Chinese Violin Teacher Worldwide Online ABRSM Aural Training
Shang Kun 2026-07-25 1
Let me be honest with you about something that has bothered me for years. I have taught violin students from all over the world, and almost every single one of them comes to me saying the same thing: “I just can’t do aural training. I’m not musical enough. It feels like guessing.” They think it’s a talent you are born with, and if you don’t have it, you’ll never pass the ABRSM aural section with confidence. That could not be further from the truth.
This article is written from the perspective of someone who has been inside the system—not just as a teacher, but as a performer and an examiner observer. I want to share what I have learned over two decades of teaching, and help you see aural training not as a scary exam requirement, but as something you can actually master with the right guidance. And yes, I will talk about my own teaching practice at Kun Violin toward the end, but only because I believe it genuinely solves a problem that most students face.
Why ABRSM Aural Training Feels So Hard (And Why It’s Not Your Fault)Let’s start with the elephant in the room. The ABRSM aural tests are designed to assess your musical perception, memory, and understanding. But the way they are taught in many local music schools is mechanical. You sit in a room with a piano, the teacher plays a sequence, and you try to repeat it. If you miss, you feel stupid. No one explains what exactly you should listen for, how to break down a melody into smaller chunks, or why your ear seems to shut down under pressure.
I have met students who went through years of traditional aural classes, yet still could not tell if a cadence was perfect or imperfect. They memorised patterns without understanding the underlying logic. That is not their fault. It is a flaw in the teaching method. Aural training in the ABRSM context is not just about raw hearing ability—it is about recognising musical syntax. And syntax can be learned, just like grammar in a language.
Here is the first piece of honest advice I give every new student: stop treating aural as a separate subject. It belongs to your instrument practice. When you play a scale, you are also training your ear. When you listen to a recording of your own performance, you are doing aural work. The problem is that most teachers never connect these dots. They teach violin technique in one lesson, and aural in another, as if they are unrelated. That is a mistake.
The Hidden Link Between Violin Playing and Aural IntelligenceAs a violin teacher who has been playing since age four, I have come to realise something important: violinists actually have an advantage in aural training—if they use it right. Violin is a fretless instrument. You cannot just press a key and expect the right pitch. Every note requires you to place your finger with microscopic precision. That forces you to listen actively, constantly comparing the sound you produce with the sound in your head.
But here is the irony: many violin students still struggle with aural tests because they rely too much on visual cues—finger positions, sheet music, even tape markers on the fingerboard. When you take away the visual, their ear goes silent. The solution is not more ear training drills in isolation. It is to rebuild the connection between what you hear and what you feel in your left hand. This is something I focus heavily on in my own teaching at Kun Violin. Every online or in-person lesson I give, I make sure the student is not just seeing or reading music, but actively hearing and anticipating the next pitch before they play it.
If you are preparing for an ABRSM exam, especially at Grades 6 to 8, the aural section will test your ability to describe musical features, sight-sing, and identify modulations. These are not magic tricks. They are skills that can be broken down into manageable steps. But you need a teacher who knows exactly what the exam requires, and who also understands the violin-specific challenges of pitch memory and intonation.
Online Aural Training: What Actually Works (And What Doesn’t)I started teaching online violin lessons years before it became a mainstream trend. At first, I was skeptical. How can you teach aural training through a screen How can you check a student’s pitch accuracy when there is inevitable latency I experimented with different tools and methods until I found a system that works. Let me share what I have learned so you can avoid wasting time on ineffective online courses.
First, avoid any program that relies solely on pre-recorded audio tracks and multiple-choice quizzes. That is not training; it is testing. Real aural development requires live interaction. You need someone who can hear your response in real time, correct your pitch on the spot, and adapt the difficulty to your current level. A good online aural lesson should feel like a conversation, not a robot giving you exercises.
Second, ensure the teacher can see and hear you clearly. I use high-quality microphones and insist students do the same. A common mistake is thinking any laptop microphone is good enough. It is not. For pitch-based exercises, you need a setup where the teacher can hear whether your voice or your violin is sharp or flat. I always spend the first lesson helping students optimise their audio setup. It makes a world of difference.
Third, look for a teacher who integrates aural training with your instrument practice. In my online lessons, I do not separate “aural time” from “violin time.” We will work on a passage from your ABRSM piece, and then I will ask you to identify the intervals within that passage, or sing a phrase back to me. This way, the ear training feels relevant, and you remember it better because it is attached to music you are already learning.
What to Look for in a Teacher: Beyond Certificates and CredentialsI see many advertisements for “ABRSM aural exam experts” and “professional ear training coaches.” Some of them have impressive titles, but I have also seen students come to me after spending months with such teachers and still failing the aural section. Why Because a certificate does not guarantee that the teacher understands the specific needs of a violin student.
When you choose a teacher for online ABRSM aural training, look for these qualities:1. Real performance experience. A teacher who has played on stage knows that stage fright affects your ears too. They can train you to stay calm and hear clearly under pressure.
