Course

Introductory Class Piano I

Faculty
Language, Literature & Performing Arts
Department
Music
Course Code
MUSC 1106
Credits
2.00
Semester Length
15 weeks
Max Class Size
16
Method(s) Of Instruction
Lecture
Tutorial
Course Designation
None
Industry Designation
None
Typically Offered
To be determined

Overview

Course Description
This course is a progressive introduction to piano playing for students with no previous experience. It includes technique, keyboard harmony, sight reading, transposition, and the playing of appropriate repertoire.
Course Content
  1. Sight Reading
    • To recognize and play notes on the staff
    • To recognize and play notes on ledger lines
    • To recognize and play intervals and triads at random
    • To play short melodies, hands separately and hands together
  2. Transposition
    • To transpose simple pieces, hands separately, up or down a major second,  minor second, major third or minor third, using the principles of vertical and horizontal transposition; recognition of intervals and melodic patterns
  3. Technique
    • Development of individual finger control by the use of exercises
    • Scales  – major, natural minor, harmonic minor, melodic minor, using tetrachord fingering, one octave. The scales will be played with legato and staccato touch
    • Triads  – major and minor, root position and inversions, solid and broken form, one octave, hands separately, legato touch
  4. Keyboard Harmony
    • Simple improvisation
    • Triad construction: major and minor
  5. Repertoire: appropriate to the student's skills
Learning Activities

The instruction will be by lecture, demonstration, and supervised practice.

Means of Assessment

The course evaluation is consistent with the Douglas College Evaluation Policy.

The grade will be calculated on the basis of progress made in the various aspects of the course as follows:

Weekly progress*   40%
Regularly scheduled quizzes (minimum of 4)    20%
Midterm Exam 15%
Final Exam 25%
Total 100%

*Frequent, short evaluations are designed to give feedback on newly learned material and skills, and will include demonstrations of tasks as outlined in the course content.

N.B. This course includes final testing worth more than 10% during the last fourteen days of classes. A standing variance to the Douglas College Evaluation Policy was granted by Education Council on September 14, 2020.

Attendance:

As this is a skill-oriented course, regular attendance is required in order to develop fluent keyboard skills. Therefore, 100% attendance is desired. The failure to attend regularly will result in reduction of a final grade as shown below:

  • 4 - 7 unexcused absences: minus 10%
  • 8 or more unexcused absences: minus 15%
  • students who miss 30% or more of scheduled class time will receive a final grade of UN (unofficial withdrawal)
Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course, the successful student will be able to demonstrate a knowledge of, and skills in, the fundamentals of keyboard sight reading, transposition, technique, phrasing and articulation, and repertoire.

Textbook Materials

A list of recommended textbooks and materials is provided on the Instructor’s Course Outline, which is available to students at the beginning of each semester. Example: current edition, Mach, Elyse. "Contemporary Class Piano" Oxford UP, New York.  

Requisites

Course Guidelines

Course Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this course and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the course, consider the previous version as the applicable version.

(Current)

Course Transfers

These are for current course guidelines only. For a full list of archived courses please see https://www.bctransferguide.ca

Institution Transfer Details for MUSC 1106
Athabasca University (AU) DOUG MUSC 1106 (2) & DOUG MUSC 1206 (2) = AU MUSI 2XX (3)
Capilano University (CAPU) CAPU MUS 114 (1)
Coast Mountain College (CMTN) No credit
College of the Rockies (COTR) No credit
Coquitlam College (COQU) No credit
Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) KPU MUSI 1XXX (1.5)
Simon Fraser University (SFU) SFU GE 1XX (2)
Trinity Western University (TWU) TWU MUSI 140 (1)
University of British Columbia - Okanagan (UBCO) No credit
University of British Columbia - Vancouver (UBCV) No credit
University of Northern BC (UNBC) No credit
University of Victoria (UVIC) UVIC EDCI 1XX (1)
Vancouver Community College (VCC) DOUG MUSC 1106 (2) & DOUG MUSC 1206 (2) = VCC MUSC 1XXX (3)
Vancouver Island University (VIU) Individual audition required

Course Offerings

Winter 2025