neirocca sound-first music theory

Melodic and Harmonic Dictation

What is tested

The aural portion asks you to notate a melody and to identify the harmony of a short progression from listening alone. Scale degrees, not absolute pitches, are what you are really tracking, which is why the drills here change key every time.

Common mistakes

Candidates try to name absolute pitches and lose the line while doing it. The key is given, so track scale degrees and the contour of the melody; in harmonic dictation, listen to the bass and the quality of each chord rather than trying to hear every inner voice.

Practice with

The tool below checks your answer against the theory engine, so you get the same verdict a marker would.

Open the tool: Dictation Trainer →

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Related reading

All topics in this exam