You have described some note values in tests your have heard. Some of the rhythms you will be asked to describe in your LCM grade 6 aural are syncopated. Play the musical examples using the media player beneath each one or click on the stave to download or open the midi file.
Read about some common ways in which the tests might be syncopated or sound unusual or go straight to the tests.
Dotted notes.
Learn the distinction between the 3 patterns in this example. I have had 'A' level students who could not tell the difference between B and C. In B the quaver is on the weak half of a beat; in C the first quaver is on a beat.
Ties
So long as you keep counting you should be able to spot a tied note. The important thing is to work out how long the tied note is since it could be any length. Phrase C is a little extreme!
Common syncopated patterns
Quaver-crotchet-quaver-minim needs spotting [1st extract below] and quavers which push all the values along by half a beat need considering [see bar 2 of 2nd extract]. On the early playing there will be a lower part to help fix the beat; when you are played the part to describe you will hear only the tune.
Triplets
Remember that a triplet divides a note into 3. Sounds daft, but if a crotchet contains 2 quavers then a triplet squeezes 3 quavers into the time which the 2 would have taken.
In the above, see how bar 1 and bar 3 differ. In bar 3 the minim which would have filled the bar has been split into 3 equal parts.
