Jazz Improvisation and Performance

The following jazz improvisation syllabus is used for the MUSI 3601, “Jazz Improvisation and Performance” course at the University of Connecticut, taught by Professor MacDonald. This course is the second in a two-course jazz improvisation sequence, following MUSI 1601.

Course #: MUSI 3601, section 1.  Two credits
Description: intermediate techniques of contemporary jazz performance.
Prerequisite: MUSI 1601, Intro to Jazz Improvisation
Semester: Spring 2026
Instructor: Earl MacDonald, Professor of Music & Director of Jazz Studies
Class meeting time: Tuesdays, 4 – 6 PM
Classroom: MUSB 109
Earl MacDonald’s Office: MUSB 207
Office Hours: Wednesdays at 10 a.m., and by appointment

Course Overview

This course focuses on the bebop tradition as a foundational language of modern jazz improvisation. Rather than treating bebop as a historical style to be copied, we approach it as a living system of melodic logic, rhythmic precision, and expressive intent—one that continues to inform contemporary jazz performance.

Students develop fluency through close listening, memorization, transcription, and application. Emphasis is placed on internalizing phrasing, time feel, and harmonic clarity, allowing improvisation to emerge from understanding rather than habit. Technique is addressed not as an end in itself, but as a means of achieving coherence, direction, and presence in performance.

The course bridges analysis and practice. Classic repertoire, idiomatic phrases, and common harmonic frameworks serve as shared ground, preparing students to improvise with confidence in ensemble settings while remaining responsive to the moment.

Student Learning Outcomes

This course prepares students for the realities of jazz performance: rehearsals, jam sessions, ensemble work, and professional settings where listening, adaptability, and stylistic awareness are essential. By developing a working command of bebop language and its underlying principles, students strengthen their ability to contribute meaningfully within collaborative musical environments.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  1. Perform from memory the melodies and improvise coherently over the harmonic progressions of the jazz standards listed in the course outline.
  2. Construct well-shaped improvisations over common and extended chord progressions using a range of intermediate and advanced techniques introduced in class.
  3. Quickly assess the form and harmonic structure of a jazz standard and improvise effectively in real time.
  4. Analyze and articulate appropriate improvisational strategies for both conventional and complex harmonic contexts.
  5. Perform three transcribed solos by memory, demonstrating stylistic accuracy, rhythmic authority, and attention to nuance.
  6. Integrate concepts from transcription, listening assignments, and prior coursework to begin improvising with greater intention, continuity, and stylistic authenticity.

 

Course format & content:

Concepts & Improvisational Approaches: 20%

The course will teach and apply the following concepts through targeted exercises, assignments, and evaluations. These activities will reinforce learning and ensure a thorough understanding, culminating in the direct application of these concepts to the selected repertoire.

  • two-beat secondary dominants, applied to Jordu, blues, rhythm changes
  • mixolydian passing tone (a.k.a. “the bebop scale”)
  • chromatic and diatonic enclosures
  • triplet rhythmic groupings
  • altered dominant resolutions
  • diminished scale applications, patterns
  • tritone substitution
  • minor ii-V-i’s: scales and linear options
  • blues melodies
  • rhythm changes
  • manipulating transcribed phrases
  • phraseology

Transcribing: 35%

Solo transcription is an invaluable tool for discovering jazz vocabulary. It helps students visualize and analyze the lines musicians play and understand how these lines relate to the given harmonies. Additionally, playing along with transcribed solos allows students to develop their swing feel through imitation and to learn subtle nuances of articulation.

To maximize the benefits of transcription, you will complete three solo transcriptions: one over the harmonic progression of Sweet Georgia Brown, one based on I’ve Got Rhythm, and one on Woody ‘n’ You. Each transcription will contribute 15% to your final grade. For Sweet Georgia Brown, a minimum of one chorus must be transcribed and learned, while a minimum of two choruses is required for the other two songs.

Find pre-approved solo suggestions here: https://www.earlmacdonald.com/approved-solos/

Vocabulary Catalog: 15%

Students will extract, collect, and categorize linear material used in various harmonic contexts. This evolving collection will grow throughout the semester as we explore and document specific types of musical phrases (“licks”). See Week 3 in the schedule below.

