For question C1 in AB grade 4 aural, what is meant by "general perception of the character of the piece" that candidates are questioned on?

Is this the mood of the piece, or do you describe the speed ie Andante, Allegro? Or is it the type of piece you think it may be ie a march, a waltz, a minuet or whatever?

Many thanks

From the aural tests review (which comes into effect from 1st January 2011)

"Here, candidates are sometimes asked to describe the character (or mood) of the music. This may be followed up with a question about which features of the music create that mood.

Although this is a rather subjective area, the assessment is really about whether the candidate can relate musical features to the overall character. This is an important skill, as listening attentively and recognising the features which contribute to a particular character helps to inform students’ own communication skills in performance.

In the revised tests examiners will therefore ask something along the lines of 'What in the music gives this piece its character?' This places the emphasis firmly on perception of musical features."

I always thought this was a bit of a vague question....

But in the "aural tests in practice" book, it says to use describing words such as "happy" "cheerful" "sad" "lively" etc...

I start preparation for this test by getting students to describe the characters of two contrasting people that they know, this gives them some vocabulary to use. I also suggest that they imagine they are a film director and ask what scene they would put to the music.