Eastman Community Music SchoolEastman Community Music School ImagesEastman Community Music School ImagesEastman Community Music School Images

Jazz Clarinet

 

Level 1

Goals

Development of basic rhythmic sense (self contained time feel)

Development of basic jazz phrasing concepts, (swing eighth note interpretation, characteristic articulation and style)

Ability to improvise over simple harmonic frameworks such as:

  • Basic 12 bars blues
  • One or two chords of relatively long duration
  • Modal tunes.

Methods

William Bay - Complete Jazz Clarinet Book

Keith Stein - The Art of Clarinet Playing

  

Improvisation Concepts

Major and Minor Pentatonic Scales.

Blues scales introduced.

Introduction to Modes of Major Harmony

Motive soloing and Development

Improvisation

Jamey Aebersold Vol. 24 Major and Minor

 

horizontal rule

Level 2

Method

John O’Neil - The Jazz Method For Clarinet Vol. 1

Theory

Intervals

Ear Training – Singing and recognizing intervals

Jazz sequences introduced based on intervallic relationships

Pentatonic and blues sequences

Modes of Major Harmony continuation

Attention to color tones of scales

Improvisation

Jamey Aebersold Vol. 1 – How to Play Jazz and Improvise

 

horizontal rule

Level 3

Method

John O’Neil - The Jazz Method For Clarinet Vol. 2

 

Theory

Modes of Major Harmony continuation

More on Jazz sequences based on intervallic relationships

Ear Training – Singing and recognizing more complex intervals

II-V-I Patterns

Understanding and use of the circle of 5th

Diatonic triads and 7th chords in all major and minor keys

All Major, Minor, Diminished and Augmented Triads Straight and Broken Patterns All Keys.

Understanding of functional harmony (V-I, v-I, ii-V I, I VI ii V, etc.)

               

Jazz Repertoire

Introduction of Modal Tunes

  • So What

  • Cantaloupe Island

  • Little Sunflower

  • More on Bb Blues

Keep working on more tunes accordingly.

Improvisation

Jamey Aebersold - Vol. 1 How to Play Jazz and Improvise

Jamey Aebersold - Vol. 21 Getting it there
Jamey Aebersold - Vol. 3 II-V-I

 

horizontal rule

Level 4

Methods

John O'Neil - Developing Jazz Technique for the clarinet Vol. 1 & 2

                                                                

Performance

One ECMS recital performance required

 

Theory

Ear Training – Ability to discern all 7th chord types

Triads All Cycles and Permutations by Memory

Arpeggios of all 5 Basic Chord Categories (Major, Minor, Dominant, Minor 7th b5 and diminished) All keys all Inversions by Memory

More on major and minor II-V-I

Ear Training – Singing and recognizing Major minor diminished and augmented triads

Jazz Repertoire   

       

Blues in Bb, F

Blue Bossa

C Minor Blues

Improvisation

Jamey Aebersold - Vol. 54, Maiden Voyage

Charlie Parker - Omni book (Bb)

Musicianship

Ability to sing simple solos

Doing and analyzing simple Jazz transcriptions for development of the language.

Listening to Favorite Jazz Artist

Common Notes and Voice Leading Exercises

Chord Tones Exercises

Introduction of more complex chord progressions and tunes

Ensembles

Perform in school jazz ensemble. Perform regularly in small group setting. (Combo)

 

horizontal rule 

Level 5

Methods

Benny Goodman  - Benny Goodman’s Clarinet Method                 

Artie Shaw - Artie Shaw’s Jazz Technique             

                                                                     

Skills and Techniques

Continuation of Level I through IV Skills

Whole Tone, Diminished and Augmented Scales Introduced

Melodic and Harmonic Minor Scales and Related modes

Jazz

Coker - Patterns for Jazz

Nelson - Patterns for Improvisation

Baker - Bebop

Theory

Utilization of Bo-bop era non-harmonic tones or approach notes patterns:

  • Upper diatonic Neighbor
  • Lower Chromatic Neighbor
  • Rotation/Enclosure
  • Double Chromatic Approach

 

Jazz Repertoire

         

Various Real Books focusing on Standards such as

  • Take the A Train
  • Night in Tunisia
  • Autumn Leaves
  • All the Things You Are

Improvisation

Jamey Aebersold - Vol. 54, Maiden Voyage

Charlie Parker - Omni book

Musicianship

Ability to sing more complex solos

Doing and analyzing more complex Jazz transcriptions for development of the language

Listening to recordings of jazz clarinet artists.            

More on II-V-I, Sequences etc.

Ear Training – Ability to discern all 7th chord types

  

Performance

One regularly schedule ECMS recital required during senior when graduating at this level of playing.

Participation in honor bands (concert and jazz) encouraged.

 

horizontal rule

Level 6

Methods         

                             

Eddie Daniels - The Music of Eddie Daniels

Hal Leonard - The Buddy DeFranco Collection

 

Jazz

Coker - Patterns for Jazz

Nelson - Patterns for Improvisation

Baker - Bebop

Ricker - Advanced Etudes (Pentatonic, Augmented, Coltrane)

  

Theory

Mastery of levels I through V

Ear Training – Ability to discern tritone and harmonic substitutions

Tetratonics

Jazz Repertoire          b

Various Real Books focusing on Standards such as

  • Just Friends
  • Rhythm Changes
  • Cherokee

Improvisation

Jamey Aebersold - Vol. 54, Maiden Voyage, Vol. 34

Charlie Parker - Omni Book.

Use of other transcriptions books depending on student interest to develop his / hers own voice.

Musicianship

Ability to sing more complex solos. Motive Soloing and Motive Development continued.

Doing and analyzing more complex Jazz transcriptions for development of the language

Listening to recordings of jazz clarinet artists.

Introduction of various techniques of out-side improvisation

Introduction of Free Form improvisation

Performance

Required: Pass Honor's Jury (20 minutes) for permission to perform solo recital.

Prepare and perform one full length solo recital during senior year.

              General:   Perform in Jazz Ensemble

                              Audition for honor bands

                              Prepare for college auditions

                              Attend live performances

 horizontal rule

Last updated: February 4, 2010

 

Student Handbook Table of Contents