Jazz Piano Curriculum Guide

PRE-JAZZ LEVEL

Based on but different than the MTNA Jazz Studies Guide: Pre-Jazz Level

CHORDS AND SCALES

• Major and minor pentascales (five finger patterns) in all keys.
• Play major, sus, augmented, minor, and diminished triads in root position and in position 1 (built on the 3rd), and position 2 (on 5th).
• Four-voice I-IV-I-V-I progressions in all keys using common-tone voicing.

EAR-TRAINING

• Play familiar folk songs by ear.
• Aurally identify and sing intervals through the 5^th.
• Sing major and minor triads (1-3-5-3-1 and 1-b3-5-b3-1).
• Clap-back, play-back, and sing-back patterns in major & minor pentascales.
• Write 2, 4, and 8-bar dictation in major & minor pentascales.
• Aurally identify major, sus, augmented, minor, and diminished triads

IMPROVISATION

• Create a variety of rhythm patterns and use them for improvisation in 2, 3,  and 5-note melodies in major and minor pentascales.
• Create parallel and contrasting call and response patterns
• Create chord-tone melodies, then add non-chord tones (i.e. passing tones and upper and lower neighboring tones).

LEAD-LINE HARMONIZATION(melody plus chord symbols)

• Sing and Strum: sing melody and accompany with L.H. bass and R.H chords
• Left Hand Chords: L.H. block, broken, or arpeggio chords and R.H. melody.
• R.H. Chord plus melody and L.H. bass (as hand size and dexterity allows)
• Create bass lines using chord-roots, alternating bass, chord-outline bass and lead-in-bass styles.

TUNES AND SOURCES

• Folk songs and spirituals in lead sheet format

RESOURCES FOR INSTRUCTION

• Ann Collins: Jazz Piano Projects: Pre-Jazz Level. Pub: FJH (for Elementary level pianists)
• Jazz Works: Chapters 1 & 2  Pub: Alfred (for Intermediate level pianists)
• Eric Baumgartner:  Jazzabilities. Book 1. Pub: Willis Music
• Charles Beale:  Jazz Piano from Scratch Pub: ABRSM (teacher reference)
• Chick Corea, host:  Piano Legends (Video). Pub: Video Artists International

SUGGESTED JAZZ STYLE REPERTOIRE FOR STUDY AND PERFORMANCE

• Bill Boyd:  Jazz Bits & Pieces. Pub: Hal Leonard
• Kevin Olson: Jazzed Up! Folk Songs. Pub: FJH
• Walter & Carol Noona: All That Jazz & Pizzazz.  Pub:  HMP

JAZZ I: BEGINNING JAZZ PIANO LEVEL

Based on but different than the MTNA Jazz Studies Guide Level One

LISTENING

• Live and recorded jazz performances
• Learn to distinguish the instruments and their roles in the ensemble.
• Learn to follow the form: the original tune (head) and subsequent improvised choruses.
• Learn to listen from the bottom-up to hear the chord changes.
• Play along with recordings and imitate what you hear.

CHORDS AND SCALES

• Blues scale and blues harmonic progressions in the keys of C, F, and B-Flat.
• Major, dominant, minor, half-diminished, and diminished 7th chords.
• Dominant 7th chords in 3-note (L.H. root/R.H. 3-7 or 7-3) voicing
• All types of 7th chords in all keys in root positions; position 1 (built on 3rd) and position 2 (built on 7th) voicing.
• Matching 7th chords and scales:
  • Major 7th chords and major and/or Lydian (#4) scales
  • Dominant 7th chords and Mixolydian (b7) and/or blues scales
  • Minor 7th chords and Dorian (b3 & b7) and/or minor scales

EAR TRAINING

• Aurally identify and sing intervals through the octave with focus on major and minor 3rds and major and minor 7ths.
• Aurally identify and sing major, dominant, and minor 7th chords.
• Play back patterns in full scale range.
• Write rhythmic and melodic dictation in full scale range.
• Learn easy jazz standard heads by ear.

IMPROVISATION

• Create coherent blues melodies (i.e. following problem, problem, resolution; lick-repeat-repeat and extend; call & response; or other organizing devices)
• Change-running in major, dominant, and minor 7th chords
• Scale matching to major, dominant, and minor 7th chords
• Creating and transposing licks in blues, major, Lydian, Mixolydian, Dorian and minor scales.
• Create call & response phrases in the above scales.

HARMONIZATION STYLES AND VOICING

• L.H. root-position 7th chords and slash chords with R.H. melody
• L.H. chord roots and R.H. chords in alternating positions (no melody)
• L.H. chord roots and R.H. chord-tones under melody

TUNES AND SOURCES

Relatively easy heads in easy keys at moderate tempos with slow harmonic change.

Major and (mostly) dominant 7th chords

Add Minor and Diminished 7th chords

SOURCES FOR JAZZ LEVEL I SUGGESTED TUNES

* Sher Music Co: The Real Easy Book, C Version - These compositions, written by well-known jazz artists, are good examples of beginning level tunes in clear, easy to interpret presentations. Supplemental material for each tune includes sample piano voicing, useful scales, and sample bass lines.

** Warner Bros. Pub: Approaching the Standards, Vols. 1,2,3. C Book - These indispensable books have a user-friendly approach to jazz. Each volume has an excellent CD featuring a professional jazz combo, tips for improvisation ideas, and composer/recording information. A MUST for getting the feel of jazz.

+ Jamey Aebersold: Maiden Voyage Vol. 54 - Book with play-along CD of rhythm section (piano, bass, drums). Good for playing or improvising melodies over the rhythm section; for listening to good comping patterns, or muting the piano and playing along with bass and drums.

RESOURCES FOR INSTRUCTION

• James Aebersold: Nothin' But Blues Vol. 2 & Dominant 7th Workout Vol. 84
• Noah Baerman: Beginning Jazz Keyboard (Alfred)
• Eric Baumgartner: Jazzabilities, Book 2 and Jazz Connection Book 2 (Willis)
• Bill Boyd: Exploring Basic Blues (Hal Leonard)
• Luann Carman: Play the Blues! (Hal Leonard)
• Ann Collins: Jazz Works, Chapters 3 & 4 (Alfred); Jazz Piano Projects: Begining Jazz Level (unpublished)
• Betsy Hannah: The Real Blues (Lee Roberts/Hal Leonard)
• Andy Ostwald: Play Jazz, Blues, Rock Piano By Ear (Mel Bay)
• Alan Swain: Improvise! (Jasmine Music)

SUGGESTED JAZZ REPERTOIRE FOR STUDY AND PERFORMANCE

• Bill Boyd: Jazz Delights, Jazz Fest, Jazz Standards (Hal Leonard)
• Ann Collins: Jazz Standards (Hal Leonard)
• Lee Evans, Arrg: Jack & Jill (Elem Level), Easy Jazz Standards, and More Easy Jazz Standards (Late Intermediate Level)
• William Gillock: New Orleans Jazz Styles, More New Orleans Jazz Styles, and Still More New Orleans Jazz Styles
• Mike Kocour: Cool Jazz Books 1 & 2 (CCP Belwin)
• Larry Minsky: Jazz Montage, Books 2, 3, 4 (Warner Bros.)

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, 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