Aural Practice Tests

Test 1A: Pulse & Metre

For this test, you will be asked to clap in time to a piece of music played by the examiner, giving a louder clap on the strong beats. You will then have to identify whether the piece is in two or three time. The examiner will be looking for a prompt response, with a confident sense of pulse and clear recognition of the metre.

Test 1B: Echoes

For this test you will be asked to sing as “echoes” three phrases played by the examiner. The phrases will be two bars long, in a major key and within a three-note range. The examiner will be looking for an immediate response which keeps the pulse flowing, and which reflects both the notes and the rhythm accurately and confidently.”

Test 1C: Differences

This test is essentially a musical version of spot the difference. The examiner will play a short musical phrase twice, but with a change to one of the notes on the second playing. You must specify whether the change was near the beginning or near the end.

If you have trouble with this test, ask your teacher if you can practise it with music you are familiar with. It will be easier to notice changes to pieces that you know well compared with unfamiliar music.

Test 1D: Musical Features

For this test, you must answer questions about two features of a piece played by the examiner. Before playing, the examiner will tell you which two features the questions will be about. For Grade 1, the first feature will be dynamics (loud/quiet, sudden/gradual changes); the second feature will be articulation (smooth/detached notes). The examiner will be looking for a ready, confident response that shows perceptive awareness of the relevant musical features.

Test 2A: Pulse & Metre

In this test, the examiner will ask you to clap the pulse of a piece of music, giving a louder clap on the strong beat, and then naming the correct metre of the excerpt. As with Grade 1, the metre will be in either two or three time. The examiner will be looking for a prompt response, with a confident sense of pulse and clear rcognition of the metre.

Test 2B: Echoes

For this test you will be asked to sing as “echoes” three phrases played by the examiner. The phrases will be two bars long, in a major key and with a five-note range. Additionally, they may be in either two or three time (in Test 1B the phrases are all in two time). The examiner will be looking for an immediate response which keeps the pulse flowing, and which reflects both the notes and rhythm accurately and confidently.

Test 2C: Differences

In this test, the examiner will play a short musical phrase twice, but with a change in either pitch or rhythm during the second playing. You will then be asked to describe the change. The examiner will be looking for a clear, confident response that identifies where the change happened, the type of change (i.e. pitch or rhythm) and what it involved (e.g. higher/lower, longer/shorter).

To respond to this test successfully, you will need to be able to differentiate between pitch and rhythm. When listening to the second playing of the phrase, if you hear a note that sounds higher or lower than it was before, the change is in pitch. If you hear a note that is longer or shorter than it was before, the change is in rhythm.

This test is best practised with your teacher. To begin with, try exercises that focus seperately on rhythmic changes or melodic changes. Once you are confident in your ability to describe the changes, move on to the practice tests above.

Test 2D: Musical Features

In Test 1D, you will have learned how to listen for varying dynamics and articulation, as well as changes in dynamics. As a Grade 2 student, you will also be asked about tempo change. The examiner will be looking for a ready, confident response that shows perceptive awareness of the relevant musical features.

Test 3A: Pulse & Metre

In this test, the examiner will ask you to clap the pulse of a piece of music, giving a louder clap on the strong beat, and then naming the correct metre of the excerpt. The piece will be in either two, three or four time. The metre can be simple or compound. The examiner will be looking for a prompt response, with a confident sense of pulse and clear recognition of the metre.

Test 3B: Echoes

For this test you will be asked to sing as “echoes” three phrases played by the examiner. The phrases will be two bars long, in a major or minor key, and within the range of an octave. The examiner is looking for an immediate response which keeps the pulse flowing, and which reflects both the notes and rhythm accurately and confidently.

Test 3C: Differences

In this test, the examiner will play a short musical phrase twice, but with a change in either pitch or rhythm during the second playing. You will then be asked to describe the change. The examiner will be looking for a clear, confident response that identifies where the change happened, the type of change (i.e. pitch or rhythm) and what it involved (e.g. higher/lower, longer/shorter).

To respond to this test successfully, you will need to be able to differentiate between pitch and rhythm. When listening to the second playing of the phrase, if you hear a note that sounds higher or lower than it was before, the change is in pitch. If you hear a note that is longer or shorter than it was before, the change is in rhythm.

This test is best practised with your teacher. To begin with, try exercises that focus seperately on rhythmic changes or melodic changes. Once you are confident in your ability to describe the changes, move on to the practice tests above.

Test 3D: Musical Features

For this test, you will be asked questions about two features of a piece played by the examiner. The first question will be about features that were present in Grade 1 and 2, namely: articulation, dynamics or tempo change. The second question will be about the tonality of the piece, i.e. whether it begins or ends in a major or minor key. The examiner will be looking for a ready, confident response that shows perceptive awareness of the relevant musical features.

