ADVANCED JAZZ IMPROVISATION

Prerequisites & course information

Requisites: ( MUSIC 331 and 332 ) or MUS PERF 541 Course Designation: Grad 50% - Counts toward 50% graduate coursework requirement Repeatable for Credit: Yes, unlimited number of completions Last Taught: Spring 2026 Learning Outcomes: 1. Identify (literally and aurally) chord structures, scales and modes in the Major, Harmonic Minor, Melodic Minor, Harmonic Major, and Melodic Minor #5 structures. Audience: Graduate 2. Formulate and perform spontaneous melodies over song progressions and song forms. Audience: Graduate 3. Solve rhythmic placement of their improvisation within a steady pulse. Audience: Graduate 4. Demonstrate understanding of music theory and the application to improvisation. Audience: Graduate 5. Apply historical and contemporary concepts of musical styles and forms, and research approaches specific to the given instrument. Audience: Graduate 6. Demonstrate performance practice in real time, processing melodies spontaneously within a consistent pulse over a song form. Audience: Graduate 7. Demonstrate understanding of melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic devices for improvisation over a chord and song form. Audience: Graduate 8. Utilize techniques, skills, and modern approaches to performance practice Audience: Graduate 9. Demonstrate decorum and community responsibility when performing with others Audience: Graduate 10. Identify, describe, and analyze improvisation of themselves, their peers, and from recordings Audience: Graduate 11. Examine technical literature and resolve ambiguities in the nomenclature Audience: Graduate 12. Synthesize knowledge using insights and creativity to better understand themselves and improve their performance practice and improvisation. Audience: Graduate Learning Outcomes: 1. Identify (literally and aurally) chord structures, scales and modes in the Major, Harmonic Minor, Melodic Minor, Harmonic Major, and Melodic Minor #5 structures. Audience: Graduate 2. Formulate and perform spontaneous melodies over song progressions and song forms. Audience: Graduate 3. Solve rhythmic placement of their improvisation within a steady pulse. Audience: Graduate 4. Demonstrate understanding of music theory and the application to improvisation. Audience: Graduate 5. Apply historical and contemporary concepts of musical styles and forms, and research approaches specific to the given instrument. Audience: Graduate 6. Demonstrate performance practice in real time, processing melodies spontaneously within a consistent pulse over a song form. Audience: Graduate 7. Demonstrate understanding of melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic devices for improvisation over a chord and song form. Audience: Graduate 8. Utilize techniques, skills, and modern approaches to performance practice Audience: Graduate 9. Demonstrate decorum and community responsibility when performing with others Audience: Graduate 10. Identify, describe, and analyze improvisation of themselves, their peers, and from recordings Audience: Graduate 11. Examine technical literature and resolve ambiguities in the nomenclature Audience: Graduate 12. Synthesize knowledge using insights and creativity to better understand themselves and improve their performance practice and improvisation. Audience: Graduate