Most Repeated Topics in Music WAEC

 

Music is one of the most rewarding and uniquely structured subjects in the WAEC examination — it tests theoretical knowledge, cultural understanding, compositional skill, and live performance across three separate papers. Students who approach it without direction often feel overwhelmed by the breadth of the curriculum. But here is the insight that changes everything: the repeated topics in Music WAEC reveal that WAEC returns to the same core areas year after year. Knowing those areas before you begin revision is the most powerful strategic decision a Music student can make.

This article presents the repeated topics in Music WAEC with full explanations of what WAEC tests under each topic, which paper it appears in, and how to prepare for maximum marks. Whether your strength is in theory, African music, or live performance, this guide gives you the complete preparation picture.

 

Why Music Topics Repeat in WAEC

The repeated topics in Music WAEC exist because WAEC builds its Music examination from a national curriculum grounded in the universal language of Western music theory, the rich traditions of Nigerian and African music, and the practical skills of performance. Musical notation, scales, intervals, chords, and African music forms are not optional content — they are the foundational knowledge base that every music student must demonstrate before secondary education concludes.

The WAEC Music examination is distinctive because it combines written theory (Papers 1 and 2) with practical performance and aural skills (Paper 3). The repeated topics span all three dimensions — a student who masters them builds competence across the entire examination, not just in one area. This interconnected structure is exactly why preparation focused on the repeated topics yields the highest return.

 

WAEC Music Examination — Paper Breakdown

Understanding where each topic appears across the three papers is essential for intelligent preparation:

 

Paper	Content Focus	Duration	Marks
Paper 1	Objective Test — Music Theory, History & Knowledge	45 Minutes	50 Marks
Paper 2	Theory — Harmony, Composition & Essay Questions	2 Hours 30 Mins	100 Marks
Paper 3	Practical — Performance (Singing or Instrument), Aural Tests	Varies per candidate	100 Marks

 

Paper 1 tests music knowledge through 50 objective questions — theory, history, instrument classification, and cultural knowledge. Paper 2 is the most demanding written paper, covering harmony exercises, melodic composition, and essay questions on music history and analysis. Paper 3 is the practical examination, where each candidate performs a prepared piece on their chosen instrument or voice, and undertakes aural tests. All three papers carry significant marks — do not underestimate any of them.

 

All Top Repeated Topics — The Master Reference Table

Here is the complete overview of the repeated topics in Music WAEC, with specific sub-topics WAEC tests and examination frequency for each area:

 

S/N	Topic	Key Sub-Topics Tested	Frequency
1	Musical Notation and Staff Reading	Treble/bass clef, note values, rests, ledger lines, key signatures	Every Year
2	Rhythm, Metre, and Time Signatures	Simple and compound time, bar lines, pulse, syncopation	Every Year
3	Scales and Key Signatures	Major, natural/harmonic/melodic minor, modes, pentatonic	Every Year
4	Intervals	Identification, quality (perfect/major/minor/aug/dim), inversion	Every Year
5	Chords and Harmony	Triads, seventh chords, chord progressions, cadences, figured bass	Every Year
6	African Traditional Music	Nigerian music forms, instruments, functions, performers	Every Year
7	Musical Forms and Structures	Binary, ternary, rondo, sonata, fugue, theme and variations	Every Year
8	Musical Instruments Classification	Chordophone, aerophone, membranophone, idiophone, electrophone	Every Year
9	History of Western Art Music	Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Modern	Very High
10	Melodic Composition and Dictation	Melodic writing, melodic completion, aural dictation skills	Very High
11	Voice Types and Choral Music	SATB, voice ranges, part-writing, choral textures	Very High
12	Musical Texture	Monophony, homophony, polyphony, heterophony	Very High
13	Dynamics, Tempo, and Expression	Dynamic markings, tempo terms, articulation, performance directions	High
14	Nigerian Art Music and Composers	Fela Sowande, Akin Euba, Ayo Bankole, compositions and styles	High
15	Transposition	Transposing up/down by a given interval, clef changes	High
16	Aural Skills and Ear Training	Interval recognition, melodic/rhythmic dictation, pitch memory	High
17	Ornaments and Performance Techniques	Trill, mordent, turn, appoggiatura, grace note, vibrato	High
18	Music Appreciation and Analysis	Listening analysis, structural identification, stylistic commentary	High
19	Counterpoint and Melodic Decoration	First species, passing notes, auxiliary notes, suspensions	Moderate
20	Popular and Contemporary Music Genres	Jazz, blues, Afrobeat, gospel, highlife, juju — origins and features	Moderate

 

Topics rated “Every Year” are the absolute core of the examination. “Very High” topics appear in most years. “High” topics appear consistently. The eight “Every Year” topics account for the majority of theory marks — secure them first before building outward.

