- Rhythm dictation
- Melody dictation
- Modulation
- Recognition of set works
About Susan Deas
Susan Deas is a professional musician, lecturer and teacher. She has been teaching piano for over twenty years, and her students learn both classical and contemporary styles, including playing by ear and improvisation. Susan also gives professional development workshops and lessons to private music teachers. She performs professionally as a pianist and organist, and lectures in music theory and music appreciation for Sydney University’s Centre for Continuing Education. Susan’s training includes a Bachelor of Music with a major in Performance (Piano) and Musicology, a Master of Music Studies (Studio Pedagogy), a Bachelor of Arts (Communications), and an A.Mus.A in Musicianship. Susan is an Accredited Member of the Music Teachers’ Association of NSW.
More about Susan's qualifications
Subscribe to Susan's mailing list to hear about future events for music students