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!

ABRSM Grade 3 2011 2012 Piano

Prelude in C, JS Bach

The opening idea starts on the second quaver of the first beat - and this idea returns again and again through the piece.  Point it up by a slight 'lift' in the articulation between the first and second quavers of the phrase - but keeping the first one light.  Think in long phrases, not single bars, as you are usually driving the melody across a  barline. The suggestion of crotchet = 100 is probably the slowest it could go and still flow when you perform this piece.  Where you have a chord on an upbeat, detach it from the next and again, keep them light.  It would be a shame if the opening octave died away too soon so give it enough weight to last.  Don't let the mordents sound stodgy either.

Englisher Tanz, Dittersdorf

Air Cosaque, Kozeluch

Last updated on: 10/10/2011