MUS 1640—Jammin’ on the Fly: the Art and History of Musical Improvisation--Syllabus
Instructor: Mr Mark Mazzatenta
Office: rm 209 Hayworth Fine Arts Center. Office hours by appointment.
Contact Info: phone 336 841-9649, [email protected]
Introduction: From informal conversations with friends, to business deals, to sports plays,
improvisation is used in everyday activities and within all walks of life. In this course, we study
specific examples of improvisation (mostly musical) from many historical periods, styles, and
cultures.
Course Description: A general survey course of historical and technical information relating to
improvisation. Methods of improvisation, improvisation from different styles and musical
periods (Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, 20th century blues, jazz, and rock), improvisation in
other artistic fields (dance) and improvisation from other cultures (India, West Africa) are a few
of the topics to be covered. Meets the Area I General Education elective requirement in
Performing or Visual Arts. 4 credits.
Learning Outcomes: Students will be able to:
1) Define the techniques involved in improvisation using vocabulary from music theory. This
includes concepts such as ornamentation, motivic development and variations, articulation,
phrasing and rhythmic displacement.
2) Compare methods of improvisation from different time periods. Students will analyze
European treatises from the Renaissance and Baroque periods defining the process of
ornamentation, the Classical era’s composing of the cadenza within the concertos of Mozart
and Beethoven, the oral tradition of early 20th century New Orleans blues and jazz music, and
rock improvisations of the 1960-70’s.
3) Name musicians who specialize in improvisation. This will include studying the careers of
musicians such as Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Frank Zappa, Jerry Garcia,
and Ravi Shankar.
4) Match musicians with their songs via listening excerpts. Students will strengthen their eartraining abilities by identifying sounds, ideas, melodies, and improvisational characteristics
associated with specific musicians/bands.
5) Describe the contribution of improvised music to cultural contexts, and express informed
personal responses to artistic creations. Changes in music can bring about changes in culture,
and vice versa. New approaches to composing and improvising often were based on breaking
from the mainstream art forms, or a desire to simply evolve the music. For example, the
multicultural history of pre- 20th century New Orleans contributed a unique blend of European
and African musical forms to create jazz. However, jazz went through many changes and styles
based on what city it was most active in: one can see how different the music became in 1940’s
New York City from the hipster bebop musicians who actively shunned the commercially
successful Swing music. Techniques for improvising (and improvisation’s very definition and
function) are different in other countries such as India and Africa. When students hear Ravi
Shankar play ragas on the sitar, for example, they will better understand that the different
nature of the music is due to cultural ideas. Another example: understanding the rebellious
nature of 1960’s American culture helps explain the unusual approaches of rock bands like
Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention and the Grateful Dead.
Assessments:
The learning of specific examples of improvisation (and the methods from which they were
generated) along with the cultural context in which the work was created will equip the
students to make informed, confident, and accurate responses to works of art they encounter
throughout their lives.
The understanding of techniques, methods, and musicians related to improvisation will be
specifically assessed through:
1) Written assignments. Assignment #1 and #2 involve the “nuts and bolts” of how music
works. Students will find specific musical examples to represent how improvisation changes
basic elements like melody, harmony, rhythm, and form. Accuracy of musical terminology and
definitions will be assessed in their answers. Assignment #3 will be answered in essay form, and
is a cultural comparison between 1900’s New Orleans and 1940’s New York City and the effects
on improvised music created in those cities. Assessment will rely on accuracy of facts
pertaining to each city’s music style, musicians who represent that style, heritage of people
who lived there, and how the music reflected the culture.
2) Quizzes. These are given to assess the student’s retention of weekly definitions and topics,
such as: methods of improvisation, improvisation in dance, format of a blues tunes, and
identifying the name and date of famous rock festivals. Listening tests are a part of each quiz-they assess whether the student can identify a musician/band from a short listening excerpt.
3) End-of-semester presentation. This is mainly a biographical project. The student will choose
one musician (or band) and describe their career, the cultural setting in which it existed, famous
songs, their approach to improvisation, and their influence on other artists. Assessment is
based on students’ demonstrated capacities for relating the improvisations to their cultural
contexts, and the critical sophistication of their responses to the chosen band or musician.
Listening examples will be included in the presentation, and a written document turned in.
Texts:
Required:
Musical Improvisation: Art, Education, and Society. Gabriel Solis and Bruno Nettl, editors.
University of Illinois Press, 2009.
Additional:
Improvisation: Its Nature and Practice in Music. Derek Bailey. Da Capo Press, 1993.
Free Play: Improvisation in Life and Art. Stephen Nachmanovitch. Tarcher Publishing, 1991.
Jambands: The Complete Guide to the Players, Music, and Scene. Dean Budnick. Backbeat
Books, 2003.
Grading: Your course grade is based on these components:
Assignments/quizzes (6)…….……50%
End-of-semester presentation…20%
Mid-term exam……………….………15%
Final exam…………………………..…..15%
Grading scale: 93-100=A, 90-92=A-, 88-89=B+, 83-87=B, 80-82=B-, 78-79=C+, 73-77=C, 70-72=C-,
68-69=D+, 63-67=D, 60-62=D-, 59 and below=F.
Course Schedule:
Week 1 What is Improvisation? How is improvisation different from composition?,
Music theory—song forms, scales, harmonies , rhythm
Week 2 Methods of Improvisation—motivic development,
Methods of Improvisation—continuous variations
Assignment #1 DUE. Assignment: How can improvisation alter the following building blocks of
music: melody, harmony, rhythm, and form? Give specific examples related to saxophone and
piano.
Week 3 Improvisation in Early Music,
Improvisation in other artistic fields (Quiz #1)
Week 4 Harpischord, Organ, Piano: Traditions of Improvisation,
The cadenza
Week 5 The Blues—forms
The Blues—artists
Assignment #2 DUE. Assignment: Compare motivic development with continuous variations.
Find a recorded improvisation that demonstrates each method. Describe how each artists’
method contributes to their style.
Week 6 North Carolina Legends—Thelonious Monk,
John Coltrane (Quiz #2)
Week 7 Improvisation in modern dance,
Review for Midterm
Week 8 Mid Term Exam,
Open jam session
Week 9 The Guitar: Traditions of Improvisation,
From the banjo to electric guitar—improvisation from different eras
Week 10 Analysis: What makes a great solo?,
Comparison of blues, rock, and jazz transcriptions
Assignment #3 DUE. Assignment: Compare the music of 1900’s New Orleans with 1940’s New
York City. How did these cultures influence compositional trends and improvised music?
Include in your answer the style of music , famous musicians, and heritage of the population for
both cities. (This assignment will assess learning outcome #5.)
Week 11 California Jam 1973 and other Festivals,
Visit a jazz ensemble rehearsal (Quiz #3)
Week 12 The Jambands: Grateful Dead/Phish,
Medeski, Martin, and Wood/The Disco Biscuits
Week 13 Improvisation in World Music: India,
Middle East/West Africa
Week 14 Student Project Presentations
Week 15 Open Jam/Review for Final