All Students preparing for Grade exams are recommended to use the Hofnotes on-line training pages to practise for the aural tests. 

At higher grades  you must be able to discuss with the examiner musical features such as texture, form, style, and period of a piece of music.  My own  web pages to help with these parts of the test at Grade 5+ and at GCSE are available here!

•     medieval
•     baroque
•     classical
•     romantic
•     20th century
•     contemporary
•     jazz

Or you may relate the music to a composer you know such as

•     Purcell
•     Bach
•     Handel
•     Mozart
•     Chopin
•     Debussy
•     Bartók

If it sounds like a piece you have played, say so - if it is from the same rough era, the examiner will give you credit for that... Always read the little notes at the foot of your exam pieces so you know a bit about when they were written and can start to relate that to what you hear in the music.

At later grades, you will be expected to describe certain dance and rhythmic styles, and relate them to the instrument and period. 

You should be able to use a variety of features to recognise or "typecast" a piece as being of a particular era. 

And you should be able to contrast the work of particular composers with others from the same period.

You can find more information on these in the pages in this section, but the very best thing you can do is to listen widely and critically and to explore new pieces in your own playing.

Last updated on: 03/01/2012