Basics to Running a Successful Jazz Program

&
Beginning Improvisation Techniques
January 3I't 2014

ll:45-t2:45
lntroductions: Lewis Nelson, Band Directoa Highland High School

Email: lewishnelson@gmail.com

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Highland

is a9-72high school in the Gilbert Public

School district.

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Marching Band - Fall Only Winter Percussion - Spring Only Winter Color Guard - Spring Only SSmrphony Orchestra- Spring Only; Overview:

The band program has over 400 students enrolled each semester in the following ense,mbles: 4 Concert Bands - FulI Year 3 Jaz-z Bands - Full Year Jazz Combo Class - Full Year

2. 3.

1.

Warm-ups: Do you need to do the,m? What do I do? Sample rehearsal schedule for your jazz band How do I teach basic/beginning improvisation?

4..TheoryLesson

Topic Discussion:

1.

Warm-ups: Do you need to do them?

Yes. A11 students need to play long tones and learn how to move air. You need to work on jazz basics, scales, articulations, style, getting use to beats 2 and 4. Everyone also needs to leam ii-V-I scales and how they work with chords.

2.

Sample rehearsal schedule for your jan band {- larr.: *td/, l\tt"ratil#;;rf -. rattntr-tj Wann-ups: You must have organized wann-ups, especially at the beginning of the year whether you are teaching jazzband, marching band, or concert band. You always neea to nave long tones, scalls, and basic improvisation wantr-ups scheduled for every waxm-up. Your warm-ups should take up approximately ' 1/3 of your rehearsal. Here's how a generic *rm-,rp1ooks for Highland: First 5 minutes: We play our long tone exercise (see attached sheet) 2 or 3 times. We always have the brass buzz the warm-up the first rime. On the second readt,we have the brass add their mouthpieces and if we do the waxm-up 3 times, we have everyone play the added scales (**It takes a long time for the kids to be able to play the scales, have them play the warm-up real slow if you add the scales until they can play everything.)

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Minutes 5-10: ii-V-I Scales. These scales are imperative to leaming how to improvise. If your students learn and master the theory behind these scales, your students will become more successful with lea:ning the literature and their improvisation skills will improve. Minutes 10-15120: We practice imFrovisation during this block. There is a lot you can'do here. For example: have just the saxes each improvise on Monday, Trumpets Tuesday, etc.... Everyone needs to practice improvising at least once per week. Encourage stude,nts to transcribe. Once a week take time to listen to differe,nt jazz genres. Offer sfudents exka credit to transcribe easy solos like 'So What' from Miles Davis's album "Kind of Blue". Singing the solo section is also imperative and helpful to leaming it. Re,mainder of the class - rehearse yor:r literatr:re

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3.

How do f teach basic/beginning imProvisation?

Make sure you take time to teach theory at least once a week. The kids need to understand that they play a major scale over a major chord, a mixolydian scale ovr a dominant chord, and a dorian scale over a minor 7 chord. If the students understand this, they will be much more successful. Teach'blues changes. We have every sfudent leant, "Tenor Madness" by ear and we teach them the changes. Have each kid take at least one solo over the blues changes every week. It's importarrt they playwith abig sound and keep things simple. Teach the second round All State JazzTtne. Transcribe. It is important that each student transcribes at least 20 seconds of a simple solo each se,r:rester. Transcribing teaches style and helps show students that improvisation is not magrc. tnprovisation is simply performance of the leamed scales and patte,r:rs. It takes time, the key is to always try and not quit! Please see our attachgf "Highland Fattern Sheef'for ideas!

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4.

Theory Lesson & Warm-Ups Please feel fibe to take notes.

The clrcle:?f 4ths and its relationship to

ii-Vl

scales and proqrqssion:

ii-V-l (2-5-1) progressions and scales are all derived frorn the circle of fourths (See Below and follow the circle to the left):

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furr

Sharys(#)

I
D gr, (rt,
AFfnt(f#,

cfl
C#, C#)

Fm

(Bh Eb,.{b, Db)

Ec*n (r*,

cxt, G#, D#)

BlffiDb
(BL Eb, rqh pb, Gt)

(Bt, gI Ab Dh, Gt, eft)

ebqr

i6b

*;[

it. riu. riu. cb, cb, Fb)

(F#+fr*,

C#, c#, D#, Ji,+, E#)

Notice the circle of fourths simply adds one flat or subtrasts one sharp as it goes around. lt also has another pattem; each note is 4 notes apartl For exampte: lf you are in the key of C, the

foufth note

is F, lf

you're in the key of

F,

the fourth note is Bb. Etc...

What is great about the circle of foufths is that it is a direct representation of the ii-v-t ,..1" patternl Forthe example we had with the C major ii-V-l scate on the prior page, notice how d dorian, 6 mixolydian, and C major are all next to each other on the circle of fourths. Look
above and find the D, G and Cl Try a few examples yourself (the first one is done for you): 1. lf you are in the key of Ab, what note does your:

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a. Dorian scale Start on: Bb b. Mixolydian scale start on:_Eb-_

lf you are in the key of B, what note does your: a, Dorian scale start on:

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3. 4. 5.

Mlxolydian scale start on: lf you are in the key of A, what note does your:

b.

a. Dorian scate start on: b. Mixolydian sial staft on:

lf you have an AminT chord in your music, looking at the circle of 4ths, what key are you
in?

lf you have an G7 chord in your musig looking at the circle of 4ths, what key'are in?

lf one knows all of their major scales, theoreticatly all they should n""O ,, a copy of the circle of 4ths to understand where the dorian and mixolydian scales come from.

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Highland Pattern Sheet

The Cycle:

c- F - Bb - Eb -Ab - Dblc# - cblF# - CblB- E -A- D - G

Each pattern/scale is

worth 20 points and must be memorized (you can use this sheet for reference)
C

#1 Play each set of Arpeggios ascending (1-3-5-7) Exomple, in

mojor you would ploy C-E-G-B

o. b.

c.
d. e. o. b.

Major 7 Dominont 7 Minor 7

Half diminished 7
Fully diminished 7
C

#2 Play each set of Arpeggios Descending (7-5-3-11 Exomple, in

mojor you would play B-G-E-C

Major 7 Dominant 7 c. Minor 7 d. Holf diminished 7 e. Fully diminished 7 #3 Play Major 6 chords ascending (1-3-5-6) Example, if you see a CM6 you would ptay C-E-G-A #4 Play Major 6 chords descending (6-5-3-1) Exomple, if you see o CM6 you would play A-G-E-C #5 Play 1-7 around the cycle using dominant chords. Example, if you see a C7 chord you would ploy C-Bb.
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Play 3-5-L-7 around the cycle using dominant chord

s. Example, if you

see a C7 chord you

would ptoy E-G-C-BU

#7 Play Octatonic Scale + BeBop Scale - All 12 keys (brass 2 octaves, saxophones full range) #8 ii-V-l scales - All 12 keys (brass 2 octaves, saxophones full range) #9 Octatonic pattern Exomple, C-Bb-Eb-Db-Gb-E-A-G C-Bb-A-G-Gb-E-Eb-Db-C #10 Major 9 Arpeggio ascending and descending (1-3-5-7-91 Example, if you see o CM9 you wou I d play C- E-G- B- D- B-G- E-C
#11 Maior 9 lick: La 13

ii m7 -V7 Patterns, see back of this sheet:

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