ABRSM Grade 6 aural tests: what to expect and how to practise

A two-part phrase is played twice; sing (or play) the upper part.

The examiner plays the key-chord and starting note, counts in two bars and plays a two-part phrase twice. You sing — or play, on an instrument pitched in C, B♭, E♭ or F — the upper part, which lies within an octave in a major or minor key with up to three sharps or flats. The examiner listens for accurate pitch and rhythm. A further playing and a second attempt are possible but may affect the mark. Tip: the upper part usually carries the tune; lock on to it and let the lower line fade into the background.

Sing a melody from notation while the examiner plays an accompaniment.

You sing a melody from a score, in treble or bass clef, while the examiner plays an accompaniment. It lies within an octave, major or minor, with up to three sharps or flats. The examiner names and plays the key-chord and starting note and gives the pulse; you then have a short time to prepare and may sing aloud. After the chord and note again and a two-bar count-in, you perform. The examiner listens for pitch, rhythm and keeping going. Tip: use the preparation time on the hardest leap and the last bar.

Is the final cadence perfect or imperfect?

The examiner plays the key-chord, then a phrase in a major or minor key, twice. You say whether the cadence at the end is perfect or imperfect; its chords are in root position. A perfect cadence (V–I) sounds finished, like a full stop, while an imperfect cadence ends on chord V and sounds as if the music has paused mid-sentence. The examiner simply wants the right name. Tip: imagine the key note at the end — if the last chord feels like home, it is perfect. More in the cadence guide.

Talk about the texture or structure, then one more feature.

The examiner names two features before playing a piece. The first is always texture or structure; the second can be dynamics, articulation, tempo, tonality, character, style and period, or the other one of texture and structure. For texture, say how the parts are layered — tune and accompaniment, chords moving together, or independent lines — and where that changes. For structure, describe the sections and what returns. Tip: notice whether the opening comes back; it is the quickest clue to the form. See the Grade 6 musical features answers.

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

The examiner plays an extract from the same piece twice, as a single line without harmony. You clap back the rhythm and say whether it is in two, three or four time. The examiner listens for accurate note lengths, rests and a steady beat, then the right answer about the time. Tip: while the full piece plays in D(i), keep a quiet sense of its beat, so the extract feels familiar when it comes.