vcc.ca
MUSC 2115: Jazz Theory
Effective date
September 2013
Department
Music
School
Arts and Sciences
Description
An examination of modern chord scale theory and its usage in the context of jazz/pop music. 3:0:0
Credits
3.0
Year of study
2nd Year Post-secondary
Prerequisites
Materials and Structures of Music 1203, Class Piano 1153/1253.
Corequisites
CET 2100, Class Jazz Piano 2163 .
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Identify and describe all types of seventh, ninth, eleventh, thirteenth chords in bass and treble clefs using jazz/pop nomenclature.
- Identify and describe all major and minor scales (natural, harmonic, and melodic), all modes of the major scale, all modes of the melodic minor scale, the major and minor pentatonic scales, the blues scale, the diminished scale, the 8-note dominant scale, and the whole tone scale.
- Identify, describe and analyze harmonic progressions in jazz and blues compositions.
- Analyze symbols utilized in the Chord Scale Theory including Roman numeral analysis.
- Identify, describe and analyze melodies and musical form.
- Identify and describe the compositional use of non-harmonic tones.
- Identify and describe the relationship of scales to certain chords and vice versa.
Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition (PLAR)
None
Hours
Lecture, Online, Seminar, Tutorial: 3
Total Hours: 3
Total Hours: 3
Instructional Strategies
lecture, assignments
Grading System
Letter Grade (A-F)
Passing grade
C-
Evaluation Plan
|
Type |
Percentage |
Assessment activity |
|
Assignments |
30 |
Compositions (2 @7.5% each) and Composition assignments (5 @ 3% each) |
|
Midterm Exam |
20 |
|
|
Quizzes/Tests |
10 |
Timed chord spelling tests (5@ 2% each) |
|
Final Exam |
30 |
|
|
Other |
10 |
|
Course topics
- Jazz/Pop nomenclature
- Intervals, Scales - major, minor, blues, pentatonic, & modes of major scale, octatonic, 7th chords, chord symbols.
- Chord Scale Theory
- Harmonic Structures- Chord Scale Theory.
- Melodic construction I - motives, phrase segments, motivic development
- Diatonic Harmony - Root motion and patterns, Cadences, Sus 4 chords, diatonic reharmonization
- Melodic construction II - phrases- antecedent, consequent, parallel, contrasting Dominant Chords and Diatonic Function – secondary dominants, chord scales
- Melodic Construction III- nonharmonic tones, harmonic rhythm.
- Substitute dominants Related IImi7 chords
- Minor Key Harmony - modal interchange and subdominant minor.
- Minor Key Harmony - minor key scales, minor key chords, key relationships, minor key chord scales, line clichés.
- The Blues - basic blues contents, contemporary blues content, blues progressions
- Blues chord scales, blues form variation; 12 bar blues –AAB form.
- Diminished 7th Chords typical diminished patterns, diminished chord scale
- Reharmonization of diminished chords, #IVmi7 (b5), VIIo7, AABA chord progressions – analysis
- Dominant Chords with Special Function- Special function blues chords (time permitting).
- Special functions for secondary dominants
Notes:
- Course contents and descriptions, offerings and schedules are subject to change without notice.
- Students are required to follow all College policies including ones that govern their educational experience at VCC. Policies are available on the VCC website at:
https://www.vcc.ca/about/governance--policies/policies/. - To find out if there are existing transfer agreements for this course, visit the BC Transfer Guide at https://www.bctransferguide.ca.