Registration for Spring term is now open!
Jazz Language III: Jazz Arranging & Advanced Composition
An advanced course focused on arranging for small and medium jazz ensembles and expanding compositional techniques. Students will learn how to arrange existing melodies for various instrumentations, create harmonized sections, write counterlines, and develop intros, endings, and interludes. The course also covers advanced reharmonization and orchestration concepts. Recommended for students who have completed Jazz Language II or have equivalent experience.
Key Areas:
- Arranging for small jazz combos (trios and quartets) and larger groups (quintets and sextets)
- Voicing techniques, harmonized melodies, and background figures
- Writing for rhythm section and horns
- Advanced reharmonization and substitutions
- Developing intros, interludes, codas, and ensemble textures
- Orchestrating with modern jazz arranging concepts
Jazz Language II: Jazz Form & Composition
This course explores the structures and forms that shape jazz repertoire and provides tools for original composition. Students will analyze classic and modern jazz forms, learn to compose melodies and chord progressions, and develop their own small-form compositions. Emphasis will be placed on form recognition, melodic development, and integrating harmonic knowledge from Jazz Language I.
Key Areas:
- Common jazz forms (12-bar blues, 32-bar AABA, rhythm changes, modal forms)
- Form analysis in classic and modern jazz standards
- Writing lead sheets and original heads
- Composing melodies over standard and original progressions and analyzing improvisations
- Voice-leading, harmonic flow, and chord substitutions in composition
- Developing a compositional voice in jazz
Winter term dates: Jan 7–Mar 11, 2026.