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
© ABRSM September 2012
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
© ABRSM September 2012
The circle of 5ths
© ABRSM September 2012
Modulation
© ABRSM September 2012
D: Musical features
• Grade 6: focus on texture and structure
• Grade 7: no new features – depth!
• Grade 8: holistic; independent response
© ABRSM September 2012
Texture
© ABRSM September 2012
Aural Trainer