Jazz harmony and ear training 3C
Time: 13:50 - 15:20
Location: Keeley Street
Check your level
- Course Code: MG606C
- Dates: 03/05/25 - 12/07/25
- Time: 13:50 - 15:20
- Taught: Sat, Daytime
- Duration: 10 sessions (over 11 weeks)
- Location: Keeley Street
- Tutor: Della Rhodes
Course Code: MG606C
Duration: 10 sessions (over 11 weeks)
Please note: We offer a wide variety of financial support to make courses affordable. Just visit our online Help Centre for more information on a range of topics including fees, online learning and FAQs.
What is the course about?
Develop your ability to hear, play and understand melody, harmonic progression, style and time feel in the jazz idiom. Detailed study of jazz standards will be supported by listening, singing activities and playing as a group.
Develop your ability to improvise well. Play as an ensemble. Learn challenging repertoire. Perform.
What will we cover?
- Exercises will develop transcription skills and explore and practise approaches to improvising
- Improvising with the voice, notating chord progressions, guide tone lines, exploring scale choice and tensions
- Practice routines will be established for ear training skills
- Look at aspects of ensemble playing such as leading, instant arranging, dynamics
- focus on listening and responding in the ensemble.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
- Recognise simple & compound intervals, natural and altered tensions over chords
- Develop short-term memory for motif, pattern, etc.
- Sing, write and use modes of major, harmonic minor, melodic minor modes, diminished scales
- Transcribe single lines and chord progressions quickly and accurately
- have mastered some challenging repertoire e.g. Blue in green, Stella by starlight, bossa nova classics
- Invent solo and backing ideas by ear
- Demonstrate good practice when playing in an ensemble (rhythm section or front line)
- Improve your response in playing situations.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
You should have good working knowledge of aural and academic harmony, recognition of intervals and basic chord types (major, minor 7, dominant and half-diminished) and minor and altered harmony. You need to be adept at reading, playing, and improvising in jazz and Latin styles.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
All practical, lots of singing, transcribing musical ideas, and playing exercises and jazz standards together. You will also take on some tasks as a duo or trio.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
Please bring manuscript paper and your instrument.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
Progress to our advanced jazz harmony course, and/or Big Band playing, and your own musical projects.
Della has enjoyed working at City Lit for over 3 decades, teaching, managing, learning. After training in contemporary dance, Della became consumed by drama and music work. Music came to dominate, playing in bands, song writing, teaching for, and advising, the Youth Service and Adult Education. Performing and writing arrangements for pop and jazz a cappella has been a 30 year journey. So too the teaching of jazz musicianship. Gratitude is due to early mentor Amit Sen for introducing 'the jazz thing'.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
