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11/22/2017 MUSIC 335: JAZZ THEORY AND IMPROVISATION

MUSIC 335: JAZZ THEORY AND IMPROVISATION


Fall 2006, Mon/Wed/Fri 12:00-12:50 p.m., School of Music Room L1

Dr. Robert Hutchinson


School of Music 212, x2686
rghutchinson@ups.edu
Office Hours: Mon, Wed, Fri 1:00-2:00 p.m.
and by appointment

A. Description:

An introduction to jazz theory and improvisation through the study of selected compositions and
improvisations with emphasis on musical analysis, transcription, and performance.

B. Objectives:

The student will be able to notate, analyze, and perform extended and altered harmonies, hybrid and
synthetic scales, and common melodic and harmonic patterns.

The student will be able to create and combine melodic patterns in order to create improvisations.

In a performance setting, the student will apply melodic patterns to standard harmonic progressions
as they occur in isolation or within the context of a composition.

The student will be able to create basic keyboard accompaniments for standard harmonic
progressions and compositions.

The student will create and perform four transcriptions of improvisations from various recordings;
the student will apply isolated melodic patterns from these transcriptions to other compositions.

The student will learn how to transform the character of a composition through reharmonization.

C. Required Texts:

Levine, Mark. The Jazz Theory Book. Sher Music Co., 1995.

D. Grading:

Quizzes
Performance quizzes: 25%
Listening quizzes: 25%
Keyboard quizzes: 15%
Homework and Written Midterm: 5%

Projects
Transcription assignments (4): 20%

Final Exams
Written final: 2%
Performance final: 4%
Keyboard final: 4%

Grades are based on the following scale:

A 94-100% B+ 8789% C+ 7779% D+ 6769% F 59% and below


A- 90-93% B 84-86% C 7476% D 64-66%
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11/22/2017 MUSIC 335: JAZZ THEORY AND IMPROVISATION

B- 80-83% C- 70-73% D- 60-63%

Evaluation Criteria: The homework, written quizzes, and listening quizzes will be graded with regard to the
accuracy of the answers. Evaluation criteria for performance quizzes, keyboard quizzes, and transcription
projects are listed below.

A Performance and keyboard quizzes that are musical, contain a minimum of mistakes, and are
performed at 144 beats per minute; transcription projects that are notated very neatly and contain very
few mistakes

B Performance and keyboard quizzes that are somewhat musical but contain some mistakes, and are
performed at 120 beats per minute; transcription projects that are legible and have a few mistakes

C Performance and keyboard quizzes that lack musicality, contain a few pauses, mistakes, and are
performed at less than 120 beats per minute; transcription projects that are legible and have many
mistakes

D Performance and keyboard quizzes that lack musicality, contain pauses, several mistakes, and are
performed at less than 104 beats per minute; transcription projects that are poorly notated and have
many mistakes

F Performance and keyboard quizzes that lack musicality, contain several pauses, several mistakes, and
are not performed at a consistent tempo; transcription projects that are incomplete, poorly notated,
and have many mistakes

HOMEWORK AND WRITTEN MIDTERM: Homework and the written midterm will contain analysis,
identification, and writing of chord symbols, scales, chord-scale relationships, and common harmonic
progressions.

LISTENING QUIZZES: Students will have a listening quiz every two weeks on 12-15 jazz compositions. In
all, eighty compositions from the literature will be represented.

PERFORMANCE QUIZZES: Students will be quizzed weekly on their ability to master melodic patterns
and apply them to harmonic progressions and compositions in order to create improvisations.

KEYBOARD QUIZZES: Students will be quizzed weekly on their ability to create rudimentary piano
accompaniments for standard harmonic progressions and compositions.

TRANSCRIPTION ASSIGNMENTS: Students will be required to complete four 16-32 bar transcriptions of
improvisations from recordings of their choice. Students must be able to perform the improvisation along
with the original recording in class. Selections must be approved by me.

For the performance and keyboard quizzes, students will learn the following compositions:

(1) Autumn Leaves (5) I Love You


(2) There Will Never Be Another You (6) Blue In Green
(3) Just Friends (7) Stella By Starlight
(4) Blue Bossa (8) Blues For Alice

E. Topics, Activities, and Assignments:

Important Note: Bring your instrument to every class meeting.

1-1: Introduction, Chord Symbols, Cycle of Fifths, Guide Tones (pp. vii-x, pp. 22-23).

1-2: Chord-Scale Relationships. Homework.

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1-3: Performance Quiz 1: Diatonic Sequentials 1, 2, and 3 in G, C, F, Bb, Eb, and Ab major (concert), and in A, D,
G, C, F, and Bb Dorian at a minimum of 72 b.p.m. (beats per minute).
______________________________________________________________________________

2-1: LABOR DAY HOLIDAY

2-2: Listening Literature Review.

