course-details-portlet

MUSV1019

Principal Instrument 1 with Improvisation

Credits 7.5
Level Foundation courses, level I
Course start Autumn 2025
Duration 1 semester
Language of instruction Norwegian
Location Trondheim
Examination arrangement Practical examination

About

About the course

Course content

The course is comprised of work on the student's development with their principal instrument/voice, including technique, methods, genre knowledge, theory, and communication tied to a chosen repertoire, as well as broader general technical exercises. The course further includes methods and exercises for open-genre improvisation with voice and/or instrument, both alone and as part of a group.

Learning outcome

Knowledge:

An examinee with a completed qualification in MUSV1019

  • Has relevant vocal/instrumental proficiency.
  • Is broadly oriented within his or her main musical area/genre.
  • Has basic practical and theoretical insight in appropriate techniques for listening, exercise and performance, both alone and in ensembles.
  • Has basic knowledge of different types of appropriate methods for vocal/instrumental improvisation, independent of genre.

Skills:

An examinee with a completed qualification in MUSV1019

  • Can rehearse and present a vocal/instrumental repertoire from a broad field within his or her main musical area/genre.
  • Can show musicality, technical skills, knowledge of styles, and insight into music theory
  • Can improvise on a basic level both alone and with others

Learning methods and activities

Principal instrument: individual and group instruction with satisfactory participation. To be able to take the final exam, the student must attend a minimum of 80% of the classes.

Because of overlap due to comparable learning goals, students can only register once for the individual levels of instruction within the Department of Music’s principal instrument courses.

Improvisation: individual instruction with satisfactory participation in compulsory instruction. To be able to take the final exam, the student must attend a minimum of 80% of the classes. The improvisation part of the course concludes with a presentation in a group in the last practice lesson.

Compulsory assignments

  • Satisfactory participation in instuction - principal instrument
  • Satisfactory participation in instuction - improvisation

Further on evaluation

The exam time for main instrument is approx. 10 minutes, with new repertoire compared to the entrance exam.

If the course is not passed, the student must retake the full assessment.

Specific conditions

Admission to a programme of study is required:
Music Performance Studies (BMUSP)
Musicology (BMUSV)
Musicology (ÅMUSV)

Credit reductions

Course code Reduction From
MUSV1020 7.5 sp Autumn 2019
MUSV1015 4 sp Autumn 2022
This course has academic overlap with the courses in the table above. If you take overlapping courses, you will receive a credit reduction in the course where you have the lowest grade. If the grades are the same, the reduction will be applied to the course completed most recently.

Subject areas

  • Musicology
  • Music Performance Studies

Contact information

Course coordinator

Lecturers

Department with academic responsibility

Department of Music

Examination

Examination

Examination arrangement: Practical examination
Grade: Passed / Not Passed

Ordinary examination - Autumn 2025

Practical examination
Weighting 100/100 Duration 10 minutes

Ordinary examination - Spring 2026

Practical examination
Weighting 100/100 Duration 10 minutes