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Home > Keyboard Harmony as an AP Music Theory Tool
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Keyboard Harmony as an AP Music Theory Tool
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by Richard Nelson
Cleveland Institute of Music
Cleveland, Ohio
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Introduction
Each year it seems that students come to the music theory classroom
with an ever-greater need for the fundamentals of music, and in this
article I want to suggest an approach that has the promise of
addressing this issue. The consistent implementation of keyboard
harmony into the music theory curriculum -- as an adjunct
to the main course of study -- has the potential of strengthening
instruction so that the material can be attainable, memorable, and usable.
It is important to note that I am not advocating the replacement of
present tools of learning. Keyboard harmony can be used alongside any
existing materials, and the great advantage for the teacher is that it
can be used as much or as little as practicality dictates.
Understanding that many students bring little or no background
in playing keyboard instruments to the music theory classroom (and this
is becoming truer each year), and also recognizing that
keyboard harmony can be a difficult and intimidating discipline to
teach, I will still venture the point that this is the very area that can crystallize much of what takes place in AP Music Theory. In fact, I would single out keyboard harmony as the single most important part of
such a curriculum. It is here that the student can synthesize such
elements as voice leading, harmonic progression, rhythmic stability,
aural recognition, and improvisation in a fashion that is at once
auditory, tactile, visual, and cognitive. No, keyboard harmony is not
tested per se on the AP Music Theory Exam, but there is no question that a student with this type of preparation will be better prepared to do well on the test.
Practical Application
Here are some ideas that will illustrate ways in which keyboard
harmony might be included in the teaching of some common topics.
Students can learn the most basic material, the identification of pitches and
octave registers, fairly easily at the keyboard. When the course progresses to the major scale, the pattern of half and whole steps can be drilled effectively while playing them on the keyboard. And while "proper" fingering of major scales is to be admired, I would assert that the most important concept here is not
fingering, but rather the establishment of the patterns of half and
whole steps. Using the major scale as the point of departure, learning
about minor scales can be the logical next step, with the necessary
inflections. After scales can be played, beginning on any pitch, then
the discovery of intervals is aided greatly at the keyboard. In
particular, the common dilemma of enharmonic confusion (i.e., augmented
fifth vs. minor sixth) can be solved fairly quickly at the keyboard.
And triad types and inversions become easily distinguishable with the use
of a keyboard.
Once the instruction of voice leading begins, the involvement of the
keyboard becomes even more relevant. The importance of the playing of
figured bass examples, regardless of how simple, cannot be emphasized
enough. For best results, use keyboard voicing (soprano, alto, and
tenor voices in the right hand, and only the bass voice in the left
hand). If in the beginning students are given only repetitions of a
root position triad (with different soprano pitches), then rhythmic
steadiness may soon ensue after enough practice; this in turn will lead to greater confidence. The next step might include transposition. Now the student will be ready for I-V-I patterns. Be sure to supply students with examples that illustrate proper voice leading at the outset, and once these are stable, allow them to realize similar bass lines at sight. After this, longer examples may be devised.
Likewise, the harmonization of chorale melodies and folk song melodies
provides a valuable insight into the workings of harmonic progression.
Again, the key is to begin with the simplest of melodies and to
reinforce constantly through drill and practice before going on to more
involved examples. And, as stated above, rhythmic security, and
steadiness (and not speed) are crucial.
Methods of Inclusion
Ideally, music theory instruction might take place in a piano lab, but
other options can still offer the inclusion of keyboard harmony. Even if only one piano is available, students can cycle through an exercise very efficiently if the choreography is worked out. For example, two students can be seated on the bench at once; as one is playing, another is leaving. Students who are waiting their turn can be involved in an ear training exercise with questions about an individual student's performance. If students do not have access to keyboards for daily practice at home, then the level of the assignments will need to be
considered. Instead of sight reading different exercises each day, for
example, students might play the same passages repeatedly for several
days in order to ground the concept. It is important to present
keyboard harmony as a group activity, even if only one piano is
available. There is much that students may learn from each others'
efforts.
Many AP classes are taught on the block schedule, and this arrangement
offers an ideal way to include keyboard harmony. Out of a hypothetical
90-minute class, only 15 minutes might be devoted to keyboard work,
leaving lots of time for sight singing, ear training, analysis, and so on.
Conclusion
Some may argue that keyboard skills are initially beyond the grasp of
many music students. However, such skills can indeed be grasped by music students as long as the instruction is relevant, gradual, and consistent. Keyboard harmony can be a priority in the curriculum without overwhelming it, and if students are provided with a very structured and gradual approach, they will attain success. While time is of a real premium for teachers who are instructing AP Music Theory, all concepts -- especially fundamentals -- can be learned
most effectively when the keyboard is involved. This approach is analogous to that of choral directors who stress sight-reading with their ensembles. Yes,
there is an up-front investment of time, but the payoff comes later when the group can learn music much more quickly and efficiently. So it is with the use of keyboard harmony in the AP Music Theory classroom: the investment of the time required to provide this instruction will yield abundantly in terms of students' ability to attain, remember, and understand the material.
Richard Nelson is head of the music theory department at the Cleveland Institute of Music, and assistant organist at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Cleveland Heights. He is active as a theorist, accompanist, organist, and harpsichordist. An eighteenth century specialist, he has published articles in the Journal of Music Theory, Gamut, the College Music Society Symposium, and the Journal of Musicological Research. In addition, he is a published composer and has been a reader for the Graduate Record Examination in Music and for the Advanced Placement Test in Music Theory.
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