ADVANCED AURAL LESSONS FOR MUSIC DIPLOMAS and A LEVELS

Teaching Aural Lessons for Music Diplomas (all instruments) and Organ Lessons

Online Aural Lessons?

Aural teaching can be very strategic and planned and my lessons are relevant for all instruments and levels. The idea that people ‘can’ or ‘cannot’ when it comes to aural tests is not true. It is true that some people find music diploma exams easier than others, but it is also true that way can all make great progress through good teaching, methodology, pedagogy and a planned programme. Aural training is a skill that should be developed through a carefully planned aural and musicianship course. These days, learning aural and musicianship skills online is undoubtedly the best route.

How do I train my ear for Aural Exams?

It’s about internalisation and an holistic approach that trains the whole musician, making all of the neurons fire to create many different connections. For instance, two common chord progressions that in ‘music theory’ seem very different, only have one note different: IV-V-I and iib-V-I. To spot only one note difference in a progression by ear is not easy, but through improvisation, as well as playing back and copying in a form of instant dictation, the sound is absorbed by the memory. This doesn’t happen through traditional theory tuition.

The Kodaly Philosophy and Aural Teaching

One excellent route to train your ear for aural tests is to use solfege and Kodaly’s philosophies regarding training the inner-ear (what we hear in our heads). Teaching inspired by Kodaly tends to lead to critical thinkers who understand and interpret rather than just ‘hear’.

What about different styles and textures?

This can be a key issue. In ‘real’ music, chord progressions don’t sound as a succession of homophonic blocks like in a Western hymn. The textures created by different instruments, singers and accompaniment styles make the music feel more linear or horizontal than vertical. Improvisation takes these progressions further by making them into instant ‘real’ pieces and the student absorbs their sound ‘quality’, generating a deeper more multi-faceted sense of recall.

Can’t I just try past aural test papers?

Yes, you can, but you won’t progress by doing this. Aural tests inform you where you are currently at, but they don’t create an aural or musicianship course or strategy to get you where you want to be. With the correct music teacher, the tests are informative for future teaching and learning, not just summative.

Online Aural Lessons, how?

Actually, it’s no different to being in the room from the student, except, it’s better! Online allows for two organs or pianos simultaneously – one for the organ pupil or piano pupil (or any other instrument) and one for the teacher. By the online aural music teacher playing specific patterns, the student can instantly copy them back. This is better than repeating written work because it gives instant feedback for the teacher and student, leading to immediate adaptation and instant progress.

Aural Lessons Online

Where do I get Aural Training Lessons Online?

Try the Robin’s Online Aural Lessons Courses by joining the Maestro Online Library. Here there are aural courses that range from beginners to music diplomas (modulations, augmented sixth chords, inversions, 2 part-hearing and beyond), solfege courses, piano and organ courses that start with solfege, sight-singing courses.