MUJS 3360 – JAZZ IMPROVISATION III

(MUJS 5370 – GRADUATE REVIEW OF JAZZ IMPROVISATION)

MU263 | MW 10 - 10:50 am

Dave Meder
Assistant Professor of Jazz Piano | MU272
Office Hours: BY APPT - See Schedule on MU272
cell: 813.335.7270 | office: 940.565.2229
www.davemeder.com | [email protected]
________________________________________________________________________
Dave.meder
COURSE PHILOSOPHY AND OBJECTIVES
The concept of “jazz improvisation” is very broad. An individual, as a soloist, must first know
a tune or a form, then have enough melodic and harmonic materials prepared so that they can
recall them in a seemingly spontaneous fashion, with the right tone, stylistic idioms and
expressions in order for these materials to actually sound authentic. As if all that were not
enough, the improvising soloist must also negotiate group dynamics, allowing the
contributions of others to change their own vocabulary and musical behavior in real time.

Any one of these elements of improvisation could fill several courses. Teaching all of them
here is not practical, so instead we will attempt to hone one aspect: vocabulary. Namely, we
will reinforce the idea of jazz as a set of living, breathing language. In establishing methods of
acquiring a broader and more diverse vocabulary, we create a lasting method by which
students can continue to develop on their own, even after this course. In achieving a broader
vocabulary, students can better explore their own creativity and artistic vision, with more
musical tools at their disposal.

COURSE CONTENT AND MATERIALS

There is no textbook required for this course, but students should be able to seek out
recordings. You should create a playlist of the following tunes/solos and begin actively
listening to them NOW:

- Wynton Marsalis on Four in One (from Wynton Marsalis Septet, Live at the Vanguard)
- Cannonball Adderley on Dizzy’s Business (from Cannonball Adderley, Live in New York)
- Mulgrew Miller on Reflections (from Joe Lovano, Quartets Live at the Village Vanguard)
- Michael Brecker on If Ever I Would Leave You (from Don Grolnick, Medianoche)

COURSE POLICIES AND INFORMATION

GRADING: Your grade is determined by the following criteria.
25%: Assignments (Language Journals and Solo Singing Exercises)
25% each: Exam 1, Exam 2, Exam 3 (retakes allowed, see below)

The final grade is determined by the following scale:

A = 90-100%, B = 80-89%, C = 70-79%, D = 60-69%, F = below 60%.

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Grades that are one point or less below a cutoff can be rounded up at the sole discretion of the
instructor based on a student’s overall effort, disposition, and attendance both in class and in
office hours. For example, 89.1 and 89.0 can be rounded at the instructor’s discretion, 88.9
cannot.

LANGUAGE JOURNALS:

Each student is expected to keep a “language journal”. This should ideally be kept as one file
in a notation program. It should be continuous throughout the whole semester: you should not
re-order anything. The goal is to track and remember all of your favorite “bits of language”
from various solos we study in class, and to witness your own growth in real time.

There are two units in this class. The first unit continues the content of Jazz Improvisation II,
further developing skill and fluency with bebop vocabulary. The second unit then uses this
vocabulary as a starting point to explore various substitutions and advanced creative
applications.

Within each unit, there are three journal assignments:

- In the first assignment, you will simply transcribe excerpts from two different solos.

- In the second, you will break down the solos into “words/phrases” (licks), analyze them, and
internalize them in twelve keys, absorbing their melodic, harmonic and rhythmic components.

- In the third, you will synthesize a new solo into a new context, using the vocabulary you
have previously internalized and incorporating a variety of rhythmic and phrasing ideas.

The same pattern continues in the second unit, making for a total of six language journal
entries.

On exams, you are expected to use the words/phrases from these language journal
assignments in your solos, in new and creative ways. The goal is not to force you into playing
a certain way, but rather to ensure that you know how to internalize language from one solo
and reuse it in a novel way in a different context. Ultimately, the language journals are about
teaching you a skill that you can use for the rest of your performing career, not necessarily
about making you learn a specific set of tunes, patterns, etc.

You are free to handwrite assignments for your own benefit, but all submissions must be
computer notated and in concert key (treble or bass clef). Neatness and presentation are a
part of your grade.

