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AuralRoom

Trinity · Grade 4

Trinity Grade 4 aural test: what's asked and how to practise

Grade 4 is the first Trinity grade where the examiner plays a harmonised piece rather than a bare melody — four bars, major or minor, in 4/4 or 6/8. New questions cover the final cadence and full interval names, and the change question now has two changes to find. Aural remains an optional supporting test, marked out of 10 as a whole.

Aural test

Clap the pulse; major or minor; perfect or imperfect final cadence; name the interval of the first two notes; find the bar of the rhythm change and of the pitch change.

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The tests at Grade 4

Aural test

Clap the pulse; major or minor; perfect or imperfect final cadence; name the interval of the first two notes; find the bar of the rhythm change and of the pitch change.

Pulse: clap on the second playing, with stronger first beats. Tonality and cadence: after two more playings, say major or minor, and whether the final cadence is perfect (ending on the tonic, finished) or imperfect (ending on the dominant, like a comma). Interval: name the interval between the first two melody notes, from a minor 2nd to a major 6th. Changes: following a copy, you hear the piece as written and then with one rhythm change and one pitch change; give the bar of each. Our cadence guide covers the cadence question.

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Tips for Grade 4

  • 6/8 has two beats in a bar, each split into three quavers — clap the two big beats, not six quavers.
  • Perfect or imperfect: hum the very last bass note; if it's the key note, the cadence is perfect.
  • Link intervals to song openings, such as 'Here Comes the Bride' for a perfect 4th and 'My Bonnie' for a major 6th.
  • With two changes to find, note the first and keep listening — don't relax until the piece has finished.
  • Use the two playings for tonality and cadence wisely: the mood on the first, the ending on the second.

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A full Grade 4 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's the difference between a perfect and an imperfect cadence?

A perfect cadence moves from the dominant chord (V) to the tonic (I) and sounds finished. An imperfect cadence ends on V and sounds as if more is to come. At Grade 4 these are the only two choices; Grade 5 adds plagal and interrupted cadences.

Which intervals do I need at Grade 4?

Minor and major 2nds, minor and major 3rds, the perfect 4th, the perfect 5th, and minor and major 6ths, named in full. They're taken from the first two notes of the melody, which the examiner plays again for this question, so you can focus on just that pair.

How is the change question different at Grade 4?

There are two changes instead of one — one in the rhythm and one in the pitch — and you give the bar number of each. You follow a printed copy of the melody while the music is played once as written and once with the changes.

Does the harmony make Grade 4 harder?

In one way it helps: chords make major and minor easier to hear and give you a cadence to listen for. But the melody now sits on top of an accompaniment, so practise picking out the tune — especially for the interval and change questions, which are about the melody.

Independent practice. We are not affiliated with Trinity College London; 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.