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JAZZ LAB

Learn improv principles for public performance

For all instruments, all ages & levels (beginner to advanced)

Sessions will include methods of improvisation, history & theory/composition.

INTRODUCTION: The Jazz Lab will include a basic overview of jazz & improvisational music, including a study of the history and evolution of jazz, an in-depth look at the various styles of jazz, the modes used in improvisation, and development of listening skills. The importance of improvised music as compared to written music will be covered. The course will be taught by professional jazz musicians with numerous years of field experience as clinicians and performers. Course content will vary depending on the age and basic skill levels of the students.

HISTORY: Study of the history and evolution of the idiom from early 20th Century to present. Studies will be broken down chronologically by era with concentration on the predominant figures of each era. Students will listen to vintage recordings, as well as stylistic examples played by the instructors. Special focus will be given to the jazz innovators such as Duke Ellington, Thelonius Monk, Miles Davis, and John Coltrane, as well as the convergence of classical music and jazz (i.e., Dave Brubeck, Stan Kenton, Lenny Tristano). Styles to be covered include (but not limited to):

  • Creole music, including the styles of Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton

  • Swing/Big Band Era (jazz as a dance idiom), including the styles of Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Stephane Grappelli

  • Be-Bop, including the styles of Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Dizzy Gillespie. Hard Bop, including the styles of Horace Silver, Cannonball/Nat Adderly

  • Post Bop and Modal, including Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans

  • Jazz Fusion, including the styles of Weather Report, Brecker Brothers, Chick Corea, Jean Luc-Ponty

  • Jazz, Present and Future, including the styles of Wynton & Branford Marsalis, Chick Corea, Bela Fleck, Chuck Mangione and Kenny G.

  • Other: Improvisation in misc. genres including bluegrass & folk, rock & roll, avant-garde, Baroque ornamentation.

 

Instructors: 

Tom Reese, flute & composition

Bobby Brewer, guitar

Laurie Haines Reese, strings

Aaron Walker, drums

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TECHNIQUES FOR IMPROVISATION: Students will learn the fundamentals of improvisation by playing through scale studies over rhythmic patterns typical of jazz idioms (swing, jazz waltz, latin, funk/rock, etc.), including:

1.       Major and Minor pentatonic and blues scales, with students improvising over:

  • Dominant chords (individual chords)

  • Tonic & Subdominant progressions

  • 12-bar Blues progressions 

2.       Modal studies based on the Parent Major, with students improvising using:

  • The seven predominant modes in modern Western music. The function of each mode in improvisation will be discussed.

  • Tonal center improvisation, using a single mode over an entire chord progression (more sophisticated than part 1).

  • Modal Harmonic Analysis. Students will analyze entire chord progressions and identify the appropriate mode to be used with each individual chord. Achieving a full understanding of the modes & scales and how to use them gives students the foundation to play improvised solos that appropriately outline all the harmonic implications of a given piece (i.e., "playing the changes").

MODE = MOOD: Students will be introduced to the concept that a particular mode produces a series of emotional and physiological changes. Examples will be examined in depth. Basic listening skills will be covered, including recognizing how different modes and chord structures effect emotional and physiological responses. Students will learn basic jazz harmony, theories & terminology, and symbols for notation, including Major 7th chords, Minor 7th chords, as well as more advanced harmonies.

GOALS:  Short term goals are to develop appreciation for improvised music in both young musician and listener, and to give music students basic improvisational skills. Long term goals include self-expression through improvisation, greater artistic awareness, and understanding the creative process. Students will develop the tools needed to succeed as a professional jazz musician. Locally, this lab will help to produce better local jazz players and a greater awareness of the idiom, thereby producing more support for jazz events. By studying the history of jazz, we see how it mirrors the prevailing cultural events and attitudes of each era.

SUMMARY:  This course will create an awareness of improvisational styles among musicians and listeners. In addition, it will aid in developing the musical skills needed for professional jazz performance.

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