Which proficiency scale statement measures procedural knowledge at target level 3.0 proficiency for music performance?

• A. The student will demonstrate proper fingering technique on a clarinet.
• B. The student will play a musical scale with proper technique on a trumpet.
• C. The student will read written notation while playing a melody on a saxophone.
• D. The student will demonstrate how to play a standard chord on a violin.

Answer: (A)

Procedural knowledge is knowing how to perform a task—the actual steps and motor actions needed to execute something on the instrument. Demonstrating proper fingering technique on a clarinet fits this perfectly. It requires applying the correct fingerings in real time to produce accurate pitches, which is a clear, observable procedure a student can perform and be assessed on.

Playing a musical scale with proper technique on a trumpet also tests procedure, but fingering technique on the clarinet is a more precise, instrument-specific action, making it the strongest indicator of target-level procedural mastery. Reading notation while playing a melody involves coordinating reading with performance, which blends cognitive processing with technique, so it isn’t as direct a measure of procedural know‑how alone. Demonstrating how to play a standard chord on a violin asks for a specific skill set that isn’t as representative of typical procedural execution in performance as the clear, discrete fingering task on the clarinet.