Syllabus

Course:         MUS 340 Jazz Improvisation II
Time:              Tu/Th 10:00 AM – 11:15 AM
Location:       BRB 114 The Strickland 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 (optional)

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 record four 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 final 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:

  1. Complete a harmonic/melodic analysis of the song selected
  2. State the melody in the appropriate style
  3. Play an improvised solo using the appropriate devices

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.

Blog Posts
 
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.

Grading Policy:
mus340gradescale