Product Description by our Music Experts
Aural Training in Practice Book 1 covers everything you need to know about the aural section of your ABRSM practical exam (grades 1-3). This book is a great resource for any teacher entering their pupils into the instrumental exams, self-taught students taking their exams for their own development and anyone else who wants to simply develop their musical listening skills.
Introduction to Aural Training
Aural training is important for any musician to develop performance skills – it aims to enhance your understanding of pitch, rhythm, pulse and musical interpretation. The aural part of the ABRSM practical exams (grades 1-3) comprises of four sections:
◦ A: Pulse and Metre
◦ B: Echoes
◦ C: Differences
◦ D: Musical Features
An insight into your Aural Test
Aural Training in Practice Book 1 is written by John Holmes and Nigel Scaife, the Chief Examiner and Syllabus Director at ABRSM, and begins by introducing musical listening skills to give you an idea of what you will need to do in this section of the exam. This is followed by an insight into the examination itself, including tips and advice on how to answer the questions and complete this part of the exam successfully.
Aural Test Preparation
Aural Training in Practice grades 1-3 then takes you through each of the above sections with in-depth information including example exercises, useful tips and teaching strategies. Ultimately the book is concluded by a series of test questions to help you prepare your answers for the exam – you can also monitor how you're doing by looking at the index of answers at the back of the book or recorded examples found on the CD.
Most teachers opt to play the tests on the piano, however, with Aural Training in Practice Book 1 you can alternatively practice your aural skills using the backing CDs that are provided where each test is played with the examiners spoken instructions. If you work through this book and still find that you want to practice further for your instrumental exam, the ABRSM Specimen Aural Tests (with or without CD) are also available.