Christopher Schröder Mar 2, 2011:

Alison's suggestion sounds good to me for training at a high level, as opposed to just learning to play popular music

Alison MacG Mar 2, 2011:

Functional piano/functional piano skills? In the context of a fairly advanced music course, could this be the type of thing intended?
MUS 249 Functional Piano
Development of skills in harmonization, improvisation, transposition, and playing by ear for intermediate and advanced piano students. Prerequisite: Approved music major or minor; or Admission to music candidacy.
http://www.cmich.edu/Admissions/Academic_Programs/Liberal_an...

Christopher Schröder Mar 2, 2011:

Yes but... Isn't the "chord method" more an alternative way of teaching/learning piano from scratch? In this context it could be something more advanced. The brukspiano I did was more about improvising an accompaniment with or without indicative chord progressions. Ultimately I suppose it was about teaching classical pianists to play jazz. A course in "piano chords" just sounds a bit too basic to me. So I'd be tempted to go with plain "accompaniment". On the other hand, the level might be lower and then it might just be teaching fairly basic piano to instrumentalists, in which case I suppose chord method would be OK.

Anna Herbst Mar 2, 2011:

Chord method is all about accompaniment. Take a look at this video to get an idea how it works:
http://www.ehow.com/video_7753856_learn-piano-chord-method.h...

Christopher Schröder Mar 2, 2011:

I once did a course in brukspiano... ... so I should know the answer, but I'm not sure. The course I did was basically about *accompaniment*. We also studied chord progressions and so on for both classical music and jazz, but I think that came under harmonilära. I don't know if that helps at all...