Chapter 4 - Aural Skills Part 1: Fundamentals and Singing

Aural skills

The process of identifying, producing, and notating the elements of music that we hear

Melodic dictation

Free response section that includes two melodies which will be performed either by instrument or by voice

Harmonic dictation

Going one step deeper into hearing, identifying, and notating

Sight-singing

A method of training your brain to understand the relationship between notes within a specific scale or tonality

Movable-Do

Commonly used method of solfeggio. It means that regardless of what key you’re in, the tonic (first note of the scale) is always Do.

Fixed-Do

The opposite of movable-Do. This system attaches solfege syllables that remain with the pitch regardless of key.

Prevalent systems for singing in a minor mode

• Do-based minor
• La-based minor

Do-based minor

Movable-do system in minor. Here the Do-based minor is the parallel of Do-based major.

La-based minor

It reflects the relative minor of any major scale and uses the same pitches starting on the sixth scale degree or La.

Scale degree finder

An exercise used to quickly go through the scale and find the pitch you need. It contains the tonic triad and common diatonic intervals.

Natural

There are no alterations from the key signature

Harmonic

The 7th degree is raised both ascending and descending

Melodic

Minor scale with both the 6th and the 7th scale degree raised

Minor pentachord

All three begin with the same first five notes

Parallel

Major and minor keys with different key signatures but with the same tonic