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Aural Skills 1

Prerequisite: None
 

This class focuses on the development of a student’s abilities in the field of musical perception. Students are asked to describe various features of the music such as time signature, pulse, dynamics, articulation, and identifying intervals and musical changes.

  1. Listen to a melody and be able to identify high/low notes

  2. Clap the pulse, stressing on the strong beat, of a melody and identify the time signature (2/4, 3/4, 4/4)

  3. Identify the dynamics of a melody (f, p, crescendo, decrescendo) with variable contrasts

  4. Identify the articulation of a melody (legato, staccato) with variable contrasts between hands

  5. Identify the interval of two notes in a melody by number (2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th)

  6. Identify 1 note changes to a melody as rhythmic or pitch and where the change occurred

Aural Skills 2

Prerequisite: Aural Skills 1 (or test out)

 

This class builds on Aural Skills 1 and further enhances the development of a student’s abilities in the field of musical perception. Students are asked to describe various features of the music such as time signature, pulse, tempo, dynamics, articulation, identifying intervals, tonality, and musical changes.

  1. Clap the pulse of a music and identify the time signature (2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 6/8) and identify the
    articulation and dynamics of a melody (f, mf, mp, p, crescendo, decrescendo, subito) with
    variable contrasts after listening to it played twice

  2. Identify the tempo of the music (allegro, moderato, adagio)

  3. Identify the tonality or a music as major or minor and indicate any changes

  4. Identify the interval of two notes in a melody as major/perfect or minor (2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th)

  5. Identify 2 note changes to a music as rhythmic or pitch and where they occurred

Aural Skills 3

Prerequisite: Aural Skills 2 (or test out)

 

This class builds on Aural Skills 2 and further enhances the development of a student’s abilities in the field of musical perception. Students are asked to describe various features of the music such as time signature, pulse, tempo, dynamics, articulation, cadences, intervals, musical changes, and characteristics in terms of texture and style.

  1. Clap the pulse of a melody and identify the time signature (2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 6/8, 5/8) and Identify the articulation and dynamics of a melody (ff, f, mf, mp, p, crescendo, decrescendo, subito) with variable contrasts after listening to it played twice

  2. Identify the tempo of the music

  3. Identify the cadence as perfect or imperfect

  4. Identify the interval of two notes in a melody as major/perfect or minor (2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th)

  5. Identify 3 note changes to a melody as rhythmic or pitch and where they occurred (right hand or
    left hand)

  6. Describe 2 characteristics of a piece

Aural Skills 4

Prerequisite: Aural Skills 3 (or test out)
 

This class builds on Aural Skills 3 and further enhances the development of a student’s abilities in the field of musical perception. Students are asked to describe various features of the music such as time signature, pulse, dynamics, articulation, cadences, intervals, musical changes, modulation, and characteristics in terms of texture and style.

  1. Clap the pulse of a melody and identify the time signature (2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 6/8, 5/8), comment on the dynamics and articulation after listening to it played twice

  2. Identify the cadence as perfect, imperfect, plagal, or interrupted

  3. Identify the interval of 2 notes in a melody as major/perfect, minor, augmented, or diminished
    (2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th)

  4. Identify 4 note changes to a melody as rhythmic or pitch and where they occurred

  5. Decribe 3 characteristics of the piece

  6. Identify the key to which the music modulates (subdominant, dominant, relative major/minor)

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