Aural Success at the Higher Grades

John Holmes and Nigel Scaife

© ABRSM September 2012

Objectives

• Consider the purpose of aural at grades 6-8

• Share teaching ideas and strategies for exam success

• Address any queries

© ABRSM September 2012

The general purpose of aural training

• To transform hearing into listening

• To inform and enhance all-round musicianship

• To develop the ‘musical ear’

© ABRSM September 2012

The specific purpose of aural training at grades 6-8

• Increase musical awareness e.g. harmony, features, style etc.

• Develop ‘thinking in sound’: audiation

• Enhance all-round musicianship

© ABRSM September 2012

• A: Melodic repetition

(and at Grade 8 – cadences and chords)

• B: Sight-singing

• C: Cadences

(Grade 6); + chords/modulations (Grade 7); modulations (Grade 8)

• D: Musical features

(including rhythm/metre at Grades 6-7)

The tests ‘at a glance’

© ABRSM September 2012

A: Melodic repetition

• Grade 6: upper of 2-part

• Grade 7: lower of 2-part

• Grade 8: lower of 3-part

© ABRSM September 2012

B: Sight-singing

• Grade 6: accompanied with harmonic context

• Grade 7: upper of 2-part

• Grade 8: lower of 2-part

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C: Cadences, chords and modulation

• Grade 6: perfect and imperfect

• Grade 7: + interrupted; identify 2 chords; modulation in a major key

• Grade 8: + modulation in a minor key

© ABRSM September 2012

Cadences

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The circle of 5ths

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Modulation

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D: Musical features

• Grade 6: focus on texture and structure

• Grade 7: no new features – depth!

• Grade 8: holistic; independent response

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Texture

© ABRSM September 2012

Questions? nscaife@abrsm.ac.uk

© ABRSM September 2012

Aural Trainer