← Music syllabus

NSWMusic

Aural (core listening and analysis)

3 dot points across 3 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How do you analyse an unfamiliar excerpt through the concepts of music and structure a high-scoring aural response?

Aural analysis of unfamiliar music: identifying and describing the concepts of music in recorded excerpts, and structuring written responses for the HSC aural examination
A focused answer to the HSC Music aural dot point. How to listen to unfamiliar excerpts through the six concepts, the difference between describing and discussing, exam technique for short-answer aural questions, and the common pitfalls that cost marks in the listening paper.
6 min answer →

How do you take down melody and rhythm accurately by ear, and what method gives you the best chance in dictation tasks?

Melodic and rhythmic dictation: notating heard pitch and rhythm accurately, the Music 2 rhythmic and melodic expectations, and a reliable step-by-step dictation method
A focused guide to dictation in HSC Music. Notating heard rhythm and melody accurately, the kinds of intervals and rhythms expected (especially in Music 2), and a step-by-step method for working through dictation across multiple playings without losing your place.
6 min answer →

How do you read and sing an unseen melody accurately, and how does aural musicianship underpin every part of the music course?

Sight-singing and aural musicianship: reading and singing an unseen melody using sol-fa or intervals, the Music 2 sight-singing expectations, and the inner-hearing skills that support performance, composition and analysis
A focused guide to sight-singing and aural musicianship in HSC Music 2. Reading and singing an unseen melody using sol-fa or intervals, the Music 2 sight-singing test expectations, and the inner-hearing skills that strengthen performance, composition and analysis.
6 min answer →