MUJS 2370 Syllabus and Schedule

MUJS 2370 Syllabus and Schedule

MUJS 2370

JAZZ IMPROVISATION II

SYLLABUS AND COURSE REQUIREMENTS

CLASS MEETINGS - M/W 3:00 - 3:50, T/H 2:00 - 2:50

INSTRUCTOR - Mike Steinel (Office - Room 353, Phone - 565/3758)

What is the purpose of this class?

To develop skill in the art of jazz improvisation on selected repertoire.

What must I do to enter this class?

Students must have earned an "A" or "B" in MUJS 2360 or passed the 2360 proficiency exam.

What must I do to go to the next class?

Students must earn an "A" or "B" and pass the JSCE (ICE) exam.

Required Materials:

Text: The Charlie Parker Omnibook, Hal Leonard Publications

Other: One Three Ring Binder

Music: Ornithology – Charlie Parker, 3:01

Yardbird Suite - Charlie Parker, 2:56

Ko Ko - Charlie Parker 2:58

Scrapple From the Apple – Sonny Stitt (w/ the Oscar Petterson Trio), 4:20

Anthropology – Charlie Parker, 5:06

Confirmation – Charlie Parker, 2:57

How is the grade determined in this class?

The following will be graded on a ten point scale (A=9 to 10, B=8 to 8.9, C=7 to 7.9, etc.)

Playing Evaluations: Performed in class with the rhythm section.

Memorized Transcription: Transcribe and perform from memory the entire Bird of Confirmation

Melodies: Play melodies for all tunes by memory .

Arpeggios: Play arpeggios in eight-notes to the ninth of the chord (when possible) for all tunes by memory (pass/fail). Arpeggiation Guidelines and Chord Progression will be provided for each tune.

Transcriptions: Transcribe and perform an excerpt (see syllabus for length) of a solo from the CD for each tune on the syllabus.

Assignments: Written work performed in class (students receive separate grades for the written work and the performance).

Skill Tests: Throughout the semester students will be required to demonstrate specific skills related to jazz vocabulary.

Note: Any late work will result in a reduction of one letter grade.

Grades will be weighted in the following manner:

Playing Evaluations #1-#6 (10% each) 60%

Daily Grades 20%

(Melodies, Arpeggios, Transcriptions, Assignments and Skills)

Memorized Transcription 10%

II-V-I Mid Term/Final 10%

Total 100%

Policies and Requirements

Attendance Policy: Attendance is required at all sessions. Three unexcused absences will result in the reduction of the final grade. Excused absences should be cleared in advance (if possible) and students missing class will be responsible for assignments and homework. Repeated tardiness will result in the reduction of the final grade. BE ON TIME!

Materials: The Charlie Parker Omnibook and a three ring notebook are the only required materials. Students should bring both to each class. If a non-paper copy of the Omnibook is used students must present proof of purchase. After the third class meeting students will not be allow into class without the required materials.

There will a large amount of handout material provided, so the binder is very important. BRING EVERYTHING EACH TIME.

Memorization: Playing evaluations, melodies, arpeggiations, and daily graded solos will be played from memory. Committing music to memory is a crucial step in learning to improvise. Building an inventory of musical materials (melodies, motifs, chord progressions, etc.) is the key to developing a keen musical imagination. Musical creation (improvisation and composition) is very closely related to musical remembering. If we can remember a musical idea with some degree of accuracy (pitch, rhythm, expression) then we can usually quite easily imagine that same melody a little bit differently. Memorizing specific solos has been part of the jazz tradition since the earliest years (see the essay: “Borrow, Borrow, Borrow” in Blackboard).

Transcription Materials: Transcription assignments will be taken from the performances provided earlier. Track timings are used to identify the correct versions. Students may choose an alternate transcription for no more than two tunes for the semester. The instructor will provide a list of pre-approved alternate performances. Anything not on the list must be approved in advance. Note: “I have noticed that many students seek transcriptions that seem more ‘playable’ than some of the Bird performances. This is a natural reaction, however often it is more beneficial to ‘dig in’ and attempt what might seem impossible and let the experience ‘stretch us’ a bit.” Transcriptions performed out of the Omnibook will be rewarded a grade no higher than a “B”.

