Music 8131 – Advanced Keyboard Skills

Fall 2020 – 2 cr.

Instructor

Dean W. Billmeyer, DMA, FAGO

Also known as Dr. Billmeyer or Professor Billmeyer (pronouns: he/him/his)

FergH 234 – Virtual Office Hour as posted or by appointment

Phone: (612) 624-3307

e-mail: dwb@umn.edu

Delivery Method

T, Th 8:00 – 8:50 AM, Online and Synchronous

Course Description and Objectives

The purpose of this course is to develop fluency of application, at the keyboard, of certain

theoretical skills, including: diatonic and chromatic harmonic vocabulary of tonal music,

transposition, modulation, improvisation, harmonization, figured bass realization, and reading

music in c-clefs and in open score. The rate and depth at which we will cover these skills

depends on the abilities of the class. An important goal of this course is, through these

processes, to develop the ear (aural memory and imagery; the ability to “audiate”, or

conceptualize a sound) and mind (the ability to “think at the keyboard”).

This course is designed for the needs of graduate music students with majors in the areas of

piano performance, organ performance, accompanying, or conducting. To take this course, you

must have a working familiarity with the material normally covered during the first two years of

undergraduate tonal theory (or have completed the undergraduate tonal theory sequence at

the University of Minnesota), and have advanced pianistic skills (at least equivalent to those of

a junior-level piano major). Graduate students taking theory review courses must complete

these courses (or pass the “Tonal IV” placement exam) before taking Music 8131.

MUS 8131 Syllabus – Page 2

Instructional Time

As a 2-credit course, we will meet as a class via Zoom two days per week. As per University

norms, it is expected that a student will be able to achieve a passing grade by spending an

average of four additional hours per week outside of class on coursework. Just as with

practicing an instrument, consistency of practice is important for this subject. Don’t lump all of

your preparation time into one or two practice sessions per week – instead, look at the material

daily.

Texts

• Morris, Reginald O., and Howard Ferguson. Preparatory Exercises in Score Reading. London: Oxford University Press, 1931. Available at the Bookstore. Illegal photocopies or scans of the text are not permitted.

• During the term, I will also give you assignments based on a number of different sources and texts, including some reading assignments, scanned and posted on the Canvas site.

Technologies and Technical Requirements

To participate fully in the course, you’ll need:

These technical requirements will allow you to access the Canvas site successfully, send/receive

online communications, complete assigned activities, and view multimedia content.

● A U of M internet ID (your official U of M email address)

● Reliable, high-speed Internet access

● A supported Web browser (Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are strongly

recommended)

● Laptop, desktop or tablet with a webcam

● You are not required to turn on your camera, but I encourage it to help build our

classroom community.

● Access to a piano or other keyboard instrument to use during class meeting sessions.

Optional but recommended:

● Canvas student app for your smartphone

MUS 8131 Syllabus – Page 3

Attendance

Attendance in class sessions is considered mandatory. Missed work may be made up only if

your absence is an excused one. Excused absences are: 1) due to illness or emergency,

providing you notify me of the nature of the absence within 48 hours; or 2) due to other

professional commitments (such as an out-of-town performance), providing you and I agree

beforehand that the absence is to be excused. (You must inform me of such professional

commitments as early in the semester as possible.) Excused absences will not be given to

attend other classes, lessons, or rehearsals at the School of Music, nor for non-emergency

personal reasons. Excuses for participation in local performances (such as ensemble “run-outs”)

will be given with appropriate advance notice from a faculty member.

Attendance Amnesty: You may have one “unexcused” absence during the semester without

incurring a grade penalty. Each unexcused absence after the first will lower your final grade one

half letter.

Grading Policies, Expectations for Graded Work, and

Assessment Methods

You will be asked to prepare performance assignments for most classes. For each of these, I will

give written and oral instructions concerning the nature of the exercise, the pedagogical intent,

and suggestions for practice.

You earn a grade based on your performance in each class session for which an assignment is

given. These grades are averaged and comprise the “class work” portion of the final grade as

indicated below. You will receive a regular “report card” summarizing your grades and including

my assessment of your progress.

According to the University definitions, grades are interpreted as follows:

“A” - Achievement outstanding relative to the level necessary to meet course

requirements.

“B” - Achievement significantly above the level necessary to meet course

requirements.

“C” - Achievement meeting the basic course requirements in every respect.

“D” - Achievement worthy of credit even though it does not fully meet the basic

course requirements in every respect.

MUS 8131 Syllabus – Page 4

“F” - Performance failing to meet the basic course requirements.

