performing and explaining jazz through a historical perspective. ... Arrange
standard jazz tune for stage band and/or small combo. ... Ultimate Jazz Fake
Book.
JAZZ IMPROVISATION CURRICULUM
NEWTOWN SCHOOLS NEWTOWN, CT. September, 1996
Music Department Mission Statement All children can and will learn music well by responding, creating and performing in a variety of musical activities that lead to a lifelong involvement in the arts.
After much discussion and research, all department members agreed that the following excerpt from the Music Educators National Conference (MENC) "National Standards for Music Instruction" represents our philosophy. Philosophy: "The study of music contributes in important ways to the quality of every student's life. Every musical work is a product of its time and place, although some works transcend their original settings and continue to appeal to humans through their timeless and universal attraction. Through singing, playing instruments, composing [and active listening], students can express themselves creatively, while a knowledge of notation and performance traditions enables them to learn new music independently throughout their lives. Skills in analysis, evaluation and synthesis are important because they enable students to recognize and pursue excellence in their music experiences and to understand and enrich their environment. Because music is an integral part of human history, the ability to listen with understanding is essential if students are to gain a broad cultural and historical perspective. The adult life of every student is enriched by the skills, knowledge, and habits acquired in the study of music." From MENC National Standards Statement of Purpose: A school music program should provide opportunities for responding, creating and participating in music. Every student should experience music as either a listener, composer, performer or scholar. Every student in grades K - 8 should have the opportunity for regularly scheduled classroom instruction. In the upper elementary grades through middle school, additional opportunities should be provided for both instrumental and vocal performance. At the high school level, opportunities should include extensive experiences for both musical performance and musical scholarship. While the heart of the secondary music program lies in specialized music classes, musical scholarship deserves to be included in other academic disciplines as well. Unifying Beliefs: 1. Music belongs to all; therefore, music education should be provided for all students. 2. All children have musical potential and bring their own unique interests and abilities to the music-learning environment. 3. Children should experience exemplary musical sounds, activities and materials. 4. Performing, creating and responding to music are the fundamental music processes in which humans engage. 5. Broad experience with a variety of music is necessary if students are to make informed musical judgments, including the assessment of themselves and others. 6. Children need group music time to experience the important social and musical aspects of sharing music and making music together. 7. By understanding the cultural and historical forces that shape social attitudes and behaviors, students are better prepared to live and work in communities that are increasingly multicultural. 8. Music should be actively related to and integrated with the total school curriculum. 9. It is important to develop in students an understanding of the joy and fulfillment music brings to every human being. 10. Music should provide opportunities for all children to succeed. 4/25/95
JAZZ IMPROVISATION
August 1996 Walter Mamlok Jack Zamary
The students will demonstrate an understanding of American classical music by improvising, performing and explaining jazz through a historical perspective. The following concepts will be addressed so that students will attain process skills and be self directed in their mastery of this curriculum. The Music Educators National Conference has set content standards of music achievement that includes the three concepts of creating, performing and responding. This course will follow these constructs: Creating: Jazz Theory, Composing and Arranging All students will: − Compose blues heads, licks and riffs as well as melodies (8 bar. 16 bar and 32 bar songs). − Create melodies for four like instruments (SATB), Mixed instruments (SATB). − Arrange standard jazz tune for stage band and/or small combo. − Create a chordal structure using jazz color tones for tension and release. Reading and Notation All students will: − Sight-read (jazz style). − Perform rhythmic and melodic dictation (jazz style). − Read various clefs. − Transcribe jazz solos. Performing: Singing and Performing on Instruments (including keyboards) All students will: − Perform using various styles (gospel groups, solfege, etc.). − Perform and improvise. − Perform using call and response. − Perform technical etudes. − Perform sweet, sour and safe tones. − Perform jazz ornaments (scoops, bends, octaves, rhythm (swing 8ths), vibrato, articulation). − Perform transcribed solos. Phrasing, Sounds/Timbre All students will: − Practice and perform patterns. − Explore melodic development (story). − Explore extremes. − Explore the rhythm section (comping, walking bass, percussion styles). Application of Constructs from Theory Analysis All students will: − Demonstrate elements of good solo technique. − Apply scales, modes and chords. − Perform various styles of jazz (Dixie, Blues, Swing, Be Bop, Cool, Fusion). − Apply theory as it pertains to improvisation.
− − − − −
Perform progressions, changes and substitution changes. Improvise in the circle of fifths. Create a walking bass line on their instrument using chordal changes. Play and construct melodies. Play solo transcriptions from concert pitch and transposed music.
