The Associate of Arts in Performance (Keyboard) program includes a combination of general and instrument-specific courses designed to produce skilled, knowledgeable, stylistically and technologically versatile contemporary keyboardists. Courses are described below (see course catalog for specific course descriptions and other information). Combined with regular seminars, clinics, and small open counseling sessions with internationally-known musicians, the AA-Keyboard program provides the world's premier contemporary keyboard educational experience.
KEYBOARD CORE
Keyboard Technique I
Covers exercises for the development of keyboard facility and precision control over melodic components including scales, patterns, arpeggios, and intervals. Keyboard Technique IB concentrates on hand independence, melodic phrasing, stamina, and contemporary keyboard techniques.
Keyboard Technique II
A continuation of the techniques and concepts of contemporary keyboard playing.
Keyboard Voicings I
Fundamentals of chord construction, symbol recognition, and voice leading. Course covers triads, slash chords, inversions, added-note chords, and diatonic harmony. Weekly sightreading is used to reinforce performance.
Keyboard Voicings II
Covers seventh chord construction and symbols with an emphasis on “rootless” voicings as well as exercises in diatonic and chromatic chord movement and left hand accompaniment to melody and improvisation. Stylistic etudes are used to reinforce performance.
Keyboard Voicings III
Learn the concepts of chord-scale harmony and apply them to the construction of voicings and chord progressions. Students explore the techniques of “tension substitution” and use it to create voicings while composing and performing their own progressions.
Keyboard Improvisation
Introduces blues tonality, 7th chord arpeggios, and improvising over all major and minor tonalities utilizing a key center approach and variations. Students improvise over simple blues and jazz progressions.
Groove I
Learn the basic role of the keyboard player in an ensemble with an emphasis on time, tempo, and rhythmic feel in performance. Drills focus on rhythmic awareness and consistency, playing against a steady pulse, and basic hand independence, eighth note syncopation, playing with a drummer, swing and straight feels.
Groove II
Learn basic keyboard groove patterns in diverse styles including rock, pop ballads, blues, country, bossa nova, salsa, reggae, swing and other popular genres.
Groove III
An introduction to sixteenth-note syncopation and its application to contemporary musical styles, with emphasis on bass lines, comping and hand-against-hand rhythmic performance. Second half of the course concentrates on stylistic rhythms, half- and double-time feels and two-keyboard performance. Also covered are synth bass lines, brass parts and organ & clavinet playing styles.
Musical Director Workshop
Keyboard players make natural musical directors, a role that calls on a variety of skills. This class will prepare students to direct other musicians in a professional live setting while performing such typical MD tasks as creating intros and endings, preparing basic slash charts, directing walk-ons and walk-offs, and vocal accompaniment.
Reading I
An introduction to the symbols used for notating melody, rhythm, and harmony. Class covers clefs, grand staff, ledger lines, song form, and rhythmic syncopation.
Reading II
Class examines simple left-hand chord voicings, rhythms involving switching from triplets to duplets and more complex melody lines with exercises drawn from contemporary styles. Students learn to read two-stave arrangements with complex rhythms and harmony.
TECHNOLOGY
Digital Music I
Students are introduced to the use of digital audio technology as an integral tool in the creation of keyboard-based recordings. Students learn intuitive setup procedures and use of keyboards as digital audio triggers using Logic software. Students learn at individual workstations in small groups.
Digital Music II
Students learn sequencing as well as the use of sound banks and digital effects using Logic as they complete practical, deadline-oriented projects.
Digital Music III
Students apply advanced digital recording skills culminating in the production of a personal Electronic Press Kit (EPK) incorporating original music and video. The EPK is each student’s calling-card for future professional employment.
Keyboard Programming I: Basic Synthesis
An introduction to the structure of an analog synthesizer. Includes essential concepts of subtractive synthesis and synthesized sound production as well as components from wave forms to filters and amplifiers.
Keyboard Programming II: Intro to Virtual Instruments
Composing and performing music with computer-driven instruments. Using Logic Audio’s vast catalog of virtual instruments, students will learn how to trigger and sequence sounds using their own keyboard and groove skills. Includes advanced sequencing, editing and programming of various instrument combinations in a variety of practical applications.
Keyboard Programming III: Video Scoring
Students learn to enhance the emotional qualities of video images through the creation of musical background scores. Includes both creative and technical aspects of scoring commercials, TV and film using Emagic Logic Platinum digital recording software.
PERFORMANCE
Private Lessons
Weekly instrument lesson with an instructor who guides the student in developing technique, musicianship and style in support of core curricular goals. The instructor and student jointly determine a specific course of study depending on student needs, strengths and experience.
Live Playing Workshops
Students perform regularly throughout the program in their choice of styles and settings. Regularly scheduled* LPWs include:
Blues
Classic Rock
Country Rock
Modern Rock
Hard Rock
Metal
Classic R&B
Contemporary R&B
Freestyle Hip Hop
Funk
Fusion
Latin
Reggae
Traditional Jazz Ensemble
Student Choice (styles vary)
*LPW offerings vary by quarter; check current course schedule for availability
MUSICIANSHIP
Harmony and Theory I
An introduction to Harmony and Theory as it applies to popular music. Includes the development of fundamental music notation skills, rhythms, major and minor scales, intervals, chords and diatonic harmony.
Harmony and Theory II
Begins with diatonic harmony and expands to include chromatic variations typical of popular music, including scale and chord alterations and harmonic analysis of non-diatonic major and minor progressions.
Ear Training I
An introduction to Ear Training as it applies to popular music. Covers the ability to recognize by ear major and minor scales, intervals, chord qualities, diatonic progressions, and rhythms in the context of examples drawn from contemporary popular music.
Ear Training II
Concentrates on the recognition and transcription of diatonic major and minor melody and harmony and rhythmic figures including sixteenth notes. Includes specific examples drawn from contemporary popular music.
ELECTIVES
Each quarter, AA (Keyboard) students may choose from an enormous variety of elective courses covering all major contemporary styles, techniques, and musical interests as well as general courses in songwriting, technology, music business and more (see course catalog for current offerings).
Current keyboard-specific electives are listed below; topics and scheduling are subject to change and some require prerequisites. Check the current course offering for up-to-date information about courses offered during a specific quarter:
Composition for Keyboards
Hip-Hop Keyboards
Rock Keyboards
Blues Keyboards
Funk Keyboards
R&B/Soul Keyboards
Introduction to Improvisation
Keyboard Kontrol
Brazilian Keyboards
Afro-Cuban Keyboards
Accompany Thyself
Advanced Keyboard Technique
Vocal Accompaniment