Jazz Jury Requirements – Jazz Studies

Requirements by Semester

Jazz major students will work with their private lesson instructors throughout each semester to fully prepare their jury requirements.

Unless stated otherwise, non-education-major students must prepare ten (10) memorized selections consisting of:

Seven (7) Tune List selections
Two (2) Mingus selections, and
One (1) optional “Wildcard” selection from a well-known jazz composer consistent with our tune list repertoire. The juror must supply jury trio musicians (piano/guitar, bass, drums) with a basic lead sheet of their “Wildcard” selection to be sight-read; no time is afforded to rehearse; it must be immediately playable.

In place of a wildcard option, another standard tune from the Tune List can be chosen to total ten (10) jury selections.

The jazz faculty panel will randomly select one tune from the above semester list during the jury exam to be performed from memory. Guitar, bass, and piano jurors will also be asked to comp changes or walk a chorus. Scales should not be played overly fast or “rushed” but at an even-eighth note tempo, quarter note=120 bpm. Sight-reading skills are also assessed each semester.

Adjustments to Jury Requirements:

For Jazz/Ed Majors – only 5 memorized selections per semester are required
For Jazz Drum Majors – drum jury criteria also include keyboard requirements each semester
For Non-Jazz Piano Majors – semester-5 and 6 undergrad and semester-3 grad students have keyboard requirements

Term 1

UG Sem-1 | Grad Sem-1

Perform memorized selection: head-in, solo choruses, any comping, head-out
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, 7, m7, m7b5,o7)

Jazz Drum Majors – demonstrate scales and chords and a single tune performance on piano. See details

UG Sem-2 | Grad Sem-1

Perform memorized selection: head-in, solo choruses, any comping, head-out
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 Drum Majors – demonstrate scales and chords and a single tune performance on piano. See details

Term 2

UG Sem-3 | Grad Sem-2

Perform memorized selection: head-in, solo choruses, any comping, head-out
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 with major 3rd in all keys
- Outline basic four-note chords in all keys: (Maj7b5, Maj7+5, Maj7sus4, Maj6; 7b5, 7+5, 7sus4)

Jazz Drum Majors – demonstrate scales and chords and a single tune performance on piano. See details

UG Sem-4 | Grad Sem-2

Perform memorized selection: head-in, solo choruses, any comping, head-out
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: (m+7, m6, m7sus4, m7+5, m+7+5; m7b5sus4; o+7)

Jazz Drum Majors – demonstrate scales and chords and a single tune performance on piano. See details

Term 3

UG Sem-5 | Grad Sem-3

Perform memorized selection: head-in, solo choruses, any comping, head-out
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

Keyboard Jury Essentials for Non-Piano Majors

Prepare to demonstrate the following:
1. Basic Cadences/Turnarounds:
  - V-I, II-V-I
2. Semester-level scales and outlines:
  - RH scale with associated LH block chord, ascending and descending, 1-octave minimum
3. Blues changes
4. Perform a memorized standard tune (no soloing)
For items 1, 2, and 3 above:
- Prepare in all 12 keys
- Use Rooted Shell voicings, minimum (see Keyboard Syllabus)
- Criteria must be performed at an even tempo
- Refer to Jury Keyboard Essentials for Non-Pianists page for more details

UG Sem-6 | Grad Sem-3

Perform memorized selection: head-in, solo choruses, any comping, head-out
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

Keyboard Jury Essentials for Non-Piano Majors

Prepare to demonstrate the following:
1. Cadences/Turnarounds:
  - I-VI-II-V, and III-VI-II-V
2. Semester-level scales and outlines:
  - RH scale with associated LH block chord, ascending and descending, 1-octave minimum
3. Rhythm changes
4. Perform a memorized standard tune (no soloing)
For items 1, 2, and 3 above:
- - Prepare in all 12 keys
  - Use Split-Voicings, minimum (see Keyboard Syllabus)
  - Criteria must be performed at an even tempo
  - Refer to Jury Keyboard Essentials for Non-Pianists page for more details

UG Term 4

UG Semester-7

Perform memorized selection: head-in, solo choruses, any comping, head-out
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 – demonstrate scales and chords and a single tune performance on piano. See details