Trinity Grade 6 Aural

Basics of Flute Playing, Tone Production and Fingerings

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purpleflute
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Jul 16, 2012 5:22 am

Trinity Grade 6 Aural

Post by purpleflute »

I am currently working towards my grade 6 exam and have just started practising the aural with my teacher. When I did the grade 5 I couldn't hear one of the changes to the piece of music in test four and on my first try at test six I couldn't pick out any changes to the music in test four. I am thinking about trying to get a private hearing test as I know my gp will just tell me to put olive oil in my ears which will make me deaf (I know he told my mum to do this and she had to stop within a couple of days because she was losing her hearing). Are there are any extra tests on line or additional books other than the trinity grade 6-8 aural book that my teacher uses that I could use to practice. What does everyone else do to help with aural practice.

Grasshopper
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Jun 06, 2013 2:03 pm

Re: Trinity Grade 6 Aural

Post by Grasshopper »

Hello there,

Grade 6 Aurals are indeed a very nasty piece of work. If you posses the woodwind syllabus, I suggest you first take note of the time signatures you have to know, along with the kind of intervals it is you have to know and all that jazz. Honestly, it is unwise to restrict yourself to the exemplar materials provided for on the aurals book. Try having your teacher print out things you haven't ever heard before, and granted that they are in the right time signature, contain the correct cadences and other modulations for Grade 6 there isn't really any reason to as why you should use these too.

If you're struggling with changes, either to the pitch, articulation or rhythm, I suggest that you focus even more on getting time signatures right, as this helps with rhythm, practicing the possible articulation changes that could occur yourself so that it is easier to hear and FEEL the change in phrasing, and on intervals (because as you'd imagine, say a perfect 5th interval between two pitches and a tritone would sound IMMENSELY different). Little tricks for intervals, as I had also struggled with the vile things, include remembering intervals from famous melodies you already know; the 2nd from "Happy Birthday", the minor third in "Scarborough Fair" and so on. And yes, you may feel like a slight fool out of yourself by singing these out loud or even in your head- but it will all be worth that wonderful mark you'd get.

I hope this helps you. Exams are so stressy and I'd like you to know that you can't possibly be the only one who can't hear changes. You will never be the worst flautist, but there is every chance that you may be the best.

Your Friendly Neighbourhood Grasshopper

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