Grade 8 Aural, any tips gratefully accepted

[DarrellRivers]

Dear All,
I have picked up my violin after 20 years of rest and am planning to take my Grade 8 this year (which I never sat to due A level/glandular fever meltdown)
Playing and scales going well, but am slightly scared about the aural as it always my weak part of the exam.
However I am now an adult learner, I'm sure the key to it is preparation preparation.
I am having lessons but would rather save them for playing etc and so need some stuff I can work on in my own time. So any good websites, apps, books, CDs etc that people can recommend.
Many Thanks

[grovel]

www.abrsm.org/forum/lofiversion/index.php/t44482.html

You might find this useful?

[glaurung]

hofnote

[DarrellRivers]

Thanks lots

[MorningPurples]

ABRSM puts out two books with CDs for each grade with examples (Aural Training in practice, and Specimen Aural tests). They also have an App, but I haven't found that to be any more useful than the book, as I think the examples are pretty much the same.

There are also several other series with CDs - Aural time (Turnbull), Improve your Aural (Harris), SoundWise (Spragg) and Aural Tests (Perkins). Not all versions come with CDs, so you have to search for it.

Hofnote is OK, limited to about 50 examples per test per grade, so I found it very easy to recognise having had a specific example before. They also didn't follow the restrictions on the tests for each grade perfectly (e.g., for Gr5 melody repetition, sometimes there would be accidentals in the pattern, or it didn't start on a triad note). But it had some good things about it, and you could practice a lot. It has an App where you can access your account on your phone, but it's the same as on the computer.

there are a few more examples on e-aural trainer

and on eMusic Maestro Some are free and some you have to pay a little for, but not too much.

this one only goes up to Gr5, but might have some useful practice (also other resources on the site that could be useful) music teacher resources

Not specifically AB, but just general aural training: lots of games here Theta music trainer and some are similar to the things you have to do on the AB exam. some are free and some are subscription only to get to the higher levels.

I have done all of these. And I'm still bad at it. So this might not be the best recommendation list, but most people seem to get the hang of it by using these resources! I'm only trying to do gr5, dreading what is to come.

[DarrellRivers]

Yes, have just ordered the book
Also found the ABRSM forum quite helpful with lots of tips
Will start off with the CDs and see how I get on.
And then will do some planning as to how to approach
Am going to get sight seeing/scales and pieces tip top and then hopefully bit of leeway with the aural