Revised 09/26

MUS 141 - Class Piano I (2 CR.)

Course Description

Offers the beginning piano student activities in learning musical notation, in accomplishing sight reading skills, and in mastering techniques of keyboard playing. Presents appropriate literature. Open to all students and may be used to fulfill applied minor instrument requirement for music major. Part I of II. Lecture 1 hour.  Laboratory 2 hours.  Total 3 hours per week.

General Course Purpose

This course is designed to teach the student fundamentals of good piano technique and to enable the student to read and play repertoire from a variety of styles and periods, to improvise simple accompaniment to single line melodies, and to play fluently, as an accompanist, simple arrangements of the type used in many community type vocal and instrumental ensembles.

Course Prerequisites/Corequisites

The student is not expected to have any previous musical experience.

Course Objectives

Upon completing the course, the student will be able to:

• gain sufficient reading and technical knowledge of the keyboard to enable them to learn new repertoire with a minimum of outside help
• gain a working knowledge of C Major, F Major, and G Major keys by being able to perform hands together a I-IV-I-V-I progression, one octave scale and arpeggio in those keys
• Perform pieces with simple melody in one hand and basic accompaniment in the other hand

Major Topics to Be Included

• Staff note and keyboard note name identification
• Reading of notes and rhythms
• Understanding of interpretive and expression markings
• Perform pieces from the lesson book for their peer
• Concert performance analysis through a written concert report

Optional Topics

• History and development of keyboard instruments
• Biographical background of the composers of the works studied
• Understanding and appreciation of keyboard performance