LISTEN · FOLLOW THE SCORE · FILL THE GAPS
Exam Practice Dictation
An eight-bar melody, with five rhythm notes and five pitches for you to complete.
Original exam-style listening practice. Independent material, not an official exam paper.
Choose your practice
Check the current exam specification. Question format, excerpt length, number of missing notes and playback instructions can vary between papers. Use these exercises alongside your teacher’s advice and the current Pearson Edexcel GCSE Music specification.
30 different exercises at each level. No repeats until that level’s bank has been used. GCSE playback begins with a tonic chord and count-in. A Level playback starts directly with the music.
Listen to the tonic chord, count a complete bar, then follow the melody.
A longer score: turning your phone sideways may make it easier to follow. You can also scroll each line.
Build the 12 missing notes
Select a note number, choose its duration, then move its pitch with ↑ / ↓ or drag it on the stave. Use ♭, ♮ or ♯ when needed. Pitch and rhythm belong to the same numbered note.
(A) RHYTHM · 5 MARKS
Write the five missing note values
Select a numbered slot, then a note value. You can also drag a note value into a slot. This part is marked for rhythm only.
(B) MELODY · 5 MARKS
Place the five missing pitches
Drag an X-shaped notehead up or down. Its rhythmic position stays fixed. Or select a note below and use the arrow buttons or your keyboard’s ↑ / ↓ keys.
Need a little more practice?
Build your confidence with Melody Dictation for pitch, or Rhythm Dictation for note values and patterns. Choose a comfortable level, then come back to an exam-style extract.