Tunes: 30%

Jazz musicians are expected to have extensive repertoires of memorized songs from the American Songbook and compositions recorded by famous jazz artists. These pieces are the foundation for our improvisation. The following six commonly performed pieces were chosen for their harmonic challenges, which frequently appear in other compositions. To receive full marks (5% per song), students must memorize each piece, perform the heads accurately, and integrate the improvisational concepts taught into their solos.

Grading Scale:

Grade Letter Grade GPA
93-100 A 4.0
90-92 A- 3.7
87-89 B+ 3.3
83-86 B 3.0
80-82 B- 2.7
77-79 C+ 2.3
73-76 C 2.0
70-72 C- 1.7
67-69 D+ 1.3
63-66 D 1.0
60-62 D- 0.7
<60 F 0.0

Schedule:

[View horizontally on a phone.]

While each class will include a review of previous material, only the new topics for that day are shown to avoid redundancy. Assignments will appear only on the days they are given and due, though they may require work over several weeks. Be sure to check the rightmost column for test and due dates to stay on track.

 

Week Content Assignments Tests/Due Dates
Week 1
Tues, Jan 20		 • 2-beat V7 patterns
• cycle applied to blues, rhythm changes
• Jordu
• Major neighbors
• mixolydian passing tone/bebop scale: rules for descent		 Due 3/13:
• 2-beat dominants
• major enclosures,
• Jordu
• descending mixoPT
 None
Week 2
Tues, Jan 27		 • mixo neighbors
• Dig analysis
• solo transcription
 • Dig
• transcription #1:
Dig or Bright Mississippi –
Due 2/27
 None
Week 3
Tues, Feb 3		 SCHOOL CANCELLATION due to winter weather advisory • Confirmation
• vocabulary catalog assignment.
Due 4/24		 None
Week 4
Tues, Feb 10		 • altered dominant resolutions
• combining mixoPT lines to form extended streams
• Confirmation		 • dominant resolutions • 2-beat dominants
• Major neighbors
• Jordu
• dominant cycle applied to the blues
Week 5
Tues, Feb 17		 • rhythm changes:
analysis, breakdown, linear approaches
• triplet rhythmic groupings		 • Solo transcription #2: due 3/13
rhythm changes. 2 choruses, minimum		 • transcription #1: Dig
Week 6
Tues, Feb 24		 • rhythm changes: harmonic options & superimpositions
• manipulating transcribed phrases		 • rhythm changes composed étude: due 03/6 • Dig
Week 7
Tues, Mar 3		 • diminished scale patterns
• Confirmation review		 • Solo Transcription #3: Woody ‘n You. 2 choruses, minimum
• Confirmation review		 • rhythm changes, 1 chorus transcribed (not performed)
Week 8
Tues, Mar 10		 • Woody ‘n You
• minor ii-V linear approaches: scalar options, superimpositions		 • Red Cross (rhythm changes) • Confirmation
• transcription #2: rhythm changes (2 choruses, played)
Spring Break
Mar 15–21

–

 – –
Week 9
Tues, Mar 24		 • phraseology • phrase structure analysis assignment: due 04/03

 

 • dominant resolutions
• diminished scale patterns
• rhythm changes composed étude
Week 10
Tues, Mar 31		 • Up Jumped Spring
• playing in 3 – rhythmic possibilities		 • Up Jumped Spring
• rhythmic possibilities page
 • rhythm changes: Red Cross
• phrase structure analysis assignment
Week 11
Tues, Apr 7		 • tri-tone substitution • tri-tone application • transcription #3: Woody ‘n You
• rhythmic possibilities page
Week 12
Tues, Apr 4		 • blues melodies
• pentatonic applications		 None • Woody ‘n You
• F mixo PT
Week 13
Tues, Apr 21		 • requested topics (Giant Steps, etc.) None • vocabulary catalog
• Up Jumped Spring
Week 14
Tues, Apr 28		 None None • Jam Session

Important Note: This online jazz improvisation syllabus and class schedule are dynamic, evolving, and regularly updated documents. Students are advised to check them frequently for the latest information.

Communication policy

E-mail is the instructor’s preferred method of communication with students. Please allow 24-hours for replies. When requesting a meeting with me outside of my office hours, please submit several meeting time options. Please address me as Professor MacDonald.

