Jazz Syllabus – 2nd Year

I advocate 2 hours practise 5 times a week to accomplish the following syllabus.

Technical work
Scales – all 12 major and minor keys –Harmonic and Melodic minors
7 modes, diminished scales, altered scale
patterns – digital patterns through range of instrument, up and down in semitones, tones,
minor and major thirds and cycle of fourths. – Patterns for Improvisation by Oliver
Nelson nosien music company: - Ex. 27-41, 46-59, Most important being: 27,
28,32,46,49,51,56.
II-V-I and minor II-V-I work
Patterns for Jazz by Jerry Coker, Jimmy Casale, Gary Cambell and Jerry Greene
(Studio Publications)
Read P 108-109, read and practise p 115-117 (Diminished scale and downstep modulations)
Turnarounds p 118-119, dominant chord alterations 119-120
Session 2 (starting July)
More on diminished scale: p 130-134.
Start working on substitutions, side stepping progressions.

Repertoire
 Blues Dance of the Infidels (Bud Powell), Isotope (Joe Henderson), Back Home
Blues (Parker), Sandu
 Rhythm Changes Anthropology (Parker), Cottontail (Ellington), Rhythming
(Monk)
 Standards Jitterbug Waltz, Sophisticated Lady (Duke Ellington), Beautiful Love,
Days of Wine and Roses, East of the Sun, Have You met Miss Jones
 Bop Voyage (Kenny Barron), Dig (Miles Davis), Airegin (Sonny Rollins),
Cheesecake (Dexter Gordon)
 Modal Impressions (Coltrane), All Blues (Davis), Cantolope Island (Hancock), Little
Sunflower (Freddie Hubbard)
 Modern ESP (Shorter), Falling Grace (Steve Swallow), Lazybird (Coltrane),
Nefertiti (Miles)

Transcription
Transcribe solos by different players on different instruments – aim for 3 different pieces of
contrasting style and speed in each year…develop
1. the skill of transcribing by copying on your instrument as well as
2. the skill of notating the notes and rhythm of the music on paper.
Airegin (Rollins):transcribe Sonny Rollins’ solo on paper (either in concert or Eb for alto);
Sandu (Clifford Brown): transcribe trumpet solo
Gone with the Wind (Wes Montgomery): transcribe guitar solo

Suggested Practise Routine:

Technique - 1 hour a day
Each week pick one note. From this note practise: the major scale, its' relative minor
(melodic and harmonic), the modes starting from that note, including diminished and
altered;
Practise one pattern from the Oliver Nelson;
1 exercise from Patterns for Jazz
Record the metronome speeds achieved for each scale and exercise!
Repertoire - 1/2 hour a day
I have suggested 3 pieces in each of the 6 different style categories above. Take the first
tune of each category to work on for 10 weeks. After 10 weeks or so (July) move on to
another 6 pieces and do the last 6 pieces starting around mid September. This repertoire is
where your technical/pattern/ II-V-I and improvisational development can be applied.
 Learn melody
 play chord roots
 arpeggiate chords (playing the changes) from the root
 play the changes in inversions to facilitate smooth voice leading from chord to chord
 play through the modes for the changes
 apply different digital patterns to the changes
 mix up chords, scales and digital patterns through the changes (improvise!)
 Identify substite chords, where applicable
 identify alternate modes
apply chromaticism
Transcription - 1/2 hour a day
Work on one of the above recommended solos for 10 weeks, or until completed. Learn to
play each solo up to speed and to notate it rhythmically.