Music Theory for Kids
Music Theory Lessons
Short interactive quizzes to practice music theory basics, one topic at a time.
Grade 1
Musical Terms & Dynamics
Learn what common Italian terms and dynamic signs mean, ported from ABRSM Grade 1 style practice questions.
Start lessonNote & Rest Values
Practice how many beats common notes and rests are worth, in the style of ABRSM Grade 1 rhythm questions.
Start lessonKey Signatures: True or False
Quick true/false checks on the Grade 1 key signatures (C, F, G, D major), starting from two ported ABRSM-style questions.
Start lessonTempo & Dynamics Vocabulary
Learn more Italian tempo and dynamics terms every ABRSM Grade 1 musician should know — forte, piano, crescendo, and allegro.
Start lessonMusic Fundamentals: Staff, Clefs & Accidentals
The basic building blocks of written music — the staff, clef names, and what sharps, flats, and naturals do to a note.
Start lessonReading Time Signatures
Look at a bar of written music and work out its time signature or note values, ported from ABRSM Grade 1 style practice questions.
Start lessonNote Names: Treble Clef
Practice naming notes written on the treble clef staff, ported from ABRSM Grade 1 style practice questions.
Start lessonNote Names: Bass Clef
Practice naming notes written on the bass clef staff, ported from ABRSM Grade 1 style practice questions.
Start lessonKey Signatures & Scale Degrees
True/false questions about scale degrees and key signatures shown in notation, ported from ABRSM Grade 1 style practice questions.
Start lessonIdentifying Intervals
Work out the interval between two written notes, ported from ABRSM Grade 1 style practice questions.
Start lessonTonic Triads
Recognize tonic triads and their keys from written notation, ported from ABRSM Grade 1 style practice questions.
Start lessonMusic in Context
Answer questions about a short written melody — the same passage is used across all 5 questions, ported from ABRSM Grade 1 style practice questions.
Start lessonNotated Answer Choices
A different kind of question — pick the correctly written bar or clef from several small notated choices, based on ABRSM Grade 1 style practice.
Start lessonGrade 2
Grade 2: Rhythm
Note values, bar lengths, rests, and time signatures. Grade 2 adds semiquavers and simple time with a minim beat, based on the ABRSM Grade 2 syllabus.
Start lessonGrade 2: Note Reading
Note reading in treble and bass clef. Grade 2 adds rewriting a note in a different clef at the same pitch, based on the ABRSM Grade 2 syllabus.
Start lessonGrade 2: Keys and Scales
Key signatures, scales, and degrees of the scale. Grade 2 adds new major keys plus minor keys A, E and D (harmonic minor), based on the ABRSM Grade 2 syllabus.
Start lessonGrade 2: Intervals
Identify the number of an interval above the tonic. Count the lower note as one when naming the interval, based on the ABRSM Grade 2 syllabus.
Start lessonGrade 2: Tonic Triads
Identifying and completing tonic triads. Grade 2 includes minor tonic triads as well as major, based on the ABRSM Grade 2 syllabus.
Start lessonGrade 2: Terms and Signs
Italian terms and signs from the Grade 2 vocabulary. Watch for similar-looking tempo and articulation terms, based on the ABRSM Grade 2 syllabus.
Start lessonGrade 2: Music in Context
Read a short melody and answer questions about it — contour, degrees of the scale, dynamics and bar structure, based on the ABRSM Grade 2 syllabus.
Start lesson