8/9/2019 Gr 8 Aural Q1

1/3

Test

8A:

Melodic memory

(three-part)

and identifiiing

GRADE

8

chords

and cadences

:

'To

sing or

play

from rnernory

the

lousest

part

of a short three-part

phrase played

twice

by

the

exarniner.

The key-chord

and starting

note

will first

be sounded and named,

and the

pulse

indicated.

A

second

attempt

will

be allowed if necessary.'

r-i) To identify the cadence at the end of a further (following) phrase, played twice by the examiner, as

perfect, imperfect, interrupted

or

plagal.

The

key-chord

will first

be sounded.'

iii)

'To

identify up to four chords

in

the

above

cadential

progression,

played

twice by the exarniner,

as

tonic

(root

position,

first or second

inversions),

supertonic

(root

position

or first

inversion),

subdorninant

(root position),

dominant

(root

position,

first

or second inversions),

dorninant

seventh

(root

position)r

or subrnediant

(root

position).

Candidates rnay

alternatively

use

the

equivalent

roman

notation.

The key-chord

will

first

be

sounded.'

The

first

part

of this test represents

a logical

development

from

Test

7A,

and if

pupils

have masrered

the

skills

required

for

that test, and have continued

to

exercise

those skills, they

should have no

difficulty

in

listening

to,

memorizing

and

performing

the

lowest

line

of

three.

The 'lowest

part'

of

a three-part

phrase

will have

the feeling

of a bass ine

even if

the

parts

are for two

sopranos

and

an alto

(SSA).

In this

test, with the 'further

(following)'phrase

in four-parr

harmony,

it is more likely

that

the

lowest

part

will

be a

genuine

bass ine,

in

other

words

providing

the bass notes

of the harmony, and

that the

phrase

will

be

homophonic

rather

than

polyphonic,

but

that does not mean

that

the

part

will

be less

memorable.

However,

it

will almost certainly

be in

the bass

essitura

and therefore some

candidates

(for

example, sopranos

and

altos,

and those using treble

pitched

instruments

for

this

test) will be

performing

the

parr

one or even

two

octaves

above

the

given pitch.

Although

that in

itself

should

present

no

difficulty,

pupils

will need

to

be

aware of

this

and

be

prepared

Singing

or

playing

the lowest line

will

provide

the

link

to the second

part

of the rest,

that

is, naming

the

cadence

and identif

ing the last four

chords including the two cadence chords. Collections of arrangements of traditional

songs'

hymn books and simple choral

pieces

will

provide

useful resource material

for

preliminary

exercises.

The

exercises

which

follow illustrate

how

such material

can

be adapted

for

practice

purposes.

Obviously

good

sense

must

prevail

in the choice of material.

First,

some

practice

in

concentrating

one's listening

on the lowest

part.

In the

following exercises,

play

the

phrase

whilst

pupils

listen,

giving

particular

artention

to

the bass

line;

then

repeat

it asking them to sing the line

as t is

played.

They

should then

repeat

it from

memory. Before each

playing,

give

the

key-chord and starting note.

(Note:

it is

advisable

that

pupils

should

sing all

exercises

at

this stage;

if

necessary,

divide the

passage

nto

two

phrases.

In

all the

exercises,and in the

three-part

practice

tests,

it is

an

acceptable

practice

to

give

slight emphasis

o the

bass ine.)

Con

moto

arr.

R. S.

mf

65

8/9/2019 Gr 8 Aural Q1

2/3

Test 8A

(cont.)

Calmly

with feeling

arr. R. S.

'Jre

now turn to the

preparation

for

the

chord

and cadence

resrs

(Test

SA(ii)

and

(iii)).

Like

the

first

parr,

this

forms a logical development

of the

cadence

est

in

Grades

6 and 7

(Test

C).

The

passage

used in this

test

will

have

a

four-part

texture.

It might be worth explaining

here

why

the

test is

divided

in

this way. Inevitably,

some

candidates could

experience

difftculty

memorizing

and/or

performing

the

lowest

part

and spoil

their

chances

to

do well in the

chord/cadence

test.

By

starting afresh,

such candidates

have

an

equal

chance with

those

who

do nor find

any difficulty

picking

out

the

lowest

part,

which

may

be because

hey

play

a bass nstrument,

sing bass

n

a choir or have

a

particular

faiitity

to memorize and reproduce a part. However, this should not

detract from

the essential

relationship

which

exists

between the bass ine

and

the recognition

of

chords

and

cadences,

and in

the

preparation

for

this

part

of

the

test

pupils

should still be encouraged

o

sing the

bass

ine

as

the

phrase

s

played

a

second

time.

66

8/9/2019 Gr 8 Aural Q1

3/3

Pupils

will

need to be

familiar with the

procedure

they

will

meet

in the examination

and

therefore

it

would

be

advisable

o save

he use of

practice

and specimen

tests for

the

later stagesof

preparation

for the examination.

The

syllabus

states that simple

roman

notation

may be used to describe

the chords,

and

this

method is

strongly

recommended.

Clearly

it is less cumbersome to

say

'IV

Ic V7

I' than

'subdominant,

root

position;

tonic,

second

inversion;

dominant

seventh,

root

position;

tonic, root

position'.

However, the choice

must

be

left to the teacher's

discretion;

either

method will

be equally acceptable

in

the

examination.

t$7hat

is more important

is

that

pupils

should

be encouraged

to

listen and think in

terms

of a sequence

of chords.

This is

certainly

a

more

musical

approach and better than identiSzingeach chord in isolation.

If

pupils

are secure

n

the

recognition of cadences

and the naming of the

last two chords, the next step

is for

them

to

memorize

the

sound and

name the most

common

'lead

in' chords

(Ic,

II, IIb

and

Ip to a

perfect

(or

interrupted)

cadence.

Later they should

practise

adding

a further

chord, as

'up

to four'

may be

required

in

the

examination.

Pupils

should

now

practise

memorizing the sound

of chord

progressions

such as the following,

naming

them

as

one

statement:

for example, Ib V

I; II Ic

V

I;

IV I

V

I;

VI

IV I; Ib I V;

IIb

V7 VI.

Mix the

progressions

and

vary

the

keys,

including

minor keys.

Exercises6-20 should now be tackled in the following way:

(i)

Play the

phrase

at a moderate speed with

pupils

concentrating

their

listening

on the

lowest

line.

(ii)

Play the

phrase

again

with

pupils

singing

the lowest

part

with

the

piano.

(iii)

Ask

pupils

to name the cadence and the

chords

forming the cadence.

(iv)

Play the

last

four

chords

again for

pupils

to

name the two chords

leading

to

the cadence

plus

the

two

cadence

chords.

Samuel$7ebbe

he elder

Ravenscroft'sPsalter

Orlando Gibbons

Mainz

Gesangbuch

67