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Sonoma State Universtiy
Contemprorary Jazz Ensemble
(topics to
cover)
Student Personal Practice and
Performance Suggestions:
- memorize melody
- memorize lyrics
- memorize chord progression
- understand harmony and chord/scale use
- play scales in inversions
- play chords in inversions (with
rhythmic variations quarter notes, triplets, and 8th
notes)
- play quarter note solos
- play solos made of quarter note
triplets, divisions of triplets, and 1/2 note triplets
- play solos made of 8th notes, 8th note
triplets, or 16ths
- shift between rhythmic values
- play guide tone lines
- play color tones
- improvise close to the melody
- create clear phrases
Instructor Suggestions to the
band:
- build a solo (start slow with space)
- after memorization, cut out heads on
tunes-solos only
- improvise silently and play on command
- sing, play, sing, play
- play where pauses occur
- rest or sustain where motion occurs
- cut out bass, drums or piano during a
solo to insure place keeping
- trade through a tune unaccompanied
- drums play reduced set (play w.1 hand
and make it swing)
- study 1 player each rehearsal
(critique)
- physical appearance of performance
space
- how to behave within that space
- phrase across the end of a chorus
- listen and respond using dialogue
- building and ENDING a solo (hand off)
- create backgrounds from within the
content of the tune to keep horns involved
- each member prepares a tune, writes
parts, rehearses band 1 week
- stop the band and make the soloist say
the name of the chord
- sing lyrics while tune is playing (on
que-any instrument) during solo