Piano Repertoire & Performance Syllabus

Name four 20th-century/contemporary composers whose easier piano works appear frequently in student repertoire.

Béla Bartók (Mikrokosmos, For Children), Dmitri Kabalevsky (Op. 27 and Op. 39 children's pieces), Claude Debussy (Children's Corner), and Aram Khachaturian (Adventures of Ivan); also Prokofiev and Shostakovich.

Give four harmonic or rhythmic devices characteristic of 20th-century piano music.

1) Dissonance used freely without resolution; 2) new scales such as whole-tone, pentatonic, and modes; 3) changing/irregular meters (e.g., $\frac{5}{8}$, $\frac{7}{8}$) and strong ostinato rhythms; 4) bitonality or tone clusters replacing functional major-minor harmony.

What is impressionism in piano music, and which techniques create its characteristic sound?

Impressionism (Debussy, Ravel) evokes atmosphere and color rather than clear-cut themes. Techniques: whole-tone and pentatonic scales, parallel chord planing, blurred sonorities from generous sustain pedal, soft dynamic shading, and non-functional 'color' harmony.

What is a lead sheet, and what must a pianist supply when playing pop from one?

A lead sheet notates only the melody, lyrics, and chord symbols. The pianist must supply everything else: a left-hand accompaniment pattern, voicings for the chord symbols, rhythmic groove, intro/outro, and dynamic shape.

State the standard pop song form and the function of each section.

Verse–Chorus form: Verse tells the story (same music, new lyrics each time), Pre-chorus builds tension, Chorus is the repeated emotional and melodic high point (hook), and the Bridge provides one-time contrast before a final chorus.

What accompaniment style suits a piano ballad, and what harmonic progression is most common in pop ballads?

Broken (arpeggiated) chords or gentle block chords in the left hand under a singing melody, with sustain pedal changed on each harmony. The most common progression is I–V–vi–IV (e.g., C–G–Am–F), or its rotation vi–IV–I–V.

Describe the 12-bar blues progression using Roman numerals.

Bars 1-4: I–I–I–I; bars 5-8: IV–IV–I–I; bars 9-12: V–IV–I–I (or V in bar 12 as a turnaround). All chords are typically dominant 7ths, e.g., in C: $\text{C}^{7}$, $\text{F}^{7}$, $\text{G}^{7}$.

What is the blues scale? Spell it in C.

A six-note scale: $1,\ \flat 3,\ 4,\ \sharp 4/\flat 5,\ 5,\ \flat 7$. In C: C–E♭–F–F♯(G♭)–G–B♭. The $\flat 3$, $\flat 5$, and $\flat 7$ are the 'blue notes.'

What are swing eighths, and what ratio approximates how they divide the beat?

In swing, written pairs of eighth notes are played unevenly—long-short—based on a triplet feel: the beat divides roughly $2:1$ (first eighth $\approx \frac{2}{3}$ of the beat, second $\approx \frac{1}{3}$), rather than the straight $1:1$.

What is a leitmotif, and how is it used in film and game soundtracks?

A leitmotif is a short recurring musical theme attached to a specific character, place, or idea (a technique from Wagner). Film and game composers (e.g., John Williams, Howard Shore, Koji Kondo, Nobuo Uematsu) restate and transform it to signal that character's presence or development.

Name two famous film composers and two famous video-game composers whose piano arrangements are popular student repertoire.

Film: John Williams (Star Wars, Harry Potter) and Hans Zimmer (Interstellar, Pirates of the Caribbean); also Joe Hisaishi (Studio Ghibli). Games: Koji Kondo (Super Mario, Zelda) and Nobuo Uematsu (Final Fantasy).

What is 'adaptive (dynamic) music' in video games, and why does it matter when arranging game music for piano?

Adaptive music changes in real time with gameplay—looping, layering, or shifting intensity with the player's actions. When arranging for piano, the performer must impose a fixed structure: choose which loops/layers to include, create a definite beginning, climax, and ending.

List the four basic steps for improvising over a chord progression in a popular style.

1) Learn the progression and its key/scale; 2) establish a steady left-hand groove or chord pattern; 3) improvise the right hand using chord tones on strong beats and scale/passing tones between; 4) build phrases with repetition, variation, and space (call-and-response).

In improvisation, what are chord tones versus passing tones, and how should each be placed rhythmically?

Chord tones are notes of the current chord (root, 3rd, 5th, 7th) and sound stable—place them on strong beats. Passing tones are non-chord scale notes connecting chord tones—place them on weak beats or offbeats so tension resolves quickly.

What is the pentatonic scale, and why is it a safe first scale for popular-style improvisation?

