Keyboard Proficiency

All music majors at UND must demonstrate proficiency at the piano. This can be fulfilled either through taking the Keyboard Skills courses and/or passing the Piano Proficiency Exams. Bachelor of Arts Music Majors are required to take two semesters of Keyboard Skills (levels I and II), or pass levels I and II of the Piano Proficiency Exam. Bachelor of Music majors (Performance, Therapy, and Music Education) are required to take all four semesters of Keyboard Skills or pass all four levels of the Piano Proficiency Exam. These requirements must be met prior to graduation, or prior to registration for either Student Teaching or Music Therapy internship. The music minor does not include a Piano Proficiency requirement.

Students are encouraged to take any level(s) of the Piano Proficiency Exam if they feel they have the skills to pass out of any level(s) of Keyboard Skills. Students may sign up to take any level(s) of the Piano Proficiency Exam during the first week of classes. New incoming students will also have the opportunity to take the Piano Proficiency Exam on the first Monday of the fall semester during the New Music Major Orientation Day.

Students interested in taking the Piano Proficiency Exam should contact the Music Office (701-777-2644) to set up a time.

Keyboard Skills Objectives

*All examples are taken from Piano for the Developing Musician by Martha Hilley and Lynn Freeman Olson (6th edition, 2006).

Keyboard Skills I (MUSC 133):

1.  All Major Keys Scales. One Octave, Hands Together
2.  Chord Progression: White Keys, Hands Together I-IV-V(V7)-I
3.  Harmonization: Simple
4.  Transposition:
Study Example: p. 90 Key of G and C 
5.  Sight Reading: Level 1

Keyboard Skills II (MUSC 136):

1.  All major Key Scales: One Octave, Hands Together 
2.  All Harmonic Minor Key Scales: One Octave, Hands Together
3.  Chord Progression: All Keys, Hands Together
4.  Harmonization: Sing and Play, and Simple accompaniment figures
Study Examples: p. 213 #1-2
5.Transposition: Key of b minor and g minor
Study Example: p. 208
6. Sight Reading: Level 2 

Keyboard Skills III (MUSC 233):

1.  All Major Scales: Two Octaves, Hands Together 
2.  White Key Minor: Two Octaves, Harmonic and Melodic, Hands Together 
3.  Black Key Minor: Two Octaves, Harmonic Only, Hands Together,  
4.  Chord Progression and Inversions: All Keys, Hands together
5.  Harmonization: More advanced harmonization
Study Example: p. 301 No. 5 
6.  Transposition: To remote keys and more complex harmonies and accidentals
Study Example: p. 303 No. 1  
7.  Sight Reading: Level 3

Keyboard Skills IV (MUSC 236):

1.  All Major Scales: Two Octaves, Hands Together.
2.  All Minor Scales: Two Octaves, Harmonic and Melodic, Hands Together
3.  Chord Progression: Root and 1st inversion: All Keys, Hands together 
4.  Inversions: All Keys, Hands Together 
5.  Harmonization: Sing and Play, Two handed accompaniment, Left hand accompaniment, etc
Study Examples: P. 384 No. 4 and 5 
6.  Score Reading:  3-4 parts 
Study Example: p. 386 No. 2 
7.  Transposition:  C major and B flat major 
Study Example p. 386 No. 2 
8. Sight Reading:  Level 4