“S” - Achievement satisfactory to the instructor of the course in which the student is

registered. The work required for an S may not be less than that required for a C-

.

Grading your work in this class (just as in grading performance) is difficult, and cannot be

completely objective. In grading, I look for quality of performance (fluency, accuracy) of the

assigned material. But I also look for evidence that you understand the theoretical concepts

behind the assignments, as well as evidence throughout the semester of growth and progress.

For the purpose of averaging and weighting grades, I record numerical grades which are

interpreted as follows:

93-100 = A

90-92.9 = A-

87-89.9 = B+

83-86.9 = B

80-82.9 = B-

77-79.9 = C+

73-76.9 = C

70-72.9 = C-

67-69.9 = D+

63-66.9 = D

60-62.9 = D-

0-59.9 = F

Exams

There will be four 15-minute tests:

1. Test #1: during the fourth week of the semester (in place of class October 1) by appointment.

2. Test #2: during the eighth week of the semester (in place of class October 29) by appointment.

3. Test #3: during the twelfth week of the semester (in place of class November 24) by appointment.

4. Final Test: Friday, December 18, by appointment. Finals will not be given prior to exam week.

Please note the above information regarding attendance policies. Class grades may be lowered

if you are habitually late for class.

Distribution: Class work: 40%

Test #1 15%

Test #2 15%

MUS 8131 Syllabus – Page 5

Test #3 15%

Final Test: 15%

Incompletes

Incompletes are assigned at the discretion of the instructor when, due to extraordinary

circumstances, a student is prevented from completing the work of the course on time. I will

give an incomplete only in the event of serious illness or emergency. A written agreement

documenting the reason for the incomplete, and stating how and when the incomplete will be

made up is required. Any incompletes must be made up by the end of the spring semester

2021. Requests for grade changes due to disputed grades must likewise be made by the end of

spring semester 2021.

MUS 8131 Syllabus – Page 6

Calendar and Course Content

The following schedule provides an outline of some of the topics we will cover during the

semester. This calendar may be revised during the course of the semester.

Week Date Topics

1. Sept. 8-10 Introduction. Scales, modes, cadence patterns. Voicing chord progressions. Introduction to clef reading.

2. Sept. 15-17 Diatonic Sequences, Diatonic chord progressions, Alto clef

exercises. Free textures and accompaniment patterns.

3. Sept. 22-24 Tenor clef. Applied Chords, Chord classifications and

illustrations.

4. Sept. 29 – Oct. 1 Continue applied chord exercises. Test #1, by individual

appointment. No class on Oct. 1

5. Oct. 6-8 Choral scores. 3-part scores with clefs.

6. Oct. 13-15 Augmented sixth chords. Soprano clef exercises.

7. Oct. 20-22 Diatonic sevenths. Continue Augmented sixths. Mode

mixture.

8. Oct. 27-29 Review and Test #2, by individual appointment. No class

on Oct. 29.

9. Nov. 3-5 Key relationships and modulation. Transposition of art

songs.

10. Nov. 10-12 Continue modulation. Scores in three and four voices with

c clefs.

11. Nov. 17-19 Chromatic Modulation through mixture. I Modulation via

enharmonic respellings. Improvising interludes in hymns

and song accompaniments.

12. Nov. 24 Test #3, by individual appointment. No class on Nov. 24.

13. Dec. 1-3 Open (orchestral) scores. Improvisation through motivic

elaboration.

14. Dec. 8-10 Continuation. Stylistic Improvisation and Improvisation

Project.

15. Dec. 15 Review for Final Test

Exam

Week

Dec. 18 Final Test by individual appointment.

MUS 8131 Syllabus – Page 7

Selected Bibliography

This list of titles, while not comprehensive, includes standard works which may serve as useful

reference and pedagogical material. An asterisk (*) indicates an especially useful book for our

course’s purposes.

Theory Texts

* Aldwell, Edward, and Carl Schachter. Harmony and Voice Leading. 2nd Edition San Diego:

Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1989. 3rd Edition Belmont CA: Thomson Schirmer, 2003. 4th

Edition (with Allen Cadwallader), Schirmer Cengage, 2011.

* Kostka, Stefan, and Dorothy Payne. Tonal Harmony with an Introduction to Twentieth Century

Music. 5th Edition. McGraw-Hill, 2003. 8th Edition (with Byron Almén), McGraw-Hill, 2018.

Laitz, Steven G. The Complete Musician: an Integrated Approach to Tonal Theory, Analysis, and

Listening. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007.

