ABRSM Aural

Grade 1 Test D

Dynamics; suddenly or gradual.

Articulation; detached or smoothed

Grade 2 Test D

Dynamics; suddenly or gradual.

Articulation; detached or smoothed
Tempo; stayed the same,
it got faster,
it slowed down (towards the end)

Grade 3 Test D

Dynamics; suddenly or gradual.

Articulation; detached or smoothed
Tempo; stayed the same,
it got faster,
it slowed down (in the middle or towards the end)
Tonality; major or minor
Grade 4 Test C

Dynamics; suddenly or gradual.

Articulation; detached or smoothed
Tempo; stayed the same,
it got faster,
it slowed down (in the middle or towards the end)
Tonality; major or minor

Character
Tempo; fast, slow, at a medium walking speedy.
Dynamics; loud, quiet, mixture of both loud quiet.
Tonality; major or minor
Articulation; detached or smoothed
General music terms; sad, happy, lively, dramatic, graceful,
cheerful, calm, bright, triple metre, dance-like, march like.

Grade 5 Test C
(everything in grade 1 to 4 apply in this grade)

Style and period.

Baroque
-limited range of the keyboard
-absence of dynamics
-ornamentation
-Light articulation
-strong melodic ideas

Classical
-scalic passages, broken chord and arpeggios
-use of crescendos and decrescendos
-simple melodies with simple accompaniment
-Clear phrases and clear cadences
-repeated ideas

Romantic
-song like melodies/ lyrical melodies.
-use of rubato/ flexible time
-Rich harmonies
-thick chords
-Use of the sustaining pedal for piano
- wide range of keyboard or notes

20th century
-abrupt dynamics change
- wide range of keyboard or notes
-wide range of dynamics
-dissonance/clashing notes
-use of chromatic passages
-use of unrelated chords
-syncopate rhythms/off beat accents
-jazz style/ swing tune/ blues melodies
-flexible rhythms