Group Piano Course--15 Week Plan

Group Piano Course--15 Week Plan

Note: Bold-faced items will indicate new material.
 

Week 1--Day 1

 * Introduction to Piano Music Notation
   --The Staff
   --The Measure
    --The Time Signature
    --The Staff Systems
[The introduction will also cover basic note types and its rhythms (e.g., the quarter note)]
* Reveal concept of "reading from left to right" on the staff
*  The 4 spaces on the staff  (The "F-A-C-E" concept)
* The 5 lines (The "Every Good Boy Does Fine" concept)

 Week 1--Day 2

REVIEW
* Introduction to Piano Music Notation
   --The Staff
   --The Measure
    --The Time Signature
    --The Staff Systems
* Reveal concept of "reading from left to right" on the staff
* The 4 spaces on the staff  (The "F-A-C-E" concept)
* The 5 lines (The "Every Good Boy Does Fine" concept)
 

Pentatonic Major Scales--Up and Down

*C major, C# major, D major,, Eb major, F major, F# major, G major, Ab major
 

Week 2--Day 1

REVIEW
* Pentatonic Major  Scales--Up and Down
* C major, C# major, D major,, Eb major, F major, F# major, G major, Ab major
Pentatonic Major Scales--Up and Down
A major, Bb major, B major, C major

 

Week  2--Day 2

REVIEW
* Pentatonic Major Scales--Up and Down
     C major, C# major, D major,, Eb major, F major, F# major, G major, Ab major,
     A major, Bb major, B major, C major
 

Introduction to Major Scales Going Up and Down an Octave

Examples: C major, G, major
     * Fingering for the major scale involving the octave

     * Introduction to the half-step and whole step

Week 3--Day 1

Major Scales Going Up and Down an Octave
*  C major, C# major, D major,, Eb major, F major, F# major, G major, Ab major,
     A major, Bb major, B major, C major

 Week 3--Day 2

REVIEW
Major Scales Going Up and Down an Octave
*  C major, C# major, D major,, Eb major, F major, F# major, G major, Ab major,
     A major, Bb major, B major, C major

 * Several techniques to understand the notes in the scale

 Week 4--Day 1

Prepare for Quiz 1
* Students should prepare to play either a pentatonic major scale going up and down or a major  scale going up and down an octave.

 Week 4--Day 2
Quiz 1
* The student chooses whether or not to play a pentatonic up-and-down major scale or
   an octave up-and-down major scale.
 * The teacher selects at random several major keys, and the student should do the scale
    without unnecessary stopping.

* The quiz would be about 3-4 minutes for each student.

 Week 5--Day 1

Introduction to the Minor Scales Up and Down and Octave
   * The natural
   * The harmonic
    * The melodic 
Introduction to the flatted and sharpened scale degrees.

Concept:
* Think of natural minor scale as unchanged in the notes.
* Think of the harmonic minor scale with its altering of the 7th degree up  a      
   semitone.
* Think of the melodic minor scale as starting with the 6th and 7th degrees raised
   a semitone in ascending and the 6th and 7th degrees lowered back a semitone in
   descending.
 

Examples:

 A minor scales in natural, harmonic, and melodic.
C minor scales in natural, harmonic, and melodic
F# minor scales in natural, harmonic, and melodic.

Week  5--Day 2

Minor Scales Up and Down and Octave, First in Natural, Harmonic, and Melodic
 A minor, Bb minor, B minor, C minor, C# minor, D minor, Eb minor, E minor,
F minor, F# minor, G minor, G# minor, A minor.

Week 6--Day 1

REVIEW
Minor Scales Up and Down and Octave, First in Natural, Harmonic, and Melodic
A minor, Bb minor, B minor, C minor, C# minor, D minor, Eb minor, E minor,
F minor, F# minor, G minor, G# minor, A minor.
 