Responding: Listening All students will: − − − −
Discriminate safe, sweet and sour tones. Develop ear-training skills. Aurally discriminate between various styles (Dixie, Blues, Be Bop, Cool, Fusion). Demonstrate historical and instrumental perspectives through aural discrimination.
Analysis All students will: − − − − − − − − − − − −
Identify elements of a good solo. Demonstrate listening skills through ear training and dictation. Identify various styles (Dixie, Blues, Swing, Be Bop. Cool, Fusion). Apply jazz theory to improvise. Identify all scales, modes, chords, progressions, changes, substitution changes). Notate rhythmic values. Identify various clefs. Transpose. Identify the circle of fifths. Analyze bass lines. Analyze melodies. Analyze solo transcriptions.
Music and Music Performances All students will: − Perform solos. − Perform in combos. − Perform prose. Historical Perspective All students will: − Demonstrate an understanding of the development of jazz with aural and written assignments. − Differentiate between stylistic periods. − Demonstrate an understanding of the relationships between music and the other arts. Resources: Books Jamey Aebersold vol. 1-54 plus (check Aebersold catalog) Matt Harris and Jeff Jarvis - Piano Voicings Coker - Jazz Patterns Neihaus - Jazz Conceptions for "instrument"
Scott Reeves - Creative Jazz Improvisation (ISBN 0-13-189671-7) Sher Music - The New Real Book (ISBN 0-9614701 -7-8) Midi Fake books (general midi) Bill Crow - Jazz Anecdotes Ultimate Jazz Fake Book Software Band in the Box Practica Musica Records/CDs, Videos The Story of Jazz (ISBN: BNG 72333-80088-3) Atlantic Jazz - Keyboards (0-20831-4752-2-69) also available for saxophone, trumpet, trombone Discography for each Instrumental grouping * (i.e. strings, brass, etc.) Equipment Computer Synthesizer Midi connections Sound system Dubbing tape deck Series - Masters of American Music Cassette tapes - Smithsonian Institution Jazz Classics Funding for visiting artists, guest lecturers and performances. * See attached list
The concrete skills taught In this course can be put in a time frame; however, the abstract concepts such as "What Is Jazz?" will be constantly revisited throughout the year. Recordings will be made of student performances at various times during the year to assess student understanding of both new and ongoing concepts. Unit 1: Understanding of Jazz - "What is Jazz?" Objectives: Teacher will have students: − Watch and listen to video of Louis Armstrong playing tune and discuss his performance in reference to style. − Sing, vocalize and clap written (straight) rhythm. − Sing, vocalize and clap written rhythm adding syncopation and anticipation. − Transpose rhythm to 6/8 time, sing, vocalize and clap. − Add scale tones to rhythmic exercises. − Perform using call and response. Assessment: All students will play a simple song and "jazz it up" to demonstrate application of new knowledge.
Unit 2: Reading and Notation (Sight reading, melodic dictation -Jazz style", clefs) Objectives: Teacher will have students: − Identify lines and spaces for treble and bass clef. − Identify rhythmic values of whole, half, quarter, eighth and sixteenth notes. − Sight-read rhythmic exercises. * − Perform rhythmic exercises. * − Perform rhythmic dictation. * * These will be done as a class or individually with the use of CAI. Assessment: All students will demonstrate skills using Practica Musica.
Unit 3: Performance and Improvisation (Tools to Grow With) Objectives: Teacher will have students: − Practice scales and modes. − Construct scales and modes using half steps and whole steps. − Practice scales to 9th rather than the octave. − Discuss elements and characteristics of a good melody. − Tell a story using melodic development. − Build a blues scale from major scale degrees. − Construct chords and arpeggios. − Use chord extensions to expand major and minor triads. − Practice scales and technical patterns. − Study concept of "jazz phrasing" (scopes, vibrato, bends, octave displacement, articulation, individual characteristics - ex. trombone glissando). − Practice concepts of retrograde, inversion, augmentation, diminution and retrograde inversion. − Develop counter melodies and two-part writing (jazz duets). − Practice technical devices unique to their Individual instrument. Assessment: Students will: − Write and perform all 12 major scales in the circle of fifths pattern (daily warm-up). − Perform scales to 9th rather than the octave. − Utilize a check list (as determined by the students) to identify good examples of improvisational playing when listening to peers, guests, professionals, recordings. − Improvise songs using major scales only (Heart and Soul progression). − Perform with a sequencer. − Write and perform all 12 blues scales in the circle of fifths (dally warm-up). − Perform a pattern of a blues groove using one chord (i.e. Dominant 7th). − Write and perform all 12 major and minor triads in the circle of fifths (daily warm-up). − Write and perform all 12 major and minor triads with chord extensions in the circle of fifths (daily warm-up). − Improvise using all new technical and stylistic concepts. − Evaluate taped personal improvisations using established criteria. − Discuss evaluations. − Perform melodies utilizing retrograde, inversion, augmentation, diminution and retrograde inversion. − Perform counter melodies and jazz duets. − Demonstrate technical devices unique to instrument.
