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MUS117
JAZZ IMPROVISATION
DR. ORPEN
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Spring 2008
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| Course Information |
Credit
.125 course
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Room
FAM 106
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Days (1st Half Sem)
Tuesday & Thursday
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Time
8:00-8:50am
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| Required Text and Internet Resource |
The Real Easy Book: Tunes for Beginning Improvisers, Vol. I. Pub. by Sher Music Co
www.shermusic.com or 800-444-7437.
iTunes - download
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| Instruments |
C Book – ISBN 1-883217-15-6
Bb Book
Eb Book
Bass Book
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| Reserve Materials (Lund Music Library) |
Jamey Aebersold VHS "Anyone Can Improvise"
Jamey Aebersold Play-Along CDs
Jim Snidero Jazz Conception CDs
DCI Music Videos
Jazz Club Cassettes |
| Other Materials |
Notebook paper, pencils, staff paper, instruments
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| Course Description |
This course is designed for those students who play instruments and wish to study music through the art of improvisation and improve personal improvisatory skills. No previous experience in improvisation is necessary. This course will include jazz theory, transcription, and individual performance study. Music Education students are encouraged to take this course to satisfy the improvisation requirement for State Licensure. Students must be able to read music.
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| Retake |
This course may be taken more than once for credit.
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| Academic Honesty |
Matters of academic honesty will be discussed with the student and reported to the Dean.
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| Attendance |
You are allowed one unexcused absence from class. Each unexcused absence beyond this point will lower your grade for this course one mark. If you miss a class, be prepared to complete the assigned material before the next class period. Extenuating circumstances will be considered on an individual basis.
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| Requirements |
1) Students will prepare and play improvised solos for 7 tunes from the Real Easy Book ( a tune that has been presented can be used after the presentation but not before)
2) Students will catalog riffs.
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| Practice Time |
Minimum of 2 hours of individual practice time each week |
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| Student Outcomes |
1) Students will learn the heads for 7 tunes and play improvisations on each over recordings of the tunes.
2) Students will listen to and study recordings of each tune.
3) Students will catalog their riffs. |
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| Grading |
100% In-class Performances (5 performance requirements) |
| Letter Grade |
A= 5 "S" requirements
B = 4 "S" requirements
C = 3 "S" requirements
D = 2 "S" requirements
F = 1-0 "S" requirements
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| Grading Process |
Each of the 5 in-class performances will be graded as "S" = satisfied or "NS" = not satisfied.
An "S" means the student has satisfied that requirement.
An "NS" means that the student has not satisfied the requirement but may attempt to get an "S" by playing it again up to 3 more times in consecutive class periods.
"+" or "-" grade marks will be used to reflect quality, timeliness of satisfying requirements, and the thoroughness of the catalog.
The instructor will listen to see if the student understands the chord progression (get lost?), makes good scale/riff choices (does it sound good?, interesting tensions), plays with the appropriate style (does it swing?, varied rhythm), and plays an effective improvisation (does it flow?, good sense of sound, line, and timing).
Further explanation: If students have a command of a tune or progression, know the form, and apply scales and musical ideas effectively, the result will be a very good improvisation. This generally means that the piece is memorized. It also means that the students have listened to and studied the styles and ideas of the great players.
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Assignments
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| Feb. 12 |
Introduction to improvisation. Present Cold Duck Time
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| Feb. 14 |
Play Cold Duck Time, Present Groove Merchant
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| Feb. 19 |
Test 1 - Perform Cold Duck Time or Groove Merchant
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| Feb. 21 |
Present Doxy
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| Feb. 26 |
Test 2 - Perform Tune #2
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| Feb. 28 |
Present Bag's Groove
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| Mar. 4 |
Test 3 - Perform Tune #3
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| Mar. 6 |
Present Song for My Father
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| Mar. 11 |
Present Killer Joe
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| Mar. 13 |
Test 4 - Perform Tune #4
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| Mar. 18 |
Present Mr. P.C.
