Jazz Piano I: MUS 1710

Semester: Spring, 2011
Instructor: Kent Baker
Phone: (802) 287-1066 (mobile)
Email: kentbaker@ginsumusic.com
Credits: 1

Syllabus in PDF format

Course Description:

• The student will develop the piano skills required to perform in the jazz idiom.
• The student will understand jazz harmonization and apply concepts using jazz voicings.
• Students should already be able to read both treble and bass clef, know major scales and key signatures, and have some basic knowledge of intervals and chords.

Required Texts

• Levine, Mark, The Jazz Piano Book. Petaluma, CA: Sher Music Co., 2005. (ISBN: 0961470151)
• Access to The Real Book or an equivalent fake book in the key of C.

Course Objectives:

• Memorize and play major, minor, augmented, and diminished triads in root position, first inversion and second inversion.
• Memorize and play ii-V-I progression in all keys, using three-note voicings and additional notes.
• Memorize and substitute Sus and Phrygian chords for the ii-V.
• Memorize alterations to minor, dominant, and major sevenths and use them in voicings.
• Learn tritone substitution and use it in voicings.
• Learn basic left-hand voicings and comp.

Scheduling:
The instructor and student will mutually arrange a weekly lesson time to begin during the second week of the semester.

Grading:
The instructor will grade each lesson based on lesson preparation and attendance.

• A – Excellent preparation.
• B – Good preparation.
• C – Minimal preparation.
• D – Unprepared.
• F – Absent, not prearranged.

Attendance
Lesson attendance is required. 12 lessons are scheduled per semester. Make-up lessons will be scheduled given 24 hours notice or in case of sudden illness (once per semester) or bereavement.

Required practice:
Consistent daily piano practice is required. A minimum of an hour of daily practice is recommended for the average student.

Week 1: Chapter 1, Intervals and Triads – Review

• Practice all 29 interval excerpts, singing featured interval, pp. 2-8
• Identify intervals by quality and quantity at sight
• Invert intervals
  • 9s complement for quality
  • Major <--> minor, Augmented <--> diminished, Perfect = Perfect
• Memorize and perform all triads in root position, 1st and 2nd inversion
  • Learn and initially practice in groups
    • Group I: Major, WWW – C, G, F
    • Group II: Major, WBW – D, A, E
    • Group III: Major, BWB – Db, Ab, Eb
    • Group IV: Major, irregular – F#/Gb, B, Bb
  • Triads to learn (120)
    • All 12 Major, minor and diminished triads in root position, 1st and 2nd inversion (108 total)
    • All 12 Augmented triads

Week 2: Chapter 2, Major Modes and ii-V-I

• Seventh chords
  • Minor
  • Dominant
  • Major
• Memorize ii-V-I chord names in all keys
• Memorize and play ii-V-I (as shown on p. 17) in all keys, following circle of fifths
  • C --> Bb --> Ab --> Gb --> E --> D --> C
  • Db --> B --> A --> G --> F --> Eb --> Db

Weeks 3 & 4: Chapter 3, Three-Note Voicings>

• Review ii-V-I on p. 17 in all keys (as above)
• Practice ii-V-I with right hand inversions (as shown on p.18, in the circle of fifths format above)
• Just Friends
  • Add three-note voicings
  • Add melody on top
• Extensions
  • 6th – usually refers to Major or minor chords
  • 13th – usually refers to dominant seventh chords
  • 4th - usually refers to Major and Sus chords
  • 11th – usually refers to minor and dominant seventh chords
  • Altered chords (introduced, elaborated upon in Chapter 5)
• Analyze tunes for ii-V-I and prepare, using The Real Book, etc., selecting from the following:
  • Tune-Up
  • Ask Me Now
  • Come Sunday
  • Four
  • Here’s That Rainy Day
  • Lazybird
  • Little B’s Poem
  • All the Things You Are
  • Satin Doll
  • Countdown
  • Darn That Dream
  • Cherokee
  • Moment’s Notice
  • Giant Steps

Weeks 5 & 6: Chapter 4, Sus and Phrygian Chords

• Sus – root in left hand, right hand chord a whole step lower, often inverted (slash chord, e.g. F/G)
  • Can add 3rd to a Sus chord above the 4th
• Phrygian chord – 13th replaces root(e.g. instead of G7, substitute E sus b9 = E Phrygian)
  • Usually voiced root, b9th, 4th, 5th, root
• Sus and Phrygian chords take the place of ii-V combined, built on the V
• Reharmonize ii-V as Sus and Phrygian chords and prepare, using The Real Book, etc., selecting from the following:
  • Stella By Starlight
  • Star Eyes
  • April In Paris
  • Think On Me
  • Ebony Moonbeams
  • Fly With the Wind
  • Eighty One
  • I Didn’t Know What Time It Was
  • Yesterdays
  • Out Of This World
  • What Is This Thing Called Love?
  • Festival
  • Highway One

