MU3004 - Essential Skills in Piano-Playing

Teaching will take place in small groups determined by the level of previous experience of piano playing. Advanced pianists will focus on the art of accompaniment. For beginners, learning a new instrument in the space of a year is challenging and time-consuming, so a great deal of time is devoted to private practice. For advanced players, time will be spent learning accompaniments and working with instrumentalists and singers.

You will be given considerable support and encouragement by those teaching on the course. The programme leader and Course Tutor will be on hand to offer help and guidance, either in person during the advertised office hours or via email, and you will be working in an environment where you and your peers will offer one another mutual support.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding:
• You will have a knowledge of the piano, its technique and repertoire, and an understanding of how music notation in piano score relates to technique and to sound.
Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
• You will demonstrate a capacity for independent, self-motivated learning and time management through regular practice.
• You will develop the piano playing skills needed for further study leading to a career in music.
Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
• You will appreciate the way in which piano playing and theory interconnect, and how keyboard skills prepare you for various careers in Music.

1. Mid-year practical assessment of ten minutes (50%). MLOs: 1, 2, 3, 4

2. End of year practical assessment of ten minutes (50%). MLOs: 1, 2, 3, 4

Feedback on the summative practical assessments will take the form of a short report.

Individual and group feedback will also be given in class so that students can track their progress.

Entry to the Music Foundation Year in Music

N/A

An ability to find your way around a piano is an essential skill for developing your keyboard skills at degree level, and for your future as an academic researcher, performer or teacher. This course is designed for players of all standards. You will be taught in small groups according to your previous experience. If you are a beginner, you can expect to have developed a degree of technical competence of around Grade V standard by the end of the year. More advanced players develop their skills in accompanying. Most of the time allocated to this module will be spent practising.