Advanced Jazz Harmony

Catalog description

This course is designed as a continuation of the Jazz Harmony, Form & Notation course offered in the fall. It will serve to further explore and develop the concepts learned in that class. Topics to be discussed will include: More in-depth melodic and harmonic analyses of American Popular Song and Jazz Standards, Basic and advanced reharmonization of those songs, Melodic paraphrase (transforming a basic lead sheet melody into one that is more idiomatically appropriate), Time signature alteration (transforming a song in a simple meter to a complex one, e.g., writing a 4/4 tune in 7/4), Creation of an effective lead sheet, Rhythm section notation concepts (specifically, how to write for guitar, piano, bass & drums), Notation of specific grooves, Basic arranging for one or two lead instruments and rhythm section, and Basic compositional concepts.