Aural Help Grade 8

Test A
Melodic Repetition Singing back the lowest part of a three-part phrase played twice. When
the examiner says: Here is your starting note dont forget to sing: lah this gives you the
pitch and gets your vocal chords working. On the second playing you may like to lah along to
it as the examiner plays.
Cadences at the end of a phrase, played twice by the examiner The chords will be limited
to tonic (root position, first (b) or second (c) inversions), supertonic (root position or first
inversion), subdominant (root position), dominant (root position, first or second inversions),
dominant 7th (root position) or submediant (root position).
The examiner plays the key chord to start with. All you have to do is name the cadence.
These are the possibilities:
PERFECT (Chord Va Vb Vc -Ia Ib Ic or dominant 7th-Ia Ib Ic although in the examples in
the book the final chord is always in root position). Remember this ends in major chord. Its
what youd expect. It sounds final (like a full stop) and the last chord is the key chord (i.e. the
one the examiner plays as an arpeggio at beginning). Remember if its a dominant 7th it will
sound a bit richer or fuller.
PLAGAL (Chord IV to Ia Ib Ic although examples in the book all go to Ia) This sounds final
but gentle, like an amen in a hymn.
IMPERFECT (Any chord but usually chord Ia Ib Ic, IIa IIb or IV, going to chord Va Vb Vc
in the book all going to Va) This sounds like a comma, incomplete. It needs another phrase to
finalise it.
INTERRUPTED (Chord Va Vb Vc-VI or dominant 7th-VI). This one shifts up one note in the
bass and ends in a minor chord. It sounds like its going to be perfect because youre starting
with a chord V but then, surprise, surprise, its not!! Its like an exclamation mark.
Chords Identify the last three chords forming the above cadence. This is the SAME piece of
music as in ii) so see the choices of chords above. Firstly the three chords are played in
order. Then each chord is played separately and you name it straight after its named. These
seem to be the most common chord progressions for each cadence and it will help you to
listen carefully to the bass notes:
Perfect if same bass note (in preceeding chord) = Ic Va Ia if bass note goes up one = lVa/llb
Va Ia
Imperfect if bass note goes up one = Vb la Va if cadence itself shares bass note = la lc Va if
first chord sounds minor-ish = Vla llb Va
Plagal if bass note goes up one = lb lVa Ia if bass note goes down one = lc lVa la if first
chord sounds minor-ish = Vla lVa la
Interrupted if bass note goes up one = lVa Va Vla if same bass note = lc Va Vla if going up
more can be lla Va Vla

Test B
Sight-singing Sight sing the lower part of a two-part phrase from score while the examiner
plays the upper part. You will have time to try it out beforehand. When you do the actual thing,
make sure you sing loudly so the sound of the piano isnt too overwhelming, as this may
confuse you. However, you do need to follow the piano part a bit to make sure youre fitting in
with the rhythm. Remember cuckoo for going down a third. Remember my Bonnie (from the
song My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean) for up a sixth. Push yourself on the higher notes!!

Test C
Modulations Identify the modulation at the end of two different passages the first
beginning in a major key and the second in a minor key. (It will either go to the subdominant,
the dominant or the relative minor/major key) Each will only be played once.
SUBDOMINANT Sounds slightly lowered and maybe a bit sad.
DOMINANT Sounds happy, slightly sharpened, seems to have a richer sound. (Minor
passages may modulate to dominant major or dominant minor but you only need to say
dominant).
RELATIVE MINOR/RELATIVE MAJOR Should be fairly obvious.
(sometimes its hard to distinguish SUBDOMINANT and MINOR. Minor should sound more
obviously minor!).

Test D
Identifying Features The examiner plays a piece of music and then asks you to talk about
it describing certain features such as: Texture, Structure and Form, Character/Style,
Period/Composer, TONALITY and HARMONY, (major or minor major is happy, minor sad)
DYNAMICS (piano, forte, mezzo-piano, pianissimo, fortissimo etc.) ARTICULATION
(staccato, legato) TEMPO and METRE, tempo: allegro (fast) or largo (slow), metre: number of
beats in a bar, GRADATION OF TONE (crescendo, diminuendo). Here are some of those
features in more detail:
TEXTURE It may be based on arpeggios or broken chords, it may have hymn-like chords, it
may be contrapuntal (many parts) with melodies in both hands. Ask yourself: Where is the
tune? Is there imitation? Are hands playing in unison? Phrases used in the aural book
answers as follows: Single bass note on downbeat, followed by two chords Chordal
passages alternate with phrases in octaves, Mostly two-part texture, occasional chords
Louder phrases started in octaves, quieter phrases started with chords, Melody with chordal
accompaniment Arpeggios at beginning, followed by melody with chordal accompaniment
STRUCTURE e.g. Were phrases equal length? Were any repeated? If so was the cadence
different? Phrases used in the aural book answers as follows: Two main sections, each with
two phrases (possibly binary form), Opening section/introduction Short introduction,
followed by two phrases, Two equal length sections, each 8 bars Three sections, first and
last share some of the same material i.e. ABA ternary form
CHARACTER/STYLE use phrases such as: March-like, song-like (maybe a lullaby), dancelike, imaginative, playful, dramatic etc, waltz-like (3/4 timing), march-like (2/4 timing)
animated, loud, harmonic clashes, abrupt changes between ideas, cantabile/legato melody,
flowing scalic runs, playful, breathing-spaces between phrases, warm chordal texture, use of
chromatic notes, ornamentation, limited range suggests it was written for harpsichord, use of
sustaining pedal, dissonance (clashing of sounds), relaxed tempo/rubato, swung rhythms,
easy-going character, angry etc. You could also say the major or minor key gives the
character.
MUSIC PERIODS
Baroque (1650-1750) chords and ornaments e.g. trills, imitation written for harpsichord,
limited dynamic range e.g. Bach, Handel
Classical (1750-1820) broken chords in the left (alberti bass) happy, simple harmony e.g.
Mozart, Haydn
Romantic (1810-1910) chromatic, sad, rubato (i.e. tempo variation), use of sustaining pedal.
Waltz-like rhythm, impressionistic e.g. Schumann, Tchaikovsky, Brahms
Modern (20th century) weird or jazzy, syncopation, abrupt changes clashing harmonies e.g.
Bartok You may want to say other things about the music e.g. It is a descriptive or character
piece.