2-3: Performance Quiz 2: Pentatonic Exercises in major.


Keyboard Quiz 1: The II-V-I progression in C, Bb, Ab, Gb, E, and D major at 72 b.p.m.
If time: Listen to One OClock Jump. Learn blues riffs.
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3-1: Finish Listening Literature Review. For Wednesday, read pp. 103-110.
If time: Learn Sonnymoon for Two, use blues riffs for backgrounds.

3-2: Listening Quiz 1. (See Listening Literature below.) Homework: Slash Chords.

3-3: Performance Quiz 3: Pentatonic Exercises in minor.


Keyboard Quiz 2: The II-V-I progression in B, A, G, F, Eb, and Db major at 72 b.p.m.
If time: London Bridge and Pop Goes the Weasel over a blues progression; blues riffs.
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4-1: II-V-I licks (handout). Homework: Learn two in major (transpose them to Bb) and two in minor (transpose
them to G minor) for Friday. If time: Application of bebop scale to Nows the Time.

4-2: Listening Literature Review.

4-3: Performance Quiz 4: II-V-Is in Bb major and in G minor.


Keyboard Quiz 3: The Minor II-V-I Progression in E, A, D, G, C, F, Bb, and Eb minor.
Homework: Customize the II-V-Is you learned (writing and playing).
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5-1: Finish Listening Literature Review. Turn in II-V-Is. For Wednesday, read pp. 273-276.
If time: Learn Stolen Moments, a slow blues in minor.

5-2: Listening Quiz 2. (See Listening Literature below.) Homework: Chromatic Elaboration of Static Harmony
(CESH) applied to standard jazz tunes.

5-3: Keyboard Quiz 4: Play chord progression for Autumn Leaves while singing the melody. Listening Literature
Review.
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6-1: Performance Quiz 5: Apply Customized II-V-I Patterns to Autumn Leaves.


Finish Listening Literature Review.

6-2: Presentation of Transcription Assignment 1. For Friday, read pp. 259-278.


If time: Learn Mr. P.C., a fast blues in minor.

6-3: Keyboard Quiz 5: Play chord progression for There Will Never Be Another You while singing the melody. For
Monday, read 279-301.
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7-1: Performance Quiz 6: Application of II-V-I patterns to There Will Never Be Another You.
In-class questions on pp. 259-301. Homework on Basic Reharmonization.

7-2: Listening Quiz 3. (See Listening Literature below.)


Slash Chords: Twelve Categories (pp. 103-110).

7-3: Keyboard Quiz 6: Play chord progression for Just Friends while singing the melody.
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8-1: FALL BREAK

8-2: Written Midterm Exam.

8-3: Performance Quiz 7: Application of II-V-I patterns to Just Friends


______________________________________________________________________________

9-1: Listening Quiz 4. (See Listening Literature below.)


Listening Literature Review for Quiz 5.

9-2: Presentation of Transcription Assignment 2. If time, learn So What, a modal composition.

9-3: Keyboard Quiz 7: Play chord progression for Blue Bossa while singing the melody.
Listening Literature Review.
______________________________________________________________________________

10-1: Performance Quiz 8: Application of II-V-I patterns to Blue Bossa. (Write a solo, memorize it, and perform it.)
Conclude Listening Literature Review.

10-2: Listening Quiz 5. (See Listening Literature below.) Melodic Minor Harmony (pp. 55-78). If time, work on
So What.

10-3: Keyboard Quiz 8: Play chord progression for I Love You while singing the melody.
If time, lecture on the use of pentatonics, after Conrad Herwig. Homework on Pentatonics.
______________________________________________________________________________

11-1: Performance Quiz 9: Application of II-V-I patterns to I Love You.

11-2: Listening Literature Review. Advanced Reharmonization: Parallelism, Slash Chords, Ascending and
Descending Bass Lines, Sus Chords, Pedal Point, Combining Techniques (pp. 305-318, 344-345). Homework.

11-3: Keyboard Quiz 9: Play chord progression for Blue In Green while singing the melody. Rehearse for Jazz in the
Rotunda
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12-1: Performance Quiz 10: Application of melodic patterns to Blue In Green.


Rehearse for Jazz in the Rotunda

12-2: Presentation of Transcription Assignment 3.

12-3: Rehearse for Jazz in the Rotunda


______________________________________________________________________________

13-1: Keyboard Quiz 10: Play chord progression for Stella By Starlight while singing the melody.
If time, rehearse for Jazz in the Rotunda

13-2: TRAVEL DAYNO CLASSES

13-3: THANKSGIVING HOLIDAYNO CLASSES


______________________________________________________________________________

14-1: Listening Quiz 6. (See Listening Literature below.)

