Course Syllabus
Course: MUSC 4110
Division: Fine Arts, Comm, and New Media
Department: Music
Title: Contemporary Keyboard Harmony
Semester Approved: Fall 2019
Five-Year Review Semester: Fall 2023
End Semester: Summer 2025
Catalog Description: This course focuses on application of the skills learned in class piano to jazz and popular music. Assignments will focus on chording, improvisation, lead-sheet reading and writing sight reading and other keyboard skills for popular and jazz music genres. This course gives students the opportunity to continue to improve piano skills acquired during the proficiency process as well as adapting those skills to commercial music applications.
Semesters Offered: TBA
Credit/Time Requirement: Credit: 3; Lecture: 3; Lab: 0
Prerequisites: MUSC 2160, Piano Proficiency or permission of instructor
Justification: The ability to create harmony at the keyboard is a part of many class piano and piano proficiency requirements for traditional music programs (including similar courses at Snow College). However, the additional focus on contemporary music in the Commercial Music degree requires that students learn additional keyboard skills that focus primarily on jazz and other modern harmonic structure and notation. Courses similar to this one are part of commercial music degree programs at colleges and universities throughout the US.
Student Learning Outcomes:
At the completion of this course students will be able to identify, write and construct modern harmony using chord symbols. This outcome will be assessed through evaluation of weekly class participation, in class recitals, written and playing exams, and composition and arranging assignments.
At the completion of this course students will be able to compose and perform simple and complex melodies, harmonizing them using contemporary harmony. This outcome will be assessed through evaluation of weekly class participation, in class recitals, written and playing exams, and composition and arranging assignments.
At the completion of this course students will be able to arrange and perform existing melodies using modern harmony. This outcome will be assessed through evaluation of weekly class participation, in class recitals, written and playing exams, and composition and arranging assignments.
At the completion of this course students will be able to read and perform a melody, harmonizing it using jazz chord symbols. This outcome will be assessed through evaluation of weekly class participation, in class recitals, written and playing exams, and composition and arranging assignments.
At the completion of this course students will be able to identify, play and write modern chords, including extensions beyond the 7th. This outcome will be assessed through evaluation of weekly class participation, in class recitals, written and playing exams, and composition and arranging assignments.
Content:
1. Lead Sheets 2. Chord Symbols 3. Rootless voicings 4. Diatonic progressions 5. Non-diatonic progressions Voicing choices based on melody Voice leading Chord extensions - 9ths, 11ths and 13ths 6. Chord substitutions Quartal harmony 7. Clusters 8. Modes
Key Performance Indicators:
Students will be assessed using the following methods:
Participation: Attendance and class participation 20 to 30%
Presentation: In-class recitals 20 to 30%
Exams: Written and playing exams 20 to 30%
Written: Composition and arranging assignments 20 to 30%
Representative Text and/or Supplies:
DeGreg, Phil. Jazz Keyboard Harmony. Jamey Aebersold Jazz Publishers. Current edition.
Pedagogy Statement:
This course will be delivered via direct instruction, student creative work, modeling, and mentoring.
Instructional Mediums:
Lecture
Maximum Class Size: 24
Optimum Class Size: 16