Piston, Walter. Harmony. Rev. Mark DeVoto. New York: Norton, 1987.

Roig-Francoli, Miguel. Harmony in Context. McGraw Hill Higher Education, 2003.

Keyboard Harmony/Skills

Berkowitz, Sol. Improvisation Through Keyboard Harmony. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall,

1975.

* Brings, Allen, et al. A New Approach to Keyboard Harmony. New York: W. W. Norton, 1979.

Frackenpohl, Arthur. Harmonization at the Piano. Dubuque: Wm. C. Brown, 1985.

Hunt, Reginald. Harmony at the Keyboard. London: Oxford University Press, 1970.

Kittel, Johann Christian. Der angehende praktische Organist (1803). Buren: Knuf, 1981.

Shumway, Stanley N. Harmony and Ear Training at the Keyboard. Dubuque: Wm. C. Brown,

1980.

* Wittlich, Gary, and Deborah Martin. Tonal Harmony for the Keyboard. New York: Schirmer

Books, 1989.

Figured Bass Realization

Christensen, Jesper Bøje. 18th-Century Continuo Playing: a Historical Guide to the Basics.

Kassel: Bärenreiter BA 8177, 2002.

* Handel, G. F., ed. David Ledbetter. Continuo Playing According to Handel: His Figured Bass

Exercises. (Early Music Series No. 12.) London: Oxford, 1990.

* Keller, Hermann. Thoroughbass Method. New York: W. W. Norton, 1965

* Morris, Reginald O. Figured Harmony at the Keyboard. London: Oxford University Press, 1933.

MUS 8131 Syllabus – Page 8

Williams, Peter. Figured Bass Accompaniment (2 vols.). Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press,

1970. [Known to be out of print, 2009.]

Organ Improvisation

Bender, Jan. Organ Improvisation for Beginners. St. Louis: Concordia, 1975.

Dupré, Marcel. Cours Complet d’Improvisation a l’Orgue. Tr. Alain Hobbs, 1957. Paris:

Alphonse Leduc, 1925.

Johns, Michelle. Hymn Improvisation. Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1987.

Hancock, Gerre. Improvising - How to Master the Art. New York: Oxford University Press,

1994.

Krapf, Gerhard. Bach: Improvised Ornamentation and Keyboard Cadences. Dayton, OH:

Sacred Music Press, 1983.

Krapf, Gerhard. Organ Improvisation. Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1967.

Overduin, Jan. Making music: improvisation for organists. New York : Oxford University Press,

1998.

Rogg, Lionel. Improvisation Course for Organists. Fleurier, Switzerland: Schola Cantorum, 1988

Score-Reading

Bach, J.S. 185 Four-part Chorales. New York: Lea Pocket Scores, 1955. Reprinted by Kalmus.

Bernstein, Martin. Score Reading. New York: M. Witmark & Sons, 1932, 1947.

Creuzburg, Heinrich. Partiturspiel; ein Übungsbuch in vier Bänden. Mainz: B. Schotts Söhne,

1956.

* Morris, Reginald O., and Howard Ferguson. Preparatory Excercises in Score Reading. London:

Oxford University Press, 1931.

* Melcher, Robert A. and Willard Warch. Music for Score Reading. Englewood Cliffs, NJ:

Prentice-Hall, 1971.

Taylor, Eric. Playing from an Orchestral Score. London: Oxford University Press, 1967.

Taylor, Eric. An Introduction to Score Playing. London: Oxford University Press, 1970.

Lang, Craig Sellars. Score Reading Exercises, Books I and II. Novello, 1959.

Wilkinson, P. 100 Score Reading Exercises. Novello.

MUS 8131 Syllabus – Page 9

Success as an Online Learner

Successful completion of this course includes your presence in class sessions, participation as

appropriate, and complement of all assignments. As an underlying principle of online learning,

successful achievement of course outcomes requires a willingness to self-reflect and self-

regulate.

As a “novice” online instructor, I am committed to the above principle. I intend to use the

experience of delivering this course online as an opportunity to learn – and I am especially

interested in learning from the students in the class.

Checklist for Getting Started

1 Review Tips for Succeeding in an Online Course(.pdf) if this is your first online class.

2 Refer to the Rules of Online Communication.

3 Review the Course Outline (above). This part of the syllabus lists all readings and assignments, week by week. I may update this schedule from time to time – in addition, there will be a weekly posting with specific plans for each class and detailed instructions on assignments.

