MUSI 206 - Class Piano

School of Liberal Arts and Education

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VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY

School of Education and Liberal Arts

Department of Music

Spring 2005

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MUSI 206 - Class Piano

Section 01 – TR 2:00; Section 02 MW 1:00

Davis Hall G27

Dr. David Shaffer-Gottschalk

Office: Studio 209 524-5332, dshaffer@vsu.edu

Office Hours: TBA

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Course Description: to provide music majors (non-keyboard majors) with necessary keyboard skills to function adequately as musical professionals. These skills are taught through a four-semester program which includes a proficiency examination, and include learning pieces written for the keyboard, sightreading, harmonization and transposition, basic chord progressions, and scales and arpeggios. The specific purpose of MUSI 206 is to reinforce and build upon the skills tested in the Proficiency Examination to insure that they will be usable when students enter the field of music as professionals.

Prerequisite: MUSI 205 or placement by the instructor

Texts: Harmonization at the Piano, 6th ed., by Arthur Frackenpohl (Dubuque, Iowa: William C. Brown, 1991).

Four Star Sight Reading and Ear Tests, Book 4. by Boris Berlin and Andrew Markow (Mississauga, Ontario: Frederick Harris Music, 2002).

Beginning Piano Solos, compiled and edited by Paul Sheftel (New York: Carl Fischer, 1984).

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Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

KNOWLEDGE

demonstrate command of the knowledge required to execute the keyboard skills required by the course

SKILLS

I. Scales & Arpeggios

A.             Scales - 2 octaves, HT/HS
                        1. All Majors
                        2. All minors - 3 forms
B.             Arpeggios - all Major and minor triads/root position/ 2 octaves HT/HS
C.             Chromatic Scale - two octaves, HT/HS
D.             Other scale and arpeggio studies as assigned

II. Chord Progressions - consisting of the following chords in keys of up to 4 sharps or flats/both hands:

A. Major - I vi IV ii V V⁷ I
B. minor - i VI iv ii V V⁷ I

In addition MUSI 206 will expand these progressions through additional chords, the use of different inversions, and reordering of the chords. There will also be additional chord studies.

III. Harmonization & Transposition

Harmonization/transposition studies taken from the Frackenpohl text.

IV. Prepared Repertoire (memorized)

A. Patriotic Songs from Proficiency Exam (“Star-Spangled Banner,” “Lift Ev’ry Voice”)
B. “America the Beautiful"
C. A solo memorized selection, chosen by mid-February, to be prepared outside of class by the student and presented in public performance near the end of the semester.

V. Sightreading

A. full keyboard score
B. melody with lead-sheet chord symbols

ABILITIES

I. Scales & Arpeggios - played with control of tempo and tone with ease and comfort.

II. Chords - exercise control of tone, ease of playing, and confidence.

III. Harmonization & Transposition - perform musically satisfying renditions of transposed and harmonized selections.

IV. Repertoire - perform musically satisfying renditions of the examination repertoire and other selection(s) at appropriate tempi.

V. Sightreading - demonstrate ease in approaching at-sight music-making with confidence.

Evaluation

Grading for the course:

40%     Final Exam (the public repertoire performance will count as the repertoire portion of the final examination)
20%             Mid-term exam
40%             Any tests, graded classroom demonstrations, attendance, etc.

Class Policies and Expectations:

See the Dr. Shaffer-Gottschalk’s classroom policy for general policies.

Attendance - attendance is recorded for each class session. The class will begin and end on time. Nearly every class period will include graded demonstrations by students.
Practicing - Because class piano teaches a skill, daily practice is essential to the successful and timely completion of the course and to the overall class piano program. It is not enough to merely attend class and expect to pass. You should probably set aside at least an hour daily for this class.
Students should always have a pencil (not pen) with them at all times.
No food, drinks, or gum are allowed in the piano lab.

Any student with a disability covered by the American Disability Act should see Dr. Shaffer-Gottschalk privately to discuss details of any needed arrangements.

Supplementary Helps/Bibliography

Other textbooks for Class Piano can provide supplementary materials in all of the skill areas.

Heerema, Elmer. Progressive Class Piano: a practical approach for the older beginner. Sherman Oaks, CA: Alfred Pub. Co., 1980.

Hilley, Martha and Lynn Freeman Olson. Piano for Pleasure: a basic course for adults 2nd ed. St. Paul, West Pub. Co., 1992.

Mach, Elyse. Contemporary Class Piano, 2nd ed. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1982.

McLain, Margaret Starr. Class Piano. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1974.

Sheftel, Paul. The Keyboard: explorations and discoveries. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1981.

Many of the beginning piano methods include graded sightreading books to be used with the basic method book. Examples from the Bastien series are:

Sight Reading, levels 1-4, from The Bastien Piano Library. San Diego, CA: Kjos West, 1976.

A Line A Day, levels 1-4, from Bastien Piano Basics. San Diego, CA: Kjos West, 1990.

Other sightreading books.

Burmeister, Ellen. Keyboard Sightreading. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing, 1991.

Havill, Lorina. You Can Sight Read, Book One. Bryn Mawr, PA: Theodore Presser, 1967.

Richman, Howard. Super Sight-Reading Secrets, rev. 3^rd ed. Reseda, CA: Sound Feelings Publishing, 1986.

Spillman, Robert. Sightreading at the Keyboard. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990.