2. Experience with the ABRSM system specifically. Not all exam boards are the same. A teacher who has prepared many students for ABRSM knows the exact phrasing of the tests, the common traps, and the scoring criteria.
3. A method that is systematic, not random. Some teachers just “practise” the aural tests with you. That is like trying to learn math by doing random problems without understanding formulas. A good teacher will give you strategies for each component: pulse recognition, melodic memory, harmonic awareness, and sight-singing.
4. Empathy. I cannot stress this enough. Aural training is vulnerable work. You are putting your ears and voice on display. If a teacher makes you feel stupid for missing a note, you will only get more anxious. Look for someone who encourages you and breaks down the task into steps so small you cannot fail.
My Own Background – And Why I Believe in This ApproachI do not usually talk about my qualifications because I think results speak louder than paper. But since you are reading this, you deserve to know who is behind these words. My name is Mr. ShangKun. I started learning violin at age four under Professor Jin Yanping at the Shenyang Conservatory of Music. I have performed at prestigious institutions in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan, and I have been teaching since 2003—that is over 20 years of standing next to students and helping them overcome exactly the kinds of challenges you face.
I am a member of the Violin Society under the Chinese Musicians Association, and I hold the Official Excellent Violin Tutor Certificate awarded by the China Conservatory of Music. But what matters more to me is that I have had students who started with zero confidence in aural skills and went on to score high marks in ABRSM exams, from Grade 5 to Grade 8. Some of them were adults who had been told they were “tone deaf.” They were not. They just needed the right guidance.
In 2017, I formally registered my teaching brand, which you may know as Kun Violin. I offer online violin lessons worldwide, including specialised ABRSM aural training, as well as in-person short-term intensive courses in Beijing. My teaching philosophy is simple: 1-on-1, personalised, and rooted in the systematic method I inherited from Professor Jin Yanping and refined through my own experience. Every student, whether they aim for a professional career, an exam certificate, or just personal enjoyment, deserves to learn in a way that respects their unique pace and goals.
A Practical Framework for Improving Your Aural Skills (Starting Today)Even if you are not ready to sign up for lessons, I want to give you something useful right now. Here is a three-step framework you can start using tonight to improve your ABRSM aural performance:
Step 1: Train your internal pulse. Clap along with recordings of classical music, but do not just follow the beat—predict where the downbeat is going next. This builds anticipation, which is exactly what the ABRSM pulse test requires.
Step 2: Sing intervals from your violin pieces. Take any two notes in a phrase you are learning. Play the first, then try to sing the second before you play it. Even if you are off, this trains your ear to connect the physical feeling of your left hand with the sound you expect. Over time, your pitch memory will become more reliable.
Step 3: Describe what you hear in simple language. Listen to a short excerpt from a Haydn or Mozart piece and ask yourself: is the mood happy or sad Does the melody go up or down Are there any sudden changes This prepares you for the “describing musical features” part of the exam. Do not worry about fancy terminology at first. Just use your own words.
If you do these three things for ten minutes a day, you will notice a difference within two weeks. But to get past the plateau and actually pass the exam with confidence, you need feedback from someone who can correct your blind spots. That is where a good teacher becomes indispensable.
Why You Should Consider Online Lessons with Kun Violin (And What to Expect)I will be direct with you: I am not interested in selling you a course you do not need. But if you have read this far, you likely recognise that effective aural training requires a specialist approach. I have built my online teaching practice to serve students around the world who cannot find a qualified violin teacher in their local area, or who want the flexibility of learning from home.
During an online aural training session with me, you will not just sit and repeat sounds. We will work with your current ABRSM repertoire. I will help you identify intervals and cadences within the pieces you are already practising. I will teach you to sight-sing using solfege that connects directly to your finger patterns on the violin. And I will track your progress with specific, measurable goals, not vague encouragement.
I have taught students from Australia, the United States, the UK, and Singapore. Some of them take weekly online lessons; others come to Beijing during school breaks for intensive crash courses. The common thread is that they all leave feeling more confident, not just in aural tests, but in their overall musicianship.
A Final Word of EncouragementIf you are reading this and feeling stuck—if you have tried aural apps, group classes, or self-study, and still feel like you are guessing—please know that you are not alone. And you are not broken. Aural ability is not a fixed trait. It is a skill that develops through the right kind of practice, delivered by someone who understands both the instrument and the exam system.
I have seen students cry from frustration in their first aural lesson, and then smile with genuine pride when they correctly identify a modulation in their mock exam three months later. That transformation is not magic. It is the result of clear methods, consistent effort, and a teacher who believes in the student’s potential even when the student does not believe in themselves.
Whether you choose to work with me or not, I hope this article has given you a clearer understanding of what online ABRSM aural training should look like. Do not settle for generic drills. Demand a teacher who understands the violin, the exam, and your individual journey.
If you want to explore how I can help you personally, feel free to visit my website or reach out for a consultation. I offer a free initial conversation where we can discuss your goals, assess your current level, and see if my approach is a good fit for you. No pressure, no sales pitch. Just a honest conversation between a teacher and a musician.
Music is a language. And the ear is its first translator. Let me help you become fluent.