 

Topics 1 to 4 — The Language of Music

These four topics form the written language framework of the repeated topics in Music WAEC — the notation system, rhythmic organisation, tonal framework, and interval relationships that underpin everything else in music theory. Every other topic on this list depends on understanding these four first.

1. Musical Notation and Staff Reading

Musical notation is tested across Papers 1 and 2 with consistent regularity. WAEC tests reading notes on both treble and bass clef staves, including ledger lines above and below the staff. Note values and their relative durations must be automatic: whole note (semibreve), half note (minim), quarter note (crotchet), eighth note (quaver), sixteenth note (semiquaver), and their dotted equivalents. Each dotted note lasts one-and-a-half times its original value. Rest symbols for each note value are equally important — WAEC regularly asks candidates to add the correct rest to complete a bar. Key signatures — the sharps or flats at the beginning of a staff that define the home key — must be identified by name and written accurately for all major and minor keys up to four sharps and four flats.

 

2. Rhythm, Metre, and Time Signatures

Rhythm and metre questions appear in Paper 1 objectives and Paper 2 structured tasks. Simple time signatures have beats divisible by two (2/4, 3/4, 4/4 — the number above the line shows beats per bar, the number below shows the note value that receives one beat). Compound time signatures have beats divisible by three (6/8, 9/8, 12/8 — the pulse feels in two, three, or four dotted notes per bar). WAEC tests the ability to add bar lines to a rhythmic passage in a stated time signature, identify the time signature from a notated extract, and complete a bar with the correct note or rest value. Syncopation — placing rhythmic emphasis on normally weak beats — appears in music analysis questions.

 

3. Scales and Key Signatures

Scales are the tonal building blocks of melody and harmony. WAEC tests the major scale (whole-whole-half-whole-whole-whole-half semitone pattern from the tonic), the natural minor scale (descending three semitones from the relative major), the harmonic minor scale (natural minor with a raised seventh degree), and the melodic minor scale (ascending with raised sixth and seventh, descending same as natural minor). Pentatonic scales — five-note scales common in African and folk music — appear in African music questions. Key signatures must be written from memory for all major keys and their relative minors. The order of sharps (FCGDAEB) and flats (BEADGCF) are memory items tested directly in Paper 1.

 

4. Intervals

Intervals describe the pitch distance between two notes and WAEC tests both identification and quality. The number of an interval (unison, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, octave) counts the letter names from the lower to upper note inclusive. The quality is determined by the exact number of semitones: a perfect fourth spans 5 semitones; a major third spans 4 semitones; a minor third spans 3 semitones; an augmented fourth spans 6 semitones (the tritone). Interval inversion is a standard Paper 2 question — a major third inverts to a minor sixth; a perfect fifth inverts to a perfect fourth. The rule for inversion: the interval numbers add to 9; major inverts to minor, perfect stays perfect, augmented inverts to diminished.

 

Topics 5 to 8 — Harmony, African Music, Form, and Instruments

The next four topics in the repeated topics in Music WAEC complete the “Every Year” group and cover the harmonic, cultural, structural, and instrumental dimensions of WAEC Music. These are equally non-negotiable for strong performance across Papers 1, 2, and 3.

5. Chords and Harmony

Harmony is one of the most technically demanding and consistently tested areas of WAEC Music theory. Triads are three-note chords built by stacking thirds — the tonic triad (I), subdominant (IV), and dominant (V) triads are the most important in functional harmony. Seventh chords add a fourth note — the dominant seventh (V7) is particularly important because it creates tension that resolves to the tonic. Chord progressions are sequences of chords that create the harmonic movement of a piece — WAEC tests standard progressions including I-IV-V-I, I-V-VI-IV. Cadences mark phrase endings: perfect cadence (V to I — conclusive), imperfect cadence (ending on V — unresolved), plagal cadence (IV to I —’Amen’ cadence), interrupted cadence (V to VI — deceptive). Figured bass notation — numbers below a bass note indicating the intervals above it — appears in Paper 2 harmony exercises.

