Courses
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Courses offered by the Jazz Studies Department are listed below. Please check the Schedule of Classes for course offerings each semester. The letter "P" identifies prerequisites for the course listed.
Click here for jazz piano proficiency requirements for pianists and for non-pianists.
MUS O316 - Jazz Arranging 1
Scoring for jazz instruments in various ensembles. Study of arrangers and arrangements in various styles to assimilate their characteristics; applications of these styles to original arrangements.
MUS O317 - Jazz Arranging 2
P: O316 Jazz Arranging 1. More advanced arranging for various combinations of instruments in different styles.
MUS O318 - Styles and Analysis of Jazz 1
Survey and analysis of jazz styles from ragtime and early jazz to swing and bebop. Repertoire, improvisation, instrumentation, role of instruments, major innovators and important groups. Includes transcription of jazz solos and their stylistic analysis.
MUS O319 - Styles and Analysis of Jazz 2
P: O318 Styles and Analysis of Jazz 1. Survey and analysis of jazz styles from the cool school and hard bop to modal and contemporary styles. Continuation of O318 areas of focus. Includes transcription of jazz solos and their analysis.
MUS O321 - Jazz Improvisation 1
Introduction to jazz improvisation. Chord/scale relationships, generic melodic patterns, standard harmonic patterns, tune learning. Jazz studies majors and minors only: Corequisite O311 Fundamentals of Jazz Theory (1 cr.).
MUS O322 - Jazz Improvisation 2
Theory and technique of Bebop. Theory and techniques of jazz improvisation with an emphasis on the vocabulary, style, and repertoire of the jazz common practice period (ca. 1940-1955).
MUS O323 - Jazz Improvisation 3
Modern concepts since 1955. Theory and techniques of jazz improvisation with an emphasis on the vocabulary, style, and repertoire of jazz since 1958.
MUS O324 - Jazz Improvisation 4
Tune learning. Various approaches to facilitate learning jazz tunes in blues, rhythm, and standards categories among others. Study of commonalities and differences among tunes.
MUS O325 - Rhythm Section Literature and Performance Practice
Jazz, Latin, and Rock repertory studied in light of historical rhythm section performance as well as modern applications. Historical, cultural, and conceptual aspects in the development of important rhythm section styles from the United States, Latin America, Cuba, the Caribbean, and Africa. May be taken more than once, for a maximum of 8 credits.
MUS O512 - Jazz Composition
Advanced study of problems of different styles of composition in the jazz idiom.
MUS O516 - Jazz Arranging 1
P: Consent of instructor. Scoring for jazz instruments in various ensembles.
MUS O517 - Jazz Arranging 2
P: Consent of instructor. Arranging for various combinations of instruments in different jazz styles.
MUS O521 - Jazz Improvisation 1
Introduction to jazz improvisation. Chord/scale relationships, generic melodic patterns, standard harmonic patterns, tune learning.
MUS O522 - Jazz Improvisation 2
Theory and technique of Bebop. Theory and techniques of jazz improvisation with an emphasis on the vocabulary, style, and repertoire of the jazz common practice period (ca. 1940-1955).
MUS O523 - Jazz Improvisation 3
Modern concepts since 1955. Theory and techniques of jazz improvisation with an emphasis on the vocabulary, style, and repertoire of jazz since 1958.
MUS O524 - Jazz Improvisation 4
Tune learning. Various approaches to facilitate learning jazz tunes in blues, rhythm, and standards categories among others. Study of commonalities and differences among tunes.
MUS O525 - Rhythm Section Literature and Performance Practice
P: Permission of instructor. Jazz, Latin and Rock repertory studied in light of historical rhythm section performance as well as modern applications. Issues of performance, arranging, composition, instrumentation and output of various important jazz composers, arrangers, and performers. Open to jazz majors.
MUS O800 - Jazz performance
P: Consent of instructor. Open to graduate jazz majors. Individual instruction in jazz performance.
MUS E470 - Pedagogy of Jazz
Techniques and methods of teaching jazz studies, including the training of jazz bands.
MUS E570 - Pedagogy of Jazz
Techniques and methods of teaching jazz studies.
MUS I408 - Jazz Senior Recital
MUS M393 - History of Jazz
Periods, major performers and composers, trends, influences, stylistic features, and related materials. For music majors only.
MUS M395 - Contemporary Jazz and Soul Music
A survey of contemporary jazz and soul (rhythm and blues) music and musicians in the United States. For music majors only.
MUS M583 - Duke Ellington
Consent of instructor. An in-depth study of the life, times, and music of Duke Ellington.
MUS M584 - Research in the History and Analysis of Jazz
P: consent of instructor. Individual research in the analysis, history, music theory, or literature of jazz schools, styles, performers, and instrumental idioms. For advanced students.
MUS M586 - Chamber Jazz: Literature and Performance
P: Jazz majors only; others by consent of instructor. The music of the seminal small groups.
MUS M591 - Jazz Literature 1: Pre-Jazz to Bebop
P: consent of instructor. Historical and musical analysis of the core repertoire, seminal performers and composers, musical characteristics, and important recordings of all major jazz styles, origins to 1945.
MUS M592 - Jazz Literature 2: The Bebop Era
P: consent of instructor. An in-depth study of the music that represents the jazz common practice period (ca. 1940-1955). Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Max Roach, and others.
MUS M593 - Jazz Literature 3: Jazz since Bebop
P: consent of instructor. Historical and musical analysis of the core repertoire, seminal performers and composers, musical characteristics, and important recordings of all major jazz styles since 1955.
MUS M594 - Big Band Jazz
P: consent of instructor. The study of classic big band literature (Ellington, Basie, Kenton, Herman, etc.).
MUS P201 - Jazz Piano Class 1
P: P121 Piano Class 2, Music Majors. Development of basic jazz keyboard skills and techniques for the non-piano jazz major, non-jazz piano major and non-music major. Basic voicings for common harmonic formulae used in jazz; chord/scale relationships; simple rhythmic comping patterns.
MUS P202 - Jazz Piano Class 2
P: P201 Jazz Piano Class 1. More advanced voicings; substitutions; comping patterns.
