Aural Tests – Grade 1

Test A : Pulse and metre

Test B : Echoes
Test C : Differences
Test D : Musical features

Test A : Pulse and metre

 Clap the pulse of a piece of music, giving a louder clap on the strong beats to
establish the metre.
 Identify the metre as either two time or three time.

Test B : Echoes

Sing back three short phrases as echoes.

- Memorizing the pitch and rhythm patterns of two-bar phrases in either duple or triple
time
- Starting each echo correctly in time – neither too soon nor too late
Test C : Differences

Locate the difference in pitch between two phrases as being either near the beginning or near
the end of the phrase.

Test D : Musical features

Listen to a piece and answer question about dynamics and articulation.

Example:

Dynamics:

o Did the music begin loudly or quietly?

o Which was louder – the beginning or the end?
o Was the change from loud to quiet playing sudden or gradual?

Articulation:

o Were the notes at the beginning smooth or detached?

o When the music was quiet, were the notes play smoothly or detached?
Aural Tests – Grade 2

Test A : Pulse and metre

Test B : Echoes
Test C : Differences
Test D : Musical features

Test A : Pulse and metre

 Clap the pulse of a piece of music, giving a louder clap on the strong beats to
establish the metre.
 Identify the metre as either two time or three time.

Test B : Echoes

Sing back three short phrases as echoes.

- Memorizing the pitch and rhythm patterns of two-bar phrases in either duple or triple
time
- Starting each echo correctly in time – neither too soon nor too late
Test C : Differences

Locate and describe a difference in either pitch or rhythm between two phrases.

Ask Yourself……

 Where was the change?

 Was the change in pitch or rhythm?
 Was the changed note became higher or lower? (If it is pitch)
 Was the changed note became longer or shorter? (If it is rhythm)

“There was a …………near the beginning / the end.”

Lower note Higher note Dotted rhythm Longer note
Shorter note

Test D : Musical features

Listen to a piece and answer question about dynamics and articulation, and about tempo
change.

Example:

Dynamics:

o Did the music begin loudly or quietly?

o Which was louder – the beginning or the end?
o Was the change from loud to quiet playing sudden or gradual?

Articulation:

o Were the notes at the beginning smooth or detached?

o When the music was quiet, were the notes play smoothly or detached?

Tempo:

o Was there any change in the speed of the music, or did it stay the same throughout?

 It stayed the same.

 It slowed down towards the end.
 It got faster near the beginning.
Aural Tests – Grade 3

Test A : Pulse and metre

Test B : Echoes
Test C : Differences
Test D : Musical features

Test A : Pulse and metre

 Clap the pulse of a piece of music, giving a louder clap on the strong beats to
establish the metre.
 Identify the metre as either two time or three time or four time.

Test B : Echoes

Sing back three short phrases as echoes.

- Memorizing the pitch and rhythm patterns of two-bar phrases

- Starting each echo correctly in time – neither too soon nor too late
Test C : Differences

Locate and describe a difference in either pitch or rhythm between two phrases.

Ask Yourself……

 Where was the change?

 Was the change in pitch or rhythm?
 Was the changed note became higher or lower? (If it is pitch)
 Was the changed note became longer or shorter? (If it is rhythm)

“There was a …………near the beginning / the end.”

Lower note Higher note Dotted rhythm Longer note
Shorter note

Test D : Musical features

Listen to a piece and answer question about dynamics and articulation, and about tempo
change, and distinguish between major and minor key.

Example:

Dynamics:

o Did the music begin loudly or quietly?

o Which was louder – the beginning or the end?
o Was the change from loud to quiet playing sudden or gradual?

Articulation:

o Were the notes at the beginning smooth or detached?

o When the music was quiet, were the notes play smoothly or detached?

Tempo:

o Was there any change in the speed of the music, or did it stay the same throughout?

 It stayed the same.

 It slowed down towards the end.
 It got faster near the beginning.

Major/Minor:

o Was the music mainly in a major key or in a minor key?

o Did the music begin in a major key or in a minor key?
 o Did the music end in a major key or in a minor key?

Aural Test – Grade 4

Test A : Melodic repetition

Test B : Sight-singing
Test C : (i) Musical features, (ii) Rhythmic repetition and metre

Test A : Melodic repetition

 Sing or play from memory a melody heard twice.

The melody will be within the range of an octave, in a major or minor key with up to three
sharps or flats.

Test B : Sight-singing

 Sing five notes from score in free time.

 The notes will be within the range of a 3rd above and below.
 Key of C, F or G major.

Test C : (i) Musical features

 Listen to a piece and answer questions about dynamics, articulation, tempo change
or tonality, and about character.

Tempo:

o Was there any change in the speed of the music, or did it stay the same throughout?

 It stayed the same.

 It slowed down towards the end.
 It got faster near the beginning.

Major/Minor:

o Was the music mainly in a major key or in a minor key?

o Did the music begin in a major key or in a minor key?
o Did the music end in a major key or in a minor key?
Character:

cheerfu mysteriou
gentle playful bright dark l s angry
dramati
c happy sad calm lively dance-like song-like

Happy : Staccato articulation, major key, fast tempo,…

o What is the music gives this piece its character.

Test C : (ii) Rhythmic repetition and metre

 To clap the rhythm of the notes in an extract from the same piece,
 Identify whether it is in two time, three time or four time.
Aural Test – Grade 5

Test A : Melodic repetition

Test B : Sight-singing
Test C : (i) Musical features, (ii) Rhythmic repetition and metre

Test A : Melodic repetition

 Sing or play from memory a melody heard twice.

The melody will be within the range of an octave, in a major or minor key with up to three
sharps or flats.