 

6. African Traditional Music

African traditional music is among the most culturally significant and consistently tested areas of WAEC Music. WAEC tests the major forms of Nigerian traditional music — funeral music, praise music, festival music, music for worship, and work music — alongside their social functions, characteristic instruments, and performance contexts. The major traditional music-making regions tested include Yoruba (dundun talking drum ensemble, sakara, apala), Igbo (ogene ensemble, egwu agha war music, ogbu-oge flute music), Hausa (kalangu praise drumming, buta long trumpets, molo plucked lute), and Efik/Ibibio (ntoi slit drum). For each tradition, know the instruments used, the social occasion for performance, and the role of call-and-response in the musical structure.

 

7. Musical Forms and Structures

Musical form describes the architectural layout of a piece of music. WAEC tests the following forms across Papers 1 and 2. Binary form (AB) consists of two contrasting sections, each often repeated — common in Baroque dances. Ternary form (ABA) presents a theme, a contrasting section, and a return to the opening — extremely common in popular and classical music. Rondo form (ABACADA…) keeps returning to a main theme between contrasting episodes. Sonata form (exposition, development, recapitulation) organises larger instrumental movements — particularly first movements of symphonies and sonatas. Theme and variations presents a melody followed by a series of varied versions. Fugue is a polyphonic form based on a subject that enters in different voices — Bach is the acknowledged master. Know the structural terminology and be able to identify a form from a description or a short musical extract.

 

8. Musical Instruments Classification

The Hornbostel-Sachs classification system organises all musical instruments into five categories based on how they produce sound. WAEC tests this system extensively in Paper 1 objective questions. Chordophones produce sound through vibrating strings — guitar, violin, harp, lute (including the kora and molo from African tradition). Aerophones produce sound through vibrating air — flute, trumpet, pipe organ, kalangu (though this is also a membranophone — note the overlap). Membranophones produce sound through a vibrating membrane — drums of all kinds: talking drum, bass drum, bata. Idiophones produce sound through the instrument’s own body vibrating — xylophone, bell, gong, agogo, shekere. Electrophones produce sound through electronic means — synthesiser, electric guitar, electric organ. For each category, WAEC requires multiple examples from both Western and African traditions.

 

Topics 9 to 14 — History, Composition, Voice, and Texture

This group from the repeated topics in Music WAEC covers the Very High and High frequency topics that appear consistently across Papers 1 and 2 and connect music theory to music history and analytical skills.

9. History of Western Art Music

Western music history provides the contextual framework for understanding style, technique, and the evolution of musical forms. WAEC tests six periods. Medieval (up to 1400): plainchant (Gregorian chant), early polyphony, organum. Renaissance (1400–1600): flowering of vocal polyphony, madrigals, Masses, lute music. Baroque (1600–1750): development of tonality, basso continuo, the fugue, the concerto grosso — Bach, Handel, Vivaldi. Classical (1750–1820): clear melody, homophonic texture, sonata form, symphony and string quartet — Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven. Romantic (1820–1900): emotional expression, expanded orchestra, programme music, nationalism — Brahms, Schubert, Tchaikovsky. Twentieth Century: atonality, serialism, minimalism, jazz influence — Stravinsky, Bartók, Debussy. For each period, know the key characteristics, representative composers, and one or two major musical forms or works.

 

10. Melodic Composition and Dictation

Melodic composition requires candidates to write a short melody — typically four to eight bars — that is musically coherent, rhythmically varied, and stylistically appropriate. WAEC provides a given opening or a bass line and asks candidates to complete or compose a melody above it. Key skills include: starting and ending on notes of the tonic chord, using stepwise motion as the foundation with occasional leaps (leaps should be prepared and resolved by stepwise contrary motion), varying the rhythm to avoid monotony, and shaping the melody with a climax point and a satisfying cadential close. Melodic dictation — listening to a short melody and writing it in staff notation — is tested in Paper 3 aural skills. Practise both aspects: composing on paper and transcribing from sound.

