Piano (Singers)

This teaching should enable singing students to decipher, learn a score, accompany themselves and accompany a singer. The teaching will be limited to the acquisition of basic piano technique. It will also enable students to familiarise themselves with the use of harmonic movements on the keyboard, with a view to developing their ear and accompanying vocalises. This teaching will also seek to make singers aware of the work of pianists (bridges with vocal accompaniment and voice direction classes).

compulsory subject for 1st cycle singers

EXAMS

Exemption (optional):

Students may ask to be exempted from this course depending on the level acquired during previous studies, in initial or higher education (DEM piano or foreign equivalent, "piano" module in higher education). Students who do not have a Validation d'Acquis Antérieurs (VAA) may ask to take the exemption test: a mark of at least 16/20 in the test is required to obtain exemption.

Levels :

Students are divided by teachers into two levels leading to a certificate: level A, which corresponds to a beginner's level, or level B, which corresponds to a more advanced level.

They are organised as follows:

LEVEL A,^1st year

Semester 1 :

• Performance from memory and with both hands of 6 scales over 4 octaves (C, G, D Major and their relative tones)
• Performance of a perfect cadenza in the keys of C, G, D major and their relative keys.
• Reading of a simple piece for solo piano given 24 hours in advance and prepared independently.

Semester 2, test :

• Accompaniment of a song or melody of your choice with a singer, prepared in class.
• Reading of a chorale by J.S. Bach given 48 hours in advance and prepared independently.
• Reading of a simple piece for solo piano (20-minute practice session).

LEVEL A, 2nd year

Semester 1:

• Performance of a Lied or a melody with a singer to accompany (prepared in class)
• Reading of a simple recitative (10-minute dressing room)
• Performance of a simple piano piece given 48 hours in advance and prepared independently

Semester 2, certificate:

• Performance with score of a compulsory piece for solo piano (given at the end of the previous test).
• Accompaniment of a singer in a short, simple extract from an opera in the repertoire. The student will play what seems to him or her to be the most essential, harmonically, rhythmically and expressively, in the piano reduction.

LEVEL B, 1st year

Semester 1:

• Singing a Lied or a melody with piano accompaniment (preparation in class; text not compulsory)
• Performance of 5 cadences (perfect, imperfect, broken, plagal and half cadence) in keys up to 3 sharps (G, D, A Major) and 3 flats (F, Bb, Eb Major) and their relative keys.
• Reading of a piece for solo piano (20 min dressing room).

Semester 2, test :

• Performance of a song or melody of your choice with a singer prepared in class.
• Sight-reading of a chorale by J.S. Bach (20 min practice session)
• Sight-reading of a recitative with a singer (without dressing room)

LEVEL B, 2nd year

Semester 1 :

• Performance of a song or melody of your choice with a singer (prepared in class)
• Reading of a piece for solo piano given 48 hours in advance and prepared independently
• Reading of a chorale by J.S. Bach (20-minute dressing room)

Semester 2, certificate:

• Performance with score of a compulsory piece for solo piano (given at the end of the previous test)
• Reading of a chorale by J.S. Bach (20-minute practice session)
• Accompaniment of a singer in a short extract from an opera in the repertoire. The student will play what seems to him or her to be the most essential harmonically, rhythmically and expressively in the piano reduction.

AWARDS

The piano certificate (singers) must be taken in the^2nd year of the DNSPM. However, depending on their level, students may request, with the approval of the teacher and the Head of Department, to take the certificate in the^3rd year of the DNSPM. In this case, at the end of the^2nd year of the DNSPM, the student will sit an examination equivalent to the^1st year examination. The marks obtained in this examination will be used to calculate the certificate.

To obtain the piano certificate (singers), students must obtain a cumulative average of at least 12/20 in the^1st year (or^2nd year, depending on the student's level) and^2nd year (or^3rd year, depending on the student's level) examinations.

The tests and the certificate are marked out of 20. The mark obtained is also converted into a TB, B or AB grade.

2 years