Aural Syllabus for Practical Exams

Rhythm/Clapping Pitch/Intervals Melody Harmony Memory

Preliminary

1. Clap along with beats of passage in 2 or 3 beat time.

2. Examiner plays 2-bar passage, candidate claps passage.

Identify which of two notes is higher or lower.

Examiner plays 5 or 6 note phrase, candidate sings on each note.

Grade 1 Clap passage up to four bars, including dotted minims.

Sing the tonic at the end of an unfinished phrase.

Sing a phrase of up to four bars.

Grade 2

Same as Grade 1 but always four bars, including dotted crotchet-quaver patterns in simple time, and dotted quaver-semiquaver patterns & anacruses.

Sing higher or lower of two notes played together, either a 3rd or 5th apart from middle C

Same as Grade 1 but including dotted rhythms, semiquavers and larger intervals.

Grade 3

Same as Grade 2, but slightly more complex and candidate must also identify duple or triple time.

1. Sing higher or lower of two notes played together, interval within an 8ve from middle C

2. Sing & identify major/perfect intervals of 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th.

Same as Grade 2 but more notes, more complex.

Grade 4

Same as Grade 3 but includes groupings of 1 quaver attached to 2 semiquavers.

1. Sing the higher or lower part of a two-part progression.

2. Sing & identify any interval of the major scale.

Identify and sing the middle note of a major or minor triad in any inversion.

Grade 5

Same as Grade 4 but more complex, includes triplets & some longer anacruses.

1. Same as Grade 4 but three-part progression.

2. Same as Grade 4.

Sing notes of major/minor triad in any inversion, ascending or descending.

Rhythm/Clapping Pitch/Intervals Melody Harmony Memory

Grade 6

1. Same as Grade 5 but four-part progression.

2. Same as Grades 4 & 5 but including harmonic minor intervals

1. Identify root position or inversion of major triad

2. Identify perfect or plagal cadence in a piece in a major key.

Grade 7

Sing higher or lower part of six-part progression (very similar to Grade 7 below).

1. Same as Grade 6, but also identify whether major or minor

2. Same as Grade 6 but also interrupted cadence.

One minute to memorise a 2-bar melody away from instrument, then play or sing from memory.

Grade 8

Sing or play the lower part of a two-part phrase (could be listed under melody category).

1. Same as Grade 7 but also identify diminished triad

2. Same as Grade 7 but also imperfect cadence.

Same as Grade 7 but one and a half minutes to memorise a 3 to 4 bar melody.

Musicianship Grade 4 Musicianship Grade 5 Musicianship Grade 6 MUSIC CRAFT Grade 4

Scales Major, harmonic minor Major, harmonic minor, melodic minor

Major, harmonic minor, melodic minor

Major, harmonic minor, melodic minor

Modes

Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian

Intervals/scale notes

Major intervals only Intervals of the C major scale below C only

Notes from major or minor scale, above or below key note

All diatonic intervals including major and min 7ths, tritone

Triads Major and minor triads in root position

Major and minor triads in root position or inversion

Major and minor triads in root position or inversion, diminished triads in root position only

Major and minor triads in root position and first inversion, diminished and augmented triads in root position.

Time and metre Simple duple, simple triple, compound duple

Simple duple, simple triple, compound duple, compound triple

Rhythm dictation Three bars in simple time Four bars in simple duple/ triple Four bars in compound duple time Up to four bars simple or compound time

Form Recognise Binary and Ternary

Recognise melodic repetition and contrast (using A/B)

Motion/Modulation Recognise similar, contrary, oblique

Recognise modulation from major to dominant or relative minor

Expression & Mood Mark dynamics, articulation, cadence points

Melodic dictation

Six crotchets within major scale Four bars in simple duple or triple Up to four bars in simple or compound time (rhythm and melody combined)

Cadence recognition

Perfect, Imperfect Perfect, Imperfect, Interrupted, major keys only

Perfect, Imperfect, Interrupted, major or minor keys

Authentic, Plagal, Half, Deceptive, Phrygian

Antecedent and consequent

Describe which of these is repeated

Texture

Recognise canonic/non-canonic

Instrument recognition

Recognise: Timpani, bass drum, snare drum, cymbals, triangle, tambourine, glockenspiel, xylophone, gong