4 Every time you log in check the Announcements and the General Question & Answer Forum for any course-related news.

UMN Policies & Support

Academic Integrity & Misconduct

Academic misconduct is a violation of the UMN Student Conduct Code and is unacceptable.

Students who do not exhibit academic integrity or who engage in scholastic misconduct (see

below) will suffer penalties, up to and including failure of this course.

Scholastic misconduct is broadly defined as "any act that violates the right of another student in academic work or that involves misrepresentation of your own work. Scholastic dishonesty includes (but is not necessarily limited to): cheating on assignments or examinations; plagiarizing, which means misrepresenting as your own work any part of work done by another; submitting

MUS 8131 Syllabus – Page 10

the same paper, or substantially similar papers, to meet the requirements of more than one course without the approval and consent of all instructors concerned; depriving another student of necessary course materials; or interfering with another student's work."

While plagiarism per se is not a serious issue in a course such as this, there are inappropriate ways of preparing assignments which may be viewed as “cheating”. These include, for example, copying score-reading assignments onto grand staff notation for the purpose of avoiding learning to read open score or c-clefs, writing letter names of notes in c-clef exercises to avoid learning the clefs, and writing out chord progressions in assigned keys to avoid practicing transposition. In each case, these methods have the intent of avoiding the purpose of a particular assignment. During the course, I will give you enough information orally and in writing so that you have a clear understanding of appropriate practice methods, as well as the pedagogical intent of each assignment.

Course Access

Access to course materials in Canvas may cease after the term ends. If you wish to archive

materials for your personal records or portfolio you should do so as you progress through the

course. As a general rule, you should always save local copies of course-related work. To avoid

potential problems, you should also save important files to external media or cloud storage.

Name/Pronouns

I will do my best to address you by a name or gender pronoun that you have identified. Please

advise me early in the semester so that I may make appropriate changes to my records.

Academic Services and Resources at UMN

Below are several student services available to students:

● Academic Advising Center

● Disability Student Services

● Career Services

● Counseling Center

● Financial Aid Office

● Student Writing Support

MUS 8131 Syllabus – Page 11

Technical Support

For tips and information about Canvas visit the Canvas Guide Using Help - Student:

https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-10554-4212710328.

Check here to make sure your preferred browser is supported: Canvas Guide - Supported

Browsers: https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-10720-67952720329

You can also contact the Technology Helpdesk Services at (612) 301-4357 or email them at

help@umn.edu for questions about Canvas or any other technological difficulties.

Sexual Misconduct

As an employee of the University of Minnesota, I am a mandated reporter of sexual harassment

and sexual violence that takes place on campus or otherwise affects the campus community.

This means that if I receive detailed or specific information about an incident such as the date,

time, location, or identity of the people involved, I am obligated to share this with UMN’s Title

IX Coordinator in order to enable the university to take appropriate action to ensure the safety

and rights of all involved. For students not wishing to make an official report, there are

confidential resources available to provide support and discuss the available options. Please see

Policy Statement for more resources or to file a report.

Religious Accommodations

Per the UMN guidance on religious accommodation (https://eoaa.umn.edu/resources)

“Students and employees can request accommodations for religious beliefs and practices from

their instructors, supervisors, or other appropriate University authorities. Employees who

receive accommodation requests should make reasonable efforts to grant the requested

accommodation or to grant another accommodation that would permit the student or

employee to fulfill their academic or work responsibilities and follow their religious beliefs and

practices.”

Students with Disabilities

The University of Minnesota views disability as an important aspect of diversity, and is

committed to providing equitable access to learning opportunities for all students. The

MUS 8131 Syllabus – Page 12

Disability Resource Center (DRC) is the campus office that collaborates with students who have

disabilities to provide and/or arrange reasonable accommodations.

● If you have, or think you have, a disability in any area such as, mental health, attention,

learning, chronic health, sensory, or physical, please contact the DRC office on your

campus (UM Twin Cities - 612.626.1333) to arrange a confidential discussion regarding

equitable access and reasonable accommodations.

● Students with short-term disabilities, such as a broken arm, can often work with

instructors to minimize classroom barriers. In situations where additional assistance is

needed, students should contact the DRC as noted above.

● If you are registered with the DRC and have a disability accommodation letter dated for

this semester or this year, please contact your instructor early in the semester to review

how the accommodations will be applied in the course.

● If you are registered with the DRC and have questions or concerns about your

accommodations please contact your (access consultant/disability specialist).

Additional information is available on the DRC website: https://diversity.umn.edu/disability/ or

email drc@umn.edu.