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UNIT 4: AURAL PERCEPTION SKILLS
TERM 3LEVEL 3 (90 CREDIT) DIPLOMA IN MUSIC
Course materials 2014 - 2015
Unit Study Guide
Learning information
Aims: The aim of this unit is to help learners develop a critical ear and knowledge about melodic
parts, harmonic progressions, rhythms and texture.
Unit Content:
Intervals: major; minor; perfect; augmented; diminished; simple; compound
Pitches: tones; semi-tones; degrees of the scale
Types of chord: major; minor; dominant; augmented; diminished; seventh chords
Chord progressions: standard progressions in both diatonic and chromatic forms
Time signatures: duple; triple; compound; complex eg 7/8
Rhythms: regular; dotted; syncopated; triplets; subdivisions eg 2+2+3 in 7/8
Harmony: diatonic harmony; chromatic harmony
Tonality: tonal; atonality; bitonality; polytonality
Learning Outcomes
1. Know about different intervals and pitches
2. Know about chord and chord progressions
3. Know about simple and complex rhythms
4. Know about harmony and tonality
Assessment and grading criteria
To achieve a pass grade the evidence must show that the learner is able to:
To achieve a merit grade the evidence must show that, in addition to the pass criteria, the learner is able to:
To achieve a distinction grade the evidence must show that, in addition to the pass and merit criteria, the learner is able to:
P1 identify, in a variety of types
of music, simple intervals and
pitches
[IE, RL]
M1 describe, in a variety of types
of music, simple intervals and
pitches
D1 explain, in a variety of types
of music, simple intervals and
pitches
P2 identify, in a variety of types
of music, simple chords and
chord progressions
[IE, RL]
M2 describe, in a variety of types
of music, simple chords and
chord progressions
D2 explain, in a variety of types
of music, simple chords and
chord progressions
P3 identify, in a variety of types
of music, simple rhythms
[IE, RL]
M3 describe, in a variety of types
of music, complex rhythms
D3 explain, in a variety of types
of music, complex rhythms
P4 identify, in a variety of types of music, simple harmony and tonality. [IE, RL]
M4 describe, in a variety of types of music, simple harmony and tonality
D4 explain, in a variety of types of music, simple harmony and tonality.
Learning Resources
Recommended reading;
Textbooks
Adler S The Study of Orchestration (W.W. Norton & co, 2002) ISBN 9780393975727
Bowman D and Terry P Aural Matters (Schott, 1995) ISBN 9780946535224
Taylor E The AB Guide to Music Theory (ABRSM, 1991) ISBN 9781854724472
Formative Assessment: Weekly verbal feedback and guidance. Additional formative feedback sessions will take place in weeks 4 and 6.
Summative assessment:
Assignment 3: Written Exam (Analysing harmonic language) (P4, M4, D4)
Timing of summative assessment: Week 8
Overview:
Welcome to Aural Perception!
All musicians, whatever stage of the musical journey they are involved with would benefit from this unit.
Aural perception skills are fundamental to success for all types of musicians. Studying this unit involves
listening to many different types of music and learning how to describe individual parts and the effects
created by the combination of these parts. You will develop the skills needed to analyse a piece of music,
recognising the different elements involved and the different textures created by a variety of types of
instrumentation. You will listen to many different kinds of music during the study of this unit.
Performers, composers, engineers and producers working professionally need good aural perception
skills. They need to be able to hear the musical elements, so that they can comment constructively.
Performers need to be able to listen critically to rehearse effectively. Composers and producers need to
hone their awareness of part writing, rhythm, instrumental timbre and texture. Engineers would benefit
tremendously from being able to communicate with performers using a common musical.
English Functional Skills Level 2Unit no: Assignment title English skills Grading
Criteria
Unit 4: Aural Perception
Unit 4: Aural Perception
1 : The Elements of Music (Written Test / Oral response to questions)
2 : Adding Interest (Oral response to questions / performance of sections)
Writing: analysing and comparing textures from a number of pieces of music.