Introduction to the Church Modes:

Examples:
C major scale in Ionian Mode, D minor scale in Dorian Mode, E minor scale in Phrygian Mode, F major scale in Lydian Mode, G major scale in Mixolydian Mode, A minor scale in Aeolian Mode, B minor Scale in Locrian Mode

 Week 6--Day 2

REVIEW

Introduction to the Church Modes:

 Examples:

C major scale in Ionian Mode, D minor scale in Dorian Mode, E minor scale in Phrygian Mode, F major scale in Lydian Mode, G major scale in Mixolydian Mode, A minor scale in Aeolian Mode, B minor Scale in Locrian Mode
 

Reinforcement of Understanding of the Church Modes with transposed keys in either of the modes:

C minor in Dorian, F# major in Lydian, Bb minor in Phrygian, G minor in Locrian
E major in Ionian, A major in Mixolydian, G# minor in Aeolian

 Week 7--Day 1

 REVIEW FOR MIDTERM EXAM
* Focus on material covered from Weeks 1-6
* Place special emphasis on the church modes and the three types of natural minor
      scales

Week 7--Day 2
 MIDTERM EXAM
*Should be about 8 hours.
* 30-40 minutes for each student.
Format for exam would be in three phases
* Basic music notation rudiments
* Scales
* Church modes
 

Week 8--Day 1

Introduction to the triads
The C major triad
*Root, First Inversion (6-3) and Second Inversion (6-4)
The C major scale going up, all in triads
*Root, First Inversion (6-3) and Second Inversion (6-4)
The C minor scale, going up, all in triads (natural minor only)

 Introduction to the technical terms for the major scale, using the triads

*Tonic, supertonic, mediant, sub-dominant, dominant, sub-mediant, leading tone

Week 8--Day 2

REVIEW
Introduction to the triads
The C major triad
* Root, First Inversion (6-3) and Second Inversion (6-4)
The C major scale going up, all in triads
* Root, First Inversion (6-3) and Second Inversion (6-4)
The C minor scale, going up, all in triads (natural minor only)
Introduction to the technical terms for the major scale, using the triads
     *Tonic, supertonic, mediant, sub-dominant, dominant, sub-mediant, leading tone

Major Scales Going Up in Triads

* F major, D major, G major, Bb major
Minor Scales Going Up in Triads
* A minor, Eb minor, C minor,  E minor

Week 9--Day 1

REVIEW
 Major Scales Going Up in Triads
* F major, D major, G major, Bb major
Minor Scales Going Up in Triads
* A minor, Eb minor, C minor,  E minor

Sight Reading Exercise

"Mary Had A Little Lamb"
"Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star"

Week 9--Day 2
REVIEW
 "Mary Had A Little Lamb"
"Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star"
 
Sight Reading Exercise
"The Irish Washerwoman Jig"
"The Dominant Seventh
* Root
* The 7-6-5 (first inversion)
* The 5-4-3 (second inversion)
* The 5-4-2 (third inversion)

 The Diminished Chord

* Root
* First Inversion
* Second Inversion
* Third Inversion
 
Week 10--Day 1
 REVIEW

 "Mary Had A Little Lamb"

"Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star"
"The Irish Washerwoman Jig"
The Dominant Seventh
* The 7-6-5 (first inversion)
* The 5-4-3 (second inversion)
* The 5-4-2 (third inversion)
 The Diminished Chord
* Root
* First Inversion
* Second Inversion
* Third Inversion
 
Basic Chord Progressions
(Keys: C major, F major, G major)
I-IV-V-I
I-IV-I
I-V-I
I-IV-III6-V6-I

Basic Chord Progressions With Primary Dominant Seventh
(Keys: C major, F major, G major)
I-IV-V7-I
I-V7-I
I-V6-I
      5
 

Week 10--Day 2

REVIEW:
Basic Chord Progressions
(Keys: C major, F major, G major)
I-IV-V-I
I-IV-I
I-V-I
I-IV-III6-V6-I

Basic Chord Progressions With Primary Dominant Seventh

(Keys: C major, F major, G major)
I-IV-V7-I
I-V7-I
I-V6-I
      5

Introduction to Secondary Dominants  and Secondary Domiant Sevenths

Basic Chord Progressions With Secondary Dominant Sevenths
(Keys: C major, F major, G major)

C: I-V7-V

        -------
     V

 

F: I-IV-V7-I
        ----

        bvii

 G:I-V4-V

           3

          -------

           V

Week 11--Day 1

Prepare for Quiz 2
* Review of material covered in Weeks 6-10.

