MUSC 216:217
KEYBOARD HARMONY
Catalog Entry
MUSC216:217. Keyboard Harmony
Two hours laboratory (1:1).
Prerequisite: Level 1 proficiency in keyboard
Practical application of harmonization, improvisation, score reading and figured bass realization.
Detailed Description of Content of Course
The purpose of this course is to give students training in the basic skills of harmonizing melodies, transposing, playing by ear, reading both piano scores and piano reductions of choral and instrumental scores, realizing figured bass in both classical music and popular style lead sheets. There is extensive work in basic piano technique, especially in chords and chordal patterns and in developing appropriate accompaniments for various types of songs and instrumental lines.
This material is presented as follows:
1. Accompaniment and melodic patterns.
2. Tonic and dominant chords.
3. Subdominant chords.
4. Primary chords in minor.
5. Supertonic chords.
6. Submediant chords.
7. Mediant chords.
8. Secondary chords in minor.
9. Tonic dominant seventh.
10. Supertonic dominant seventh.
11. Additional secondary dominants.
12. Diminished sevenths.
13. Modulation and mutation.
14. Score Reading
a. vocal music. (2, 3, 4, and 5-parts)
b. instrumental music (strings, woodwinds, brass, full orchestral score)
15. Jazz chording
Detailed Description of Conduct of Course
The class meets in the keyboard laboratory and works together on class assignments. Approximately every two weeks, each student plays individually a Skills Test on the material covered.
Goals and Objectives of the Course
The keyboard skills learned in this course are essential ones for all music majors. At the conclusion of the course, the student will have attained basic competencies in essential keyboard skills including sight reading, transposition, harmonization of melodies, modulation/mutation, improvisation scene readings, lead-sheets/jazz chording and playing by ear. As students develop these competences, they also study practical applications of these keyboard skills for their future employment as music educators or music therapists.
Assessment Measures
Skills tests are given approximately every 2 or 3 weeks, in which the student must demonstrate ability in specific technical exercises, transposition, harmonization of melodies, playing by ear, and improvisation.
Other Course Information
Approval and Subsequent Reviews
DATE ACTION REVIEWED BY
February 2006 Reviewed E. Fellin, Chairman