Grade 7 aural test D: musical features answers
At Grade 7 there is no fixed pattern: in D(i) the examiner picks any two of the eight musical features and names them before playing the piece, so you need a ready answer for all of them. D(ii) follows with clapping the rhythm of an extract from the same piece, which may now be in 6/8.
Which features can be asked at Grade 7
Any two of dynamics, articulation, tempo, tonality, character, style and period, texture and structure. A pairing might be style with texture, or tempo with structure — any combination is possible.
How the examiner asks
The features are named before the piece starts, then asked one at a time with short, open prompts such as 'What can you tell me about the structure?' Treat each one as an invitation to describe in two or three sentences, not to name a single term. Because you know the two features in advance, you can ignore the other six while the piece plays.
What makes an answer complete
- Name the feature precisely — a term or a clear description: 'ternary', 'contrapuntal', 'a sudden drop to piano'.
- Say where it happens — the opening, the middle section, the final phrase.
- Support judgements with evidence — for character and for style and period, give the musical reasons you heard.
- Stay accurate — one confident, true observation beats three guesses. Plain English is fine where you are unsure of a term.
Style and period: reasons you can hear
- Baroque — continuous running rhythms, counterpoint and imitation, ornaments, sudden (terraced) dynamics, one mood sustained.
- Classical — a clear melody over a light accompaniment such as an Alberti bass, balanced phrases, clear cadences, elegant contrasts.
- Romantic — a singing, expressive melody, rich chromatic harmony, a wide dynamic range, rubato, sustaining pedal.
- 20th century — dissonance, whole-tone, modal or pentatonic colours, jazz or ragtime rhythms, percussive or hazy sounds.
Example answers: style and period
Imagine a slow piece with a long, singing melody, rich chromatic chords, flexible tempo and a big swell to a climax. The full answer names the period with three audible reasons. The partly right answer has the period but no evidence. The thin answer offers a reason but never commits to a period.
Full answer
“Romantic — the melody was long and singing, the harmony rich and chromatic, and the tempo pushed and pulled with rubato, building to a big climax.”
Partly right
“Romantic.”
Not enough
“It was very emotional.”
Example answers: texture
Now a piece that opens with a single line, adds a second voice imitating the first, and ends with thick chords. The full answer traces each change, the partly right answer catches one stage, and 'busy' is an impression, not a texture.
Full answer
“It started with a single line, then a second part came in copying the first — imitation, so contrapuntal — and it finished with thick chords in both hands.”
Partly right
“It was contrapuntal.”
Not enough
“It sounded busy.”
Example answers: structure
Finally, a lively piece whose opening tune comes back several times, with different music in between. The full answer names the form and explains how you could tell. The partly right answer hears the returns but gives the piece no shape. 'It repeated' could describe almost any music.
Full answer
“It was a rondo: the cheerful opening tune kept coming back, with contrasting episodes in between — the second one in a minor key.”
Partly right
“The main tune came back a few times.”
Not enough
“It repeated.”
Practise for any pairing
Keep a one-page checklist of all eight features with key words for each, then test yourself on recordings: ask someone to name two features at random before you listen. For the whole exam see the Grade 7 aural guide; at Grade 8 you describe the music freely (Grade 8 features answers).
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Answer out loud — get marked
Hear a piece, tell the examiner about it, and see what you got right and what the examiner hopes to hear.
Try Grade 7 test DQuestions people ask
Which two features will the examiner choose at Grade 7?
Any two of the eight — there is no set pattern. They are named before the piece starts, so you know what to listen for, but you need to be ready for every feature. A one-page checklist of terms for each helps.
How long should my answers be?
Long enough to be specific: usually one to three sentences per feature. Name the feature, say where it happens and, for character or period, why. Padding adds nothing; a clear, accurate answer sounds confident.
Do I need technical terms at Grade 7?
They help, because they make answers precise — homophonic, ternary, rubato, accelerando, subito piano. But a clear plain-English description is better than a term used wrongly. If you are unsure, describe what you heard and where.
Can D(ii) be in 6/8 at Grade 7?
Yes. At Grade 7 the time question after the clapping can be two, three or four time, or 6/8. 6/8 has two beats, each divided into three quavers, which gives it a lilting, rocking feel.
Independent practice. We are not affiliated with ABRSM; the tests here are generated by our engine from the published format, not taken from the board's books. Mock marks are estimates — the examiner's judgement is final.