Copyright

All course materials, including lectures, notes, handouts, and displays, are protected by copyright law as my original work. You are welcome to take notes for personal use, but further sharing or commercial use is prohibited without my permission. I will specify at the start of the semester if recording lectures is allowed, and any authorized recordings must not be copied, shared, or used commercially.

Reflections on Jazz and Learning

Jazz improvisation is not the accumulation of options, but the ability to choose with clarity under pressure. This course asks students to slow down, listen deeply, and engage the tradition with respect and curiosity. Bebop serves as our point of entry because it demands precision, accountability, and a clear relationship to form.

Progress in improvisation is rarely linear. Periods of uncertainty are not signs of failure, but evidence that new understanding is taking root. Students are encouraged to remain patient, committed, and attentive to process. The habits developed here—focused listening, disciplined preparation, and reflective practice—extend far beyond this course and form the basis of a sustainable artistic life.

It is the responsibility of all students to acquaint themselves, and to adhere to all university policies. Please review the following:

Policy Against Discrimination, Harassment and Related Interpersonal Violence

The University is committed to maintaining a safe and non-discriminatory learning, living, and working environments for all members of the University community – students, employees, or visitors. Academic and professional excellence can flourish only when each member of our community is assured an atmosphere of mutual respect. All members of the University community are responsible for the maintenance of an academic and work environment in which people are free to learn and work without fear of discrimination or discriminatory harassment. In addition, inappropriate amorous relationships can undermine the University’s mission when those in positions of authority abuse or appear to abuse their authority. To that end, and in accordance with federal and state law, the University prohibits discrimination and discriminatory harassment, as well as inappropriate amorous relationships, and such behavior will be met with appropriate disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal from the University. Additionally, to protect the campus community, all responsible employees (including faculty), as outlined in the Policy Against Discrimination, Harassment and Related Interpersonal Violence, are required to report to the Office of Institutional Equity any information that they receive related to sexual assaults, intimate partner violence, and/or stalking involving a student. An exception to this reporting exists if students disclose information as a part of coursework submitted to an instructor in connection with a course assignment. Even in the absence of such obligation, all Employees are encouraged to contact OIE if they become aware of information that suggests a safety risk to the University community or any member thereof. The University takes all reports with the utmost seriousness. Please be aware that while the information you provide will remain private, it will not be confidential and will be shared with university officials who can help. More information, including confidential and exempt employee resources available for support and assistance, can be found at equity.uconn.edu and titleix.uconn.edu.

Statement on Absences from Class Due to Religious Observances and Extra-Curricular Activities

Faculty and instructors are expected to reasonably accommodate individual religious practices unless doing so would result in fundamental alteration of class objectives or undue hardship to the University’s legitimate business purposes. Such accommodations may include rescheduling an exam or giving a make-up exam, allowing a presentation to be made on a different date or assigning the student appropriate make-up work that is intrinsically no more difficult than the original assignment. Faculty and instructors are strongly encouraged to allow students to complete work missed due to participation in extra-curricular activities that enrich their experience, support their scholarly development, and benefit the university community. Examples include participation in scholarly presentations, performing arts, and intercollegiate sports, when the participation is at the request of, or coordinated by, a University official. Students should be encouraged to review the course syllabus at the beginning of the semester for potential conflicts and promptly notify their instructor of any anticipated accommodation needs. Students are responsible for making arrangements in advance to make up missed work.

For conflicts with final examinations, students should contact the Dean of Students Office. Faculty and instructors are also encouraged to respond when the Counseling Program for Intercollegiate Athletes (CPIA) requests student progress reports. This will enable the counselors to give our students appropriate advice.

Students with Disabilities

The University of Connecticut is committed to protecting the rights of individuals with disabilities and assuring that the learning environment is accessible. If you anticipate or experience physical or academic barriers based on disability or pregnancy, please let me know immediately so that we can discuss options. Students who require accommodations should contact the Center for Students with Disabilities, Wilbur Cross Building Room 204, (860) 486-2020 or http://csd.uconn.edu/.

Emergency Management/Preparedness

In case of inclement weather, a natural disaster, or a campus emergency, the University communicates through email and text message. Students are encouraged to sign up for alerts through http://alert.uconn.edu. Students should be aware of emergency procedures, and further information is available through the Office of Emergency Management at http://publicsafety.uconn.edu/emergency/.

Some useful telephone numbers:

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