Greg Lutz Music- Use The Blues As You Choose Improvisation Curriculum

The curriculum, entitled “Use the Blues as You Choose; A Beginner’s Guide to Jazz Improvisation”, was such a success locally that it was presented to the Pennsylvania Music Educator’s Association in 2005-06. At both the regional (Pittsburgh and surrounding areas) and State Conference levels, the presentation was met with great enthusiasm!

Areta Kalogeras, Past President of the PMEA District I says, “The Blues Choose Method has been a lifesaver!. It gives both the teacher and the students a wonderful ‘blueprint’ to introduce improvisation at any level of experience. It’s comprehensive, with great ‘jazz licks’, and the students love to mix and match all the patterns. It’s a MUST HAVE, especially for Middle School.”

It is effective not only for the students, but for those teachers who have to run jazz bands and improvisation courses in spite of not having a jazz background themselves.

Here are some excerpts from the introduction and syllabus, which will provide a more detailed description:

As a public school music educator and professional jazz musician, Greg has long been teaching instrumental students how to improvise. Over the years, an instrumental jazz improvisation method emerged which was extremely effective for a broad range of kids ranging from 6th through 12th grades. Built from almost two decades of experience and crafted for the total beginner, no prior knowledge of jazz is required to participate successfully in this course.

Some of his fellow teachers encouraged him to compile this curriculum into a book format so that they could use it with their own jazz classes. This method book is now in use at many local middle and high schools, as well as a regional university!

Use The Blues As You Choose

A Beginner's Guide to Jazz Improvisation (Curriculum Book)

Introduction:

“Use the Blues as You Choose: A Beginner’s Guide to Jazz Improvisation” is a jazz improvisation curriculum which has consistently produced great results in kids of all ages, 6th through 12th. Using the 12 bar blues in Bb as a vehicle, this program familiarizes the students with form, harmonic structure, and a limited but properly pronounced blues/bebop vocabulary. By providing a progressive, broadening spiral of experiences it equips the student with the tools necessary to improvise effectively in a basic jazz style. When finished with this course of study, the student will be ready to begin their pursuit of advanced jazz improvisation.

This pedagogical approach was spawned in part by the deficit of effective introductory material in today’s jazz education circles. There are a multitude of wonderful, yet fairly advanced curricula to study, but nothing which targets the absolute novice. This spiral will lift the beginner gently up the first few floors of the 12-bar blues, and enable them to have a solid foundation in and understanding of the tenets of jazz improvisation.

The course is divided into two sections; the shorter “Blues Scale/2-Bar Phrase” introductory leg equips the students with the formal structure of the blues, as well as a certain facility with the Blues Scale and its uses. Then the in-depth “Notecell Approach” takes the students gradually from ground zero all the way to advanced Bebop licks. These two curricula can be used separately or sequentially, depending on the experience level of the group and the time allowed.

The Notecell Approach is divided into 6 Tiers, some of which are further broken down into sub-tiers which divide Creative Rhythmic Development and Harmonic Flow Development. Thus, the approach lends itself to the chapter/unit framework found in most classroom textbooks, and allows a logical upward progression in a year-long improvisation or Jazz Band course.

_________________Syllabus__________________
Prerequisites:
· Memorization of the Concert Bb blues scale
· Memorization of the Concert Bb Major scale
· Some small familiarity with the 12 bar blues form

“Blues Scale/2-Bar Phrase Approach”:

Intro to the Blues…Learn 2 Licks
Traditional Approach
Call and response
Improvisation approach
Memorization of licks
“Notecell Approach”:

Intro to chord progression
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Tier 1A-Notecells
Tier 1B- Harmonic Flow Development: “Next Nearest”
Tier 1C- Creative Rhythmic Development: “Add an 8th”
Tier 1D- Make a Different Lick Each Time
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Tier 2A- Big Notecells / magnet
Tier 2B-Harmonic Flow Development: “next nearest big note cell”
Tire 2C- Creative Rhythmic Development: “Pickups”
Tier 2D: Make a Different Lick Each Time
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Tier 3A-Entire Scale
Tier 3B- Harmonic Flow Development: large scale “next nearest”
Tier 3C- Creative Rhythmic Development: “Running 8ths”
Tier 3D- Make a Different Lick Each Time
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Tier 4A- Harmonic Flow Development: “Guide Tones”
Tier 4B- Creative Rhythmic Development: “2 and 4 bar phrases”
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Tier 5A- 1 bar Bebop Licks
Tier 5B- Variety with 1 bar bop licks
Tier 5C- the first 2 bar Bebop Lick
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Tier 6A- The Bebop Blues Progression
Tier 6B- the second 2 bar Bebop Lick: a ii-V
Tier 6C- Variety with all four bop licks