Classroom related: 1.5 hours per week
Simulation Environment: 1.5 hours per week
Lecture, demonstration, and supervised practice.
- Sight Reading
- To recognize and play notes on the staff
- To recognize and play notes on ledger lines
- To recognize and play chords at random
- To play short melodies, hands separately and hands together
- Transposition
- To transpose simple pieces, hands separately, up or down a major second, minor second, major third or minor third, using the principles of vertical and horizontal transposition; recognition of intervals and melodic patterns
- Technique
- Development of individual finger control by the use of exercises
- Scales – modal, major, natural minor, harmonic minor, melodic minor, using standard fingering, one octave, hands separately. The scales will be played with legato, portato and staccato touch
- Triads – major and minor, root position and inversions, solid and broken form, one octave, hands separately, legato touch
- Arpeggios - major and minor, root position, two octaves, hands separately, legato
- Keyboard Harmony
- Chord progressions in major and minor keys played in keyboard style (e.g.: I - IV - V - I)
- Simple improvisation
- Harmonization of simple melodies
At the end of the course, the successful student will be able to demonstrate a knowledge of, and skills in, the fundamentals of keyboard sight reading, transposition, technique, phrasing and articulation, basic chord progressions, ensemble playing, and repertoire.
The grade will be calculated on the basis of progress made in the various aspects of the course as follows:
| Weekly progress* | 40% |
| Regularly scheduled quizzes (minimum of 4) | 20% |
| Midterm Exam | 15% |
| Final Exam | 25% |
| Total | 100% |
*Frequent, short evaluations are designed to give feedback on newly learned material and skills, and will include demonstrations of tasks as outlined in the course content.
Attendance:
As this is a skill-oriented course, regular attendance is required in order to develop fluent keyboard skills. Therefore, 100% attendance is desired. The failure to attend regularly will result in reduction of a final grade as shown below:
- 4 - 7 unexcused absences: minus 10%
- 8 or more unexcused absences: minus 15%
- students who miss 30% or more of scheduled class time will receive a final grade of UN (unofficial withdrawal)
A list of required textbooks and materials is provided on the instructor’s course outline.
Example: current edition, Mach, Elyse. Contemporary Class Piano. Oxford UP, New York.
Full-time status in the Basic Musicianship program