 

11. Voice Types and Choral Music

Voice types and SATB (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass) choral writing are tested in both objective questions and Paper 2 harmony exercises. Know the approximate ranges: Soprano (middle C to top C), Alto (G below middle C to E above), Tenor (C below middle C to C above), Bass (E below the bass staff to E above). WAEC tests voice leading principles for four-part writing — avoid consecutive perfect fifths and octaves between any two voices, double the root of a triad (not the third or fifth as a default), and keep parts within comfortable vocal ranges. Choral texture questions ask about the relationship between the four parts in specific passages — whether the parts move together (homophonic) or independently (polyphonic).

 

12. Musical Texture

Texture describes how the melodic and harmonic lines in a piece of music relate to each other. WAEC tests four main textures. Monophony is a single melody line with no accompaniment — Gregorian chant is the classic example. Homophony features a dominant melody supported by chords — most hymns, popular songs, and Classical-period compositions use this texture. Polyphony features two or more independent melodic lines of equal importance sounding simultaneously — Bach’s fugues and Renaissance motets exemplify this. Heterophony occurs when multiple voices or instruments perform the same melody simultaneously but with slight variations — common in African and Asian traditional music. WAEC uses texture as a lens for discussing both Western art music and African traditional music in essay questions.

 

13. Dynamics, Tempo, and Expression

Performance directions are tested heavily in Paper 1 objective questions. Know the Italian dynamic markings: pianissimo (pp — very soft), piano (p — soft), mezzo-piano (mp — moderately soft), mezzo-forte (mf — moderately loud), forte (f — loud), fortissimo (ff — very loud). Crescendo (gradually louder) and decrescendo/diminuendo (gradually softer) are tested by both symbol recognition and definition. Tempo markings from slowest to fastest: largo, grave, adagio, andante, moderato, allegretto, allegro, vivace, presto, prestissimo. Articulation markings — staccato (short, detached), legato/slur (smooth, connected), accent (sforzando, >), tenuto (held for full value) — affect how notes are performed. WAEC tests both the meaning of each marking and the identification of symbols from printed music examples.

 

14. Nigerian Art Music and Composers

Nigerian art music represents the synthesis of African musical traditions with Western classical techniques. WAEC tests the lives, compositions, and stylistic contributions of major Nigerian composers. Fela Sowande (1905–1987) — widely regarded as the pioneer of Nigerian art music; his African Suite for strings is particularly well known. Akin Euba (born 1935) — combines Yoruba traditional elements (particularly Yoruba talking drum patterns) with Western art music structures. Ayo Bankole (1935–1976) — known for his piano music and choral compositions that use Yoruba language and melodic material. Know the nationality, dates of activity, representative works, and the specific ways in which each composer integrated African musical elements into Western compositional forms.

 

Topics 15 to 20 — Transposition, Aural Skills, and Musical Genres

The final group in the repeated topics in Music WAEC covers the High and Moderate frequency topics that appear regularly across Papers 1, 2, and 3, and reward well-prepared students with reliable marks in both objective and practical contexts.

15. Transposition

Transposition involves rewriting a melody or musical passage at a different pitch level — up or down by a specified interval. WAEC Paper 2 transposition questions ask candidates to transpose a given melody by a specific interval (a major third up, a perfect fifth down) while maintaining the exact rhythmic values and relative melodic contour. Key signature changes must be calculated accurately — transposing up by a major second moves from C major to D major, adding two sharps. Transposing instruments (B-flat clarinet, B-flat trumpet, F horn) are also tested — these instruments sound at a different pitch from the written note, and WAEC tests both the written-to-concert pitch conversion and the concert-to-transposing-part conversion.

 

16. Aural Skills and Ear Training

Aural skills bridge the gap between written theory and practical music-making, and they are directly tested in Paper 3. WAEC aural tests include interval recognition (hearing two notes and identifying the interval), melodic dictation (hearing a short melody two to four times and writing it in staff notation), rhythmic dictation (hearing a rhythmic pattern and writing it), and chord identification (hearing a chord and identifying its type — major, minor, dominant seventh). For Paper 1, aural knowledge questions test the characteristic sound of specific instruments, voice types, and texture types — you are asked to identify these from descriptions. Practise aural skills alongside written theory — they are equally important components of comprehensive musical preparation.