Week 11--Day 2

Quiz 2

* Concepts covered from Weeks 6-10

* Should be about 30-40 minutes each student
* Focus on the three songs covered in sight-reading, the dominants and the
   dominant-sevenths, and the triads.
 

Week 12--Day 1

* The Blues scale using C Major as an example

   (notes C-Eb-F-F#-G-Bb)

* 12-Bar-Blues Patterns

    (using chord progressions C-F-C-G-F-C and C-F-C-Dm-G7-C)

* Introduction to Walking Bass in Jazz Music

Sight Reading Exercise

First 16 measures of "C Jam Blues" (of Duke Ellington)

Week 12--Day 1

 REVIEW
* The Blues scale using C Major as an example
   (notes C-Eb-F-F#-G-Bb)
* Introduction to 12-Bar-Blues Patterns
    (using chord progressions C-F-C-G-F-C and C-F-C-Dm-G7-C)
*Introduction to Walking Bass in Jazz Music
Sight Reading Exercise
First 16 measures of "C Jam Blues" (of Duke Ellington)

Rhythmic Exercise

Pentatonic C Major Scales Going Up and Down, in 4/4 time
* Start with Half Notes, then Quarter Notes, then Eighth Notes, and then Sixteenth  
   Notes.
* Start with Sixteenth Notes, then Eighth Notes, then Quarter Notes, then Half
   Notes. 

Week 13--Day 1
REVIEW
Rhythmic Exercise
Pentatonic C Major Scales Going Up and Down, in 4/4 time
* Start with Half Notes, then Quarter Notes, then Eighth Notes, and then Sixteenth  
   Notes.
* Start with Sixteenth Notes, then Eighth Notes, then Quarter Notes, then Half
   Notes.

Introduction to the Arpeggio
Pentatonic Arpeggios in Major Triads  Going Up and Down
C major, C# major, D major, Eb major, E major, F major, F# major, G major,
G# major, A major, Bb major, B major
Pentatonic Arpeggios in Minor Triads Going Up and Down
C minor, C# minor, D minor, Eb minor, E minor, F minor, F# minor, G minor,
G# minor, A minor, Bb minor, B minor

Week 14--Day 1

REVIEW
Introduction to the Arpeggio
Pentatonic Arpeggios in Major Triads  Going Up and Down
C major, C# major, D major, Eb major, E major, F major, F# major, G major,
G# major, A major, Bb major, B major
Pentatonic Arpeggios in Minor Triads Going Up and Down
C minor, C# minor, D minor, Eb minor, E minor, F minor, F# minor, G minor,
G# minor, A minor, Bb minor, B minor

Sight Reading Exercise

J.S. Bach: Minuet in G (from the Anna Magdalena Notebook)

Week 14--Day 2

REVIEW:
Sight Reading Exercise
J.S. Bach: Minuet in G (from the Anna Magdalena Notebook)

Sight Reading Exercise

M. Clementi: Sonatina in C major, op. 36, First movement

Week 15--Day 1
Preparation for Final Exam
Review focusing on:
* Basic music notation rudiments
* All of the major scales, pentatonic and octave
* The minor scales
* The Church modes
* The sight-reading songs
* The pentatonic arpeggios

 Also, a review of all of the other concepts covered in the previous weeks.

Week 15--Day 2

 Final Exam
* 50 minutes per student
* Combination of sight-reading exercises, responding to dictations, and written
   questions.

Café Luna—Preliminary Set List for January 27, 2006—Piano Gig (at 1742 W. 99th St.)

