Grade 1

ABRSM Aural 'D' test questions Grades 1, 2 and 3

By Allan-Hermann Pool - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38142650

ABRSM Aural D question

Grade 1 Piano exam book 2019 – 2020

A1 Theme Thomas Attwood

Grade 1 (up to bar 16)

Was the music loud or quiet at the start?

In the middle of the piece, did the music change from loud to quiet suddenly or gradually?

Was the L.H. played smoothly or with detached notes?

Grade 2

Was the music loud or quiet at the start?

Which was the quietest part – the beginning, middle or the end?

Did the change to quiet playing happen suddenly or gradually?

Was the L.H. played with smooth or detached notes?

Was there any change in the speed of the music, or did it stay the same?

Grade 3

Of the three sections, which one was the quietest?

Did the change from loud to quiet playing occur suddenly or gradually?

Was the L.H. played with smooth or detached notes?

Was there any change in the speed of the music, and if it did change, where did it change?

Was the music in a major or minor key?

From personal clipart collection.

A2 Minuet in C William Duncombe

Grade 1

Where was the loudest part of the music? Where was the quietest part of the music?

Did the change from loud to quiet playing happen suddenly or gradually?

In the quiet sections, was the L.H. played smoothly or detached?

Grade 2

Where was the quietest part of the music?

Was the music played loudly or quietly at the end?

Was there any change in the speed of the music, or did it always stay the same?

 

Grade 3

Where was the loudest part of the music?

Was the music played loudly or quietly at the end?

Was there any change in the speed of the music, or did it always remain the same?

Was the music in a major or minor key?

B1 Wiegenlied Johannes Brahms

Grade 1 (up to bar 8)

Did the music begin loudly or quietly?

Did the music become louder anywhere? Did this happen gradually or suddenly?

Were the notes played smoothly or detached?

Grade 2

Where was the quietest part of the music?

There were times when the music became louder. Were the changes gradual or sudden?

Was the playing mainly smooth or detached?

Were there any changes in the speed of the music, or did it stay the same throughout?

Grade 3

Where was the quietest part of the music?

There were times when the music became louder. Were the changes gradual or sudden?

Was the playing mainly smooth or detached?

Were there any changes in the speed of the music, or did it stay the same throughout?

Was the music in a major or minor key?

Examples of compound time signatures ABRSM Aural 'A' test

By Evan-Amos - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18956740

Here are some ideas for examples that can be used for the ABRSM’s ‘A’ test in Grades 1, 2 and 3.

Aural Grades 1 -3 Compound time examples

Compound duple time signature.

Walking in Spring Wilm Grade 4 1997

Donkey Ride Swinstead Grade 4 1998

Little Flower Op 205 No. 1 Gurlitt Grade 3 1999 – 2000

Larghetto C3 Stravinsky Grade 3 1999 - 2000

Reaper’s Song Op. 68 No. 18 Schumann Grade 4 1999 – 2000

Proud Horseman B1 Fuchs Grade 3 2001 – 2002

Study in B flat B2 Heller Grade 4 2001 - 2002

Study in A minor B3 Mayer Grade 3 2003 – 2004

Allegro A2 Kuhlau 2003 - 2004

Equivoque No. 8 Weber Grade 3 2005 – 2006

La Tarantelle Burgmuller Grade 5 2005 – 2006

Romance B3 Reinecke Grade 5 2007 - 2008

Allegretto A3 Turk Grade 3 2007 – 2008

Les Pifferari Gounod Grade 3 2009 – 2010 (My Keyboard Anthology Second series Book 2)

Wild Rider B3 Schumann Grade 3 2011 – 2012

Vivace A3 Wesley Grade 3 2013 – 2014

Wiosna B1 Chopin Grade 3 2013 – 2014

Cotton Reel Nikki Illes C2 Grade 3 2015 – 2016

Am Abend B3 Hoffman Grade 5 2015 – 2016

Giga A2 de Seixas Grade 3 2019 – 2020

Shadows B1 Walter Carroll Grade 3 2019 – 2020

Andante B2 Haydn Grade 3 2021 – 2022

Riding the Hobby Horse C2 Grechaninov Grade 3 2021 – 2022

Idylle B2 Chaminade Grade 4 2023 – 2024

From personal clipart collection.

 

Compound triple time signature.

See-saw Alternative Goddard Grade 3 1998

Dream B1 Bloch Grade 5 2007 – 2008

Fanfare C3 Dejan Despic Grade 5 2007 - 2008

Spanish Guitar Grade 3 2023 - 2024