Students learn to translate theoretical knowledge into playing skills. They work on building a ready repertoire of rhythmic, harmonic and melodic concepts common in jazz & pop styles, sight-reading arrangements in various styles, and are introduced to specific kinds of sight-reading.

This module forms a link between the theory and performance modules.

Students gain proficiency in:
Playing by ear:
Repeating melodies and harmonies
Playing along to unknown music
Transposition:
Playing melodies / harmonies / solos / entire songs transposed on-the-fly
Meter and rhythm:
Swing and Rock/Pop feels in common time signatures (no odd meters); playing notated rhythmic accents / kicks, with and without specified top notes.
Incorporating a given rhythmic concept in an improvised solo, both in swing and sixteenth rock feel.
Incorporating basic cross-rhythms in an improvised solo (basic modal or blues progression).
Fitting a lick into a specific section of a chord progression. Time signature change, half time, half-time feel, double time. Transitioning between rock and jazz grooves.
Harmonic and melodic repertoire:
Playing arpeggiated triads and 7th-chords over a chord progression.
Scales:
Applying major & minor scales, Church modes, pentatonic, Blues scale
Introduction to octotonian dominant and altered scale
Pianists and guitarists: accompaniment using specified top notes.
Sight-reading:
Reading basic arrangements at sight.

Examination and assessment

At the end of the first semester, the instructor awards a tentative performance-based grade. At the end of the second semester there is a practical exam based on the exercises listed above and assessed by a panel of two teachers. Exam duration: 60 minutes.

The student is able to:
Repeat a simple short diatonic melody by ear (± 8 notes)
Play and transpose a simple diatonic melody given in functions (± 8 notes), lso in different modes
Sight-read simple lead sheets and basic arrangements, also with written-out parts for their specific instrument
Transpose those parts after having sight-read them.
Play a solo over a simple functional or modal chord progression, also transposed on-the-fly.
Read and play accents.
Repeat a basic cross-rhythm over 8 bars. Difficulty level: 6/8 pattern over 4/4 time.
Playing a tune with meter changes.
Accompany a piece in 4/4 swing and be able to apply half-time feel, double-time feel and playing 'in 2'
Transition between different grooves. Difficulty level: Green Dolphin Street, A Night In Tunesia (Chaka Kahn version).
Play the chords of a tune (triads and 7th chords) as arpeggios in time
Play along to a simple unknown chord progression by ear and stay within the harmonies as much as possible
Formative autumn assessment is based on the abilities displayed in the lessons on the criteria practised in the lessons so far.
Active Participation.

The student has completed this module if being awarded a minimum grade of 5.5 at the end of the second semester. Assessment at the end of the autumn semester is formative and expressed in terms of satisfactory/unsatisfactory. It indicates a student's progress in this module. No ECs are awarded and there is no resit. Modules can only be absolved, and ECs awarded, after the end of the spring semester.

Tilt Band Jazz & Pop 1

Form / content / level

Examination and assessment

Module summary