Jazz Piano I, Week 1

Syllabus in PDF format

Week 1: Chapter 1, Intervals and Triads – Review

• Practice all 29 interval excerpts, singing featured interval, pp. 2-8
• Identify intervals by quality and quantity at sight
• Invert intervals
  • 9s complement for quality
  • Major <--> minor, Augmented <--> diminished, Perfect = Perfect
• Memorize and perform all triads in root position, 1st and 2nd inversion
  • Root position - left hand 5-3-1, right hand 1-3-5 (root position always uses 3)
  • 1st inversion - left hand 5-3-1 (4th from thumb, use 3), right hand 1-2-5 (3rd from thumb, use 2)
  • 2nd inversion - left hand 5-2-1 (3rd from thumb, use 2), right hand 1-3-5 (4th from thumb, use 3)
  • Learn and initially practice in groups
  • Group I: Major, WWW – C, G, F
  • Group II: Major, WBW – D, A, E
  • Group III: Major, BWB – Db, Ab, Eb
  • Group IV: Major, irregular – F#/Gb, B, Bb
  • Triads to learn (120)
    • All 12 Major, minor and diminished triads in root position, 1st and 2nd inversion (108 total)
    • All 12 Augmented triads

Supplemental a/v and drill

• Posture video (Berklee)
• Hand position and finger numbers video (ilearnmusic.com - first 5:10)
• Keyboard diagram
• Rationale (associatedcontent.com)
• Keyboard identification drill (musictheory.net)
• Staff, clef, and ledger lines lesson (musictheory.net)
• Treble clef note identification drill, no accidentals (musictheory.net)
• Bass clef note identification drill, no accidentals (musictheory.net)
• Treble and bass clef note identification drill, no accidentals (musictheory.net)
• Note name drill (emusictheory.com)
• Paced note name drill (emusictheory.com)
• Paced piano keys drill (emusictheory.com)
• Rhythm performance drill (emusictheory.com)
• Rhythm dictation drill (emusictheory.com)
• Rhythm dictation drill (teoria.com)
• Order of sharps and flats in key signatures lesson (musictheory.net)
• Major key signature identification
• Sharp major key identification
• Take last sharp, name next letter in musical alphabet
• If this name is already sharp in the key signature, add the word "sharp" to the key signature name (ex. F-sharp, C-sharp)
• Flat major key identification
• Name next-to-last flat, add "flat"
• Exception: 1 flat, key of F Major (no "flat")
• No sharps or flats, key of C Major ("God's key)
• Alternate method of major key signature calculation leson (musictheory.net)
• Order of sharps and flats in key signatures lesson (musictheory.net)
• Inversion lesson (musictheory.net)
• Chord review lesson [M/m/A/d] (musictheory.net)
• Chord inversion review lesson (musictheory.net)
• Major key signature drill (musictheory.net)
• Interval recognition drill (musictheory.net)
• Triad quality recognition drill, using inversions (musictheory.net)
• Interval ear training drill, ascending and descending (musictheory.net)
• Triad ear training drill (musictheory.net)
• Triad construction drill (teoria.com)
• Advanced rhythmic dictation drill (teoria.com)
• Intermediate melodic dictation drill, no rhythms (musicalmind.org)
• Advanced melodic dictation drill (teoria.com)
• Advanced solfege drill (musicalmind.org)

This page was last updated on January 18, 2011.