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Jazz Jury Requirements

Requirements by Semester

Jazz major students are to work with their private lesson instructors throughout each semester to prepare for their jury requirements. Each semester, undergraduate students will memorize five (5) standard selections, and graduate students will memorize ten (10), as outlined below. The faculty jury panel will randomly select one prepared selection at each jury to be performed from memory. Guitar, bass, and piano jurors will also be asked to comp changes or walk a chorus. Scales should be played at a steady-eighth note tempo, quarter note=120 bpm, not overly fast or “rushed.” Sight-reading skills are also evaluated at each jury.

Additional Keyboard Requirements:
  • For Jazz Drum Majors – drum jury criteria also include keyboard requirements each semester (details here)
  • For Non–Jazz Piano Majors – semester 3 and 4 undergraduate and semester 3 graduate students have keyboard requirements (details here)

UG Sem-1

  • Perform memorized tune selection: head-in, solo choruses, any comping, head-out
    1. Misty
    2. Equinox
    3. Once I Loved
    4. Footprints
    5. Tune Up
  • Sight-reading assessment
  • Scales and Chords (quarter note=120 bpm):
    • Major scale and derived modes in all keys
    • Basic Blues Scales in all keys
    • Outline Basic 4-note chords in all keys:
      • Maj7, Dom7, min7, min7(b5), o7
  • Jazz Drums Major – Piano: demonstrate scales, chords, and a single tune selection from this semester. See details

UG Sem-2 | Grad Sem-1

    • Perform memorized tune selection: head-in, solo choruses, any comping, head-out
      1. Afro Blue
      2. Here’s That Rainy Day
      3. So Long Eric
      4. Cottontail
      5. I’ll Remember April
    • Sight-reading assessment
    • Scales and Chords (quarter note=120 bpm):
      • All scales and chords from previous semesters
      • Dominant 7 Bebop and Maj6 Bebop scales in all keys
    • Jazz Drums Major – Piano: demonstrate scales, chords, and a single tune selection from this semester. See details

UG Sem-3 | Grad Sem-1

  • Perform memorized tune selection: head-in, solo choruses, any comping, head-out
    1. Oleo
    2. Sophisticated Lady
    3. Blues For Alice
    4. Up Jumped Spring
    5. Desifinado
  • Sight-reading assessment
  • Scales and Chords (quarter note=120 bpm):
    • All scales and chords from previous semesters
    • Harmonic Minor Scales and derived modes in all keys
    • Whole-tone scales in all keys
    • Blues scales w/major 3rd in all keys
    • Outline basic four-note chords in all keys:
      • Maj7(b5), Maj7#5, Maj7(sus4), Maj6; Dom7(b5), Dom7#5, Dom7(sus4)
UG Keyboard Exam for Non-Piano Majors (Part 1)

Refer to Jazz Jury Keyboard Exam for Non-Pianists page for more details

  • Minimum tempo = 85 bpm:
    • Basic Cadences/Turnarounds:
      • II-V-I in Keys C, F, and Bb (3p-R format)
    • F Blues Progression (3p-R format)
  • Semester-level basic chord shapes in Keys G, D, and A
  • Perform a memorized standard selection (no soloing) from this semester’s tune list

UG Sem-4 | Grad Sem-2

  • Perform memorized tune selection: head-in, solo choruses, any comping, head-out
    1. Bluesette
    2. Anthropology
    3. A Night In Tunisia
    4. Straight No Chaser
    5. Body and Soul
  • Sight-reading assessment
  • Scales and Chords (quarter note=120 bpm):
    • All scales and chords from previous semesters
    • Major (1 2 3 5 6), minor (1 2 b3 5 6), and dominant (1 2 3 5 b7) pentatonic scales in all keys
    • Outline basic four-note chords in all keys continued:
      • min(maj7), min6, min7(sus4), min7#5, min(maj7)#5, min7(b5)(sus4), o(maj7)
UG Keyboard Exam for Non-Piano Majors (Part 2)

Refer to Jazz Jury Keyboard Exam for Non-Pianists page for more details

  • Minimum tempo = 85 bpm:
    • Cadences/Turnarounds:
      • I-VI-II-V-I in Keys Eb, Ab, and Db (Ext. Split format)
    • Bb Rhythm changes (Ext. Split format)
  • Semester-level basic chord shapes in Keys Gb, B, and E
  • Perform a memorized standard selection (no soloing) from this semester’s tune list

UG Sem-5 | Grad Sem-2

    • Perform memorized tune selection: head-in, solo choruses, any comping, head-out
      1. Cherokee
      2. Better Git Hit In Your Soul
      3. Good Bait
      4. Peace
      5. Byrdlike
    • Sight-reading assessment
    • Scales and Chords (quarter note=120 bpm):
      • All scales and chords from previous semesters
      • Melodic Minor scales and derived modes in all keys
      • Diminished scales (h/w and w/h) in all keys
      • All Bebop scales as derived from Major scales in all keys
    • Jazz Drums Major – Piano: demonstrate scales, chords, and a single tune selection from this semester. See details

UG Sem-6 | Grad Sem-3

    • Perform memorized tune selection: head-in, solo choruses, any comping, head-out
      1. Naima
      2. My Favorite Things
      3. Eternal Triangle
      4. Goodbye Pork Pie Hat
      5. E.S.P.
    • Sight-reading assessment
    • Scales and Chords (quarter note=120 bpm):
      • All scales and chords from previous semesters
      • Harmonic Major scale and derived modes in all keys
      • Diminished scales (h/w and w/h) in all keys
      • All Bebop scales as derived from Melodic Minor scales in all keys
    • Jazz Drums Major – Piano: demonstrate scales, chords, and a single tune selection from this semester. See details

UG Sem-7 | Grad Sem-3

    • Perform memorized tune selection: head-in, solo choruses, any comping, head-out
      1. Afro-Centric
      2. One Finger Snap
      3. ‘Round Midnight
      4. Countdown
      5. Bolivia
    • Sight-reading assessment
    • Scales and Chords (quarter note=120 bpm):
      • All scales and chords from previous semesters
      • Altered/Modal Pentatonic scales as derived from Major, Harmonic Minor, Melodic Minor, and Harmonic Major scales in all keys.
      • All Bebop scales as derived from Harmonic Minor and Harmonic Major scales
      • Augmented Scale (+2/m2) in all keys
    • Jazz Drum Majors – Piano: demonstrate scales, chords, and a single tune selection from this semester. See details

Grad Sem-3

Grad Keyboard Exam for Non-Piano Majors

Refer to Jazz Jury Keyboard Exam for Non-Pianists page for more details

  • Basic 4-note chord shapes in Key of C:
    • Maj6, Maj7(b5), Maj7+5, Dom7(b5), Dom7(sus4), Dom7+5
    • min+7, min7, min6, min7+5, min+7+5, min7(b5), o+7
  • Cadences/Turnarounds:
    • I-VI-II-V-I in Keys C, F, and Bb (Ext. Split format)
  • F Blues changes (Ext. Split format)
  • Bb Rhythm changes (Ext. Split format)
  • Perform a memorized standard selection (no soloing) from any Grad jury tune choice