In partnership with your instructor, you will select and learn a specifically notated piece in any style to work on for the semester, adhering to all expressive, fingering, touch, and technical elements.

As in the previous levels, you will select and learn a chord symbol improvisation piece in any contemporary style, such as jazz, pop, R&B, rock, blues, gospel. The harmonic texture required for Level 3 is to play a harmonized melody in the right hand with chord tones and tensions, along with bass line activity in the left hand. You will work with your instructor to arrange an approved piece employing proper voice leading, expressive elements, fingering, and technical elements. You will also be introduced to the concept and application of altered tensions, which are additional notes added to chords to add harmonic richness.

In Level 3, the ensemble playing technique, comping, will also be introduced. Comping is an improvised accompaniment technique utilized in many contemporary styles. In Level 3, students will utilize open-voicing concepts for comping. No worries if you don't understand what this means now, it will be explained in your weekly lessons.

There will be continued study of improvisation concepts, including appropriate melodic and harmonic vocabulary for specific song styles, rhythmic and phrasing principals, and technical considerations. In Level 3, you will improvise on a new 12-bar blues form and/or a diatonic chord progression in various styles, applying these concepts to your approved chord symbol improvisation piece.

By the end of Private Piano Lesson Level 3, you will be able to:

• Perform harmonic, traditional melodic, and jazz/real melodic minor scales in the keys of C, G, D, A, E, and B for four octaves, at 72 BPM, in rhythmic groupings of 1:1, 2:1, 3:1, and 4:1
• Perform minor root-position triad arpeggios in the keys of C, G, D, A, E, and B hands together, for four octaves, at 72 BPM, in rhythmic groupings of 1:1, 2:1, 3:1, and 4:1
• Perform minor triadic chord progressions I – IV – V – I and I – VI – II6 – V – I in C, G, D, A, E, and B
• Perform a technical exercise designed to develop rhythmic skill and awareness, hand strength, and muscle memory essential for conventional movement and movement specific to Level 3 repertoire
• Perform a specifically notated scored piece
• Perform a chord symbol improvisatory piece, right-hand melody harmonized with chord tones and tensions and left-hand bass line activity
• Employ comping techniques on your Level 3 chord symbol improvisatory piece
• Employ melodic and rhythmic improvisation concepts to a 12-bar blues or diatonic chord progression