Timbre

Recognise any instrumental timbre of any instrument of the orchestra covered in MC up to Grade 4

Set works 3 folk songs 3 works: Lieder and Chamber music 2 complete works 5 works

BlitzBooks Aural Tutorial Grade 4 Musicianship CD Scales

1. Major 2. Harmonic minor 3. Harmonic minor 4. Major 5. Major 6. Harmonic minor

Intervals above E flat 1. Perfect fifth (B flat) 2. Major second (F) 3. Major sixth (C) 4. Major seventh (D) 5. Perfect fourth (A flat) 6. Perfect octave (E flat)

Triads 1. Major 2. Minor 3. Major 4. Minor 5. Minor 6. Major

Motion 1. Similar 2. Contrary 3. Oblique 4. Similar 5. Oblique 6. Contrary

Cadences 1. Imperfect 2. Perfect 3. Imperfect

Time 1. Simple Duple (2/4) 2. Compound Duple (6/8)

BlitzBooks Aural Tutorial Grade 4 Musicianship CD Page 2

Rhythm dictation

Expression and Mood Answers for these six examples can be found in the M4 Answer Book

Form 1. Binary 2. Ternary

Aural Tests I & II Answers for these two aural exams can be found in the M4 Answer Book

BlitzBooks Aural Tutorial Grade 5 Musicianship CD Scales

1. Melodic minor 2. Harmonic minor 3. Major 4. Harmonic minor 5. Major 6. Melodic minor

Intervals (Scale Notes) below C N.B. the quality of interval has not been given here, simply the note played.

1. E 2. A 3. D 4. F 5. B 6. G

Triads 1. Major, First inversion 2. Minor, Root position 3. Major, Second inversion 4. Minor, Second inversion

Melody dictation

Cadences 1. Perfect 2. Interrupted 3. Imperfect

BlitzBooks Aural Tutorial Grade 5 Musicianship CD Page 2

Time 1. Simple Duple (2/8) 2. Compound Triple (9/8)

Rhythm dictation

Aural Tests I & II Answers to these two aural exams can be found in the M5 answer book.

Intervals Songs (these really help!!!)

Song for Major intervals (ascending)

Song for Minor 3rds and 6ths (ascending)

Song for Minor intervals (descending)

Melodic References Here is a list of associations between intervals and triads and famous pieces/songs. You may

not be familiar with some of the pieces listed, so there are plenty of options for each

interval and triad. If you DO recognise and use these, it makes life so much easier!

ASCENDING INTERVALS:

Minor 2nd

The Entertainer, start of chromatic scale.

Major 2nd

Happy Birthday, start of major and minor scales.

Minor 3rd

Greensleeves, Romeo & Juliet, Supercalafragilistic, Smoke on the Water.

Major 3rd

Blue Danube, When the Saints Go Marching In, Kumbaya.

Perfect 4th

Away in a Manger, Advance Australia Fair, Amazing Grace, Star Wars, Love Me Tender, Auld

Lang Syne.

Augmented 4th

The Simpsons (opening vocal), Maria (West Side Story).

Perfect 5th

Twinkle Twinkle, The Last Post, Lavenders Blue.

Minor 6th

Love Story (descending then ascending), third interval in The Entertainer, Chopin Waltz op.

64 no.2.

Major 6th

My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean, Jingle Bells verse.

Minor 7th

Somewhere (West Side Story), Star Trek.

(continued next page)

Major 7th

There are no famous melodies that begin like this. It is extremely dissonant!

Perfect 8ve

Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Stranger on the Shore, Lonely Goat-herd (Sound of Music).

DESCENDING INTERVALS:

N.B. Descending Major and Minor 7ths are the only intervals not listed below.

The best way to identify these is that they are very large and very awkward

sounding intervals!

Minor 2nd

Fur Elise.

Major 2nd

Mary had a Little Lamb, Three Blind Mice, Yesterday (The Beatles).

Minor 3rd

Girl from Ipanema, This Old Man, Morning (Peer Gynt), Little Brown Jug, Hey Jude, Baby

Face, Oranges and Lemons.