It is not there anymore---it has a new name and it is now a pizza place, but it was once a watering hole to try to get my big break in piano gigging. The set list was quite versatile.........

 SET 1

Consolation no. 3 in D-flat Major (Liszt)

Impromptu in A-flat minor, op. 90 (Schubert)

Fantasy-Impromptu in C-sharp minor, op. 35 (Chopin)

Nocturne in Bb minor, op. 9, no. 1 (Chopin)

Nocturne in E-flat major, op. 9, no. 2 (Chopin)

Mazurka in C-sharp minor, op. 30, no. 4 (Chopin)

Sonnet no. 104 from Petrarch (Chopin)

Air on the G String (Bach)

Mozart, "Rondo alla Turca" from Sonata no. 11 (Mozart)

Mascarade Waltz  by Aram Khachaturian, arr. by Alexander Dolukhanian

Buciemeana, or "Dance of Butschum"--Romanian Folk Dance no. 4 (Bartok)

Gymnopedie no. 1 (Satie)

Il canzone, based on the transcription of "Nessun maggior dolore" from Rossini's

     opera, Otello (arr. by F. Liszt)

SET 2

Prelude no. 1 (Gershwin)

Prelude no. 2, "Blues" (Gershwin)

Prelude no. 3 (Gershwin)

Maple Leaf Rag (Joplin)

Intermezzo from "Faschingsswank aus Wien" (Schumann)

Romance from "Fashchingsswank aus Wien" (Schumann)

Polichinelle (Rachmaninov)

Prelude in C-sharp minor (Rachmaninov)

Sabre Dance (Khachaturian), arr. by Henry Levine

Nocturne in F minor, op. 55, no. 1 (Chopin)

Waltz in C-sharp minor, op. 39, no. 7 (Brahms)

Waltz in D minor, op. 39, no. 9 (Brahms)

Waltz in Ab major, op. 39, no. 15 (Brahms)

Waltz in B major, op. 39, no. 1 (Brahms)

SET 3

Composed-out improvisations

"So Happy Together" (The Turtles)

"Can't Get Around Much Anymore" (Duke Ellington)

"Summertime" from "Porgy and Bess" (Gershwin)

"Shall We Dance", from The King and I

"Children Won't Listen, from Into The Woods (

"Memory" from Cats (Andrew Lloyd Webber)

Fantasy on "I Got Rhythm", from Crazy For You (Gershwin)

"My Favorite Things," from The Sound of Music

"Luck Be A Lady Tonight" from Guys and Dolls

Some Music Theory Terms in German

I am giving you a partial list of the German words that you will face when you read a music theory article or book from such German music theorists like Schenker (you probably know him with his
invention of Schenkerian Analysis).

This is not a complete list but I am trying to save time for some of you who are majoring in music theory at a college, university, or a conservatory.

altertieren--to alter

Anschaungskraft--perceptive power

aufgehobene Tonaität--roving harmony

aus Grunden--although(or by)reasoning

bis auf Anfang und Schluss--except at the beginning and end

Consonanz--consonance

Dissonanz--dissonance

Drittel--third

Einfall--idea

Geschlossenheit--completeness

Gestalten--forms

Gliederung--articulation

Kadenzschluss--perfect cadence

kaschiert--hidden

Klang--musical sound

Klangemfindungen--accostical sensation

Klangfarbe--tone color

kombinieren--systematizing; to systematize

die Kunstklang--The Art of Musical Sound(1960), a book by Rober

     Mayrhofer

Manier--motive

Mehrstimmigkeit--polyphony

Mehrstufigkeit--subdivision of the octave

Naturstimmung--nature's voice

Orchesterlied--orchestra song

Ornamentierer--decorator

Schlusse--cadences

schwebende Tonalität--suspended harmony

Stufenreichum--degrees(each one of the degrees)

Terz--third(interval of a third)

Tonalität--tonality

Tonart--tonality

Tonikalisierungprozess--tonicalization process

die Tonreihen--scales; tone-rows

Umtauschen--exchange

Ursachen--elemental sources

Vereindominante--a deceptive dominant, one that executes a deceptive

    progression, such as II-I

Vernunft--reason

Verstand--intellect

Werden--growth

Weschelnote--change line

das Zeitmass--timing

Zusammenklangen--foreign harmonies

A Sample Western Music History Study Guide (Part 1)

BOULANGER, NADIA (1887-1979)

--In her whole life, she approached music with an almost

  religious intensity and devotion.

