ABRSM Grade 1 Aural Tests

Everyone They
Aural tests does the same There are are usually
are listening tests, no matter 4 aural tests the final
what instrument section of
tests they play
in grade 1
the exam

The examiner will Give your

tell you where to stand answers
and where to place confidently and
your instrument
clearly

The examiner probably won’t tell you whether you get the answer right or
wrong! They usually just say “thank you” after you’ve answered

Produced for ArtForms by Hannah Rosebury

 Test A What the examiner says:
First, clap in time while I play. Join in as soon as you can
and give a louder clap on the strong beats.
After the piece has finished:
The examiner will play a piece of music on the Is it in two time or three time?
piano.

Listen first, then clap along with the beat of the

music.
How to tell if it’s in 2 or 3 time
Give a louder clap on the strong beats. Listen for a strong beat or accent, this will
This will help you to work out whether the music indicate the start of a new bar.
is in 2 time or 3 time.
The strong beat is beat number 1 of the bar.
At the end of the music, the examiner will ask If you clap -
you whether the piece was in 2 time or 3 time. “strong weak strong weak”
that’s 1 2 1 2
so the piece is in 2 time.

If you clap -
Top Tip! “strong weak weak strong weak weak”
When you’re listening to the radio, clap that’s 1 2 3 1 2 3
along or tap your foot in time - it’s so the piece is in 3 time
great practice for this test.

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 Test A - Practice!
Listen to these pieces, clap along and think about whether they are in 2 time or 3 time.
They’re a lot longer than the tune the examiner will play in the exam, but it’s good practice!

1. Que Sera Sera - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcWbZUgymkw

2. Amazing Grace - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sire_XjCQjI
3. Radetsky March - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eab_eFtTKFs

Listen to the
radio and try to Answers
clap or tap on the last
along page!

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 What the
Test B
examiner says:
I’d like you to sing three phrases as echoes. Here is the key-
chord (plays) and your starting note (plays)
The examiner will play a short, simple phrase
The examiner then counts in
two bars on the piano. You need to listen carefully, and
then sing it straight back to the examiner, like an
echo.

Once you’ve finished singing, the examiner will

The examiner is not looking for you
to be a pop star or opera singer! play another phrase for you to echo. Then
They’re just listening for the accuracy another! So there are three phrases altogether.
of the notes and rhythm and not the
quality of your voice.

Top Tip! “La” is an easy

Don’t just listen to the notes (pitches) sound to sing for the
that the examiner plays. echo, but any vowel (or
Listen to the rhythm and articulation consonant followed by
(accents, slurs and staccato) as well a vowel) is fine!

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 Test B - Practice!
Play these phrases on your instrument and then try to sing them back.
If you have someone else that plays a musical instrument at home, you could ask them to play
the phrases to you

Echo Echo Echo

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 Test C What the
examiner says:
I’ll play a phrase twice, but with a change to one
of the notes the second time. Tell me whether the
change was near the beginning or near the end. Here is the
key-chord (plays) and the tonic (plays).
Spot the difference! The examiner then counts in two bars
and plays the phase for the first time.
and now with the change
The examiner will play you a
The examiner plays the phrases
short phrase twice. The 2nd again but slightly differently
time, the examiner will change Was the change near the beginning or
one of the notes. You need to near the end?
listen for it, and then tell the
examiner if it changed near the
beginning or near the end of the
phrase

Top Tip!
The change is always near the beginning or near the end. Don’t tell the
examiner that it changed in the middle!

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 Test C - Practice!
These are the kind of changes that you might hear in the exam.
If you have someone else that plays a musical instrument at home, you could ask them to play
the phrases to you so you can listen for the change.

Change!

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 Test D What the
examiner says:
Listen to this piece, then I’ll ask you about loud or quiet playing
and about smooth or detached notes.
The examiner will play a Some example questions
piece of music to you on below
the piano and then ask
you about the dynamics At the beginning, were
and articulation the notes smooth or Where was the quietest
detached? part of the music?
Was the playing mainly
Articulation - smooth or detached?
smooth and
detached
playing Did the change from
loud to quiet playing Were the loud phrases
happen suddenly or played with smooth or
gradually? detached notes?
Dynamics - The music began
loud and quiet
playing loudly, did it stay loud
throughout?

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 Test D - Practice!
Listen to these pieces and pay close attention to the dynamics and articulation

Bittersweet Symphony
by the Verve
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Slavonic Dance no. 8 v=oa5h5AyoNVA

by Dvorak This starts with smooth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=WIywT8fKVZA It’s oh so quiet playing on the strings
which then changes to
by Bjork
This starts loud and https://www.youtube.com/watch? detached playing. The
detached. v=htobTBlCvUU music starts quietly an
Listen for the sudden The dynamic changes gradually gets louder (a
dynamic changes suddenly from quiet to crescendo)
loud

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 Assessment criteria
Think about Test A
Is the piece in 2 time or 3 time?
The Give your
aural tests answers If you don’t know the answer - guess!
You’ve got a 50/50 chance of getting it right!
are worth 18 confidently and
If you seem unsure or hesitate too long you could lose
marks clearly marks, even though you might have the correct answer.

It’s the same for all the tests - give confident

answers, even if you don’t feel confident!

Pass: Below Pass:

Distinction: Merit:
12-14 marks
18 marks 15-17 marks
Approximately Slow, uncertain
half of the tests responses
Good responses
answered
Quick and
correctly. Inaccuracy in all
accurate Minor errors
Some hesitation parts of the test
answers or hesitations
or error

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 Practice!

The ABRSM have an app for practising the Aural Tests.

You can find out about it and download it here:
https://gb.abrsm.org/en/exam-support/apps-and-practice-tools/aural-trainer/

Produced for ArtForms by Hannah Rosebury

 Answers to Test A
1. 3 time
2. 3 time
3. 2 time

Produced for ArtForms by Hannah Rosebury

Produced for ArtForms by Hannah Rosebury