MUSIC 50Beginning Piano: Non-Music Major

1 credit · Music · Penn State

Introduction to the keyboard, notation, chord progressions, transposition, improvisation, and simple accompanying techniques for the non-music major. An additional fee is required for this course. MUSIC 050 Beginning Piano: Non-Music Major (1) (GA)(BA) This course meets the Bachelor of Arts degree requirements. MUSIC 050 is a course designed to provide the beginning non-music major student with strategies for developing some of the basic skills required for playing the piano. No knowledge of music or piano is assumed and there are no prerequisites for the course. The course emphasizes strategies for learning to read and interpret musical notation from two clefs and musically realize the notation in real time with a healthy physical approach to the keyboard. Practice of these strategies outside the class is expected and checked. Objectives include learning to accurately sight-play a single voice divided between the hands with some extensions and shifts beyond a five-finger position. Special facilities required to teach the course include a 17-keyboard Midi piano lab with visual displays for teacher demonstrations. The course is offered Fall and Spring semesters, often with multiple sections.