Advanced Piano

PA Arts and Humanities Standards:

• 9.1.12.A Know and use the elements and principles of each art form to create works in the arts and humanities
  • Elements
    • Music: duration, intensity, pitch, timbre
  • Principles
    • Music: composition, form, genre, harmony, rhythm, texture
• 9.1.12.B Recognize, know, use, and demonstrate a variety of appropriate arts elements and principles to produce, review and revise original works in the arts.
  • Music: sing, play an instrument, read and notate music, compose and arrange, improvise.
• 9.1.12.D Demonstrate specific styles in combination through the production or performance of a unique work of art.
• 9.1.12.G Analyze the effect of rehearsal and practice sessions.
• 9.1.12.H Incorporate the effective and safe use of materials, equipment and tools into the production of works in the arts at work and performance spaces.
  • Evaluate the use and applications of materials.
  • Evaluate the use and applications of mechanical/electrical equipment.

• Application of changing hand positions as directed by technical demands of the music.
• Fingering strategies for music that does not fit solely into the basic 5 finger/note range of the hand.
• Concepts of musical texture as applied to piano playing.
• Practice techniques for cleaning up performance errors.
• Practice techniques for building finger/hand strength, agility, and overall control and coordination.
• Advanced pedalling techniques (sustain/damper, sostenuto, una corda).

• Greater technical skills are needed to play piano music at an intermediate to advanced level.
• Focused, efficient practice skills are needed to master playing piano music at an intermediate to advanced level.

• Play music in a variety of positions (including composite, shifting positions).
• Play music using both hands in a variety of musical textures.
• Apply appropriate fingering to practice assignments.
• Perform technical exercises with appropriate speed and accuracy.
• Utilize all pedals as indicated by the music.
• Demonstrate and apply practice techniques to playing assignments.

• How is practice essential to growth with any applied skill (such as playing an instrument)?
• How is continued, targeted, focused practice essential to mastery of a concept?
• How is consistency with application of fingering indispensable to establishing good technique?

• How do you infer fingering from a piece of music that is not based in a single hand position?
• How do you identify incorrect notes when practicing a piece of music?
• Why is hands alone practice essential to mastery of two handed playing?
• Why is rhythmic isolation of separate musical elements important to assembling a whole performance?
• How can the pedals be used effectively in performance of intermediate/advanced piano repertoire?

• Piano/keyboard
• Alfred Adult All-In-One Piano Course - Level 1, 2, and 3
• Supplemental piano music
• Metronome
   

• Sustain/Damper pedal
• Sostenuto pedal
• Una corda pedal

• Formative: Playing check-ins with teacher
• Summative: Playing assessments with teacher

PA Arts and Humanities Standards:

• 9.1.12.D Demonstrate specific styles in combination through the production or performance of a unique work of art.
• 9.2.12.A Explain the historical, cultural and social context of an individual work in the arts.
• 9.2.12.C Relate works in the arts to varying styles and genre and to the periods in which they were created.
• 9.2.12.E Analyze how historical events and culture impact forms, techniques and purpose of works in the arts.

• Major stylistic periods in keyboard repertoire (Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Impressionist, 20th/21st Century).
• Key composers and representative works from each period (e.g., Bach – Well-Tempered Clavier, Beethoven – Sonatas, Chopin – Etudes, Debussy – Preludes).
• Characteristics of keyboard writing across historical periods (e.g., contrapuntal textures in Baroque, sonata form in Classical).
• Historical keyboard instruments (e.g., harpsichord, fortepiano, early pianos) and how they influence interpretation.
• Common forms and structures in piano literature (e.g., binary, ternary, sonata-allegro, rondo, theme and variations).
• Harmonic and tonal practices typical of each era.
• Pedaling techniques and how they differ historically and stylistically.
• Ornamentation practices appropriate to each period.
• Performance practice conventions, including articulation, phrasing, and tempo flexibility.
• Technical demands and interpretive challenges unique to repertoire from different periods.
• Cultural and historical context of selected repertoire pieces.
• Score reading skills (e.g., figured bass realization, clef changes, editorial vs. original markings)
• Terminology relevant to keyboard repertoire and historical styles (e.g., affekt, rubato, toccata, prelude, nocturne).

• Repertoire for the piano is reflective of the time and place in which it was written.
• Repertoire for the piano (as well as the keyboard more generally) developed concurrently with advances in technology.
• Understanding the historical context of a piece of music, including the instruments used and the time and place it was composed, offers valuable insight into the composer’s "sound world." This knowledge helps us deliver a performance that feels authentic and true to the original intentions of the music.

• Analyze a score to identify its stylistic period based on texture, form, harmony, and articulation.
• Identify and describe key characteristics of a piece’s form (e.g., sonata-allegro, binary, theme and variations).
• Compare and contrast harmonic and tonal language across stylistic periods.
• Research and present historical and cultural context for selected repertoire.
• Describe the role and evolution of keyboard instruments and how they influence performance decisions.
• Perform repertoire across multiple stylistic periods with technical proficiency and expressive depth.
• Accurately use historical and stylistic terminology in discussions and written reflections.
• Articulate interpretive decisions using appropriate musical and historical language.
• Critically evaluate peer and professional performances using stylistic and technical criteria.

