MUSI 2120 Jazz Piano
This course covers the fundamentals of jazz piano playing with special emphasis on standard approaches to constructing jazz piano voicings. Students will learn a variety of strategies for building jazz piano voicings with optimal voiceleading from various historical jazz style periods. The goal of the course is to provide jazz students with the skills they will need to compose and accompany others (i.e., comp) in mainstream jazz styles on piano. There is no official prerequisite for this course; however, a knowledge of jazz theory and harmony will help students master the course material faster, and therefore Jazz Theory (
MUSI 3382) and Jazz Improvisation (
MUSI 1280/3280) courses will be advantageous for students to complete as prerequisites. Topics covered include the basics of jazz scale/chord theory, basic jazz chord nomenclature, correct finger positions for jazz piano chord voicings, block chord voicings, drop two voicings, quartal voicings, slash chord notation, upper structures, and basic jazz arranging techniques derived from piano voicings.