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Keyboard Skills Requirements

Requirements for Majors and Minors

All music majors and minors will take Keyboard Skills for one or two semesters depending on placement. Instruction takes the form of a weekly private piano lesson. Towards this end, each music major and minor is offered a fee reduction to complete these lessons. Students will normally complete their first semester concurrently with MUSI 113; students with advanced standing will be placed appropriately. Required skills include sight reading and the ability to play major and minor scales (hands together), triads in inversions (broken and solid), simple chord progressions, and short pieces in contrasting styles.

Registration is done through the music office, M201. Registration takes place during college-wide registration, April (for following fall semester) and November (for the following spring semester).

At the end of each semester, students will be tested on their progress, and a passing grade on the final semester’s exam is required for all students graduating with a major or minor in music.

For more information about Keyboard Skills including placement, curriculum details and exams, contact Lauri Sager-Wright at .

KEYBOARD SKILLS
Semester 1 Exam

SCALES

  • C, G, D, F Major
  • a, e, b, d minor (natural, harmonic, melodic forms)
  • Minimum tempo: Quarter note = 76 (played in quarter notes)
  • Fingering must be correct

Music Majors: 2 octaves, hands together, ascending and descending
Music minors: 1 octave, hands together, ascending and descending

TRIADS                     

  • In the keys above (for minors keys, use harmonic form)
  • Root position and inversions of primary chords (I, IV, V)
  • One octave, RH/LH alone, ascending and descending
  • Solid (blocked) and broken chords

At the exam, you will be allowed ONE “do over” for each scale and triad being tested. Scale “do overs” cost 2 points and triad “do overs” cost 1 point.

SIGHT READING     

  • Equivalent to Boris Berlin Book 1, Book 2 or Book 3, determined by instructor.

REPERTOIRE             

  • 3 pieces of contrasting style and period.

At the Semester 1 Exam you will be asked to play:

  • 4 major and 2 out of the 3 relative minor scales (minor scales picked at the exam)
  • 4 triads selected from the primary chords of the scale keys studied that semester
  • 3 sight reading examples
  • 3 repertoire pieces

The grading format is point-based. A minimum of 70% of the total points is needed to pass the first semester exam. Skills (scales, triads and sight reading) are worth 50% of the exam total, pieces are worth the other 50%.

If a student has made steady progress in lessons throughout the semester but does not get a passing exam score, they can retake the KS1 exam during the first month of the following semester.

KEYBOARD SKILLS
Semester 2 exam

SCALES                    

  • Bb, Eb, A Major
  • g, c, f# minor (natural, harmonic, melodic forms)
  • Minimum tempo:   Quarter note = 76 (played in quarter notes)
  • Fingering must be correct

Music Majors: 2 octaves, hands together, ascending and descending
Music minors: 1 octave, hands together, ascending and descending

TRIADS                 

  • In the keys above (for minor keys, use harmonic form)
  • Root position and inversions of primary chords (I, IV, V or i, iv, V)
  • One octave, RH/LH alone, ascending and descending
  • Solid (blocked) and broken chords

Note: scales, triads and progressions tested from KS1 will not be tested again.
At the exam, you will be allowed ONE “do over” for each scale and triad being tested. Scale “do overs” cost 2 points and triad “do overs” cost 1 point.

SIGHT READING     

  • Equivalent to Boris Berlin Book 2, Book 3 or Book 4, determined by instructor.

REPERTOIRE             

  • 3 pieces of contrasting style and period

At the Semester 2 exam you will be asked to play:

  • 3 major and 2 out of the 3 relative minor scales (minor scales picked by adjudicator at the exam)
  • 3 triads selected from the primary chords of the Major and minor scale keys studied that semester
  • 3 sight reading examples
  • 3 repertoire pieces

A minimum of 70% of the total points is needed to pass the second semester exam. Skills (scales, triads and sight reading) are worth 50% of the exam total, pieces are worth the other 50%.