Course: MUS 340 Jazz Improvisation II
Time: Mon/Fri 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM
Location: BRB 114 The Jazz Studio
Instructor: Gary Motley Office: 305 BRB
Phone: (404) 727-1068
Email: gmotley [at] emory [dot] edu
Attendance is expected at all class meetings. Absences due to illness or unavoidable personal circumstances will be excused but should be kept to a minimum.
Text: Reeves, Scott D. Creative Improvisation, Prentice Hall.
Materials Required: Instrument, music notebook.
Course Summary:
This course is an in-depth study of jazz improvisation and the fundamental elements necessary to develop musical ideas in the jazz idiom. Topics will include the study of form, common patterns, vocabulary and style analysis. Techniques will include transcription, practical application, sight singing and the development of original solo ideas. Principles to be covered will include melodic and harmonic analysis, phrase construction, ear training and solo development.
Improvisation Projects:
Students will be required to write three improvised solos based on the material covered during the semester. Students are encouraged to listen to recordings of significant jazz stylists that perform on the same instrument as that of the student. Study and analysis of these recordings will greatly assist in the development of these projects. Students will then be required to transcribe a recorded solo of artist of their choice. All recordings must be approved by the professor. The length of the transcriptions will be determined by the professor. For each improvisation project the student will be required to:
- Complete a harmonic/melodic analysis of the solo
- Play the solo
- Play the melody
Grading Policy:
Class Participation – 50%
Improvisation Projects – 20%
Written Assignments – 10%
Blog Posts* – 15%
Notebooks – 5%
Total –100%
Topics covered this semester will include:
Transcription Techniques
Transcription and analysis techniques
Analysis
The ii7-V7-I∆7 progression and resolution techniques
The ii7-V7-i-7 progression and resolution techniques
Alternate turnarounds and cycles
Ornamentation
Major embellishing devices
Minor embellishing devices
Chromatic neighboring tones
Modes
The Aeolian mode
The Locrian mode
The Lydian Mode
The Phrygian Mode
Modes of the melodic minor scale
Scales
Bebop major and minor scales
The Diminished Scale
The Whole Tone Scale
Progressions
Rhythm Changes
Giant Step Changes
Chord substitutions
Student Notebooks
All students are expected to keep a notebook of materials (patterns, motives, progressions, scales, etc.) Notebooks must include all notes taken in class, all completed assignments, and evidence of further study beyond class assignments. This includes thorough study of chords, scales, modes, phrases, riffs, etc. Writing these in all keys is highly recommended. All materials should be neat, legible, and organized in a binder. Loose materials will not be accepted. A review of this notebook along with blog posts throughout the semester will constitute 20% of the student’s final grade.
Final Project
Students will transcribe one chorus of a solo from a traditional jazz standard. The solo should be over a 32-bar AABA song form. The student will be required to play the melody, transcription and conclude with a re-statement of the melody. The student must also provide a CD copy of the source recording along with the written transcription.
Notebook Contents
Students are expected to explore jazz topics outside of the scheduled class time. Any materials that were not distributed in class may serve as valid notebook entries (5%).
In addition to these entries, students are expected to include the following (5%):
Keep a log of jazz websites visited (20 minimum)
Print articles found online (minimum 10)
Keep a practice journal (minimum 5 entries per week)
Keep a listening journal (minimum 5 per week)
Keep a video (i.e. YouTube, Jazz on the Tube) journal (minimum 2 per week)
Blog Posts
Listening Blog Posts
Students will be required to post one excerpt from their listening journal to the
Jazz Improv blog each week. Students will also be required to comment on at
least one blog post each week. Students will also be required to post a comment
on a recording posted by the professor. One recording will be posted each week.
Video Blog Posts
Students will be required to post one excerpt from their video journal to the Jazz
Improv blog each week. Students will also be required to comment on at least
one video blog post each week. Students will also be required to post a comment
on a video posted by the professor. One video will be posted each week.