All journal assignments are submitted through Canvas by 10 am on Mondays of the weeks in
which they are due. This is a firm deadline: no late work is accepted for any reason except an
excused absence. If you email the instructor to ask about submitting a late assignment, you
will simply be referred to the policy here in the syllabus. Allow yourself enough upload time
to account for “Murphy’s Law” (anything that can go wrong will go wrong). Illegibility,
unclear images or recordings will not be graded. Do not email assignments to the instructor,
only use the Canvas platform.

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The instructor will provide individual feedback through the Canvas platform and advise if
extra work is needed in office hours. Please be sure to check Canvas for comments and
feedback on your submissions.

SOLO SINGING EXERCISES:

In the language journal assignments, we spend a long period of time on a small amount of
material (just two solo excerpts in each unit). We go into tremendous depth, breaking down
concepts, devices, and vocabulary. It is akin to learning a second language: breaking down the
grammar and learning to piece words together in a very focused way according to set of rules.
While this is a valuable method of learning improvisation, it can be equally valuable to just
learn a high volume of material with much less depth - this is what some would call “learning
by osmosis.”

For this reason, you are also expected to submit examples of yourself singing along to great
solos. You should NOT transcribe these solos, and your singing does not have to be pitch-
perfect. But it must be clear that you know the solo inside-and-out, that you are aware of the
phrasing, articulations, and other unique elements of each solo. This exercise is designed to
help you (or force you, if need be) to keep listening to the great recordings of this music, and to
absorb the general “sound” of the jazz language. It is similar to how you learned your first
language: you probably did not study grammar, but rather you just picked up general
phonetics, rhythmic flow, idiomatic expressions, etc.

EXAMS:

The three exams will be highly specific musical tasks related to the concepts and language
discussed in each unit. It is important to note that the exams measure your internalization of
the concepts discussed in each unit, not your overall improvisational skill or “vibe,” nor your
improvisational vocabulary acquired prior to this course. This course is meant to be objective,
not subjective.

To clarify, being a great player is not enough to pass an exam. You have to demonstrate a
clear internalization of the language and ideas learned in each unit. Regular practice is
essential for success on these exams; you should not procrastinate or “cram”. The instructor
recommends at least twenty to thirty minutes of daily practice specifically for this course.

You are permitted to retake each exam one (1) time within a semester for a higher score. I
count the higher of both scores. There will be designated “retake days” in finals week. If you
do not pass an exam, it is recommended that you begin attending office hours regularly for
short lessons with the instructor or the teaching fellow for this class.

ATTENDANCE:

Please note: Attendance is not directly factored into any of these grading criteria, but each
unexcused absence after the THIRD will lower your final grade by 5%, regardless of
performance in any of the above criteria. This is a generous attendance policy that allows you
to miss approximately 10% of class meetings with no questions asked. So, after your third
absence, the policy is strictly enforced. The instructor takes attendance at promptly at 10 am
and then once more around 10:05 am. You can receive a “tardy” if you attend late but before

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10:05 am. Two tardy marks will equal one absence. Attending after 10:05 am results in an
absence, but it would still be beneficial for you to attend given the relatively quick pace and
cumulative nature of the course.

Excused absences are, of course, always permitted with reasonable cause and ample notice
(when possible). These absences do not count towards the three unexcused absences. Please
email the instructor to clear these in advance, or as soon as possible after-the-fact in case of
emergency. Please provide documentation/verification.

For any missed classes, you are responsible for covering missed material and obtaining
handouts. Extra class handouts are posted at MU272. If you feel overwhelmed in any way, or
if you are dealing with something that is causing you to miss a significant amount of class, the
best thing to do is speak with the instructor as soon as possible, not at the end of the semester.

COURSE SCHEDULE
Unit 1: Advanced Bebop Fundamentals
Week 1:
Syllabus/Foundational Concepts: Improvisation as Second Language Acquisition, Bebop as
Lingua Franca, Studying Improvisation via Bloom’s Taxonomy, Other Learning Methods,
Transcription Masterclass

Week 2: Journal 1 Due

Review of Improv II/Advanced Bebop Drills in 12 keys: Baker Book, Analysis of Transcribed
Solos, Isolate Words/Phrases/Devices, Hanging Pitch Theory

Week 3:
Learning Isolated Words/Phrases/Devices in 12 keys, Continue Bebop Drills in 12 keys

Week 4: Journal 2 Due

Drills for Connecting Bebop Gestures/Introduction to Exam 1, Rhythmic Variation, Solo
Singing, Time Feel and Phrasing Considerations

Week 5:
Synthesizing a New Solo from Isolated Words/Phrases/Devices, Group Solo Construction,
Application of Bebop Devices to a Blues/Rhythm Changes/Standards

Week 6: Solo Singing 1 Due

Exam #1

Exam #1 Objective: Students will be able to play idiomatic bebop vocabulary with a
continuous rhythmic flow through randomly projected chord changes, using all the
previously discussed devices (enclosures, appropriate arpeggiations based on chord
type, chromatic gestures, scales, and new vocabulary from the assigned solos for this
unit).