Major 3rd

Summertime, Swing Low Sweet Chariot, Goodnight Ladies, Beethovens 5th Symphony,

Tchaikovskys Piano Concerto no. 1.

Perfect 4th

Born Free, Old McDonald, Ive been working on the Railroad, Clementine, Food Glorious Food.

Augmented 4th

Mistake sound in game shows

Perfect 5th

Bachs Minuet in G, Feelings, Flinstones, Swan Lake

Minor 6th

Love Story, Arthurs Theme.

Major 6th

Music of the Night (Phantom), Nobody Knows the Trouble Ive Seen

(continued next page)

Perfect 8ve

The Young and the Restless

TRIADS (MAJOR):

Root position (ascending)

The Blue Danube, Kumbaya, Morning Has Broken.

Root position (descending)

Oranges and Lemons, Silent Night, This Old Man.

1st inversion

Born Free, Chopin Military Polonaise, first descending chord from Clocks (Coldplay).

2nd inversion

My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean, Liebestraume, My Way, sustained chord at beginning of

Simpsons theme.

TRIADS (MINOR):

Root position

Swan Lake, Summertime, Scarborough Fair, Feelings, third descending chord from Clocks

(Coldplay).

1st inversion

Theme from Phantom of the Opera, Pathetique Sonata (Beethoven), Funeral March (Chopin).

2nd inversion

Love Story, second descending chord from Clocks (Coldplay).

Mozart String Quintet in E flat major K 614

First movement: Allegro di molto

This movement is in Sonata form. Many thanks to David McKay for his input into this analysis. Please visit

his website at www.aussiemusician.blogspot.com for great teacher and student resources.

Exposition

The first subject begins in E flat major and is stated by first viola, with descending answering phrases from

1st violin.

A bridge passage, played by 2nd

viola begins in bar 20. It quickly moves from E flat major to C minor,

passes through B flat major (bars 24-25) and F major (bars 26-38), which functions as chord V of B flat

major, the dominant chord of the dominant key of the movement. Throughout bars 31-38 there is a dominant

pedal point (F) of the dominant key.

This leads into the statement of the second subject in B flat major, which is begun in bar 38 by the first

violin, and then taken up by the cello at bar 46.

There is a brief modulation to C minor at bar 66, but by bar 72 we are back in B flat major and a short

codetta concludes the Exposition, with a call and response reference to the first subject in the last 9 bars.

Development

The development section begins with a C minor dominant pedal, but then by way of an interrupted cadence

moves to A flat major for bars 90-94. We hear subject material based on the descending violin arpeggio

figure in bar 16 of the first subject. In bars 96-99 we then hear material from the opening bars of the first

subject, in G minor.

With the exception of bars 100 105, the first subject material is the focus for the rest of the Development section, with playful call and response between the upper parts, resembling the codetta at the end of the Exposition.

The keys in this section centre around C minor and G minor (relative minors of the tonic and dominant

keys). The dominant key of B flat major returns in bar 116 and leads to the dominant 7th

chord of E flat

major in bar 124.

Recapitulation

The Recapitulation commences at bar 125 with a resolution to the tonic key of E flat major and the first

subject once again shared between first viola and first violin. The violins responses are slightly varied rhythmically and melodically.

A bridge passage from bar 144 begins in E flat major and passes through A flat major (bars 146-47), F

minor (bars 148-51), C minor (bars 152-53) and B flat major (bars 154-164). We once again have an

extended pedal point passage in preparation for the second subject, this time in B flat major leading to the

tonic key of E flat major.

In bar 165 the viola states the second subject (as opposed to violin in the Exposition) in the tonic key (as is

usually the case in the Recapitulation in Sonata form). The theme is then taken up by first violin (as opposed

to cello in the Exposition).

The bridge passage begins with the viola in bar 180 and remains mostly in E flat major except for a brief

modulation to F minor in bars 193-196.

Codetta/Coda

Bars 205-215 form a codetta similar to that in the Exposition, leading to the substantial coda from bar 216 to

the end, which features some new thematic material such as sustained notes and upward scale passages from

the violins, and the cello taking up the trill motif for the first time in the movement.

In bar 180, the first subject returns and is the basis of the lengthy Coda of the movement.