In the last couple of weeks I've started working on Grade 8 aural - and I'm worrying that I should have started earlier as I've only got until November to suss this out! My teacher hasn't started any aural with me yet, but she will, and I don't want to look like a total ignoramus when she does.

I've got a book of sample aural tests that came with a CD. Some of the tests aren't too bad but I am absolutely dreadful at picking up modulations. I've tried about 10 of the tests so far and got only 2 right. This was more by chance than skill as I don't actually know how to do it. Are there any tricks for getting better at this? Do you try and hold the tonic of the original key in your head and work it out from there? Or listen to progression of chords? The notes say you only get one listen on this test!

The other one I find tricky is identifying chords. I can tell whether it's tonic or subdominant or whatever, but I'm dreadful at guessing (and it is guessing) which inversion it is. As soon as I start listening to the bass line I start to question whether I guessed the right chord in the first place. Again, is it better to listen to the progression, or the bass note or what? And if it comes down to guessing, am I better off being able to identify whether it's tonic or dominant or whatever, and not worrying too much about inversions?

If anyone could provide any pointers I would be so, so grateful. I would be really disappointed if I failed because of my weak aural skills.

For modulation, the ideal situation is to listen to many examples and learn the sounds of various keys. As you don't have much time left before the exam, it would be best to work out the distance between the original tonic to the new tonic, as you mentioned. All of the examples given in the sample tests end with a V-I progression in the new key. It is therefore safe to assume that the root of the last chord is always the new tonic.

The chord identification is indeed difficult for most Grade 8 pupils, unless they have perfect pitch, or have very good relative pitch and some knowledge of harmony. Just try your best. If you can manage Tests B, C and D, and the rest of Test A, then missing a couple of chords won't do much damage to your aural mark.

You should know the following information:
Perfect = V-I or V7-I, with both chords in root position
Interrupted = V-VI or V7-VI, with both chords in root position
Plagal = IV-I, with both chords in root position
Imperfect = anything going to V, with the V chord in root position

If you know the cadence type, then you can identify the last chord accurately. If the cadence type is anything but imperfect, you can identify the penultimate chord as well.

For the first two chords, listen to the chord qualities. In major, the I, IV and V chords are major in quality; the II and VI chords are minor in quality. In minor, the I and IV chords are minor; the II is diminished; the V and VI are major.

Worry about the positions only if you are successful in identifying the chords. For this, you have to know the bass notes:
Bass = scale-degree 1; chord = I in root position
Bass = scale-degree 2; chord = II in root position
Bass = scale-degree 3; chord = I in first inversion
Bass = scale-degree 4; chord = IV in root position or II in first inversion
Bass = scale-degree 5; chord = I in second inversion or V in root position
Bass = scale-degree 6; chord = IV in first inversion or VI in root position
Bass = scale-degree 7; chord = V in first inversion

In the specimen tests, the V chord rarely appears in inversions.

I've just done a grade 8 exam, and those were the two parts of the aural that I found hard. The best thing to do is just to listen to examples and get used to them. I did this so much the weekend before my exam that I went to sleep singing cadences and modulations! It might help to play examples yourself so you can see chord progressions or modulations. Learn popular chord progressions, and which chords sound major/minor etc.

What book are you using? I used Aural Time, which has a CD and the examples written out so you can play them yourself. The weekend before my exam, the teacher lent me Improve Your Aural, which I found really useful and it comes with a CD. It builds up each test gradually, plays you examples and gets you to sing along to examples and gives you exercises which the answers can be found online. I just wich I'd been given it earlier!

Hope it helps, good luck!

Thanks both for your responses. I too am using Aural Time - perhaps I ought to seek out another book/CD combination as soon as possible for when I've finished that one. It is one that's been lent to me so I'll have to return it some time soon anyway. And I'll definitely try to play through the examples (keyboard skills are not my strongest).

Organ_dummy, wow, that's really comprehensive, thank you so much for taking the time to type all that out. Now to try and learn all the ones that don't immediately fall into place in my brain. Sadly I do not have perfect pitch - probably like most other candidates, so hard work sounds like the way forward.

Best get practising! Thanks again.

You are very welcome. It didn't take much time at all as I've been teaching this stuff for many years.

The information does look overwhelming. I'd say, forget about chord position for now. If you can identify the roman numeral correctly, the examiner can't penalise you too much for not getting the correct position.

If you can identify the cadence accurately, the last two chords are easy.

The hard part is the first two chords. Listen to the quality of the chord will allow you to make educated guesses.

"Educated guessing" has passed many an aural test... Know all your options for the modulations - major to major/minor to major, etc, and you can often manage on a process of illlimination. There is a limited number of options for every eventuality. Sorry if I appear to be suggesting that you learn to pass the exam rather than learn how to identify modulations, but there are quite a few teachers who wouldn't get them all right either without the answers in front of them.


P.S. And I wonder what on earth I'm doing answering this thread with a suggestion; what I was really looking for when I clicked on it to read it was thoughts on how to teach it better!

Process of elimination is good! I'm sure this modulation and harmonisation stuff is character building, but music has been my hobby for nearly 25 years and I've never needed to identify modulations for anything except passing exams. Of course in an ideal world I'd like to learn to do it but I have limited time, skills and patience.

So my aim is to get the highest mark I can, by whatever means necessary, to do myself justice in the exam. I've worked really hard at my scales, pieces and sight-reading and I could stuff those up on the day and fail - but I'd know I couldn't have done any more to prepare myself. However I'd be gutted if I missed out on a pass/merit/(dare I say it)distinction by a couple of marks lost on my aural tests, knowing that I could have prepared better.

For the modulations, I found it helped to keep the dominant of the original key in my head rather than the tonic. When they finish playing the extract, you sing down from the dominant until it fits with the last chord. From that and the tonality you end up with you should be able to get the key. If in doubt in the exam, work out which it can't be and follow your instinct from the ones that are left.

For the chords, it's part just knowing what the dominant etc sound like and likely progressions (eg Ic-V(7)-I), part getting the end cadence, part checking the tonality of the chord and part following the bass line.

You have to have guessed the cadence before you get on to the chords, so you should hopefully have two of the chords already (unless it's imperfect, in which case you just have the last one).

As far as telling the difference between inversions goes, it's all down to the bass note, so that's what you have to listen for. They also have different feels to them in the same sort of way as tonic feels different to dominant etc. If you have a piano, pick out lots of chords in different inversions on it and listen to the difference.