Week 7:
Application of Bebop Devices to a Blues/Rhythm Changes/Standards

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Week 8: Journal 3 Due
Application of Bebop Devices to a Blues/Rhythm Changes/Standards, Analysis/Feedback on
Selected Journal 3 Solo Submissions

Week 9:
Exam #2

Exam #2 Objective: Students will be able to play idiomatic bebop vocabulary with
rhythmic variation and a comfortable time feel through a blues progression and
“rhythm changes” progression in any key, using all the previously discussed devices
(enclosures, appropriate arpeggiations based on chord type, chromatic gestures, scales,
and new vocabulary from the assigned solos for this unit).

Unit 2: Bebop-Based Substitutions and New Applications

Week 10: Journal 4 Due

Introduction to Alternate / Substitute / “Backdoor” / Chromatic ii-V’s (ASBC for short),
Analysis of Transcribed Solos, Isolate Words/Phrases/Devices

Week 11:
Learning Isolated Words/Phrases/Devices in 12 keys, Continue ASBC Drills in 12 keys

Week 12: Journal 5 Due

Simple Applications of ASBC ii-V’s / Common Substitutions on Blues/Rhythm Changes

Week 13:
Identifying Substitution Points in American Songbook Tunes, Synthesizing a New Solo from
Isolated Words/Phrases/Devices, Group Solo Construction

Week 14: Solo Singing 2 Due

Exam #3

Exam #3 Objective: Students will be able to see a tonic (resolution) chord and
instinctively play through various substitute ii-V’s that will move to that resolution
chord. Random tonic chords will be displayed on a screen, students will be able to play
idiomatic bebop vocabulary through a minor subdominant ii-V, tritone ii-V, ii-V to iii,
and a set of chromatic ii-V’s, all leading to the displayed tonic resolution chord.

Week 15:
Flex Week, Class Meetings TBD, Individual Meetings and Consultations Available

Week 16 (Finals Week): Journal 6 Due

NO FINAL EXAM AND NO CLASS MEETINGS (Submit Journal 6 through Canvas)
EXAM RETAKES OFFERED ON MONDAY OF FINALS WEEK (Schedule TBD)

The course schedule is subject to change with advance notice.

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 OTHER COURSE INFORMATION
EMAIL AND CANVAS USE:

The instructor uses Canvas notifications to communicate with the class. Please ensure that
these are enabled and are forwarded to your email client if necessary. It is expected that you
use your UNT email address for all correspondence related to your degree. Any university-
related questions emailed to Prof. Meder from your personal email address, through Facebook
or any other social media platform, or through SMS (text messaging) will not receive a
response. Furthermore, you must check your UNT email DAILY. All inquiries from Prof.
Meder (or any other professor or administrator) should be responded to within 24 hours.

UNIVERSITY POLICIES AND INFORMATION

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:

Students caught cheating or plagiarizing will receive a "0" for that particular assignment or
exam [or specify alternative sanction, such as course failure]. Additionally, the incident will be
reported to the Dean of Students, who may impose further penalty. According to the UNT
catalog, the term “cheating" includes, but is not limited to: a. use of any unauthorized
assistance in taking quizzes, tests, or examinations; b. dependence upon the aid of sources
beyond those authorized by the instructor in writing papers, preparing reports, solving
problems, or carrying out other assignments; c. the acquisition, without permission, of tests or
other academic material belonging to a faculty or staff member of the university; d. dual
submission of a paper or project, or resubmission of a paper or project to a different class
without express permission from the instructor(s); or e. any other act designed to give a
student an unfair advantage. The term “plagiarism” includes, but is not limited to: a. the
knowing or negligent use by paraphrase or direct quotation of the published or unpublished
work of another person without full and clear acknowledgment; and b. the knowing or
negligent unacknowledged use of materials prepared by another person or agency engaged in
the selling of term papers or other academic materials.
LINK: http://vpaa.unt.edu/dcgcover/resources/integrity