Activities In and Outside the Classroom: The main focus of classroom activities will be: student performance. Once the semester is underway there will some graded classroom activity every meeting. Daily preparation is the key to staying current and doing well in the class. If you get behind and are not prepared for a class meeting, DO NOT SKIP CLASS. New information and materials are covered each time. The instructors promise that unpreparedness will be handled humanely. Please notifiy the instructor at the beginning of the class meeting that you can you are “ready” and we will skp over you. Arrangement can be made to make up work during an office hour.

Because class time is limited much of the information will be deseminated through handouts and announcements on Blackboard . You are responsible to read all materials provided and should be prepared for quizes on the material if it is appropriate.

Grading Playing Evaluations: All playing evaluations will be grading using a standard rubric. Students are encouraged to consult the rubric as they are preparing for the evaluation.

II-V-I Mid-Term and Final: Learning the six bebop standards in the class will be a good start to developing skill in improvisation. However, it is also important for students to practice progression in all twelve keys (major and minor). To encourage that activity, students in 2370 will be tested on specific patterns over the basic II-V-I progressions at the Mid Term and on the Final. Periodically, classroom drill of patterns will be included as time permits. Pattern material will be drawn from: 1) those provided by the instructor, 2) patterns drawn from Charlie Parker solos, 3) and patterns drawn from other players chosen by the students.

Understanding and Appreciating Charlie Parker and Bebop: Music from earlier eras is often an “aquired taste” and doesn’t immediately appeal to younger ears. The quality of recordings from the late 30’s and early 40’s cannot accurately represent the music at times, and can be “off putting”. In Birds case , often the players that accompanied him played in a style not totally compatible or lacked his command of the material. (Note: Read the essay: “Why Study Bebop”).

Listening Activities: Listening is key to getting a broad understanding of the bebop genre. Students are encouraged in particular to familiarize themselves with a great deal of Charlie Parker’s music. Numerous collections such as: The Charlie Parker Studio Chronicles, Charlie Parker, The Complete Savoy and Dial Recordings, The Complete Charlie Parker on Verve, and The Birth of Bebop will be very helpful. If you use youtube as your primary listening resource consult discographies and other resources to determine things such as recording dates and personel. Here is an excellent resource for a discography: http://www.jazzdisco.org/charlie-parker/discography/

Listening to Pre-Bop Music: Not to be overlooked, is the music that preceeded the bebop era from which Parker, Gillespie, Monk, Powell, and the like drew heavily. In particular students should become familiar with the solos of Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, Roy Eldridge, Ben Webster, and Don Byas. The music of each of these had a profound effect on all the modernists that followed.

Reading Activities: Much has been written about Charlie Parker and Bebop. Here are some excellent books.

Title Author

Yardbird Suite: A Compendium of the Music of Charlie Parker Lawrence Koch

Bird Lives Ross Russell

Bebop, The Music and Its Players Thomas Owens

The Legend of Charlie Parker Robert Reisner

Celebrating Bird, The Triumph of Charlie Parker Gary Giddens

Kansas City Lightning Stanley Crouch

To Be Or Not To Bop Dizzy Gillespie

Jazz Styles in Kansas City and the Southwest Ross Russell

Compliance with Federal Statutes: The College of Music complies with the Americans With Disabilities Act in making reasonable accommodation for qualified students with disability. If you have an established disability as defined in the Americans With Disabilities Act and would like to request accommodation, please see me as soon as possible. My office hours and office number are shown on this syllabus.

Scholastic Honesty Policy: Cheating, in any form, will result in an automatic grade of "F" in the course, the removal of the student from the course, and immediate reporting of the student's actions to the Office of the Dean of Students and to the Office of the Dean of the College of Music.