Syllabus MUS 111 C01 - Piano Class I Fall and Spring Semesters Instructor: John Shipley Office Hours: I do not have an office at WNC to meet students in, but you can contact me before class in the piano lab or by calling my cell @ 775/219-9434 and I will make time to assist you with anything pertaining to this class. Email: john.shipley@wnc.edu This class will introduce the student to the piano, including instruction in note reading, technique, theory and easy repertoire. Students work in a laboratory setting, each using their own electronic piano. Students should do warm-ups and practice their assignments as soon as arriving to class. If you are able to come early to work on the pianos, ask the staff at the Performing Arts Office to unlock the room for you. The office is open most days from 11am-5pm. You can also call WNC security and they can let you in. Just inform them that you are in my class and I will authorize you being let into Cedar 115. Practice a little bit each day, rather than a single, extended session, once a week. Choose a time when you are rested and can focus well on the week's objectives. To get the most out of your practice time, try to always concentrate on accomplishing a particular goal. This is much more productive than just playing something absent-mindedly. Start each practice session with a warm-up, such as a technical study, that gets you into the piano keyboard both physically and mentally. A half hour of good, focused practice is worth more than two hours of "fooling around." Practice all new material slowly at first until notes, rhythms, and fingerings are worked out. Once you are secure with the material at a much slower tempo, you can gradually speed it up to performance tempo. With the materials presented in this course, and through regular and thoughtful practice, the piano keyboard can become your most productive musical tool, as well as a flexible and inspiring performance instrument. Work hard but have fun, and enjoy the journey. Students will learn the topics listed at each lecture, as well as receive instruction in piano performance. The instructor may vary the dates for this curriculum slightly should the class need more or less time to master these concepts. Most lectures will include reviews of previous lectures. Throughout the course, try to do a little bit each day. Some work every day is much better than all the work at one sitting. You will be building new muscles, many of which you haven't developed fully, so go at a steady pace. Syllabus MUS 111 - Piano Class I page 1
Part I. The theory in this portion of the course is found in the hand-out theory worksheets #1 Week 1 Piano: Alfred Textbook Pages: 4-11 Finding notes on the keyboard. C Major 5 finger position. Theory: Learning to read notes on the staff.. Rhythm: Whole, half, and quarter notes. Week 2 Piano: Alfred Textbook Pages: 12-17 Theory: Identifying intervals and using them for sight reading Dynamics Ties and Slurs Rhythm: Time signatures, Rests, Dotted half notes Week 3 Piano: Alfred Textbook Pages: 18-25 Theory: Accidentals and directions in the body of the music: What does a Sharp do? What does a Flat do? What does a Natural sign do? What does a Fermata tell you to do? What does D.C. al Coda mean? Rhythm: 8th notes ***Worksheets part #1 are due this week*** Week 4 Piano: Alfred Textbook Pages: 26-29 1st exam: Written test will include: Note reading, interval and symbol identification and rhythms. Define the Time Signature. Define what are dynamic signs are The basic chords in C position. Define the difference between a slur and a tie Why do we use curved fingers? Part II. The theory in this portion of the course is found in the hand-out theory worksheets #2 Week 5 Piano: Alfred Textbook Pages: 30-35 Rhythm: A new rhythm - Dotted quarter notes Theory: Identifying half steps and whole steps. Week 6 Piano: Alfred Textbook Pages: 36-39 Theory: Constructing a Major scale- What s a tetrachord? Week 7 Piano: Alfred Textbook Pages: 40-43 Theory: Constructing a Major scale continued Rhythm: Rhythmic exercises using dotted quarter notes ***Worksheets part #2 are due this week*** Syllabus MUS 111 - Piano Class I page 2
Week 8 Piano: Alfred Textbook Pages: 44-47 2nd exam: Written test to include: Note reading, interval and symbol identification and rhythms Defining note Values Identifying chords Constructing a Major scale Fixing rhythms Part III. The theory in this portion of the course is found in the hand-out theory worksheets #3 Week 9 Piano: Alfred Textbook Pages: 48-53 Theory: Overview of the concept of key signatures A study of sharps How to identify keys with sharps in the key signature. Reversing the process: how to determine which sharps belong in a key signature. Week 10 Piano: Alfred Textbook Pages: 54-57 Theory: A study of Flats How to identify keys with flats in the key signature Reversing the process: how to determine which flats belong in a key signature. Week 11 Piano: Alfred Textbook Pages: 58-60 Theory: Chord inversions Constructing more Major scales ***Worksheets part #3 are due this week*** Week 12 Piano: Alfred Textbook Pages: 61-63 3rd exam: Written test to include: Identifying and writing flat key signatures Identifying and writing sharp key signatures Transposing songs Fixing rhythms Writing Major Scales Syllabus MUS 111 - Piano Class I page 3
