Listening Challenge

This page features a test of your listening skills. The bottom of the page contains the answers so don’t scroll all the way down until you’ve written down your answers!

First, print out this PDF – it’s the score to the third movement of the Three Equali trombone quartet by Beethoven…

3 Equali Movement 3

Next, listen to this rendition of the movement as you follow along with the score:

Here’s the challenge: now the quartet is going to play the same movement again, BUT they are going to change one of the following attributes in one of the parts:

• change to a smaller mouthpiece
• change to baritone horn
• change to a small bore student model instrument
• play with a straight mute
• play with a cup mute
• play with a bucket mute

Your job is to listen carefully to discern what has changed and in which part. Since seeing the players would give it away, the next version is just a sound file…so here is question #1 – listen and write down which of the above options you think changed – and in which part…

 

Now they will do it again and change something different from the list above and in a different part…write down what you think changed and in which part…

2.

 

And again…

3.

 

Next, they will change TWO attributes. See if you can tell which ones and in which parts…

4.

 

And again TWO different attributes in different parts:

5.

 

Now they will change THREE attributes – see if you can tell which ones, and in which parts:

6.

 

And again, three different attributes in three different parts:

7.

 

Finally, this sound files has FOUR changes – see if you can figure out what they are and in what parts:

8.

 

When you are ready, scroll to the bottom of this page for the answers…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. First part changed to the small bore student model horn
2. Second part changed to a smaller mouthpiece
3. Fourth part played on straight mute
4. First part played baritone and fourth part played on cup mute
5. First part played on cup mute and fourth part played on a small mouthpiece
6. First part played on baritone, second part played on a small bore student model instrument and the third part played on cup mute
7. Second part played on bucket mute, third part played baritone and fourth part played on a small bore student model instrument
8. First part played on a small mouthpiece, second part played with cup mute, third part played on a small bore student model instrument and fourth part played with bucket mute