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Norges musikkhøgskole Norwegian Academy of Music Search

Aur­al train­ing I

Course description

  • Year of study: Year 1, over two semesters
  • Final assessment: Assessment by course tutor/practical-oral exam
  • Prerequisites: Admission to one of the study programmes in which the course is included
  • Language of instruction: Norwegian/English

Aural training is predominantly a practical subject which requires the student to take an active part in the lessons and to work independently. During the course, the student should acquire fundamental aural skills relating to melody, rhythm and harmony. The course requires the student to acquire methodical insights and to apply those insights in musical performance. The work done on this course provides a basis for further specialisation in Year 2.

The subject is followed by Aural training II (GEHØR11).

Learning objectives

On completion of this course, the student is expected to

  • have adopted basic methods for using their ear actively and independently when making music
  • demonstrate basic listening skills to identify, remember and reproduce (sing/play/describe/write) both details and larger structures in a musical sequence
  • be able to accurately read, structure, memorise and reproduce (sing/play) a musical score

Overview

The course covers tonal and atonal melody, tonal harmony and rhythm. Developing practical aural skills and strengthening the inner ear are central to the course. The learning materials will be taken from different musical genres. The work will involve both performed and written music.

Practical/oral exercises may include imitation, memorisation and improvisation exercises, tempo training, intonation, practising score-reading techniques, sight-reading, combination exercises and aural analysis. Written exercises may include notation techniques, dictation exercises, transcription, correction and completion exercises.

Detailed course contents can be found in the semester schedule.

Structure

Tuition takes place in groups. Lectures, discussions and study groups may also be used. The students are usually split into groups according to their level of skill/audition results. Their chosen study programme and genre may also be taken into account where appropriate.

Students with an attendance figure of more than 80% can have the course passed if the course tutor considers the learning objectives to have been achieved (see Final assessment - alternative 2). Attendance is therefore registered even if there is no compulsory attendance in the course. The course tutor facilitates assessment situations during classes.

For a summary of indicative workload and structure, please see the “Structure” section of the relevant programme of study.


Course requirements

The student must submit 10 short written assignments. This number may be reduced if the course tutor wishes to set fewer but longer assignments.

Deadline: All course requirements must have been met by 15 April.

Final assessment

All course requirements must be approved prior to obtaining a final assessment.

Assessment is based on learning objectives. The final assessment is given as a pass/fail mark, which is determined by the course instructor based on one of the two options below. More information under Structure above.

Option 1 (standard option)

The final assessment is made on the basis of a practical/oral exam lasting approx. 20 minutes and comprising prepared and unprepared exercises. The student’s ability to actively apply the course content will be given considerable weight. The assessment is carried out by at least two internal examiners.

Option 2

Students who as of 15 April in the second semester of the course have had at least 80% attendance in the course and have actively participated in classes, can be assessed by the course tutor instead of the practical/oral exam. The course tutor then makes an individual assessment of the student's academic level through the work with the course. Assessment is given continuously until the end of the course, and the requirement for attendance thus also applies after 15 April. The subject teacher decides whether the individual student can be assessed according to this scheme.

New assessment

In the event of a fail, the student must sit a practical exam as described under Option 1 above.

Vedtatt i studieutvalget 10.09.2021, sak 3/21, med virkning f.o.m. høsten 2021.

Study component

Published: Apr 3, 2020 — Last updated: Jan 26, 2023