JAZZ PIANO CURRICULUM GUIDE

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PRE-JAZZ LEVEL

CHORDS AND SCALES
Play major, augmented, minor, and diminished triads in root position. position 1 (built on the 3rd), and position 2 (on 5th), played chromatically and around the cycle of fourths: C-F-Bb-Eb-Ab-Db-F#-B-E-A-D-G-C Play triad cycles and
I-IV-V-I progressions in common-tone voicing in all major and minor keys.

HARMONIZATION STYLES
Harmonize melodies using various harmonization styles: Sing and Strum (Sing melody/LH bass/RH chords); Left Hand Chords: Block, broken, arpeggio (RH melody/LH chords); and Right Hand Chord + Melody (LH bass). Bass lines using
chord-root bass; alternating bass; chord-outline bass, and walk-up bass.

IMPROVISATION DEVICES
Create and use 2-note, 3-note, and 5-note rhythm patterns in pentascales; create call and response phrases (parallel & contrasting) in major and minor pentascales; create melodies using chord tones and non-chord tones (passing tones
& neighbor tones); create melodies demonstrating good use of repetition, contrast, sequence, and variation over I, IV, V harmonies

EAR-TRAINING
Aurally identify intervals through the 5th (both major and minor 3rds); sing triads: i.e. 1-3-5-3-1 and 1-b3-5-b3-1 and intervals through the 5th; identify major, minor, augmented, and diminished triads; accurately respond to clap-backs, play-backs, and tap-backs in major and minor pentascales; play short, easy songs (like Old MacDonald) by ear; and take 2-bar, 4-bar, and 8-bar melodic dictation in major & minor pentascales.

LISTENING
Actively listen to Mother Goose Jazz Band recordings, recordings of leading jazz pianists from various periods of jazz history, and be able to name and discuss several jazz pianists and their recordings.

JAZZ I: BEGINNING JAZZ PIANO LEVEL

CHORDS AND SCALES
Play blues scale in C, F, and B-flat (1-b3-4-b5- 5-b7) and blues progression in C, F, and B-flat (I-I-I-I-IV-IV-I-I-V-IV-I-I) & (I-IV-I-I , etc.)

Form major, dominant, minor, half-diminished, and diminished seventh chords; play seventh chords in three-voice R--3-7 and R--7-3 voicings; play seventh chords around the cycle of fourths (in Root Position; Position 1: R--3-5-7;
Position 2: R--7-3-5; and Alternating Positions).

Play chord progression IM7-IVM7-V7-IM7 (4-voice in common-tone voicing) and I7-IV7-V7-I7 (4-voice in common-tone voicing)

Play all major 7th chords and major scales; major 7th chords and Lydian scales (#4); dominant 7th chords and Mixolydian Scales (b7); dominant 7th chords and blues scales (1-b3-4-b5-5-b7); minor 7th chords and minor scales; and minor
7th Chords and Dorian scales (b3 and b7).

HARMONIZATION STYLES/VOICINGS

Harmonize melodies using Left-hand root position 7th chords and Slash Chords (RH melody/improv); Left-hand 7th chords and slash chords in common-tone voicing (RH melody/improv); Left-hand roots and right-hand chords in alternating Positions (no melody); and Left-hand roots and right-hand chords plus melody

IMPROVISATION DEVICES

Improvise in the Blues Scale (problem-problem-resolution; idea-repeat-repeat & extend); Change-Running in Major, Minor, and Dominant 7th Chords; Scale-Matching to Major, Minor and Dominant 7th Chords; creating and transposing licks in Blues, Major, Lydian, Mixolydian, and Dorian Scales; and creating and transposing Call-Response patterns in the above scales.

EAR-TRAINING

Aurally identify of intervals through the octave with focus on major or minor 3rds and major or minor 7ths; Major, Minor, or Dominant 7th chord Identification; play-backs in full scale range; melodic and rhythmic dictation in full scale range; and learn easy jazz standard heads by ear

LISTENING

Actively listen to live (or video) jazz performances (with written reports) and demonstrate awareness of Important Jazz recordings (memorize title and artists and understand place in history).

JAZZ II: ELEMENTARY JAZZ PIANO LEVEL

CHORDS & SCALES

Play ii -V- I progressions in 7th chords and in 9th chords, in open, root, and inverted positions; play half-diminished and fully diminished seventh chords and matching scales; form major, dominant, and minor ninth chords (Position 1: R--3-5-7-9 and Position 2: R--7-9-3-5)

HARMONIZATION STYLES/VOICING

Continue Level One styles with more complex tunes; learn to comp while improvising; play rootless voicings over prerecorded bass lines.

IMPROVISATION DEVICES
Create ii - V - I licks in all keys; improvise choruses on tunes with ii-V and ii-V-I changes; analyze and map heads of jazz standards; learn artist solos by ear; improvise solos in swing, ballad, Latin, and fusion grooves, create keyboard bass lines.

EAR-TRAINING

Sing major and minor triads & seventh chords; hear ii-V-I progressions; identify major, dominant, minor, and diminished seventh chords in root position; learn a 12-bar blues artists solo by ear )12 bars, then 24 bars, etc.).

LISTENING

Actively listen to live and/or video jazz performances (with written reports); listen to selected jazz artist recordings, read related biographies, and write reports.

JAZZ III: INTERMEDIATE JAZZ PIANO LEVEL

CHORDS & SCALES

Learn tunes with “rhythm” changes; play I-vi-ii-V , I-VI-II-V, I-II-VI-II-V, and I-III-VI-II-V progressions in 7th chords and in 9th chords; minor blues patterns; ii-V- i (minor) progressions; practice extended and altered chords and quartal voicings.

HARMONIZATION STYLES

Play jazz standards demonstrating swing, jazz waltz, Latin, fusion comping styles; play jazz standards demonstrating left-hand and two-hand rootless voicings over prerecorded bass lines; and demonstrate solo jazz piano style including melody, harmony, and improvised choruses.

IMPROVISATION
Improvise choruses on tunes with rhythm changes; learn artist solos by ear; transcribe artist solos. Be able to change tempos and feels while improvising and to create a variety of intros, turnarounds, and endings

EAR-TRAINING

Aurally identify Major, Dominant, Minor, Half-Diminished (b5), and Diminished 7th Chords; ear Suspended and Quartal Harmonies; sing Major, Dominant, and Minor 7th Chords; perform a 32-bar artist solo learned by ear; aurally identify jazz style periods: Early Jazz, Swing, Bebop, Cool, Fusion; transcribe artist solos

LISTENING

Listen to as many live and recorded jazz performances as possible.; study historically significant recordings & related style periods (with written reports)