ABRSM Grade 4 aural tests: what to expect and how to practise

A melody is played twice; sing it back (or play it).

The examiner plays the key-chord and the starting note, counts in two bars and plays a melody twice. It stays within an octave, in a major or minor key with up to three sharps or flats. You sing it back — or play it, if your instrument is pitched in C, B♭, E♭ or F. The examiner listens for accurate pitch and rhythm and a sense of the phrase; a further playing and a second attempt are possible but may affect the mark. Tip: use the first playing for the outline and the second for the details.

Sing five notes from notation in your own time (C, F or G major).

You see five notes, in treble or bass clef as you prefer, in C, F or G major. The examiner names and plays the key-chord and the starting note, and you sing the notes in your own time. They begin and end on the key note, stay within a third above or below it and never jump more than a third. Pitch accuracy is what counts; if a note goes astray, the examiner may play the right one to help. Tip: think in sol-fa — doh, re, me and the notes just below doh — and hear each note before you sing it.

Talk about one feature, then the character of the piece.

Before playing a piece, the examiner tells you the two features to listen for. The first is one of dynamics, articulation, tempo or tonality; the second is always the character — the mood or personality of the music. A good character answer gives a descriptive word and the reason you hear it: 'playful, because it was fast, bouncy and in a major key'. Tip: build a bank of mood words (stately, playful, mysterious, calm, lively) and practise backing each one up. Example answers are on the Grade 4 musical features page.

Clap the rhythm of an extract from the same piece, then say the time.

Next, the examiner plays a short extract from the same piece twice, as a bare melody without harmony. You clap back its rhythm, then say whether it is in two, three or four time. The examiner listens for the right pattern of long and short notes, silences where the rests fall, a steady beat underneath and a correct answer about the time. Tip: on the first playing, tap the beat lightly with a finger; on the second, notice how the notes fit over it.