Berklee Keyboard Method

Syllabus

Lesson 1: Treble Clef

• Treble Clef Notation
• Treble Clef on Keyboard
• Finger Numbering
• C through G
• Practice Exercises: Playing a Melody
• Practice Exercises: Moving the Five-Note Hand Position
• Practice Exercises: Thumb Study
• Assignment 1.1: Playing a Melody Using One Hand Position
• Assignment 1.2: Playing a Melody Using Two Hand Positions

Lesson 2: Bass Clef

• Bass Clef Notation
• Bass Clef on Keyboard
• Left-Hand Finger Numbers
• C Through F
• Practice Exercise: Playing a Melody
• Practice Exercise: Moving the Hand Position
• Practice Exercise: Thumb Study
• Assignment 2.1: Walking Bass Line
• Assignment 2.2: Popular Melody with Two Hand Positions

Lesson 3: Grand Staff

• Grand Staff Notation
• Playing With Both Hands Simultaneously
• Moving Hand Positions Simultaneously in Both Clefs
• Practice Exercise: Melodies That Move Between Clefs
• Practice Exercise: Thumb Study
• Assignment 3.1: Two Clef Melody
• Assignment 3.2: Melody Using Three Hand Positions

Lesson 4: The Black Keys/Accidentals

• The Black Keys
• Practice Exercise: Reading Melodies with Accidentals
• Practice Exercise: Adding Accidentals to a Melody
• Practice Exercise: Moving Hand Positions in Both Hands Including Accidentals
• Establishing Major and Minor Tonalities
• Practice Exercise: Thumb Study
• Assignment 4.1: Accidentals in a Melody
• Assignment 4.2: Accidentals in One Hand Position

Lesson 5: Independence Between Hands

• Practice Exercises: Playing Different Notes with Both Hands Simultaneously
• Practice Exercises: Rhythmic Independence Studies
• Practice Exercises: Playing Two Notes Simultaneously in One or Both Hands
• Practice Exercise: Thumb Study
• Assignment 5.1: 'Blues in the Closet'
• Assignment 5.2: 'Blues in G'

Lesson 6: Major and Minor Triads

• Five-Note Major Scales
• Practice Exercises: Five-Note Major Scales
• Major Triads in Root Position
• Five-Note Minor Scales
• Minor Triads in Root Position
• Triad Inversions
• Practice Exercise: C Major Triads in Root Position and First and Second Inversion
• Inversions of Minor Triads
• Slash Chord Notation
• Harmonizing a Melody
• Creating Bass Lines
• Practice Exercise: Thumb/Scale Study
• Assignment 6.1: Harmonizing a Melody

Lesson 7: Voice Leading Triads

• Triads and the Major Scale
• Diatonic Triads
• Triad Qualities
• Voice Leading the I IV V I (One, Four, Five, One) Diatonic Progression
• Practice Exercises: Voice Leading
• The I V VImi IV I (One, Five, Six Minor, Four, One) Diatonic Progression
• Practice Exercise: Thumb/Scale Study
• Assignment 7.1: I, IV, V Triads in Reggae
• Assignment 7.2: I, V, VImi, IV Triads in Pop/R&B

Lesson 8: Left-Hand Chord Playing

• Authoring
• Introduction
• The Best Range for Left-Hand Chords
• Voice Leading Triads With the Left Hand
• The I V VImi IV I (One, Five, Six Minor, Four, One) Diatonic Progression
• Interpreting Lead Sheets Using Voice-led Triads in the Left Hand
• Thumb/Scale Study
• Assignment 8.1: 'Pachelbel’s Canon' with LH Triads
• Assignment 8.2: 'Wild Horses' with LH Triads

Lesson 9: Right-Hand Chord Playing

• Playing Triads with the Right Hand
• Playing in a Minor Key
• I, IV, V, I Progression in Major and Minor Keys
• Triadic Accompaniment in the Context of Lead Sheets
• Various Comping Textures Using Triads
• Practicing Voice-Led Triads in Various Textures
• Slash Chords
• Thumb/Scale Study
• Assignment 9.1: Slash Chords in 'Ain’t No Sunshine'
• Assignment 9.2: Slash Chords in Ravel’s 'Pavane'

Lesson 10: Left-Hand Shell Voicings for Seventh Chords

• Introduction to Seventh Chords
• Chord 'Qualities'
• Determining Seventh Chord Qualities
• Close Position, Open Position
• Left-Hand Shell Voicings for Seventh Chords
• Voice Leading Shells
• The IIm7 V7 Imaj7 Progression
• Two Classic Shell Voicings for the II V I Progression
• Preparing for Assignment Repertoire
• Using Left-Hand Shells to Support Right-Hand Activity
• Adding Rhythmic Activity to Left-Hand Shells
• Thumb/Scale Study
• Assignment 10.1: 'Leaves Are Falling'
• Assignment 10.2: 'New York State of Mind'

Lesson 11: Accompanying with Guide-Tones

• Guide Tones in the Right Hand, Roots in the Left
• Prepare Your Voicings
• Practice the Voicings
• Adding Rhythmic Activity to Comping with Guide Tones
• Jazz
• Left-Hand Guide Tones to Support the Melody
• Thumb/Scale Study
• Assignment 11.1: 'Bossa Time'
• Assignment 11.2: 'Lately'

Lesson 12: Three-Part Chords

• Spread Voicings
• Chord Tensions, Chord Extensions, Color Tones
• The 'Plus One' Note: Adding the 5th, 9th, and 13th
• Transforming the Dominant 7th to a Dominant 7sus4 Chord
• Comping Patterns Using Three-Note Chords (RH) and Root (LH)
• The Blues Progression
• Thumb/Scale Study
• Assignment 12: 'Freddie Freeloader'