The Aural exam questions are not mentioned in the syllabus.
There are words that are used in exam questions that are not seen in the
syllabus either! The best way to be prepared is to be familiar with the wording
of questions from previous exams.
Use your brain if you get a question with a specific word that confuses you and don’t panic! Think about what the question is asking. Here is a sample of a totally 'out of left field question': ‘Discuss how the composer has used various compositional devices’. Ok, you know what a composer is… compositional devices… what is a device? It’s a thing that does stuff. So, what things has the composer used in the music that does stuff? Since no specific concept is mentioned all concepts are up for grabs. Write your headings and get cracking. Basically a device is any musical feature. A modulation is a device, a rhythm/accent pattern is a device, a crescendo is a device, a textural change is a device, a sequence is a device. A device is an element of the music that brings about musical change. So, the question is very easy. Don’t let the wording throw you off. I have done my best by giving you every HSC question dating back to when the current syllabus started. You are ready for any question they throw at you!
Use your brain if you get a question with a specific word that confuses you and don’t panic! Think about what the question is asking. Here is a sample of a totally 'out of left field question': ‘Discuss how the composer has used various compositional devices’. Ok, you know what a composer is… compositional devices… what is a device? It’s a thing that does stuff. So, what things has the composer used in the music that does stuff? Since no specific concept is mentioned all concepts are up for grabs. Write your headings and get cracking. Basically a device is any musical feature. A modulation is a device, a rhythm/accent pattern is a device, a crescendo is a device, a textural change is a device, a sequence is a device. A device is an element of the music that brings about musical change. So, the question is very easy. Don’t let the wording throw you off. I have done my best by giving you every HSC question dating back to when the current syllabus started. You are ready for any question they throw at you!