--She began teaching at the American Conservatory at

  Fontainebleau near Paris in 1921 (just as a new

  generation of Americans were arriving in Europoe

  to study music.

--During WWII, she taught at a number of distinguished

  schools in the United States.

BUUS, JACQUES

He was the Italian composer who wrote these organ pieces:

Intabolatura d'organo di ricecari di libro primo, 1549

Ricercari terzo e quarto dell'intabolatura diorgano,  1549

CANARIE

In Louis Couperin's time, it was similar to the quique.

CAPULET, ANDRÉ (1878-1929)

He was a younger composer than Debussy, and also a close

friend of him. He graduated at the Conservatoire, was a good conductor and not a radical.

CIRCULAR CANON

A canon closing in the key a semitone above that in which in begins. The repetitions would thus carry it through the

"circle" of 12 keys.

CHANDOS ANTHEMS

An anthem for soloist, chorus, and orchestra composed by

Handel (1717-1718), for Jars Brydges, later John of Chandos. Included is a Te Deum and a Jubilate.

CIBELL(CIBELL)

An English harpsichord or ensemble piece ca. 1680-1710 in imitation of the gavotte "Descente de Cybelle" in Jean-

Baptiste Lully's opera Alys (1670), act 1. Henry Purcell's

version (or "old Cibell") was itself imitated, creating a

second generation of the genre.

CONCORD SONATA

Charles Ives' 2nd piano sonata, composed in 1910-1915. Its

complete title is Concord, Massachusetts, 1840-1860, and

its four movements are titled, respectively: "Emerson",

"Hawthorne", "The Alcotts", and "Thoreau."  The last movement includes an optional part for flute.

CREATION

An oratorio by Joseph Haydn, which has three parts

Part 1--The First 3 Days

Part 2--The First 4 Days

Part 3--The Garden of Eden

EDGAR

This was Puccini's second opera, which was more of a flop

than the first opera, Le Villi, and he slipped more into

poverty before he made good success on his next opera,

Manon Lescaut.

EUCHORICS

The name given in Britain (apparently from the 1930s) to the art of verse-speaking in chorus, an art successfully produced in various countries.

FRENCH ORGAN COMPOSERS

The common French Baroque organ composers in the period

were:

Louis Daquin (1694-1772)

Nichlas Gigault (1627-1707)

Nicolas Lèbegue (1631-1702)

Louis Marchand (1669-1732

Henri Du Mont (1610-1681)

Guillamue Nivers (1632-1714)

André Raison (1650-1719)

Jean Titelouze (1563-1633)

GAULTIER, DENIS(1603-1672)

He was the principal Fench composer of the Baroque period.

GRACIEUSE, LA

Chopin's Ballad in F major (A minor), op. 38.

GREGORIAN CHANT

Variously referred to us plainsong or plainchant; it was the principal religious music of the Roman Catholic Church

from about the first 1000 years. It constitutes the largest and oldest single body of Christian music. Gregorian chant

is imporant because it was the source of religious polyphony

in the Middle Ages and Renaissance.

HEXENMENUET

The 3rd movement of the String Quartet in D minor,  op.

70, no. 2, by Haydn.

I HATE MUSIC

--In F major, this piece by Leonard Bernstein, with some

  5/8 meter in some cases.

INTERDETERMINACY

The intentional utilization of some degree of chance in composition or performance, in which John Cage was the

main composer.

KIRNGERGER, JOHANN PHILIPP (1721-1783)

He was a pupil of Bach, a violinist, composer, and theorist. He left a variety of compositions, and

(especially) many theoretical works.