A five-note scale—major pentatonic: $1,2,3,5,6$ (C–D–E–G–A); minor pentatonic: $1,\flat 3,4,5,\flat 7$. It is 'safe' because it omits the half-step tendency tones (4 and 7 of the major scale), so nearly every note sounds consonant over diatonic chords.

Define musical phrasing and state the 'question-and-answer' (antecedent-consequent) principle.

Phrasing is dividing music into breath-like units and shaping each with dynamics, timing, and articulation. In a period, the antecedent (question) phrase ends inconclusively—often a half cadence on V—and the consequent (answer) phrase ends conclusively with an authentic cadence on I.

Where is the dynamic peak of a well-shaped phrase usually located, and what happens after it?

Usually at the phrase's melodic high point or point of greatest harmonic tension, typically past the middle of the phrase (roughly two-thirds through). After the peak, the player tapers with a diminuendo and slight relaxation into the cadence.

What is rubato, and what does 'stolen time' mean in practice?

Rubato (Italian: 'robbed') is expressive flexibility of tempo: time taken from some notes is given back to others—slightly stretching expressive moments and compensating by moving ahead elsewhere—so the overall pulse and phrase length remain balanced.

How does Chopin-style rubato differ from a general slowing of tempo?

In Chopin-style rubato the left hand keeps a steady, strict pulse while the right-hand melody floats freely ahead of or behind it, rejoining at phrase points. A general ritardando slows both hands together; Chopin rubato preserves the underlying beat.

Name three musical moments where taking expressive time (rubato/agogic stretching) is conventionally appropriate.

1) Approaching an important cadence or the end of a phrase (slight ritardando); 2) at the climactic high note or peak of a phrase (agogic accent—lingering slightly); 3) at structural transitions, such as returning to the main theme or before a new section.

Compare pedaling and dynamics conventions across Baroque, Classical, and Romantic styles.

Baroque: little or no sustain pedal, terraced dynamics, clarity of independent lines. Classical: light, careful pedal; graded but moderate dynamics ($p$ to $f$); clean articulation and balanced phrases. Romantic: generous pedal for rich resonance, extreme dynamic range, freely expressive tempo.

How should ornaments be treated in Baroque versus later styles?

Baroque: ornaments (trills, mordents, turns) are essential and follow conventions—trills start on the upper note, ornaments played on the beat. Classical: fewer, cleaner ornaments; trills increasingly start on the main note (standard by the Romantic era). Romantic and later: ornaments are mostly written out by the composer.

What is voicing in piano playing?

Voicing is deliberately playing one note or line of a texture louder than the others—typically projecting the melody (often the top note of chords) while keeping accompaniment notes softer, even within a single hand.

Give the standard technique for bringing out the top note of a chord within one hand.

Transfer more arm weight into the melody finger (usually 4 or 5), letting it strike slightly faster/deeper, while the inner fingers stay light and shallow. Practice by playing the melody note forte and 'ghosting' the other chord notes pianissimo, then rebalancing.

In a typical melody-plus-accompaniment texture, how should the three layers be balanced?

Melody loudest (projected, singing tone); bass line second in prominence (it defines the harmony); inner accompaniment figures (e.g., broken chords) softest, providing harmonic cushion without covering the melody.

What are the four types of memory a pianist should combine for secure performance memorization?

1) Muscle (kinesthetic) memory—automatic finger patterns; 2) aural memory—hearing the music internally; 3) visual memory—the look of the score and keyboard; 4) analytical/structural memory—knowing the form, keys, and harmonies. Analytical memory is the most reliable safety net.

Why should a pianist memorize using structural 'landmarks,' and how are they used?

Landmarks are section starting points (e.g., beginning of the B section, recapitulation, coda) practiced as independent starting places. If a memory slip occurs, the performer can jump forward to the next landmark and continue instead of stopping or restarting the piece.

Give four evidence-based strategies for managing performance anxiety at the piano.

1) Slow diaphragmatic breathing before and during playing (e.g., inhale 4 counts, exhale 6-8); 2) thorough over-preparation, including practicing starts under simulated pressure; 3) mental rehearsal/visualization of a successful performance; 4) reframing arousal as excitement and focusing on the music's message rather than on being judged.

According to the Yerkes-Dodson law, how does arousal level relate to performance quality?

Performance quality follows an inverted-U curve versus arousal: too little arousal gives a flat, unfocused performance, moderate arousal produces peak performance, and excessive arousal (panic) degrades performance. The goal is optimal, moderate activation—not zero nerves.

What is a mock performance, and why is recording yourself one of the most effective practice tools?

A mock performance is a full run-through under simulated concert conditions—performance attire, an audience (or camera), no stopping regardless of mistakes—used to rehearse pressure. Recording is effective because it provides objective feedback: you hear balance, tempo, rushing, and unshaped phrases you cannot perceive while playing, and the camera itself induces useful performance pressure.