Piano Skills for Prospective Instrumental or Vocal Music Majors
This course is available during the school year, or during the summers, either in person at my studio or online. I have loaner keyboards available for students who need them. There is no charge for the use of these keyboards while you are taking lessons with me.
Why Learn Piano?
Short answer: If you’re a music major, you don’t have a choice: it’s a basic requirement
At most well-regarded music schools, music majors must pass a piano proficiency class, regardless of their instrument. There are many reasons for this — for one thing, many musicians teach, and having basic piano skills enables teachers to demonstrate theory concepts or accompany their students. For another, understanding piano theory gives students a huge advantage when they encounter music theory for the first time,
At the same time, the piano proficiency requirement can sometimes be an enormous stumbling block for instrumental or voice majors with no previous piano experience, and who must carve out time from the typical music major’s already packed schedule of intense classes, rehearsals, practice, and performance to struggle with a new instrument.
If your junior high or high school age student is considering a music degree, I can help them prepare for, navigate, and maybe even pass out of this requirement.
Preparing to Succeed in Piano Proficiency
I designed my piano proficiency course by analyzing the core piano proficiency requirements at a wide range of music schools, from state universities to small colleges to prestigious conservatories. Almost all programs share a common core, though some have additional requirements, and the degree of fluency and level of playing varies widely.. My program focuses on the common core, with the option to expand outward to more sophisticated skills that may be required by a school your student is considering.
The program is adapted to each student’s prior knowledge, skills, and goals, but includes core elements of piano skills.
Core Piano Proficiency Skills List
- Scales (majors and minors), starting with keys up to 3 #s and 3 bs; going on to more “complex” keys if appropriate. Focus on basic fluency and fingering. Speed and number of octaves will depend on the student’s choice of schools.
- Understanding all primary chords in those keys (major and minor), going on to more complex keys if apporpriate.
- Understanding all all diatonic chords in each key (not required by all schools)
- Learning the I-IV-V7-I and i_iv_V7-i cadences in selected keys
- Chord inversions and candence inversions in selected keys
- Reading a basic lead sheet in selected keys, including using inversions and different accompaniment patterns.
- Creating an accompaniment for a melody without a lead sheet, using secondary dominants when appropriate.
- Basic transposition of melodies and chord sequences.
- Constructing, understanding, playing, and inverting 7th chords, including diminished 7ths.
- Arpeggios, hands separate and together.
- Basic playing skills: Typical skills include: performing an intermediate level piece, sightreading, an elementary level piece, playing an accompaniment for a piece written for the student’s primary instrument (ie, the piano part for a violin sonata or a vocal song); and playing four part harmonies and/or open vocal scores (typical of hymns and chorales)
- An introduction to figured bass is available for interested students or those applying to the few schools whose undergraduate piano proficiency requirement includes this skill.
The list above is adapted from the requirements for a highly regarded music school that is part of a state university. While the list is fairly standard, the requirements for just how fluent a student is can vary widely. Nonetheless, passing this requirement at even the most relaxed school can be a major hurdle for music majors.