Part IV: The theory in this portion of the course is found in the hand-out theory worksheets #4 Week 13 Piano: Alfred Textbook Pages: 64-67 Theory: Constructing May and Minor Triads Constructing the seven diatonic triads of a major scale Chord inversions Week 14 Piano: Alfred Textbook Pages: 68-69 Theory: Writing I, IV, and V7 chords in keyboard harmony positions. A new note value: 16th notes More on Chord inversions Transposing melodies Week 15 Piano: Alfred Textbook Pages: 70-72 Theory: More on Chord inversions Transposing melodies Final Exam Review ***Worksheets part #4 are due this week*** Week 16 Piano: Alfred Textbook Pages: 74-79 Final Exam: Written test to include: Writing and identifying major and minor triads and their inversions, Writing the 7 diatonic triads for each key Transpose a melody and chord symbols Describe the Blues formula. (page 67 Alfred s book) Class recital Syllabus MUS 111 - Piano Class I page 4
Students are expected to come to all class sessions. Grades will be computed as follows: Exams: 40% of grade Piano performance: 40% of grade Worksheets: 10% of grade Class participation (including final recital) and attendance: 10% of grade Exams will only be made up if the student is ill and notifies the instructor in advance. Piano performance grade is determined by the amount of material that the instructor marks completed for each student. To earn a 100% in piano performance, a student must learn through page 79 of the Alfred s Method Book One. Partial completion of this goal will receive partial credit. The grading breakdown in percentages is as follows: 90-100% A 80-89% B 70-79% C 60-69% D 0-59% W Students who wish to progress in piano skills should allow for 30 to 45 minutes per day minimum practice time. Students may practice in the lab if no classes are in session there. Reaching a higher level of expertise at the piano requires a considerable amount of consistent daily practice! If you are interested in playing more music than what is in your book, you can get supplementary books (pop or classical) midway through Book I. There are a large number of piano books from various methods available for check out from the WNC Piano music library or you can purchase from a local music store. Students are expected to have a piano or keyboard of his or her own to practice on. The college keyboard lab is available occasionally by making an appointment with the room scheduler. If you need to use one of the college's keyboards to practice on consult me as to whom to call for scheduling. The student must purchase and use their own metronome for use while practicing their lessons. Students may be required to purchase solo literature and etude/methods books on an "as assigned" basis. Assignments are made each week from selected books on this list based on the student's current level of proficiency. It is required that the students have their book(s) in their possession during class. Another Important Thing To Remember This is your class; it is what you make of it. Your level of participation will be directly proportional to your class experience. In other words, you will get out of it what you put into it. Syllabus MUS 111 - Piano Class I page 5
Academic Dishonesty: Cheating, plagiarism or otherwise obtaining grades under false pretenses constitute academic dishonesty. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated and penalties can include canceling a student's enrollment without a grade, giving an F for the course or for the assignment. Disability Services Statement: Western Nevada College is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all persons with disabilities. This syllabus is available in alternate formats upon request. Students with disabilities: If you are seeking classroom accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, you are required to register with Disability Support Services (DSS). DSS is located in Cedar 209 on the Carson City campus. Phone or email at 775-445-4459 or susan.trist@wnc.edu. To receive academic accommodations for this class, please obtain the proper DSS forms and meet with me at the beginning of the semester. Early Alert Warning Statement: Please note that in and effort to help students successfully complete their courses, the Counseling office on campus will ask faculty for names of students they feel may be in need of additional assistance. A counselor may contact you to offer some ideas. ***As a courtesy to others, please turn off and store your cell phone and other electronic communications devices when in this class. *** *** NO CLASS IS TO BE RECORDED, BY ANY MEANS, WITHOUT THE PRIOR APPROVAL OF YOUR INSTRUCTOR. *** 12 rules to become more creative: 1. Practice being sympathetic. 2. Practice looking at your art as a series of decisions. 3. Practice making better decisions. 4. Practice the art of gathering stories, phrases, melodies and ideas. 5. Practice turning your assumptions on their head in order to see things in new ways. 6. Practice being inspired by others works. 7. Practice going in new, unfamiliar directions with your art, whether it s internally or externally. 8. Practice what you re good at. 9. Practice what you re bad at. 10. Practice listening to the feedback of other people. Practice trusting yourself. Now do both at the same time. 11. Practice patience with yourself as you grow, learn, struggle, change, and change again as an artist. 12. Practice, practice, practice! Bonus rule: Practice breaking any of these rules that aren t working for you. Syllabus MUS 111 - Piano Class I page 6
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Sign this page, detach from the syllabus and return to the instructor. COURSE: MUS 111 INSTRUCTOR: John Shipley P. Affidavit My signature below indicates I have read and understand this syllabus and have been given a copy of my own to keep. Student Signature Student name (print) Syllabus MUS 111 - Piano Class I page 8