Test B : Sight-singing

 Sing six notes from score in free time.

 The notes will be within the range of a 5th above and a 4th below.
 Major key with up to two sharps or flats.

Test C : (i) Musical features

 Listen to a piece and answer questions about dynamics, articulation, tempo change,
tonality or character, and about style and period.

Tempo:

o Was there any change in the speed of the music, or did it stay the same throughout?

 It stayed the same.

 It slowed down towards the end.
 It got faster near the beginning.

Major/Minor:

o Was the music mainly in a major key or in a minor key?

o Did the music begin in a major key or in a minor key?
o Did the music end in a major key or in a minor key?

Character:

cheerfu mysteriou
gentle playful bright dark l s angry
dramati
c happy sad calm lively dance-like song-like
Happy : Staccato articulation, major key, fast tempo,…
Style and period:

Baroque
 Crisp, light articulation
 Limited dynamic range
 Melodic decoration and ornamentation (especially at the end of phrases)
 Contrapuntal / Imitation between the various lines
 Polyphonic

Classical
 Use of scale and broken chord patterns
 Repetition of ideas
 Mainly simple harmony
 Dynamic shaping, with use of crescendo and diminuendo

Romantic
 Rubato
 Lyrical and song-like melodies
 Rich harmonies and expressive use of chromatic notes
 Thicker sonorities
 Use of the sustaining pedal
 Wide dynamic range

20th century
 Syncopation, Jazz idea
 Dissonant / clashing notes
 Abrupt dynamic changes
 Vigorous rhythms

Test C : (ii) Rhythmic repetition and metre

 To clap the rhythm of the notes in an extract from the same piece,
 Identify whether it is in two time, three time or four time.
Aural Test – Grade 6

Test A : Melodic repetition (upper-melody)

Test B : Sight-singing
Test C : Cadences
Test D : (i) Musical features, (ii) Rhythmic repetition and metre

Test A : Melodic repetition

 Sing or play from memory the upper part of a two-part phrase heard twice.

The upper part will be within the range of an octave, in a major or minor key with up to three
sharps or flats.

Test B : Sight-singing

 Sing a melody from score, while the examiner plays an accompaniment.

Test C : Cadences

 Identify the cadence at the end of a phrase as perfect or imperfect.

Test D : (i) Musical features

 Listen to a piece and answer questions about either texture or structure, and about one
other feature (dynamics, articulation, tempo, tonality, character, style and period,
texture or structure).

Character:

cheerfu mysteriou
gentle playful bright dark l s angry
dramati
c happy sad calm lively dance-like song-like

Happy : Staccato articulation, major key, fast tempo,…

o What is the music gives this piece its character.

Style and period:

Baroque
 Crisp, light articulation
 Limited dynamic range
 Melodic decoration and ornamentation (especially at the end of phrases)
 Contrapuntal / Imitation between the various lines
 Polyphonic

Classical
 Use of scale and broken chord patterns
 Repetition of ideas
 Mainly simple harmony
 Dynamic shaping, with use of crescendo and diminuendo

Romantic
 Rubato
 Lyrical and song-like melodies
 Rich harmonies and expressive use of chromatic notes
 Thicker sonorities
 Use of the sustaining pedal
 Wide dynamic range

20th century
 Syncopation, Jazz idea
 Dissonant / clashing notes
 Abrupt dynamic changes
 Vigorous rhythms

Texture
 Monophonic
 Homophonic / Chordal
 Polyphonic / Contrapuntal
 Melody with accompaniment

Sturcture
 ............phrases; are they equal length? How about the melodic material?
 ………main sections; Binary form(AB), Ternary (ABA)

Test C : (ii) Rhythmic repetition and metre

 To clap the rhythm of the notes in an extract from the same piece,
 Identify whether it is in two time, three time or four time.
Aural Test – Grade 7

Test A : Melodic repetition (lower-melody)

Test B : Sight-singing
Test C : (i) Cadences
(ii) Chords
(iii) Modulations
Test D : (i) Musical features, (ii) Rhythmic repetition and metre

Test A : Melodic repetition

 Sing or play from memory the lower part of a two-part phrase heard twice.

Test B : Sight-singing

 Sing the upper part of a two-part phrase from score, while the examiner plays the
lower part.

Test C : (i) Cadences

 Identify the cadence at the end of a phrase as perfect, imperfect or interrupted.

Test C : (ii) Chords

 Identify the two chords forming the above cadence.

Test C : (iii) Modulations

 Identify the modulation at the end of a passage beginning in a major key.

Test D : (i) Musical features

 Listen to a piece and answer questions about either texture or structure, and about one
other feature (dynamics, articulation, tempo, tonality, character, style and period,
texture or structure).

Test C : (ii) Rhythmic repetition and metre

 To clap the rhythm of the notes in an extract from the same piece,
 Identify whether it is in two time, three time or four time.
Aural Test – Grade 8

Test A : (i) Melodic repetition

(ii) Cadences
(iii) Chords
Test B : Sight-singing
Test C : Modulations
Test D : Musical features

Test A : (i) Melodic repetition

 Sing or play from memory the lowest part of a three-part phrase heard twice.

Test A : (ii) Cadences

 Identify the cadence at the end of a continuing phrase as perfect, imperfect,

interrupted or plagal.

Test A : (iii) Chords

 Identify the three chords (including their position) forming the above cadential
progression.

Test B : Sight-singing

 Sing the lower part of a two-part phrase from score, while the examiner plays the
upper part.

Test C : Modulation

 Identify two modulations: the first at the end of a passage beginning in a major key,
the second at the end of passage beginning in a minor key.

Test D : Musical features

 Describe the characteristic features of a piece played by the examiner (without

prompting from questions).