Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

This course is required for students who plan on majoring in music at a four-year institution and is strongly recommended for any student wishing to pursue studies in music theory. The course is open to all students
 

The material for the course will be presented in a lecture/lab format. Instruction will take place in an electronic piano lab. The piano lab should facilitate practical examination. Students will be required to apply the material through music performance on the the piano keyboard. Musical examples from a wide array of genres will be used to demonstrate the concepts covered. Lectures may be enhanced through the use of multimedia technologies.

Students will be able to successfully apply basic keyboard fingering concepts to simple piano compositions.
Students will able to accurately perform major and parallel minor scales in all keys (separate hands, two octaves, ascending and descending).
Students will able to accurately perform major and minor tetra scales in all keys.
Students will be able to accurately perform seventh chord arpeggios (hand over hand, ascending and descending)
Students will be able to construct and perform seventh chords on all scale degrees of the major and harmonic minor scales.
Students will be able to successfully perform triads and seventh chords in blocked and broken forms.
Students will be able to accurately construct and perform harmonic progressions using diatonic seventh chords.
Students will be able to accurately harmonize single-line melody using secondary dominant chords.
Students will be able to accurately perform four-part, chorale style harmonizations using secondary dominant chords.
Students will be able to provide harmonic analysis of chords as found in music.
Students will be able to identify harmonic modulations in piano compositions (closely related keys only).
Students will be able to accurately harmonize a modulating single-line melody.
Students will be able to accurately perform a basic  (intermediate level) composition for treble and bass clef.
Students will be able to successfully transpose piano composition to two new keys.
Students will be able to successfully perform a basic piano composition at sight.
Students will be able to successfully create and perform accompaniment from a lead sheet.

Methods used to evaluate student progress and the criteria for assigning a course letter grade should be made clear by the instructor at the beginning of the course. Due to the fact that this course focuses on the performance of a musical instrument, the primary assessment method will be through applied keyboard exams and exercises.   Other assessment methods may be used, including:

Qualitative and/or quantitative examinations
Homework assignments
Listening assignments
Concert reports
Research project
Class participation

 I. Scales
    Tetra scales: major and parallel minor (all forms)
    Major and minor scales (two octaves, separate hands, ascending and descending)
    
II. Arpeggios (hand over hand)
    Root position triads and all inversions    
    Seventh chords (MM7, Mm7, mm7, half-diminished 7 and diminished 7)
    
III. Harmony
    Seventh chords on major and harmonic minor scales
    Triads and seventh chords blocked and broken
    Harmonic progressions using sevenths
    Secondary dominants and dominant sevenths
        1. Harmonization of melodies
        2. Four-part harmonization at the keyboard using secondary dominants and seventh chords
    Modulation to closely related keys
    Analysis of  harmony in the music literature    
IV. Sight-reading and Transposition
V. Other
    Basic fingering concepts
    Coordination exercises
    Accompanying "by ear"
    Playing from lead sheets
    Ear training: discerning progressions 
    Practice habits
COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS:
The following skills are expected to successfully meet the minimum requirement of "C" of "Pass" for the course.

• Accurately perform major and minor tetrascales.
• Accurately perform major and minor scales (two octaves, separate hands, ascending and descending).
• Accurately perform seventh chord arpeggios (hand over hand, ascending and descending, all inversions).
• Perform major and minor key chord progressions using diatonic seventh chords (blocked and broken forms)
• Construct and perform chord progressions using all diatonic seventh chords in major and minor keys.
• Identify and perform proper progression to harmonize single-line melody using all diatonic seventh chords in major and minor keys.
• Identify and perform proper progression to harmonize single-line melody using secondary dominant and seventh chords in major and minor keys.
• Perform four-part harmonization using secondary dominant and seventh chords.
• Identify and harmonize single-line melody that modulates to a closely related key.
• Provide harmonic analysis of chord in musical composition.
• Perform intermediate level composition for piano (treble and bass clef) at sight.
• Accurately transpose two-part piano composition to two new keys.
• Demonstrate knowledge of coordination exercises to develop piano technique.
• Harmonize basic single-line melody "by ear" (primary triads).