In C

Keyboard Proficiency Drills

in total
1) Scales: play both hands, two octaves apart, ascending and descending two octaves, forming two phrases separated by a phrasing touch, in 4/4 meter, and in all 15 written Major and harmonic minor keys.

&4 4 ?4 4

, ,

2) Sequences: play the left or right hand, start on the tonic, move up a 3rd, down a 2nd, ascending an octave, then invert the pattern at octave; treat as two phrases, in 4/4 meter, Major mode only.

, & , ? 3 &4 ?3 4 & ?

C: I

3) Arpeggios: break Major triads in both hands, two octaves apart, ascending and descending two octaves, forming two phrases separated by a phrasing touch, in 3/4 meter.

. .

. .. .. .

. . ... . ..

4) Breaking, Blocking and Inverting (B/B/I)--break, block, and invert all diatonic riads built on the all successive degrees of scale (both Major and harmonic minor scales), in the left or right hand, covering one octave, and in 3/4 meter. The Major pattern of chord qualities is: I ii iii IV V vi viio. The minor pattern is: i iio III+ iv V VI viio.

. .. ...

I6

.. . .. .

etc.

I6 4

Keyboard Proficiency Drills in total

5) String of Secondary Dominants--a harmonic sequence (string or chain) in which each diatonic triad in the Major scale is preceded by its own dominant seventh chord in 1st inversion. Play either hand, not both simult. (otherwise, improper doubling would result). Pop symbols have been provided.

&4 4 # 27 ?4 # 4
C

A 7/C # D m

C: I

6) Common-Tone Diminished 7ths--a progression involving the #iio7, a chromatic passing sonority that smoothly connects the passage from supertonic 7th to tonic in 1st inversion, or vice-versa. Open position or a fuller drop 2 jazz voicing may be used. The CTo7 may also be placed at the dominant level with an inner subdominant pedal.

6/ii V5

6/iii ii V5

# #

B 7/D #

Em

b b

C 7/E

# #

D 7/F #

# #

E 7/G # A m

G 7/B

w w w w w w
I

iii

6/IV IV V6/V V5 5

V V6 5/vi vi

V6 5

31

&

? # #
C

D m7 D # 7 C/E

D m7/F F # 7 C/G G 7

C: I

ii7

# iio7

# #
6 ii5

C w w
I

I6

# iio6

6 7 5 I4 V

j .. ## . . J

Drop 2 voicing jazz cadence

j J

G 7 F 2/A A # 7 G 7/B

6 C: V7 IV6 vio7 V5

# # # .. ..
i

7) Pivot (Common-Tone) Modulations--two standard modulation patterns: from minor to relative Major and back, and from Major to the dominant level. The only seventh chords involved in rst modulation are V7 in relative keys. Six-four is cadential in rst modulation. Play either hand, not both (otherwise, improper doubling would occur).

36

& ?

a-minor: V

# #

N N
i iv6 C: ii6 I6

.. ..

# #

V7

vi

iv6 V7 ii6

The following is a four-voice SATB realization of the same basic progression (with pop symbols included). The rst phrase is voiced in closed position; the second in open. The iv6 that acts as the pivot back to the relative minor has been substituted with the richer ii6-5 (half-diminished seventh). Both hands must be played simult.

41

& ?

A m D m/F C/G G 7

.. . .

G A m B m7 b 5 /D E 7

. . . # .

()

Am

Keyboard Proficiency Drills in total

3
Inverted Imperfect Authentic Cadence (IAC) at dominant (V) level

& 46 ?
C: I ii2

V6

vi6 G: ii6

# #

Root Position Imperfect Authentic Cadence (PAC) at dominant (V) level

V7

ii2

V6

vi6 G: ii6

# #
V2

I6

8) Augmented 6ths--the four types of Augmented sixth chords (i.e., Italian, German, Swiss and French) all function as pre-dominants (i.e., resolving to the dominant) and contain upper and lower leading tones that form the Aug 6th interval. All of these chords can be simply constructed as elaborations of the Phrygian Cadence (iv6-V).

50

b &bb ? b bb b &bb ? b bb

Passing seventh

# n n # n n

Passing seventh

w w w w
i

C-minor: i

(2)

(2)

56

C-minor: i

6 Sw6 I6 V (7) iv5 4

j . n n j . # # n n # #

iv6 It6 V

(7)

j . n j . # n #
i
(2) 6 Gr6 i6 V (7) iv5 4

w w w w
i

nw w nw w
I

i
(2)

# #

n n n n

w w w w
i

6 iv6 5 Fr V

(7)

9) Neapolitan 6th--the N6 is also a predominant, and may be clearly perceived as an altered iio6 in which the root has been chromatically lowered, transforming the original diminished quality of the triad to Major. The third is placed in the bass (1st inversion) and is usually doubled in four-voice writing, such that emphasis is placed upon the tonality-dening subdominant degree of the scale (a tonal degree). This progression is taken from Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata".

62

b w & b b w ? bb w b w

b b

n n

N N
V4

w w w w
i

C-minor: i

(2)

VI

N6

V7

i6 4