Unit 4: Composition Objectives: Teacher will have students: − − − − − − − −
"Jazz up" a simple song. Demonstrate concept of "jazz notation". Notate "jazzed up" song for performance. Use bass lines to create harmony. Transcribe appropriate bass patterns. Create a "blues head". Use block harmonization of rhythmic variation in given melody. Arrange a 12 bar blues standard which incorporates an open solo for Improvisation (using technology). − Perform peer compositions for SATB of like instruments and mixed instruments. − Harmonize a jazz standard using only tonic, dominant and subdominant chord functions. Assessment: All students will: − Perform "jazzed up" song. − Demonstrate melody, rhythmic variation, walking bass line and block chord harmonization using sequencing programs. − Evaluate peer work (improvised solos and arrangements). − Submit complete score for evaluation and possible public performance. − Improvise a melodic counter melody using only chord tones tonic, dominant and subdominant. − Improvise a melodic counter melody using chord tones and jazz rhythms. − Improvise a melodic counter melody using chord tones and non-chord tones.
Unit 5: Historical Perspective of Jazz Objectives: Teacher will have students: − Relate music, the arts and disciplines outside the arts. − Review unit one ("what is jazz?). − Discuss role and social mores of the United States in the development of the jazz idiom. − Discuss cultural Influences. − Relate development of music in the Caribbean. − Discuss African and European Influences. − Develop jazz time line of various jazz styles (Blues, Gospel, Dixie, Swing, Be Bop, Cool, Funk, Fusion, Latin, Avant Garde). − Identify characteristics, performance practices and orchestration of each style and era. − Identify performers of various styles and historic eras of Jazz. − Identify five jazz performers related to individual instrument. − Create discography for Individual Instrument to include two stylistically correct examples of each jazz period. Assessment: All students will: − Create report demonstrating understanding of jazz, its cultural Influences and today's technology. − Aurally discriminate various jazz styles related to time line. − Maintain journal of jazz performers related to student instrument. − Create time line of various jazz styles.
Unit 6: Aural Skills Objectives: Teacher will have students: − − − − −
Develop call and response skills and rhythmic patterns. Play a subdominant to tonic chord progression without harmonic back-up. Transcribe melodies and/or solos from recordings. Aurally discriminate safe, sweet and sour tones. Aurally discriminate between various historical jazz styles (Dixie. Blues, Swing, Be Bop, Cool, Fusion).
Assessment: All students will: − Perform call and response patterns and rhythmic patterns with speed and precision. − Perform subdominant to tonic chord progression with rhythm section accompaniment. − Perform subdominant to tonic chord progression with listeners backing up soloist by playing chord tones in appropriate places. − Identify chords soloist has used (tonic, subdominant or dominant harmonic function). − Perform transcriptions composed by peers. − Listen and discuss various characteristics of music (style, technique, musicianship, performers, time period).
Unit 7: Singing Objectives: Teacher will have students: − Sing jazz rhythms with syllables (do, daht, dit). − Sing simple riffs with scat. − Sing simple blues solos with scat. − Sing jazz standards and two-part harmony using "do". − Sing own part of a Big Band arrangement. − Sing using solfege and movable do. Assessment: All students will: − Use Practica Muslca. − Sight sing various jazz materials using do, daht and dit for rhythmic articulations. − Demonstrate tonal memory by sight singing various jazz materials.
Unit 8: Analysis and Ear Training Objectives: Teacher will have students: − Describe characteristics/criteria of good solo. − Use scales to develop ear training. − Develop listening skills to distinguish various jazz styles (Dixie, Blues, Swing, Be Bop, Cool, Fusion). − Relate jazz theory to improvisation (scales, modes, chord progressions, changes, substitution changes, notation, rhythmic values). Assessment: All students will: − Create rubrics for determining a good solo. − Research and identify examples to fit rubric of good solo from discography. − Aurally identify the jazz artist, scales and modes that artist is using.
Unit 9: Evaluation: Music and Music Performances Objectives: Teacher will have students: Discuss elements/criteria used by critics to judge music and performances. Discuss how critics evaluate art. Meet artists and guest lecturers to discuss "what makes good jazz”. Assessment: All students will research elements/criteria used by critics by corresponding with music critics.