14-2: Performance Quiz 11: Apply diminished whole-tone patterns to Stella By Starlight.
Continue Advanced Reharmonization. Also, Rhythm Changes (pp. 237-243). Homework.

14-3: Continue Advanced Reharmonization. Also, Chapter 15: Locrian V chord. Homework.
______________________________________________________________________________

15-1: Preparation for Performance and Keyboard Final Exams on Blues For Alice.
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Review for Written Final.

15-2: Presentation of Transcription Assignment 4.


______________________________________________________________________________

F. Listening Literature

Quiz One:
(1) West End Blues Louis Armstrong, (2) Hotter Than That Louis Armstrong, (3) The C-Jam
Blues Duke Ellington, (4) One OClock Jump Count Basie, (5) One OClock Jump Charlie
Barnet, (6) One OClock Jump Doc Severinsen, (7) Autumn Leaves Oscar Peterson, (8)
Autumn Leaves Chet Baker, (9) Autumn Leaves Scott Hamilton, (10) Now's The Time
Charlie Parker, (11) Body and Soul Coleman Hawkins, (12) Birks Works Dizzy Gillespie, (13)
Freddie the Freeloader Miles Davis, (14) Billies Bounce Charlie Parker, (15) Billies Bounce
John Coltrane

Quiz Two:
(1) There Will Never Be Another You Red Garland, (2) There Will Never Be Another You
Sonny Stitt, (3) There Will Never Be Another You Donald Byrd and Hank Mobley, (4) There Will
Never Be Another You Woody Shaw and Kenny Garrett, (5) April in Paris Count Basie, (6)
Shiny Stockings Count Basie, (7) Begin the Beguine Artie Shaw, (8) Star Dust Artie Shaw,
(9) Star Dust Artie Shaw and his Grammercy 5, (10) Dont Get Around Much Anymore Duke
Ellington, (11) Take the A Train, Duke Ellington, (12) Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me Duke
Ellington, (13) Night And Day Joe Henderson, (14) Cherokee Charlie Barnet, (15) Cherokee
Charlie Parker
Quiz Three:
(1) Night in Tunisia Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, (2) She Rote Charlie Parker & Miles
Davis, (3) Au Privave Charlie Parker, (4) Ornithology Charlie Parker, (5) Confirmation
Charlie Parker, (6) Nica's Dream Horace Silver, (7) Just Friends Charlie Parker, (8) Just
Friends Chet Baker, (9) Just Friends Sonny Stitt,, (10) Desafinado Stan Getz and Joao
Gilberto, written by Antonio Carlos Jobim, (11) The Girl From Ipanema, Getz/Gilberto (written
by Jobim), (12) How Insensitive, by Jobim, performed by Stan Getz and Luis Bonfa

Quiz Four:
(1) Blue Bossa Kenny Dorham, (2) If I Were A Bell Miles Davis, (3) Oleo Miles Davis, (4) Four
Miles Davis, (5) All Blues Miles Davis, (6) Blue in Green Miles Davis, (7) Joy Spring Clifford
Brown and Max Roach, (8) Jordu Clifford Brown and Max Roach, (9), 'Round Midnight
Thelonious Monk, (10) Blue Monk performed by McCoy Tyner, written by Monk

Quiz Five:
(1) I Love You Bill Evans, (2) Beautiful Love Bill Evans, (3) Waltz for Debby Bill Evans (4) My
Romance Bill Evans, (5) Solar Bill Evans, (6) Solar Pat Metheny, (7) Stella by Starlight Tal
Farlow, (8) Stella by Starlight Bill Evans, (9) I Love You John Coltrane, (10) My One And Only
Love, performed by John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman, (11) I Hear A Rhapsody John
Coltrane
Quiz Six:
(1) E.S.P. - by Wayne Shorter, performed by Miles Davis 1960's Quintet, (2) Footprints Wayne
Shorter, performed by Miles Davis 1960s Quintet, (3) Goodbye Pork Pie Hat Charles Mingus,
(4) Liberty City Jaco Pastorius, (5) Three Views of a Secret Jaco Pastorius, (6) Blues for Alice
Charlie Parker, (7) Blues for Alice Mark Whitfield, (8) Cantaloupe Island Herbie Hancock, (9)
Maiden Voyage Herbie Hancock, (10) Mercy, Mercy, Mercy by Joe Zawinul, performed by
Cannonball Adderley, (11) Minuano (Six-Eight) Pat Metheny

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