• How does piano repertoire reflect the cultural, historical, and artistic values of the time in which it was written?
• In what ways did technological developments in keyboard instruments influence the music that composers wrote?
• How can understanding the historical and cultural context of a piece help performers interpret it more authentically?
• How do changes in keyboard instruments across history affect the way we perform music today?
• Can a historically informed performance still be creative and personal? Why or why not?
   

• What are the defining characteristics of keyboard music from each historical period?
• How can we identify the stylistic period of a piece by listening or analyzing the score?
• What makes pieces (e.g. Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier or Chopin’s Etudes) essential to their respective periods?
• How does texture and form in keyboard writing change from one style period to another?
• What specific features of a piece help us determine how it should be interpreted and performed?
• How does the design of the harpsichord or fortepiano shape the sound and interpretation of music written for it?
• What changes must a performer make when playing early keyboard music on a modern piano?
• How do composers use forms to organize musical ideas?
• What structural patterns should we listen for when learning a new piece?
• How should pedaling be adjusted to suit different historical styles and composers?
• Why is it important to limit or change pedal use in Baroque and Classical music?
• How do articulation and phrasing expectations change from one stylistic period to another?
• What role does rubato play in Romantic music, and how should it be applied tastefully?
• What technical skills are emphasized in repertoire from different eras?
• How did the political or cultural environment influence the creation of a specific piano work?
• What non-musical factors (literature, art, nationalism) shaped the expression of Romantic or modern composers?
   

• Piano/keyboard
• Supplemental piano music
• Recordings/Videos of piano performances

• Medieval
• Renaissance
• Baroque
• Classical
• Romantic
• Impressionist
• Modernist
• Postmodern
• 20th/21st century
• Organ
• Harpsichord
• Fortepiano
• Prelude
• Fugue
• Suite
• Sonata
• First Movement form
• Concerto
• Theme & Variations
• Nocturne
• Etude
• Fantasy
• Impromptu
• Rhapsody

• Formative: Teacher led discussions
• Formal: Written assessments
• Summative: Playing assessments with teacher

PA Arts and Humanities Standards:

• 9.1.12.A Know and use the elements and principles of each art form to create works in the arts and humanities
  • Elements
    • Music: duration, intensity, pitch, timbre
  • Principles
  • Music: composition, form, genre, harmony, rhythm, texture
• 9.1.12.B Recognize, know, use, and demonstrate a variety of appropriate arts elements and principles to produce, review and revise original works in the arts.
  • Music: sing, play an instrument, read and notate music, compose and arrange, improvise.
• 9.1.12.D Demonstrate specific styles in combination through the production or performance of a unique work of art.
• 9.1.12.G Analyze the effect of rehearsal and practice sessions.
• 9.1.12.H Incorporate the effective and safe use of materials, equipment and tools into the production of works in the arts at work and performance spaces.
  • Evaluate the use and applications of materials.
  • Evaluate the use and applications of mechanical/electrical equipment.

• Appropriate stylistic interpretation for recital repertoire selections.
• Appropriate recital etiquette (as both performer and audience member).
• Appropriate modes of performance/aesthetic critique.

• Recitals are forums for public presentation and sharing of solo piano repertoire.
• Music is something that can be enjoyed alone but is often most meaningful when shared.
• Learning music to perform publicly (and the inherent pressure that places on us) often motivates us to seek higher levels of preparation in order to put our best work forward. In doing so, we often gain a deeper understanding of the music we prepare.

• Perform intermediate/advanced music with appropriate stylistic interpretation
• Perform intermediate/advanced works in class recitals as a realization of the study of piano literature.
• Respond critically/analytically to student performances.
• Identify and verbalize aesthetic response to personal performance, as well as performance by others.
• Evaluate and critique choices in rehearsal and recital performance.

• What skills are required to perform piano music in a classroom piano recital environment?
• What skills are required to critique a piano recital performance?
   

• How does one focus practice to prepare for a piano recital?
• How is performing on an acoustic grand piano different from practicing on a digital piano?
• What considerations are there regarding pedal usage on an acoustic piano that are not present when utilizing a digital piano?
• What is proper stage etiquette for performing a solo piano recital?
• How does one bow and acknowledge audience appreciation appropriately?
• What is the standard convention for stage arrangement and piano setup?
• How does one behave and interact appropriately as an audience member at a piano recital?
   

• Piano/keyboard
• Alfred Adult All-In-One Piano Course - Level 1, 2, and 3
• Supplemental piano music
   

• Acoustic piano
• Full stick
• Etiquette
• Grand piano
• Half stick
• Stage presence
• Digital piano
• Recital
• Aesthetic Critique
• Harp resonance
• Concert

• Formative: Playing check-ins with teacher, Peer review/feedback
• Summative: Performance assessment with teacher