MUSIC 513

Spring 2017
Teaching Techniques in Jazz

Teaching Jazz Improv: (20 points) Building upon what you understand in teaching swing and improvisation, design a short
teaching episode that can be used in teaching harmonic improvisation to a young jazz ensemble. You will have 10 minutes to
teach a lesson that includes:

1) Warm-up Strategy (>1 minute)

a. Long tones or scales (variations of modes or blues scale
2) Addressing Style (>1 minute)
a. Swing
3) Teach a bass line (2 minutes)
4) Teach a melody (2 minutes)
5) Improvise! (4 minutes)
6) Reflection

1 Points 2 Points 3 Points

Objective Objective is missing more
than one of the required
parts and has no intent with
respect to student learning.
Assessment Assessment is simply a
description of the process
and not clear as to its
alignment with the
objective or how feedback
will be delivered.
Sequence Sequence is vague and/or
not provided in depth.
More work is needed to
show learner development.
Concept Concept is not included or
clear in the lesson plan.
Delivery No lesson presented.
1 Points
Reflection Reflection not completed.
Objective is missing one Objective contains all
of the three parts and is three parts and is clear as
unclear as to intent of to educational value.
student learning.
Assessment is aligned Assessment is aligned with
with the objective but the objective and clearly
lacks in clarity or and objectively measures
measurement. Detailed student learning providing
feedback is not apparent detailed feedback for the
from the current design. learner.
Sequence is missing 1-2 Sequence is clear. Learning
steps that provide is scaffolded for the
opportunities for learner to arrive at a new
misunderstandings on understanding.
part of the learners.
Concept is defined, but Concept is clear from the
clarity with connection lesson design and clearly
with the content is described in the plan.
difficult to measure.
Lesson goes over time or Lesson meets all criteria
is unclear in focus. regarding time and
content.
3 Points 5 Points
Reflection is complete, Reflection demonstrates
but limited reach beyond insightful though about
this experience. the episode.
Total:________________

All TE lesson plans should be submitted with the formatting below and will be assessed using the following rubric. Each strategy
must be creative, developmentally appropriate, conceptually appropriate, use proper sequence, and lead to a deeper understanding
of a musical concept.
Teaching Improvisation
Name Mary Higgins_____________

Lesson Objective (what do you want the students to learn and be able to demonstrate?)
- Students will perform (singing and playing) the melody and bass line to C Jam Blues in several different keys with and
without sheet music.
- Students will improvise over the 12-bar blues form with musicality: varying dynamics, articulations, and note/phrase
lengths and demonstrating an understanding of dominant/tonic relationship.
- Students will correctly use relevant musical vocabulary (12-bar blues form, riff, improvisation, lead sheet, transpose)

Prior Knowledge & Skills Expectations (what the students must already know and are able to do):
Read sheet music, fingerings for Bb, C, and Eb major keys, I, IV, and V chords

Musical Concepts Addressed in the Lesson:

Improvisation, transposition

Must Include: Detailed procedures of Instructional Strategy and Assessment for successful achievement of goal

Opening:
Teacher will play a recording of C Jam Blues by Duke Ellington and introduce the historical context.

Materials of Instruction:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOlpcJhNyDI
Powerpoint
Projector
Speaker/sound equipment
“C Jam Blues” sheet music
Instruments
Chairs
Music stands

Sequence:
1. Teacher begins by singing the bass line (root movement) of C Jam Blues in Concert Bb and having students repeat.
2. T sings melody and has Ss repeat.
3. T splits class into two groups. Group 1 sings bass line, group 2 sings melody. Then switch so group 1 sings melody and
group 2 sings bass line.
4. T has everyone play the bass line on their instruments.
5. T corrects any mistakes and has Ss repeat until there are no mistakes.
6. T has everyone play the melody on their instruments.
7. T corrects mistakes and has Ss repeat until there are no mistakes.
8. T has everyone play the piece, group 1 on bass line and group 2 on melody. Then switch.
9. T explains the concept of improvising.
10. T instructs the students to play the piece and repeat until T cuts them off.
11. T demonstrates improvising on the two notes of the melody.
12. T instructs students row by row to improvise in this way (1 row improvises, the rest of the rows play the melody and
bass line).
13. T repeats steps 4-8 and 12 in other keys (Bb and Eb)
Assessment:
Students will have a recording assignment to play through the melody and bass line to C Jam Blues (in Bb) and improvise
with the play along track. They will then choose two more keys to learn C Jam Blues in and record themselves playing it.

Closing:
T will play the recording and have students improvise along to it.