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ABRSM Music Theory G6 Drill Guide: Technique, Drill Order and 3-Hour Pacing
TUTORZONE EXAM DRILL GUIDE · ABRSM MUSIC THEORY GRADE 6
Built on the ABRSM theory syllabus (from 2020): Grade 6 is a 3-hour, 100-mark written paper testing harmony (figured bass), melody harmonisation, melody writing and score reading – Pass 66-79, Merit 80-89, Distinction 90-100. Method only: drill order, 3-hour pacing, the usual mark losses, the error log and a 12-week timetable.
How is ABRSM Music Theory G6 assessed, and what does each part carry?
Q1 Harmony (figured bass): Four-part/keyboard harmony with figured bass (~25 marks); Q2 Harmonising a melody: Chord the 8-bar diatonic melody (~15 marks); Q3 Melody writing: Continue 8 bars, with optional modulation (~25 marks); Q4 Score reading: Key, ornaments, cadence, phrase structure (~35 marks)
Assessment at a glance (2027)
| Component | Content | Weighting | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 Harmony (figured bass) | Four-part/keyboard harmony with figured bass | ~25 | about 45 min |
| Q2 Harmonising a melody | Chord the 8-bar diatonic melody | ~15 | about 25 min |
| Q3 Melody writing | Continue 8 bars, with optional modulation | ~25 | about 45 min |
| Q4 Score reading | Key, ornaments, cadence, phrase structure | ~35 | about 55 min |
Four questions in 3 hours: about 45 min on harmony, 25 on harmonisation, 45 on melody writing and 55 on score reading, leaving 10 to check.
What each paper is actually testing
| Paper | Drill focus | How marks are lost |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 Harmony (figured bass) | keep common notes, avoid parallel 5ths/8ves | Parallel 5ths or 8ves and overlapping parts in the harmony question, or figures that do not match the chords actually written |
| Q2 Harmonising a melody | lead with I, IV, V; substitute vi, ii | Reading V-vi as V-I, and changing chord in every bar so the harmony loses direction |
| Q3 Melody writing | modulate via a clear pivot chord | Modulating without a pivot chord, a melody with no cadence, and notes outside the stated instrument range |
| Q4 Score reading | judgement, reason and example | Score-reading answers that give adjectives without quoting the score, or name an ornament without writing its realisation |
What is each ABRSM Music Theory G6 paper really testing, and what should you drill?
Q1 Harmony (figured bass): keep common notes, avoid parallel 5ths/8ves; Q2 Harmonising a melody: lead with I, IV, V; substitute vi, ii; Q3 Melody writing: modulate via a clear pivot chord; Q4 Score reading: judgement, reason and example
Drill order: by topic, then by year, then the mark scheme
| Step | What you do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1. By topic | Work through each topic, starting with the paper that allows least help (no calculator / closed book) | Exposes what is genuinely not understood |
| 2. By year | Whole papers to time, one or two a week | Trains pace, stamina and question selection |
| 3. Mark scheme | Go through the marking scheme question by question and log the scoring steps you missed | Most lost marks are written wrong, not thought wrong |
Should drilling go by topic first or by year?
By topic first, then whole papers by year, then the mark scheme. The first third of the time goes topic by topic (8-10 years of the same topic back to back), the middle switches to timed whole papers, and the last fortnight only redoes the recurring errors from your log.
A 12-week drilling timetable
| Week | Phase | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-3 | By topic: foundation | Topic by topic, starting with the easiest marks, building habits and recall |
| Weeks 4-6 | By topic: core | 8-10 years of the same topic back to back, errors classified by topic |
| Weeks 7-8 | By topic: advanced and electives | Elective and higher-order topics, now under time pressure |
| Weeks 9-10 | By year: timed papers | One full paper a week, timed, no reference materials |
| Week 11 | Mark scheme work | Question by question against the marking scheme; list the scoring steps you omitted |
| Week 12 | Plug holes and simulate | Only the recurring errors from your log, then one full exam simulation |
Subject-specific weighting for this timetable: Theory moves foundations, then writing, then score reading: weeks 1-3 go back to Grade 5 intervals, keys and chord inversions while writing one four-bar figured bass a day; weeks 4-6 put 8-10 harmony and harmonisation passages in the same key back to back, checking parallel 5ths and overlaps the moment each is finished; weeks 7-8 are melody writing and score reading under time; weeks 9-10 one timed paper a week; week 11 works through the marking points; week 12 only the recurring errors.
