RCM · Level 6

RCM Level 6 ear tests: what changes and how to practice

Level 6 builds on Level 5 without changing the format: the seconds join the intervals, the diminished seventh joins the chords, progressions may be in minor keys, and playback tunes use the whole scale. Intervals, chords and progressions are worth 2 marks each, and playback 4.

Intervals

Name an interval played once, up or down, then as a chord.

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The tests at Level 6

Intervals

2 marks

Name an interval played once, up or down, then as a chord.

Nine intervals: the minor and major seconds join the thirds, fourth, fifth, sixths and octave. Each is played once melodically, up or down, then once harmonically. Seconds are the smallest steps — a minor second is the 'Jaws' half step, a major second the first step up in 'Happy Birthday'. Played together, seconds rub and clash, which makes them easy to spot in harmonic form. In the exam you may sing the interval from a given note instead of naming it; our trainer asks for the name.

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Chords

2 marks

Name the quality of a chord played once (major, minor, dominant 7th, diminished 7th).

Four types, all in root position and played once in close position: major, minor, dominant seventh and, new, diminished seventh. The diminished seventh is built entirely from minor thirds, so it sounds tense and evenly balanced — the classic suspense chord of old film scores. The dominant seventh, by contrast, has a major triad at its base and sounds as if it's leading somewhere specific. Our trainer mixes all four, so you learn each by contrast with the others.

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Chord progressions

2 marks

Name a three-chord progression in a major or minor key: I–IV–I or I–V–I (i–iv–i, i–V–i).

The same two shapes as Level 5, now in major or minor: I–IV–I or I–V–I, and in minor i–iv–i or i–V–i. They're played twice in keyboard style, with the bass moving up from the tonic, and you name the progression. In minor, listen to the middle chord: iv is minor and dark, while V is still a major chord (thanks to the raised leading note), so it sounds brighter than the chords around it. Our trainer sounds the key chord before each progression.

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Playback

4 marks

Sing back a melody of up to nine notes using the whole scale (heard three times).

Up to nine notes in 3/4 or 4/4, now using the complete scale — from tonic to tonic, or from dominant to dominant. Keys are G and E major and G and E minor. The procedure matches Level 5: key and time signature named, tonic chord, one measure counted, three playings, a clap-or-sing step after the second and your answer after the third. In our trainer you sing or hum the tune after the three playings, and each note is checked whatever octave you use.

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Tips for Level 6

Sort harmonic intervals into families first: seconds and sevenths clash, thirds and sixths blend, fourths, fifths and octaves sound hollow. Then choose within the family.
Play a diminished seventh and move it up a minor third — you hear the same chord sound again. That symmetry is why it never feels settled.
In minor progressions, the leading note in V (F-sharp in G minor) is the brightest sound — use it to spot i–V–i.
For nine-note playback, notice where the tune turns around; the highest note makes a good anchor.
Sing the E major and E minor scales back to back to feel the difference between four sharps and one.

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A full Level 6 mock, marked

The examiner runs every test in order, plays as many times as the board does and gives an estimated mark out of 10, with where you lose marks.

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Questions people ask

What does 'dominant to dominant' mean for playback?

At Level 6 the tune can use the whole scale, either from the tonic up to the next tonic or from the dominant up to the next dominant. The second option means the melody can dip below the tonic, so listen for notes under the home note — the fifth, sixth and seventh degrees of the scale, an octave lower.

Are minor progressions harder?

Only at first. There are still just two shapes, with i–iv–i and i–V–i as the minor versions. The useful contrast is that iv is a minor chord while V is major, so in minor keys V stands out as the brightest chord. Practice both modes until the middle chord is obvious either way.

How many times is the playback melody played?

Three times from Level 5 (it was twice up to Level 4). After the second playing you clap its rhythm or sing it, and after the third you play it. Our trainer plays it three times as well, after the key chord and a one-measure count-in, and then listens to you sing.

I'm a singer — does this level apply to me?

RCM's Voice syllabus uses the same intervals, chords and progressions, but singers must both identify and sing every interval, and playback becomes Singback, sung on any vowel or syllable. Our sung playback is close to Singback; for intervals, practice singing each one as well as naming it.

How does the mock estimate work at Level 6?

You answer one item from each test in exam order, with no replays. Each result is weighted by RCM's marks — 2 for intervals, chords and progressions, 4 for playback — and turned into an estimate out of 10. It's a guide to where you're losing marks, not an examiner's verdict.

Independent practice. We are not affiliated with RCM (The Royal Conservatory); 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.