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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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