This task shows how effectively a participant can recognise changes in dynamic level (whether they confuse small dynamic changes or whether they simply cannot identify dynamic contour reliably).

A musical phrase of eight bars is presented, with a maximum of four dynamic changes within the phrase. Each change is a sudden change in level. Dynamic levels used are chosen from the standard musical dynamics (mp, f, etc.). The specimens are chosen to have either:

• Identical dynamics to the test
• Identical number of changes and contour but different levels
• Identical number of changes but different contour
• Different number of changes