P1, M1, D1 P2, M2, D2 P3, M3, D3 P4, M4, D4
Programme: Level 3 (90 Credit) Diploma in Music Term 3
Unit 4: Aural Perception (Universal) Week 1
Objectives
Revise A&T from Term 2
Please note that this Unit requires manuscript paper to make notes.
By now you should be able to recognise all simple intervals, as well as recognising, singing and playing the
major and minor triads.
You should be familiar with the root position, 1st
and 2nd
inversions and how to notate them.
You should be familiar with the time signatures 3/4, 4/4 and 6/8 and be able to clap, sing and transcribe
rhythms including dotted notes and ties.
Furthermore, you have learned how to transcribe melodies and bass-lines, combining your knowledge of
intervals and rhythms.
Intervals
Major and minor triads
Rhythm in 4/4
Rhythm in 6/8
Inversions
Transcribing a melody and bass-line
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT:
Play the melody and bass-line above on the keyboard. Make sure to take your time. Dont rush, and if it
helps you, count the beats out loud while playing. Keep the tempo slow until you are sure you are playing it
correctly. The bass clef is to be played with your left hand.
Start off with playing each voice separately until you can do this with no errors. Then you can put them
together.
Programme: Level 3 (90 Credit) Diploma in Music Term 3
Unit 4: Aural Perception (Universal) Week 2
Objectives
Revise scales Song structure (pop)
The major scale
The natural minor scale
Intervals
Triads
Song structure (pop)
Now that your knowledge of music transcription is reaching a certain level, we can start to apply it more
and more to transcribing real songs.
Ultimately, being able to analyze and transcribe a full song would be the goal, as this is something
professional musicians often have to do.
Understanding structures in songs is a big part of this. The structure is like the frame of the song.
A very common structure in pop songs could be:
Intro
Verse 1
Pre-chorus
Chorus
(Re-intro)
Verse 2
Pre-Chorus
Chorus
M8 / Bridge / Solo
Chorus
Chorus
Outro
This is in no way written in stone, and you will see many varieties of this structure. You dont necessarily
have to have a pre-chorus, and intros and outros are optional, as is a M8/bridge.
All these sections of a song have different roles to play in the song. Your tutor will tell you more about
this, and play you some examples:
Examples of songs with pop structureBroken Strings by James Morrison and Nelly Furtado Life is a Highway by Rascall Flatts Hit me with your best shot by Pat Benatar
Even though we can call this sort of structure pop structure, that doesnt mean that it is only used in pop
songs.
There are thousands upon thousands of songs that follow the pop structure more or less. Try to start
noticing the structure of the songs you normally listen to. Do they fall into this category?
There are many other types of songs structures. We will get to these in later units.
Transcribing melody and bass-line
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT:
Listen to the following song and analyze the structure of the song. Write down the names of the sections in
the song:
You Oughta Know by Alanis Morisette
Programme: Level 3 (90 Credit) Diploma in Music Term 3
Unit 4: Aural Perception (Universal) Week 3
Objectives
Rhythms with triplets Rhythms with swing feel
Rhythms with triplets
Rhythms with swing feel
Transcribing melody and bass-line
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT:
Play the melody and bass-line on your keyboard. You will play this in class next week.
Programme: Level 3 (90 Credit) Diploma in Music Term 3
Unit 4: Aural Perception (Universal) Week 4
Objectives
Diminished and augmented triads Song structure (AABA)
Diminished and augmented triads
Write the chords and notate the chord symbol above.
Rhythms
Swing:
Straight (including triplets):
Song structure (AABA)
The AABA structure is an older structure than the pop one. It was the most common structure used in
jazz and blues, and also other popular music genres back in the first half of the 1900s.
The A section is normally the main section of the song. It contains something memorable, and parts of
this can be repeated in the other A sections.
The B section gives some sort of contrast.
We will discuss in class how the AABA structure can also be used in contemporary styles.
