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TASMusic

Aural and Music Theory

11 dot points across 11 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How do we identify compositional and expressive devices in a played excerpt by ear?

Aurally identify compositional devices in selected excerpts, such as sequence, crescendo, improvisation, metre change, ostinato, imitation and modulation.
How to recognise compositional and expressive devices by ear in a played excerpt (sequence, crescendo, improvisation, metre change, ostinato, imitation, modulation) for the TASC Music Level 3 listening and identifying use of music elements criterion.
6 min answer →

How do we transcribe melody, rhythm and harmony accurately by ear, and detect errors in a written score?

Take melodic and rhythmic dictation, transcribe a bass line and harmony, identify intervals and chords aurally, and find notated errors against a played example.
A practical method for melodic and rhythmic dictation, transcribing bass lines and harmony by ear, identifying intervals and cadences aurally, and spotting pitch and rhythm errors in a score for TASC Music Level 3 aural tasks.
6 min answer →

How are chords built and labelled, and how do progressions and cadences shape the harmony of a piece?

Construct triads and seventh chords, label them with Roman numerals and chord symbols, recognise inversions, and analyse progressions and cadences.
How to build triads and seventh chords, label harmony with Roman numerals and chord symbols, identify inversions and figured bass, and analyse common progressions and cadences for TASC Music Level 3 theory and aural work.
6 min answer →

How do we name, build and hear intervals, and how do we transpose a melody accurately into a new key?

Identify and construct intervals by number and quality, invert them, recognise them by ear, and transpose melodies for different keys and instruments.
How to measure intervals by number and quality, build and invert them, recognise them aurally, and transpose melodies to a new key or for a transposing instrument in TASC Music Level 3 theory and aural tasks.
6 min answer →

How do we identify a melody we hear, including a missing phrase or the correct version from several options?

Aurally identify a melodic phrase heard from several notated options, and recognise a two-bar phrase missing from a given melody.
How to match a heard melody to the correct notated option, identify a two-bar phrase missing from a given melody, and use contour, intervals and rhythm to discriminate between similar phrases for TASC Music Level 3 aural tasks.
6 min answer →

How do we write a coherent melody and notate it correctly so any musician can read it?

Write a melody with clear phrase structure and cadence, and notate pitch and rhythm using correct clefs, stems, beaming, accidentals and bar layout.
How to write a short melody with balanced phrases, contour and cadences, and how to notate it correctly using clefs, stem direction, beaming by beat, accidentals, ties and bar layout for TASC Music Level 3 theory tasks.
6 min answer →

What are the modes, and what melodic and rhythmic devices shape improvised and developed music?

Construct and recognise the church modes, and identify improvisational and developmental devices such as sequence, inversion, ornamentation, polyrhythm, anticipation and suspension.
How to build and hear the seven church modes, and how to recognise the devices that shape improvised and developed melody (sequence, inversion, motif development, ornamentation, polyrhythm, anticipation and suspension) for TASC Music Level 3 theory and aural work.
6 min answer →

What do the common terms, signs and performance directions on a score mean, and how do they affect the sound?

Define and explain the meaning and musical effect of common terms, signs and performance directions covering tempo, dynamics, articulation and expression.
How to define and explain the effect of common Italian terms, dynamic and tempo markings, articulation signs and expression directions on a score, as required by the TASC Music Level 3 read and write music statements criterion.
6 min answer →

How do time signatures, note values and metre organise rhythm, and how do we notate rhythm accurately by ear?

Interpret simple and compound time signatures, group note values correctly, handle tuplets and syncopation, and notate rhythm from listening.
How simple and compound time signatures work, how to group and beam note values, handle dotted notes, tuplets and syncopation, and notate rhythm accurately by ear for TASC Music Level 3 theory and aural tasks.
6 min answer →

How do we find rhythmic errors between sound and score, and notate a rhythm we hear?

Identify rhythmic errors by comparing a played excerpt with a notated score, and notate the rhythm of an instrumental part heard in an excerpt.
How to spot where a played excerpt differs from an incorrectly notated score, and how to notate the rhythm of a part heard by ear, for the TASC Music Level 3 listening and identifying use of music elements criterion.
6 min answer →

How are scales, keys and modes built, and how do we recognise them by ear and on the page?

Construct and identify major, minor and modal scales, work out key signatures, and recognise tonality aurally.
How to build major, natural, harmonic and melodic minor scales and the common modes, derive key signatures from the circle of fifths, and identify tonality by ear for TASC Music Level 3.
6 min answer →