Use it properly: this is not a checklist to finish. Every week must keep time for redoing errors, or from week 9 you will be repeating the same batch.
Pacing
| Paper | Time | Suggested split |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 Harmony (figured bass) | about 45 min | figure the bass first, then fill three parts |
| Q2 Harmonising a melody | about 25 min | mark cadences first, then fill chords |
| Q3 Melody writing | about 45 min | plan phrases and cadences first |
| Q4 Score reading | about 55 min | answer each item with a reason |
How should the time be split inside each ABRSM Music Theory G6 paper?
Q1 Harmony (figured bass): figure the bass first, then fill three parts; Q2 Harmonising a melody: mark cadences first, then fill chords; Q3 Melody writing: plan phrases and cadences first; Q4 Score reading: answer each item with a reason
The drilling mistakes that cost the most marks
| Mistake | What it looks like | What actually happens | Instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parallel 5ths/8ves | Two parts moving in parallel 5ths/8ves | Breaks four-part voice-leading rules | Keep common notes, move the rest by step |
| Modulation without a pivot | Jumping into the new key | A modulation passes through a common chord | Modulate at a chord common to both keys |
| Wrong cadence | Reading V-I as imperfect | V-I is perfect, V-vi is interrupted | Judge the cadence by the last two chords |
The error log and the mark scheme
Four columns: voice-leading (parallel 5ths/8ves, overlaps), harmony (figures that do not match the chords), modulation (was a pivot chord written), score reading (did you quote the score, did you realise the ornament). Most theory marks are lost to working and checking habits.
How many years should you drill?
ABRSM publishes official past papers for Grades 6-8 every year, plus sample papers. Use the sample paper to fix the question shapes, then the last five years as timed whole papers (3 hours, aiming to finish inside 2 h 40 min); older papers are for the harmony and harmonisation questions only. The syllabus wording changed from 2020, so check a session matches the current syllabus first.
How many years of past papers is enough?
ABRSM publishes official past papers for Grades 6-8 every year, plus sample papers. Use the sample paper to fix the question shapes, then the last five years as timed whole papers (3 hours, aiming to finish inside 2 h 40 min); older papers are for the harmony and harmonisation questions only. The syllabus wording changed from 2020, so check a session matches the current syllabus first.
Frequently asked questions
Is this page a mock paper or a drilling guide?
This is the ABRSM Music Theory G6 drilling guide: assessment structure, drill order, a 12-week timetable, pacing, common mark losses and the error-log method. For questions with answers, use the ABRSM Music Theory G6 mock papers linked under Related.
By topic or by year first?
By topic. Eight to ten years of the same topic back to back is what exposes repeating errors; going straight to whole papers just repeats the same batch under time pressure.
How should the error log be written?
Do not copy out questions. Per error record four things: question reference, which step failed (concept, wording, calculation), what the mark scheme requires, and the correct action next time.
What is the difference between G5 and G6 theory?
Grade 5 asks you to recognise intervals, keys, simple chords and cadences; Grade 6 asks you to write – four-part harmony over a figured bass, chords for an eight-bar melody, an eight-bar melody with a modulation, and a score-reading analysis. G5 is recognition, G6 is writing.
Does every practice paper need the full 3 hours?
No. Time one question type at a time first (harmony 45 minutes, harmonisation 25, melody writing 45, score reading 55, checking 10), then move to whole papers once each type is steady. The point of question-level timing is rhythm, not saving time.
Official references
| Resource | What to use it for |
|---|---|
| ABRSM Music Theory syllabus (from 2020, Grades 6-8) | Confirm the four G6 question types and harmonic vocabulary |
| https://www.tutorzone.com.hk/en-abrsm-grade-5-music-theory-mock-paper/ | ABRSM Grade 5 theory mock (the prerequisite for G6) |
Related: ABRSM Grade 6 original mock paper · Grade 5 theory mock · practice area
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