Examples of songs with AABA structureYesterday by The Beatles These are the Days by Jamie Cullum Girl from Ipanema by Atrud Gilberto
Intervals
(simple)
Transcribing melody and bassline
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
Listen to the following song and try to analyse and write down the structure:
You Are The Sunshine of my Life by Stevie Wonder
Programme: Level 3 (90 Credit) Diploma in Music Term 3
Unit 4: Aural Perception (Universal) Week 5
Objectives
Sus-chords Transcribing chords with bassline Instrumentation
Rhythms
Swing:
Straight (including triplets):
Triads (Major, minor, diminished and augmented)
Sus-chords (Sus4 and Sus2)
Transcribing chords with bassline (The chords will be in different inversions)
Instrumentation
In your theory lessons you have been starting to analyse instrumentation in songs. We will delve deeper
into this in this unit.
We will discuss in class the sounds and roles of different instruments in the following songs:
Examples for instrumentationRehab by Amy Winehouse Talkin bout a revolution by Tracy Chapman Steady as She Goes by The Raconteurs
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
Listen to the following song. Map out the structure, and notate which instruments are present in each
section.
What is the time signature? What is the key signature?
Everybody Hurts by R.E.M.
Programme: Level 3 (90 Credit) Diploma in Music Term 3
Unit 4: Aural Perception (Universal) Week 6
Objectives
Structure (Other) Writing chord charts
Chords (Major, minor, diminished, augmented and sus-chords)
Intervals (Simple)
Structure (other)
We have looked at the common pop structure, and AABA structures.
Of course, there are other ways to structure a song as well. Most commonly in genres like folk, hip hop, jazz
and in many electronica genres.
We will discuss in class how to analyse songs that have other structural forms.
Examples of songs with other structure
I Gotta Feeling (Black Eyed Peas)Seven Nation Army (White Stripes)
Writing Chord charts
Being able to write out a chord chart is a must-have skill for any musician (singers as well). It is important
that you know how to write this clearly so that it can easily be read. This will save you a lot of time in
rehearsals.
In a chord chart you have all the basic information about the chords and the structure of the song. You can
also add small comments or extra notes about stops/breaks and dynamic changes. You can also inform
about the time signature, feel and tempo of the song.
Your tutor will explain to you how to write out a chord chart properly.
We will now listen to some songs and write down the chord chart for them
Examples
Happy Together by The Turtles Let Me Entertain You by Robbie Williams
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
Try to find 1 or 2 songs that have a structure significantly different from the pop or AABA structures. Bring
them with you next week, ready to play them in class.
Programme: Level 3 (90 Credit) Diploma in Music Term 3
Unit 4: Aural Perception (Universal) Week 7
Objectives
Writing a leadsheet Transposing
#Chords
(Major, minor, diminished, augmented and sus-chords)
Rhythms
Swing:
Straight (including triplets):
Writing a leadsheet
A leadsheet is a piece of paper containing all the information you need about the melody, chords and
structure of a song.
In the chord charts we did last week there was no information about the melody.
A leadsheet could look like this:
This arrangement is made for the sole purpose of use within the Institute and may not be used for any other purpose without the possibility of infringing copyright. The original title of the work is Stuck in a Moment by U2. In particular, it may not be PUBLICLY PERFORMED, RECORDED, REPRODUCED or BROADCAST.
Transcribing chords with bassline (The chords will be in different inversions)
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT:
Write out a chord chart fitting the leadsheet of Stuck in a Moment.
Also, identify these chords that are present in the song:
I IIm IV V VIm
Student Notes
Action Checklist prior to exam
Programme: Level 3 (90 Credit) Diploma in Music Term 3
Unit 4: Aural Perception (Universal) Week 8
Summative Assessment
Assignment 3: Written Exam (Analysing harmonic language) (P4, M4, D4)
This lesson will be used for a summative assessment. The assessment will be based on the lesson content
from the previous weeks.