Test
Requirements for Candidates in Practical Examinations
Aural
Tests
Aural
Tests in Grades other than Preliminary will be played
twice. In the case of tests specified in more than one
grade, the difficulty of the examples given to the candidates
will be adjusted to the standards of the respective
grades.
Interval
Tests: Boys whose voice are at the ‘breaking’
stage may respond to the pitch tests by whistling instead
of humming or singing.
In
tests where interval recognition is required, attention
is drawn to the method of answering these questions.
Third Grade requires candidates to name the interval
as being the second, third, fourth, or fifth of the
scale. In Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Grades, candidates
are required to name the intervals as major second,
major third, perfect fourth, etc.
Grade:
[1] [2] [3]
[4] [5] [6]
[7] [8]
Preliminary
Grade
TIME:
To clap the beats of simple chord passages played in
two or three beat time by the examiner at varying speeds
— slow, moderate and quick, and to continue clapping
or beating after the examiner ceases to play.
RHYTHM:
To hum, sing, clap or tap the note values of a simple
rhythmical two-bar passage played by the examiner.
PITCH:
To sing or hum the notes of a short melodic phrase of
five or six notes of one beat length. The examiner will
first play the phrase and then repeat it, waiting on
each note for the candidate to sing the note.
PITCH:
To state which is the higher or lower of any two notes
played separately, not less than a third apart.
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First
Grade
PITCH:
To hum or sing the tonic at the end of a short unfinished
phrase played by the examiner.
RHYTHM:
The examiner will play twice a passage in duple or triple
time. The candidate will then tap or clap the passage.
PITCH:
To hum or sing a short phrase played twice by the examiner,
combining melody and time.
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Second
Grade
RHYTHM:
The examiner will play twice a passage in duple or triple
time. The candidate will then tap or clap the passage.
PITCH:
To hum or sing a short phrase played twice by the examiner,
combining melody and time.
PITCH:
To hum or sing the higher or lower of two notes a major
third or a perfect fifth apart within the limits of
an octave from middle C played simultaneously by the
examiner.
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Third
Grade
RHYTHM:
The examiner will play twice a passage in duple or triple
time. The candidate will then tap or clap the passage
and state whether it is duple or triple time.
MELODY:
To hum or sing a short phrase played twice by the examiner,
combining melody and time.
PITCH:
To hum or sing the higher or lower of any two notes
within the limits of an octave from middle C played
simultaneously by the examiner.
PITCH:
The examiner, having sounded on the pianoforte a note
to be regarded as the keynote of the scale, the candidate
will hum or sing and afterwards name the interval of
the second, third, fourth or fifth of the major scale
as played by the examiner, in succession to the keynote.
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Fourth
Grade
RHYTHM:
The examiner will play twice a passage in duple or triple
time. The candidate will then tap or clap the passage
and state whether it is in duple or triple time.
PITCH:
The examiner, having sounded on the pianoforte a note,
to be regarded as the keynote of the scale, the candidate
will hum or sing and afterwards name any interval of
the major scale as played by the examiner immediately
after the keynote.
PITCH:
To hum or sing from memory the higher or lower part
of a two part progression of two successive intervals
within the compass of an octave from middle C as played
by the examiner.
PITCH:
The examiner, having sounded any major or minor triad
either in root position or an inversion played within
the limits of an octave, the candidate will hum or sing
the middle note.
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Fifth
Grade
RHYTHM:
The examiner will play twice a passage in duple or triple
time. The candidate will then tap or clap the passage
and state whether it is in duple or triple time.
PITCH:
The examiner, having sounded on the pianoforte a note
to be regarded as a keynote of the scale, the candidate
will hum or sing and afterwards name any interval of
the major scale as played by the examiner immediately
in succession to the keynote.
PITCH:
To hum or sing from memory the higher or lower part
of a two part progression of three successive intervals
within the limits of an octave from middle C as played
slowly by the examiner.
HARMONY:
The examiner having sounded any major or minor triad
either in root position or an inversion played within
the limits of an octave, the candidate will hum or sing
all three notes, ascending or descending as required.
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Sixth
Grade
PITCH:
The examiner, having sounded on the pianoforte a note
to be regarded as the keynote of the scale, the candidate
will hum or sing and afterwards name any interval of
the major or harmonic minor scale as played by the examiner
immediately in succession to the keynote.
HARMONY:
The examiner having sounded any major triad either in
root position or an inversion played within the limits
of an octave, the candidate will recognise the position
of the triad.
PITCH:
To hum or sing from memory the higher or lower part
of a two part progression of four successive intervals
within the limits of an octave from middle C.
HARMONY:
To recognise Perfect and Plagal cadences in a major
key as they occur in a short piece played by the examiner,
the tonic chord being first sounded.
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Seventh
Grade
PITCH:
The examiner, having sounded any major or minor triad
either in root position or an inversion played within
the limits of an octave, the candidate will recognise
the major or minor triad, stating its position.
HARMONY:
To recognise Perfect, Plagal and Interrupted cadences
in a major key as they occur in a short piece played
by the examiner, the tonic chord being first sounded.
MEMORY:
Approximately one minute being allowed to memorise a
two-bar melodic phrase from a printed copy away from
the instrument, the candidate will then play or sing
the phrase from memory. The examiner will sound the
keynote before the phrase is memorised.
PITCH:
To hum or sing from memory the higher or lower part
of a two-part phrase of not more than six notes, note
against note within the compass of an octave from middle
C played slowly by the examiner.
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Eighth
Grade
HARMONY:
The examiner, having sounded any major or minor triad
either in root position or an inversion, or any diminished
triad in root position, played within the limits of
an octave, the candidate will recognise the major, minor
or diminished triad, stating its position (in the case
of a major or minor triad).
HARMONY:
To recognise any of the four principal cadences in a
major key as they occur in a short piece played by the
examiner, the tonic chord being first sounded.
MEMORY:
Approximately one and a half minutes being allowed to
memorise a three or four-bar melodic phrase from a printed
copy away from the instrument, the candidate will then
play or sing the phrase from memory. The examiner will
sound the keynote before the phrase is memorised.
PITCH:
The examiner will play on a pianoforte a two-part phrase
with a few passing notes, and the candidate will hum,
sing or play from memory, the lower part.
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Sight
Reading Tests
For
candidates in practical examinations
First
and Second Grades: A test will be set consisting of
a simple phrase of an elementary nature. For First Grade
piano — hands separately only.
Third
to Eighth Grades: A test will be set within the limits
of the technical standard of the grade.
General
Knowledge Tests
For
candidates in practical examinations
Preliminary
and First Grade: The notes, rests, signs, terms and
titles of their pieces; also the keys or tonalities
in which their pieces are written.
Second
to Fourth Grades: As for Preliminary and First Grade
with addition of modulations which occur in their pieces,
excluding extra lists.
Fifth
and Sixth Grades: As for the previous grades with the
addition of the broad formal structure and analysis
with some knowledge of the period and stylistic characteristics.
Seventh
and Eighth Grades, AMusA and LMusA: As above, but in
more detail. For AMusA and LMusA candidates will be
required to have a knowledge of other works by the composers
of their examination pieces, with particular emphasis
on the repertoire of their instrument/ voice by these
composers.
NB
String, woodwind, brass instrumentalists and singers
will be required to answer general questions on keys
and modulations from the Pianoforte part
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