Course

Class Piano I

Faculty
Language, Literature & Performing Arts
Department
Music
Course Code
MUSC 1116
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
An introductory keyboard course for students with little or no previous keyboard experience. The course includes development of basic finger technique through keyboard orientation, elementary harmony exercises, sight reading and repertoire.
Course Content
  1. Scales: major and minor, one octave, hands separately.
  2. Triads on all scale degrees in major and minor keys: one octave, hands separately.
  3. Triads and inversions: one octave, solid and broken, hands separately.
  4. Five types of seventh chords (MM, Mm, mm, half diminished, fully diminished); formation in root position.
  5. Chord progressions in keyboard or four-part style as follows:
    • I-IV-V-I,
    • I-IV-V-VI,
    • I-IV-V7-VI I-II-V-I,
    • I-II-V-VI,
    • I-II-V7-I,
    • I-II-V7-VI.
  6. Sight reading: treble and bass melodies, hands separately; simple melodies, hands together; chords at random, hands separately.
  7. Transposition: simple melodies – in keys up to three sharps and flats, hands separately.
  8. Harmonization: simple diatonic melodies using block chords. I-IV and V.
  9. Improvisation: using a prescribed harmonic structure.
  10. Repertoire: appropriate to the student's skills.
Learning Activities

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

The successful student will be able to demonstrate the fundamentals of keyboard sight reading, accompaniment, transposition, improvisation, keyboard harmony, technique and piano 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 of Lancaster, E.L, and Renfrow, Kenon D. Alfred's Group Piano for Adults, Book 1. Alfred Publishing Co.

 

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 1116
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 1154 (1)
Simon Fraser University (SFU) SFU GE 1XX (2)
University of British Columbia - Okanagan (UBCO) No credit
University of British Columbia - Vancouver (UBCV) DOUG MUSC 1116 (2) & DOUG MUSC 1216 (1) = UBCV MUSC_V 141 (2)
University of Northern BC (UNBC) No credit
University of Victoria (UVIC) UVIC EDCI 2XX (1)
Vancouver Island University (VIU) Individual audition required

Course Offerings

Winter 2025