STUDENT BEHAVIOR:

Student behavior that interferes with an instructor’s ability to conduct a class or other
students' opportunity to learn is unacceptable and disruptive and will not be tolerated in any
instructional forum at UNT. Students engaging in unacceptable behavior will be directed to
leave the classroom and the instructor may refer the student to the Dean of Students to
consider whether the student's conduct violated the Code of Student Conduct. The university's
expectations for student conduct apply to all instructional forums, including university and
electronic classroom, labs, discussion groups, field trips, etc.
LINK: Student Code of Conduct - https://deanofstudents.unt.edu/conduct

ACCESS TO INFORMATION – EAGLE CONNECT:

Your access point for business and academic services at UNT occurs at my.unt.edu. All official
communication from the university will be delivered to your Eagle Connect account. For more

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information, please visit the website that explains Eagle Connect.
LINK: eagleconnect.unt.edu/

ODA STATEMENT:

The University of North Texas makes reasonable academic accommodation for students with
disabilities. Students seeking accommodation must first register with the Office of Disability
Accommodation (ODA) to verify their eligibility. If a disability is verified, the ODA will
provide you with an accommodation letter to be delivered to faculty to begin a private
discussion regarding your specific needs in a course. You may request accommodations at any
time, however, ODA notices of accommodation should be provided as early as possible in the
semester to avoid any delay in implementation. Note that students must obtain a new letter of
accommodation for every semester and must meet with each faculty member prior to
implementation in each class. For additional information see the Office of Disability
Accommodation.
LINK: disability.unt.edu. (Phone: (940) 565-4323)

FINANCIAL AID AND SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS:

Undergraduates
A student must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) to continue to receive financial
aid. Students must maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA in addition to successfully
completing a required number of credit hours based on total registered hours per term.
Students cannot exceed attempted credit hours above 150% of their required degree plan. If a
student does not maintain the required standards, the student may lose their financial aid
eligibility.

Students holding music scholarships must maintain a minimum 2.5 overall cumulative GPA
and 3.0 cumulative GPA in music courses.

If at any point you consider dropping this or any other course, please be advised that the
decision to do so may have the potential to affect your current and future financial aid
eligibility. It is recommended that you to schedule a meeting with an academic advisor in your
college or visit the Student Financial Aid and Scholarships office to discuss dropping a course
being doing so.
LINK: http://financialaid.unt.edu/sap

Graduates
A student must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) to continue to receive financial
aid. Students must maintain a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA in addition to successfully
completing a required number of credit hours based on total registered hours per term. Music
scholarships require a 3.5 cumulative GPA. Students cannot exceed maximum timeframes
established based on the published length of the graduate program. If a student does not
maintain the required standards, the student may lose their financial aid eligibility.

If at any point you consider dropping this or any other course, please be advised that the
decision to do so may have the potential to affect your current and future financial aid
eligibility. It is recommended you schedule a meeting with an academic advisor in your
college, an advisor in UNT-International or visit the Student Financial Aid and Scholarships

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office to discuss dropping a course.

LINK: http://financialaid.unt.edu/sap

RETENTION OF STUDENT RECORDS:

Student records pertaining to this course are maintained in a secure location by the instructor
of record. All records such as exams, answer sheets (with keys), and written papers submitted
during the duration of the course are kept for at least one calendar year after course
completion. Course work completed via the Blackboard/Canvas online system, including
grading information and comments, is also stored in a safe electronic environment for one
year. You have a right to view your individual record; however, information about your
records will not be divulged to other individuals without the proper written consent. You are
encouraged to review the Public Information Policy and the Family Educational Rights and
Privacy Act (FERPA) laws and the university’s policy in accordance with those mandates.

COUNSELING AND TESTING:

UNT’s Center for Counseling and Testing has an available counselor whose position includes
16 hours per week of dedicated service to students in the College of Music and the College of
Visual Arts and Design. Please visit the Center’s website for further information:
http://studentaffairs.unt.edu/counseling-and-testing-services.

For more information on mental health issues, please visit: https://speakout.unt.edu.

The counselor for music students is:

Myriam Reynolds
Chestnut Hall, Suite 311
(940) 565-2741 | [email protected]