 

17. Ornaments and Performance Techniques

Musical ornaments are decorative notes that embellish a main melody note. WAEC tests the standard Baroque and Classical ornaments: the trill (rapid alternation between a note and the note above it), the mordent (brief ornament going to the note above and back — upper mordent, or below and back — lower mordent), the turn (four-note ornament that goes above, returns, goes below, and returns to the main note), the appoggiatura (a grace note that takes half the value of the following main note and then resolves), and the acciaccatura (a crushed grace note played simultaneously with or just before the main note). Know the written symbol for each ornament and the notes that are actually played when performing it.

 

18. Music Appreciation and Analysis

Music appreciation tests the ability to discuss music meaningfully — to describe what you hear, analyse how it is constructed, and evaluate its artistic qualities. WAEC Paper 2 essay questions on music appreciation use a structured framework: identifying the period and style of a work, describing its melody and rhythm, discussing the harmonic language, identifying the texture and form, and commenting on the performance medium (voice types, instrument families, ensemble size). Practise listening to music from all historical periods represented in the syllabus and writing analytical sentences about each dimension. The student who can write clearly about how a Baroque fugue differs from a Romantic symphony in terms of texture, form, and harmonic language consistently scores higher in this section.

 

19. Counterpoint and Melodic Decoration

Counterpoint is the art of combining two or more independent melodic lines according to rules that govern their harmonic relationship. WAEC tests first-species counterpoint (note against note) where a second melody is added above or below a given cantus firmus (fixed melody). The fundamental rules are: begin and end on perfect consonances (unison, fifth, octave); avoid consecutive perfect fifths and octaves; prefer contrary and oblique motion over parallel and similar motion; allow imperfect consonances (thirds and sixths) as the primary interval type in the middle of the exercise. Melodic decoration tests non-harmonic tones — passing notes (stepwise motion connecting two chord notes), auxiliary notes (neighbour notes that return to the original pitch), and suspensions (a note held from a previous chord that creates dissonance before resolving down by step).

 

20. Popular and Contemporary Music Genres

Popular and contemporary music genres connect music study to the students’ immediate cultural environment. WAEC tests the origins, defining characteristics, and key figures of major genres. Highlife originated in Ghana in the early 20th century — combines Western brass band and guitar with West African rhythms, pentatonic melodies, and call-and-response. Juju music is a Yoruba genre using talking drums, electric guitar, and praise singing — King Sunny Ade and Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey are defining figures. Afrobeat, associated with Fela Kuti, combines jazz, funk, and West African traditional music with political lyrics. Jazz originated in New Orleans in the early 20th century — improvisation, swing rhythm, and blue notes are its defining features. Know the instrument combinations, rhythmic characteristics, and social contexts of each genre WAEC covers.

 

How to Prepare Using These Repeated Topics

The repeated topics in Music WAEC is most effective as a study architecture — it shows you what to master and in what sequence. Here is how to translate this list into maximum marks across all three papers:

• Secure the eight “Every Year” topics first — notation, rhythm, scales, intervals, chords, African music, form, and instrument classification. These topics together account for the majority of Paper 1 and Paper 2 marks. Study them to a level where you can answer questions without hesitation.
• Study written theory daily rather than in occasional long sessions. Music theory builds cumulatively — interval knowledge builds into chord knowledge, chord knowledge builds into harmonic progressions, harmonic progressions build into cadences and figured bass. Missing any layer weakens everything built on top of it.
• For Paper 3 performance, practise your chosen piece or repertoire consistently throughout the term — not just in the weeks before the examination. Technical fluency in performance comes from accumulated practice, not concentrated revision.
• Practise melodic composition using past WAEC Paper 2 briefs. Write a complete eight-bar melody for each brief, then review it against the criteria: tonic-based structure, stepwise motion, rhythmic variety, and cadential close.
• Develop your aural skills alongside written theory. Use interval training apps or singing intervals regularly, practise writing what you hear from recordings, and work on your ability to identify textures and forms by listening.
• Solve five years of complete past WAEC Music papers across all three sections. Review every incorrect answer by tracing it back to its topic and studying that topic before the next practice session.