Weeks 7 & 8: Chapter 5, Adding Notes to Three-Note Voicings

• Added notes to three-note voicings
  • ii – add 5th
  • V – add 9th (common to the 5th of the ii chord) or b9th (half step lower, descending movement)
  • I – add 5th and 9th
• Infant Eyes
  • Add three-note voicings, inc. Sus; also Phrygian chord
  • Add melody
  • Enhance by adding alterations
    • N.B. Altered note of the chord is often the melody note
    • Minor 7th
      • Can add 5th, b5th ± (dim-min7 = half-diminished7), 9th, 11th, 6th, b6th (rare), +7 (min maj7)
    • Dominant 7th
      • Can dd 5th, 9th, b9th, +9th (dance band 10th), +11th, 13th, b13th (= +5th, Aug min7)
    • Major 7th
      • Can add +4th, 5th, +5th, 6th, 9th
• Seventh chords
  • MM7 – Major
  • Mm7 – Dominant
  • mm7 – minor
  • mM7 – minor-major
  • dd7 – (fully) diminished (stacked minor thirds)
  • dm7 – half diminished (± = 7 b5)
  • Am7 – Augmented (whole-tone chord = 7+5 = 7+ - +7 = 7b13)
• Harmonize, alter and prepare, using The Real Book, etc., selecting from the following:
  • Stella By Starlight
  • Sophisticated Lady
  • Nica’s Dream
  • Search For Peace
  • When Lights Are Low
  • Blue In Green
  • Mirror, Mirror
  • Wave
  • Once I Loved

Weeds 9 & 10: Chapter 6, Tritone Substitution

• 3rd and 7th of a dominant 7th are a tritone, which defines the dominant 7th chord
• 3rd and 7th of the dominant 7th common a tritone away (opposite on circle of fifths)
• This chord can be substituted for the original dominant 7th (N7 can be substituted for V7)
• Tritone is unstable, must resolve
  • Can resolve to I of the other tritone’s new I (N7 --> I7 or N7 --> V7/N)
• Use for smooth bass motion or to modernize harmony of standards
• Bebop extended substitution from ii – N7 – I to ii – (V7/N – N7) – I
• Be tasteful with tritone substitutions
  • Keep bass smooth
  • Don’t clash with melody
  • Don’t overdo
• Harmonize with tritone substitution and prepare, using The Real Book, etc., selecting from the following:
  • Just Friends
  • Tune Up
  • A Foggy Day
  • Yesterdays
  • All the Things You Are
  • I Should Care
  • Tea For Two
  • Sweet and Lovely

Weeks 11 & 12: Chapter 7, Left-Hand Voicings

• “A” voicing
  • ii – 3-5-7-9
  • V – previous 7th drop s half step
  • I – all drop one letter name (3-5-6-9)
• “B” voicing
  • ii: 7-9-3-5
  • V – previous 7th drops half step
  • I – 7-root-3-5
• Practice A & B voicings in all keys, follow circle of 5ths (see week 2)
• Keep little finger of left hand between middle C and C one octave below
• Tune-Up – voice left hand and add melody
• Voicing taxonomy
  • If ii-V, lower 7th a half step
  • If not ii-V, find the closest position for next chord, little finger on 3rd (“A”) or 7th (B)
  • Little finger stays between middle C and C one octave below
• Additional practice
  • Play V chords, 3rd in little finger (“A”) through the cycle
  • Play V chords, 7th in little finger (“B”) through the cycle
  • Alternate V chords, 7th in little finger (“B”) then 3rd (“A”) through the cycle
  • Alternate V chords, 3rd in little finger (“A”) then 7th (“B”) through the cycle
• Left-hand voicing can be played in the right hand, roots in the left hand
  • Use in a duo without a bass player to accompany a vocalist or horn
• Harmonize left-hand voicings and prepare, using The Real Book, etc., selecting from the following:
  • Just Friends
  • Autumn In New York
  • Invitation
  • Satin Doll
  • Giant Steps
  • Autumn Leaves
  • Beatrice
  • Tune-Up
  • Take the “A” Train

This page was last updated on January 12, 2011.