Music 1- How to answer aural questions thread (1 Viewer)

[bored of sc]

First listening - don't write too much - get a feel for the piece and get the ideas flowing (in your head)!

Upon each successive listening - it might be a good idea to concentrate on only a few of the related aspects of the concept (if it is a single-concept question) or a few concepts each time (if it is a unity or contrast question)

E.g. If the piece is on duration:
1) No writing.
2) Time signature/metre/tempo/beat.
3) Note values.
4) Rhythmic devices.
5) Write all you can, edit (if time).

E.g. If the piece is on unity:
1) No writing.
2) Duration/pitch.
3) Texture/tone colour.
4) Dynamics/expressive techniques/structure.
5) Relate them all.

Note: with the unity question, always relate it to the question throughout.

 

[XxXxJoshxXxX]

yea aural really isnt that hard when you know how to do it right. i found that if you listen to the music the first playing and then write every little thing you here, for example talk about layers of sound how it creates contrast and variety.

talk about tone colour and performing media and what theyre playing. remember if it asks you to talked about say pitch you can refer to tone colour to help your answer

 

[susan04281]

thankyou all of you, i hadn't even noticed ppl, answered ma question..

thankxxxx

 

[tuppence42]

does anyone know where I can listen to or download the music for past music 1 exams (trial or hsc) - i have lots of past papers, but no music!!
thanks and goodluck for tuesday!

 

[19sam91]

does anyone know where I can listen to or download the music for past music 1 exams (trial or hsc) - i have lots of past papers, but no music!!
thanks and goodluck for tuesday!

YES, go to Board of studies and search "standards packages" they give you exam questions, songs and example answer for each band! is really awsome and you can see how to write your answers out!

 

[tuppence42]

thanks heaps!

 

[zaneus]

None of them are working for me none of the audio samples load.

 

[19sam91]

None of them are working for me none of the audio samples load.

Yeh sometimes they didnt for me either. Also there is a 1999 test on here look in the resources section! Best of luck to everyone tomoro, thank god it will finally be over!

 

[sam64mcd]

I have a few pointers for aural that I've heard from teachers and others that I think are pretty good:

~ Listen to anything and everything. Grab some old records from people you know, tune into the really out-there radio stations and gain an appreciation for music as a whole. Past papers for Music are also great resources for closer to the HSC date.
~ Understand the concepts of music inside and out, plus key terms for each concept. They're pretty much the syllabus for aural, so link your response to the concept referred to in the question.
~ Once you listen to heaps of music, you start to notice patterns, especially in rock/pop songs ie chordal structure, verse/chorus/coda and many repetitive riffs and ostinatos. Getting used to finding and identifying techniques in music is really useful for aural exams.
~ Just like any other subject, talking about music to your Music classmates really helps in understanding how to analyse pieces in the HSC. You are able to gain new perspectives, as some people may hear things that didn't register for you. Also, as someone stated beforehand, standards packages and marking guidelines are really helpful in knowing what needs to be addressed in HSC.

The way I plan out my aural questions is:
1) While listening the first time, I jot down key words in the space at the top of the page, work out things like tempo, bars and sections and really get a feel for the song, especially if it's a tone colour one.
2) I mainly use dot points and organise my response around the sections of the piece, and what happens in each section.
3) Make sure I support what I'm saying with reference to the piece. ie a smooth, majestic tone colour is achieved through long, sustained legato notes played by the first violins.
4) If possible, I try and draw some sort of diagram/graph to show visually what I can hear, and it's really effective.

Aural is pretty easy if you really listen to the piece and understand the concepts thoroughly. You can study it like anything else in the HSC and you can always improve. Don't feel obliged to write in essay-format, but to gain the most marks, having dot points with clear, concise points about the music with evidence from the excerpt has proved to work for me.
Good luck everyone for tomorrow!

 

[gifted:)]

im the only one in my grade that does music ... gonna be lonely in that hr and 5 mins ... surrounded by those fat supervisers ...

i get most of my marks with diagrams .. with duration and tempo its best to notate the rhythm gd luck guys

 

[Shikobe]

How do you answer questions that say for example, "with reference to texture discuss how the composer uses structure in his work"?????

I have no idea how to do these...

 

[Dream-Theater]

How do you answer questions that say for example, "with reference to texture discuss how the composer uses structure in his work"?????

I have no idea how to do these...

Jot down the structure, for example.

Intro


Verse


Chorus

So describe the texture in each of those parts, the texture relating to the layers of instruments playing.

Intro
Acoustic guitar

Verse
Male tenor vocals
Acoustic guitar

Chorus
Male tenor vocals
Acoustic guitar
electric bass
Drum kit.

Remember to be specific with your instrument names, don't just put "singing" or "guitar".

Anyway that's a pretty simple explanation.

 

[pianolover2]

For my aural exam, I used AURALBOOK--it's an app you can download. It's really easy to use and knows exactly what to test you on. It greatly improved my listening skills. I am so thankful I found it because I know that's why I passed my exams. AURALBOOK gives you direct feedback like a teacher is talking to you so it's the most helpful aid possible. It's also free which makes it even better. Definitely recommend getting it.