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| Mar. 20 |
Present Yardbird Suite
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| Apr. 1 |
Test 5 - Perform Tune #5
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| Apr. 3 |
Jam and Leftovers
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| Snidero Cross-referenced with Aebersold Playalongs
Groove Blues (Vol. 6 Now’s The Time or Billie’s Bounce)
Amen Vol. 17 The Preacher
A Doll Vol. 54 Satin Doll
Total Blues Vol. 50 All Blues
Grease (Vol. 6 Now’s The Time or Billie’s Bounce)
Rose (Honeysuckle Rose)
Joe’s Thing
Proxy Vol. 54 Doxy
Father Song Vol. 17, 54 Song for my Father
IND Line MT68 .A35 v.66 or 65 Take the A Train)
Miles Vol. 50 So What
Blue Minor Vol. 33 Footprints
Autumn Vol. 54 Autumn Leaves
Friends Vol. 34 Just Friends
Great Love Vol. 34 There is no Greater Love
Two Plus Two Vol. 7 Four
Lunar Vol. 7 Solar
Tunisia Vol. 43 Night in Tunisia
Bird Blues Vol. 6 Now’s The Time or Billie’s Bounce
Somewhere Vol. 22 Out of Nowhere
Passage Vol. I Got Rhythm
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Popular Chord Symbols
"Standardized Chord Symbol Notation" by Carl Brandt and Clinton Roemer is a good resource for more information on these symbols.
For chords, scales and more check out - http://www.be-blood.demon.co.uk/theoryintro.htm
http://tyala.freeyellow.com/index.htm
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| The Letter |
The letter in the symbol identifies the root of the chord. |
| The Numbers |
Each member of the two octave major scale below is assigned a number. Chords primarily consist of thirds and therefore letters and numbers in 'red' are the common chord tones. (Numbers in parentheses are simply octave doublings of basic chord tones.) 9, 11, and 13 are called chord extensions and raising (#) or lowering (b) these is an alteration. |
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| C |
D |
E |
F |
G |
A |
B |
C |
D |
E |
F |
G |
A |
B |
C |
| 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
(8) |
9 |
(10) |
11 |
(12) |
13 |
(14) |
(15) |
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The Chord Chart
Fake books, for example The Real Book series, use the following symbols.
1) Chord extensions and alterations are listed across the top of the chart.
2) Basic chord types are listed down the left side.
3) Other symbols that are in use but not included below are:
- Eb/F is slash notation = chord is on top and bass note is on the bottom
- "sus" replaces the third of the chord with a 4th
- "add" simply adds that note to the chord without including other extensions before it
- "Alt" means b13 and altered 9
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Triad |
7, 9, 13 |
7, 9, 13 with flat 5 |
7. 9. 13. with sharp 5 |
11 |
sharp 9 |
flat 9 |
6 |
6/9 |
| Major chords |
C |
CMA7
CMA9
CMA13
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CMA7(b5)
etc
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CMA7(#5)
etc
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CMA7(#11) |
na |
na |
C6 |
C6/9 |
| Minor chords |
Cmi |
Cmi7
Cmi9
Cmi13
Cmi(MA7)
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Cmi7(b5)
etc
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na |
Cmi11
also Cmi11(b5)
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na |
na |
Cmi6 |
Cmi6/9 |
| Dominant 7th |
na |
C7
C9
C13
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C7(b5)
etc
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C7(#5) or C+7
etc
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C7(#11)
etc
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C7(#9)
C7(#9)(b5)
C7(#9)(#5)
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C7(b9)
etc
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na |
na |
| Augmented |
C+ |
C+7 |
na |
C+7 |
C+7(#11)
etc
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C+7(#9)
etc
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C+7(b9)
etc
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na |
na |
| Diminished |
Co |
Co7 |
Co7 |
na |
na |
na |
na |
na |
na |
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Chord/Scale Relationships
For Chord/Scale Relationships in Improvisation see http://www.outsideshore.com/primer/primer/ms-primer-4-7.html
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Transcribed Solos - Check Out These Sites
http://www.alisdair.com/educator/transcriptions.html
http://www.stuntzner.brent.org/Transcriptions.html
http://charlesmcneal.com/index.html
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