Technical difficulties faced in the playing of piano works in modal tone structure in piano education and model suggestions

This study has five sub-aims. The first two sub-aims of this study are to define the state of the playing of our Turkish composers? and music educators? works and the playing frequencies of these works. The third sub-aim is to form a ?hardness-easiness scale? model that can be used in determining the hardness degrees of piano works in modal tone structure. The fourth sub-aim is to present a model sample including the problems observed in the playing of solo piano works in modal tone structure together with the principle technical difficulties of these problems and technical exercises aimed at solving these problems. The fifth sub-aim is to test the effectiveness of this model on the success of the playing of these works.Design of this study is formed by two dimensions such as ?descriptive? and ?experimental?. The study is includes the designs of questionnaire, observation and uncontrolled pre-test and post-test in order to attain its five sub-aims.The first sample group is composed of 272 undergraduate students studying in the third year of 11 music education programs in 2006-2007 school years. The data necessary to attain the first two sub-aims at this stage is obtained by literature review and questionnaire. The third sub-aim is to form a ?hardness-easiness scale? model as part of the study. 5 modal tone structured solo piano works which are most frequently played and 5 modal tone structured solo piano works of equal levels which are not played in piano education are determined through this scale.The second sample group of the study is consisted of the 26 undergraduate students studying piano in the third year of Music Education in the Department of Fine Arts Education at Gazi University in 2007-2008 school years. In the scope of fourth sub-aim, in order to do experimental dimension of the research, faced problems of 26 students who were selected during the playing out of piano works in 10 modal tone structures were defined by observations. The data required for the fifth sub-aim of the study is obtained by literature review and an experiment of pre-test and post-test.Key Words: Departments of Music Education, Piano Education, Piano Works in Modal Tone Structure, Difficulty Level, Technical Difficulties, Model Suggestions