 

Music is the only WAEC subject where you are simultaneously examined on what you know and what you can do — on the page and through performance. Every topic in the repeated topics in Music WAEC connects written knowledge to musical sound. The student who studies scale theory and then plays the scales, who studies chord progressions and then hears them in repertoire, who studies African music and then listens to the recordings, builds the deep musical understanding that the examination is designed to identify.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

1. How many papers does WAEC Music have?

WAEC Music has three papers: Paper 1 (Objective — 50 questions, 50 marks), Paper 2 (Theory — harmony, composition, and essay questions, 100 marks), and Paper 3 (Practical — performance and aural skills, 100 marks). All three papers are compulsory. Papers 2 and 3 each carry twice the marks of Paper 1, making them the primary drivers of the final grade.

 

2. Which topics from the list are easiest to score in?

Among the repeated topics in Music WAEC, dynamics, tempo, and expression markings along with instrument classification are considered the most straightforward for well-prepared students. Both topics reward direct memorisation — the Italian performance terms have fixed meanings, and the Hornbostel-Sachs classification categories are clearly defined. African traditional music and Nigerian art music also become highly scoreable once students engage with the cultural content rather than trying to memorise it as abstract facts.

 

3. Is it necessary to be able to play an instrument for WAEC Music?

Yes. Paper 3 requires a practical performance on a chosen instrument or voice. The instrument can be any musical instrument — piano, guitar, flute, drum, recorder, singing — as long as it is musically learnable. Students who begin learning their instrument early in secondary school develop the technical fluency that Paper 3 demands. Last-minute instrument practice is not effective — Paper 3 rewards accumulated musicianship.

 

4. How heavily is African music tested compared to Western music?

Both are tested substantially and with equal seriousness. Among the repeated topics in Music WAEC, African traditional music, Nigerian art music composers, and popular genres like highlife and juju are “Every Year” and High-frequency topics. Western music history and harmony are equally represented. WAEC Music deliberately balances both traditions, reflecting Nigeria’s position at the intersection of African and Western musical cultures. Students who neglect either tradition leave significant marks on the table.

 

5. What are cadences and why are they so important?

Cadences are the harmonic ‘punctuation marks’ of music — chord progressions that mark the end of a phrase or section. WAEC tests four cadences: perfect (V to I, conclusive, like a full stop), imperfect (ending on V, unresolved, like a comma), plagal (IV to I, the ‘Amen’ cadence used in hymns), and interrupted (V to VI, deceptive because it avoids the expected resolution to I). Cadences appear in Paper 1 objective questions, Paper 2 harmony exercises, and as an analysis tool in music appreciation essays. Knowing all four cadences and recognising them in musical examples is an essential, reliably tested skill.

 

6. How should I approach Paper 2 harmony exercises?

Approach harmony exercises systematically. First, identify the key from the key signature. Second, label the scale degrees of the given bass or melody notes. Third, select chord choices that create a musically coherent progression — moving between I, IV, and V with appropriate cadences at phrase endings. Fourth, voice lead carefully if writing four parts — avoid consecutive fifths and octaves, double the root of each chord, and keep voices within comfortable ranges. Fifth, check every bar against the rules before moving to the next. WAEC awards marks at each step — showing your working, even if the final answer has a small error, earns partial credit.

 

7. Does WAEC Music test popular music or only classical music?

WAEC Music tests both. Classical and art music dominate Papers 1 and 2, but popular and contemporary genres — highlife, juju, Afrobeat, jazz, and blues — appear in Paper 1 objective questions on origins, characteristics, and key figures. Nigerian art music composers who blend classical and popular elements (such as Fela Sowande and Akin Euba) are tested as a bridge between both worlds. Preparing both dimensions of the syllabus gives you complete coverage.

 

Conclusion

The repeated topics in Music WAEC span the full musical curriculum — from the written notation that records musical ideas, to the scale and harmonic systems that organise pitch, to the African traditions that root the subject in Nigerian cultural heritage, to the performance skills that bring music to life. Every topic on this list appears because WAEC consistently uses it to identify students who genuinely understand and practise music at the secondary school level.

Work through the repeated topics in Music WAEC with the discipline and musical curiosity the subject deserves. Study theory daily and connect it to sound. Practise your performance consistently. Engage with African music as a living tradition, not a memorised list. And approach the WAEC Music examination knowing that every hour of musical preparation — both on paper and through playing — builds the comprehensive musicianship that produces the highest grades.