As you would expect the tests get progressively harder, so I have split this page into 3 sections
Grades 1-3
Grades 4-5
Grades 6-8
Check the full requirements at
www.abrsm.org/resources/auralTestsComplete06.pdf
Here is how you will be graded;
Quick perceptive response : 18/18
Good response Minor errors or hesitation 15-17/18
Adequate response, some hesitation and error 12-14/18
Below this is a fail
Inaccuracy in majority of tests 11 and under/18
GRADE 1-3
In these grades the tests are split into 4 sections
You will be asked to tap the pulse of a piece of music that is played by the examiner, and state the number of beats in a bar.
Try to hear where the strong and weak beats fall. The strongest beat will always be the first beat of the bar. If it is followed by 2 weaker beats, the chances are it is in 3/4 time (or 9/8 in the more advanced grades), and so on.
The next test requires some singing!
You will be played a short passage (only a couple of bars or so) and be expected to sing this back to the examiner. Try to sing clearly with a good sense of pulse. Also try to start as the examiner stops. The more hesitation and 'errrs....' that the examiner hears the less impressed they will be.
The third round is a spot the difference round. You will be played the same phrase twice but with a slight difference the second time. In grade 1 this is limited to a rhythmic change, but in later grades it can be a change of pitch. I have found that the best way to describe the change to the examiner is to sing both extracts back. This seems to produce better results that getting a little tongue tied in trying to explain which quaver came where at what point in which bar!!!
The final test in these grades require you to listen to a piece of music (again played by the examiner) and then answers questions on it. They will usually be about dynamics (loud and soft), graduation of tone (getting louder / softer) and articulation (whether the piece was smooth of detached), so try to pay particular attention to these. In grade 2 and 3 questions are also asked on tempo changes (speeding up / slowing down) and tonality (major or minor)
Ready to take the test? Click below to take a mock grade 1 test.
Click here to download this file
GRADE 4 and 5
First you need to sing a short extract played by the examiner. Make sure you copy with a strong clear voice and have a good sense of pulse. If you can, also try to copy the examiners articulations.
The next test requires you to read notes from a score produced by the examiner. These tests are usually in easy keys (no more than a few sharps or flats) and are usually limited to a few notes either side of the one that you are currently singing. (i.e. not massive leaps of 15 notes!) The examiner will play and name the key chord and tonic (first note in the scale) and if necessary play each note after it has been attempted. You can choose if you would like to sing in bass or treble clef. If you don't already sing in a choir, try to get hold of some easy music, such as the first few tunes in your old 'Abracadabra' book. Try singing these tunes and then play them on a piano to see how you did. You can try writing your own tunes on manuscipt paper, but limiting yourself to only a handful of notes. Again see how you did by playing them on a piano (or your brass instrument).
The last test is similar to the last test in the earlier grades, but goes into more depth. You may also be asked about the character of the piece. Don't be afraid to use Italian terms and try to be clear about what you are trying to say.
GRADE 6-8
This section will follow soon...