Essential Aural Skills

This course has been cancelled, please join our mailing list to find out about future dates and new courses. 

Ages 11–17

Course Dates & Times

Monday 25–Saturday 30 July 2022
11am–12.30pm & 2–3.30pm daily, BST (UTC+1)

About Essential Aural Skills

This six-day online music course, led by Guildhall professor Shelagh Sutherland, will help you practise your aural skills, accelerate the learning process and make your playing more expressive. You will work on listening and memorising skills up to the level required for Grade 5 ABRSM.

Who is the course for?

Anyone who sings, plays and/or composes and wants to work on refining aural skills, whether for exams or personal development.

What can I expect?

You will work on listening and memorising skills up to the level required for Grade 5 ABRSM and Trinity exams for the following topics:

• Melody:
  • copying vocally and instrumentally
  • interval recognition
  • sight singing
• Harmony:
  • cadences
  • chord-naming
  • tonality
  • modulation
• Rhythm:
  • recognising time-signatures
  • clapping back
  • sight clapping
• Practical working knowledge of theory up to ABRSM Grade 5
• Mistake spotting
• Style and historical period recognition
• Understanding of character within music (e.g. dance, lullaby)
• Understanding of form and structure, dynamics, phrasing and articulation

Do I need anything for the course?

• Your instrument
• A piano/keyboard (desirable)
• Manuscript paper
• Pencil

Course Fee

£425

This course has been cancelled, please join our mailing list to find out about future dates and new courses. 

Eligibility

• For everyone aged 11–17.
• Participants must have sufficient English language skills to cope with course demands.

Online Short Courses Requirements

All sessions will take place online using Zoom. A Zoom link will be sent to you in advance of the course start date with further instructions.

To participate in online classes you will need the following:

• An email address
• A reliable internet connection
• A laptop/tablet/desktop computer with a microphone and camera (most have these included)
• Speakers/headphones (the speakers in your laptop/tablet/computer should be sufficient)
• A fully updated web browser able to use the most up to date version of Zoom, or a fully updated Zoom client

If you have any questions regarding joining one of our online courses please contact us.

About the Course Tutor

Aural Skills is taught by Shelagh Sutherland, a freelance pianist who has been teaching piano, violin, singing and Alexander Technique since 1972. She has been teaching the aural course at Guildhall School since 1990, which she was instrumental in designing.