Das Universalinstrument / The Universal Instrument

For centuries, the keyboard has stood at the crossroads of performance, composition, and improvisation. For this reason, nearly all educational institutions require music majors to become pro? cient at the keyboard. Yet too often, these secondary piano lessons either remain restricted to technical basics like scales and arpeggios, or they are modeled after the training of concert pianists, such that the goal is narrowly focused on the error-free performance of literature. The solution, we believe, lies in interdisciplinary dialogue, particularly between piano teachers and music theorists. This is because present-day “applied Piano” and music theory curricula could both bene? t from increased historical and stylistic contextualization. In this way, secondary piano instruction gains greater relevance through specialization in topics like style-based improvisation, composition, arranging, accompaniment, sight-reading, or ear training. At the same time, the practical interaction with the keyboard brings music-theoretical concepts to life. Drawing inspiration from a diverse array of sources ranging from baroque counterpoint texts to modern jazz piano methods, this essay collection blends scholarship and pedagogy to explore the manifold ways in which the keyboard allows both the hands and the mind to grasp music.