The Jazz Theory Book by Mark Levine is our basic theory text. Other theoretical material outside of the text will be presented as well. The New Real Book I . After taking this class you should be able to analyze any jazz tune, including ones that are not diatonic and contain slash chords and other advanced concepts. This class also prepares you for the small jazz band arranging class.
Theory is much more meaningful when applied to the music.
It is strongly recommended that you take a jazz improvisation class while you are taking this theory class. If you are ready for Jazz Improvisation III it would be ideal since we will be covering the same chapters in the Levine text in both classes. The goal here is to prepare you for the Miles Davis solo transcription project which is part of the final exam. Overview One of the main goals of this class is to apply the jazz theory you learn directly into your music making through improvisation classes, jazz ensembles and your other extracurricular ensembles. The information in this class will be essential to your composition, arranging and teaching.