Aural Matters provides useful resource material for aural training at Advanced level in a single volume with two accompanying compact discs. the first part is packed with examples of dictation and discrimination exercises, carefully graded in difficulty. The recordings on disc allow these practice-materials to be used by the student at home, as well as by teachers in the classroom. The text provides a systematic approach to aural training – melody and two-part dictation, harmonic recognition, identifying errors in performance – with frequent hints and tips that will enable the student to develop increasing skill and confidence in the tests.
Part Two provides an recorded anthology of the compositional techniques with wich students are expected to be familiar at Advanced level. A huge variety of extracts has been specially selected from British folk-songs, world music, jazz, pop and the main periods of art music from the late Renaissance to modern times. A detailed commentary shows how to recognize periods, styles, structures, instruments and techniques in this music, with all of these features copiously illustrated in the examples on disc. The complete work provides an invaluable resource not only for the Advanced level aural syllabus, but also for any study of style and analysis in the wide variety of music that is encountered today.