Test 4A: Melodic Repetition

This test builds on the “echo test” from Grade 1-3. You will be asked to either sing or play from memory a melody played twice by the examiner. The melody will begin on a note from the tonic triad and will not include any chromatic notes. It will be no more than four bars long in two time (including 6/8), three time or four time.

Test 4B: Sight-Singing

For this test, you must sing five notes from a score in free time. You may choose to sing from a treble or bass clef. The notes will be within the range of a third above or below the tonic in the key of C, F or G major, and the test will begin and end on the tonic. If necessary, the examiner will play the correct note if any note is sung at the wrong pitch.

Test 4C: Musical Features & Rhythmic Repetition

(i) To answer questions about two features of a piece played by examiner.

Before playing, the examiner will tell you which two features the question will be about. The first question will be on a feature that was covered in tests 1D, 2D and 3D, i.e. dynamics, articulation, tempo or tonality. The second question will be to ask you to describe the character of the piece. The examiner is looking for a ready, confident response which shows perceptive awareness of the relevant musical features.

(ii) To clap the rhythm of the notes in an extract from the same piece, and to identify whether it is in two, three or four time.

Test 4C (ii) is a continuation of Test 3A on pulse and metre, and of Test 3B, the echo test. Instead of clapping the pulse, as you would do in 3A, you must echo the rhythm. To revise your skills in identifying pulse, refer back to the practice exercises for Tests 1A, 2A and 3A. To revise your ability to echo phrases, refer back to the practice exercises for Tests 1B, 2B and 3B.

Test 5A: Melodic Repetition

For this test, you will be asked to sing or play from memory a melody played twice by the examiner. The melody will begin on a note from the tonic triad and will not include any chromatic notes. It will be no more than four bars long in two time (including 6/8), three time or four time.

Test 5B: Sight-Singing

For this test, you must sing five notes from a score in free time. You may choose to sing from a treble or bass clef. The notes will be within the range of a third above or below the tonic in the key of C, F or G major, and the test will begin and end on the tonic. If necessary, the examiner will play the correct note if any note is sung at the wrong pitch.

Test 5C: Musical Features & Rhythmic Repetition

(i) To answer questions about two features of a piece played by examiner.

Before playing, the examiner will tell you which two features the question will be about. The first question will be on a feature that was covered in tests 1D, 2D, 3D and 4D i.e. dynamics, articulation, tempo, tonality or character. The second question will be to ask you to identify the style and period of the music.

As with the question on character in Test 4A, you will need to identify not only the music’s style and period but also the features of the music which point to that conclusion. The examiner is looking for a ready, confident response which shows perceptive awareness of the relevant musical features.

(ii) To clap the rhythm of the notes in an extract from the same piece, and to identify whether it is in two, three or four time.

While at Grade 5 the rhythm to be clapped will be slightly longer and/or more complex than before, the basic principle of the test remains the same as it was in Grade 4.

If the longer phrases prove difficult to recall in their entirety, it is best to practise echoing them in two halves. You will hear the phrase to be echoed twice, many candidates will concentrate on one half of the phrase during the first playing, and the other half during the second.

Test 6A: Melodic Repetition

Test 6B: Sight-Singing

Test 6C: Cadences

Test 6D: Musical Features & Rhythmic Repetition

Test 7A: Melodic Repetition

Test 7B: Sight-Singing

Test 7C: Chords, Cadences & Modulations

Test 7D: Musical Features & Rhythmic Repetition

Test 8A: Melodic Repetition, Chords & Cadences

(i) To sing or play from memory the lowest part of a three part phrase heard twice.

If you have sat a Grade 7 exam then you will have already had to distiguish the lower of two parts, so the addition of a third line shouldn’t present too much of a challenge. You will hear the phrase twice, so it is suggested to memorize the first half of the phrase during the first playing, then the second half during the second playing.

(ii) Identify the cadence at the end of a continuing phrase as perfect, imperfect, interrupted or plagal.

The addition of having to identify a plagal cadence introduces a challenging element to this test, as they sound similar to the perfect cadence. The chords may also be presented in their first or second inversions, futher complicating the task.

You will here the key-chord before the cadence is played, use this

(iii) Identify the three chords ( including their positions) forming the above cadental progression.

Test 8B: Sight-Singing

Test 8C: Modulation

Test 8D: Musical Features

For Test 8D, you are required to describe the characteristic features of a piece played by the examiner. Ideally, you should respond freely without prompting, but if necessary the examiner will prompt with questions about the features listed in the model answers.

The points listed in the model answers are neither definitive nor comprehensive and there are other ways of responding that would be equally successful. You do not have to mention all of the features listed in order to receive full credit; as a guide you would need to mention from within about two thirds of the main bullet points.