Course Syllabus
Course: MUSC 3307
Division: Fine Arts, Comm, and New MediaDepartment: Music
Title: Jazz Improvisation III
Semester Approved: Fall 2019
Five-Year Review Semester: Fall 2024
End Semester: Summer 2025
Catalog Description: This is the second course in a two-semester sequence. This course continues concepts started in Jazz Improvisation I. Students will improve their ability to understand the nuances of improvising in varied genres and styles, guided by historical precedence. Exercises will include performing required scales in a variety of rhythms, performing major and minor ii-V-I jazz vocabulary licks in all twelve keys, performing required jazz standards by memory, and transcribing examples of historic jazz solos representing the genres and styles discussed.
Semesters Offered: Spring
Credit/Time Requirement: Credit: 2; Lecture: 2; Lab: 0
Prerequisites: Completion of 3306 or permission of instructor
Justification: This course offers an excellent opportunity for Snow College students to develop musicianship and performance skills as related to jazz improvisation. Courses of this type are taught at other NASM accredited institutions in Utah and throughout the US.
Student Learning Outcomes:
Students will learn musical literature (appropriate to skill level) for performance in a small ensemble recital. This will be assessed in class performances.
Students will be able to improvise a solo over a set of jazz standards in each key. Students will practice scale degree patterns, which will enable them to effectively improvise over chord structures in jazz standard repertoire. Each class period the students will perform said jazz standards, or other exercises.
Students will be able identify advanced chord symbols used in jazz and popular music notation. Students will learn and understand how to read chord symbols and play arpeggios over advanced chord symbols used in jazz and popular music notation, using the scale degrees of each chord. These will be performed in class.
Students will be able to demonstrate mastery of jazz vocabulary. Students will transcribe historical jazz solos, effectively learning jazz vocabulary. These solos will be performed and analyzed in class.
Students will learn proper performing technique for a small ensemble. This will be assessed through in class performance, as well as small ensemble concerts.
Students will memorize music, including the melodies of jazz standards studied, for performance (where appropriate). This outcome will be assessed through performance.
Content:
• jazz scales
• jazz rhythm
• jazz vocabulary
• jazz solo devices
• jazz solo transcription
• small ensemble performance
• creation and use of a practice log
Key Performance Indicators:
Students in private music instruction courses are assessed in the following ways:
Participation: attendance and participation at class sessions 25 to 30%
Performances: in class 30 to 35%
Written: exams and quizzes on scales, vocabulary and symbols 20 to 30%
Final Project: Transcription 20 to 25%
Representative Text and/or Supplies:
Jazzology, by Robert Rawlins and Nor Eddine Bahha
Patterns for Jazz, by Jerry Coker
Pedagogy Statement:
This course involves mostly performance, but is a mix of direct instruction, and student collaborative work. Students will use their instruments every class period, and practice different exercises, play jazz repertoire and perform transcriptions. Each week there is a focus on either a specific type of chord progression, jazz standard or transcription. This course focuses on the memorization of jazz licks, scales and versatility in all 12 keys. All experience levels, and all types of instruments/voice are encouraged to participate.
Instructional Mediums:
Lecture
Maximum Class Size: 24
Optimum Class Size: 16