Grade 8 Aural Tests, Modulations Options

[Oboecop]

hi. Have my grade 8 oboe on thursday - any tricks for recognising a modulation to the supertonic, I always get it mixed up with the relative minor. Everything else is on track that's the only thing I'm not so sure of.

[sarah123]

Well, I'm rubbish at aural and really can't tell the modulations apart, so what i do is hum the keynote the whole way through, then hum up or down the scale to the new keynote at the end (so (starting with old keynote) 1 notes up for supertonic, two down for relative minor, four down for dominant, five down/four up for subdominant. Obviously, if you're going from a minor key to the dominant, you have to pay attention to whether it's minor or major, but otherwise, no recognition of modulations' different sounds required (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

*Runs away, before accusations of 'not doing it properly' come flying this way*

[viola]

I would wholeheartedly agree with sarah 123. Hum the tonic and ignore everything in between till you get to the new tonic and work out the interval.

[Oboecop]

That's brilliant thanks (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[nessa]

Hi everyone

i am new to this site i am going to sit for my grade 8 exam in piano on 31st march and i am feeling a bit nervous i have stopped the exams for six years and now this will be my first one since 2002 of which I passed the Grade 7 exam

I am finding a bit hard the aural exams especially the singing part when there are two counterparts and you have to sing the lower part i finding it hard to remember it

any suggestions to help me remember them (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

[DrumKat]

Sing the keynote quietly throughout; if it has modulated to the relative minor, the keynote will still fit. If it has modulated to the supertonic minor, the keynote will clash. The modulation to the supertonic minor is also normally more noticeable, as there is a bigger clash in the transition between keys. Good luck!

[Robodoc]

This will almost certainly lose some marks when compared to getting it right first time but will pick up a few compared to getting it wrong: Ask the examiner to repeat the section. Listen very hard to the last note of the first play through and the first note of the second play through: That's your modulation in reverse - just turn it round. Having said which it is much better to get it right first time!

[Oboecop]

Ah yes see I had that idea as well (great minds...!!) but then realised that they only play it once. You should have heard me today trying to practice aural tests by myself without a cd. I was trying to play through the music whilst keeping the tonic in my head (by humming it very loudly which made the most aweful noise and wouldn't be allowed in the exam) and trying not to pay too much attention to the notes I was playing so that I wasn't cheating. It was very amusing if not helpful!

Sing the keynote quietly throughout; if it has modulated to the relative minor, the keynote will still fit. If it has modulated to the supertonic minor, the keynote will clash. The modulation to the supertonic minor is also normally more noticeable, as there is a bigger clash in the transition between keys. Good luck!

That never occured to me good idea! thanks

[nessa]

Sing the keynote quietly throughout; if it has modulated to the relative minor, the keynote will still fit. If it has modulated to the supertonic minor, the keynote will clash. The modulation to the supertonic minor is also normally more noticeable, as there is a bigger clash in the transition between keys. Good luck!

Thanks I will try this if it works I will let you know thanks for your help i appreciate it maybe I will not panic that much which will take a miracle (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mellow.gif)

[anisha93]

good luck oboecop and nessa. It's okay if you don't do that well in aural. You can compensate with your amazing skills in everything else! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Robodoc]

Ah yes see I had that idea as well (great minds...!!) but then realised that they only play it once.

Can you not ask them to repeat it?

[Mad Tom]

By now the exam will be over, and if you've passed OK you can celebrate with the thought that you need never be subjected to the torture of an aural test ever again. When you do the performance diplomas all you have to do is play, and answer questions about the repertoire. Come to think of it, you don't have to perform scales again either!

So fingers crossed for a good result overall. (Whatever happened in the aural).

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/piano.gif)

[Oboecop]

Ah yes see I had that idea as well (great minds...!!) but then realised that they only play it once.

Can you not ask them to repeat it?

No unfortunately not. I thought that the exam went well I'm pretty sure I got one of the modulations wrong from the reaction of the examiner but everything else I think went ok. Thanks for all your helpful comments.

Phil

[muse]

Ah yes see I had that idea as well (great minds...!!) but then realised that they only play it once.

Can you not ask them to repeat it?

No unfortunately not. I thought that the exam went well I'm pretty sure I got one of the modulations wrong from the reaction of the examiner but everything else I think went ok. Thanks for all your helpful comments.

Phil

ooo those examiner reactions. One of my examiners grunted when I finished the piece. I still passed with a merit I think!