LANGSAM, MIT INNIGEM AUSDRUCK

Tempo indication of the 6th song from Schumann's Frauenliebe und Leben,  which is in C major, and in 4/4/ time.

LIÈGE, JACQUES DE(1260-1330?)

French music composer who composed the treatist Speculum

musicae, the largest surviving Medieval treatise on music.

MELODIA

Zarlino's form for a polyphonic vocal composition, which has the three parts:

--Harmony

--Rhythm

--Text

MINNESINGER

German Medieval musicians who sang of courtly love.

OPEN FORM

A musical form that does not end with a conclusive ending formula or cadence.

OPEN HARMONY

In 4-part harmony, an arrangement of voices such that the

3 upper voices have a total range of more than an octave.

PACHELBEL, WILHELM (1685-1764)

This composer followed his father as organist at Nürnberg. He was a virtuoso-type who transferred his virtuosic style in most of his own compositions, with usu. involves double

trills in thirds.

PANTOMINE

Synonym for atonality. Schönberg preferred this term indi-

cating the combination of all keys rather than the absence

of any.

PASSAMEZZO

An old Italian dance in duple time, like the Pavane, but

faster.

PHILOSOPHIC, THE

Popular name for the Symphony no. 6 in A major by Bruckner.

RAVEL, MAURICE (1875-1937)

--What makes Ravel music different from Debussy that it is 

  more classical, almost always, although Debussy

  experimented in form.

--Also, pedaling was marked more in Ravel, and he does not

  usually use copious musical instructions. yet, he seems

  clear on what the performer expected. His piano style

  had some influence on Debussy, when Ravel wrote his

  Jeux d'eau.

--In general, Debussy was a devotée of Chopin, but Ravel

  seems to have a pianistic style similar to Liszt.

--Like Debussy, Ravel likes to make the piano sound like an

  orchestra.

RONDEAU

This means "round" in French. It refers to Couperin's

ordres; in this piece, the musical form "rondeau" would have an A section, and each new part (B, C, D) would be called a couplet. Soon, rondeaux was passed on to some of

the Baroque keyboard suiets (esp. Bach's Partita in C minor, which has an ABACADA pattern.)

QUODLIBET

A musical medley; potpourri; Dutch concert. Originally,

a piece employing several well-known tunes from various

sources.

RAMEAU, JEAN-PHILIPPE

He was the most important French composer of harpsichord

music.

SCARLATTI, DOMENICO (1685-1757)

He was the son of Alessandro Scarlatti. Domenico moved

to Portugal to play for Princess Maria Barbara. He then got

married and spent the rest of his 28 years (ca. 1729) in

Spain. Domenico had 9 children and 2 wives; he wrote over

500 sonatas.

STATISTICAL MUSIC

This is music that depends only as approximate orientation.

STEIBELT, DANIEL (1765-1823)

He was a famous pianist at the showy stomp, and a composer of operas and other works now forgotten-though occasional piano pieces come the way of the practice pianist.

SUSANNA

This is an American opera written in the 20th century, with music by Carlisle Floyd. Setting: in a Tennesee village.

VERGEBLICHES STAENDCHEN

This art song by Johannes Brahms is in 4 parts in the key of A major, but the third part is briefly in A minor

VISIONS FUGITIVES (FLEETING VISIONS)

Sergei's Prokoviev's title for a series of 20 piano pieces in a vareity of moods, suggested by a poem of the Russian

poet Balmont:

"In every fleeting vision I see worlds full of the changing play of rainbow hues."

ZARLINO

A musical theorist from Italy. He used these Italian/Greek

terms

Diastemata--Spaces or intervals

Maniere--Styles

Systemata--Composers or ordered compounds

Trihemitone--A minor third

Enharmonic by two dieses and a ditone--A major third

ZOPF STIL

A pejorative term used in the 19th century to refer to music by then out of date, from the period of pigtails and powdered wigs of the 18th century.