4.8
stars
507 ratings

Dariusz Terefenko
Top Instructor

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The Blues: Understanding and Performing an American Art Form

University of Rochester

About this Course

13,008 recent views

The blues is an American art form and the most important musical form in jazz. Although there are other formal paradigms of the blues, such as 8-bar or 16-bar, this course focuses on different incarnations of the 12-bar blues. There are considerable differences between Early Jazz blues, Swing blues, Bebop blues, Modal blues, and Post Bop blues. Each type has its unique harmonic syntax, melodic vocabulary and, associated with them, improvisational techniques. While other aspects of jazz performance practice have been constantly changing from one stylistic convention to another, the blues has never lost its identity and expressive power, and continues to exert a powerful influence on the harmonic and melodic syntax of jazz.
This seven-week course explores important aspects of the blues, blues improvisation, basic keyboard textures, jazz harmonic and melodic syntax. Topics include: (1) Blues Progressions; (2) Blues and Other Scales; (3) Improvisational Tools, and others. This course will also cover valuable theoretical concepts enabling the student to master the art of jazz improvisation. Each topic will be introduced from a practical perspective with the clearly stated goal: to improve one’s improvisational skills. Jazz improvisation is rooted in spontaneity, creativity, self-expression and, at the same time, self-control and order. A unique pedagogical approach based on a one-to-one musical interaction conducted with different instrumentalists will help to reinforce many of the concepts introduced in this course and realize its stated objectives.

Learner Career Outcomes

62%

started a new career after completing these courses

43%

got a tangible career benefit from this course

10%

got a pay increase or promotion

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

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Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Flexible deadlines

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Approx. 11 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: French, Portuguese (European), Italian, Russian, English, Spanish

Skills you will gain

MusicChordJazzJazz Improvisation

Learner Career Outcomes

62%

started a new career after completing these courses

43%

got a tangible career benefit from this course

10%

got a pay increase or promotion

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Approx. 11 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: French, Portuguese (European), Italian, Russian, English, Spanish

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.94/5 (60 Ratings)

Dariusz Terefenko
Top Instructor

Associate Professor of Jazz Studies and Contemporary Media

Eastman School of Music

27,450 Learners

1 Course

Offered by

University of Rochester

The University of Rochester is one of the nation's leading private universities. Located in Rochester, N.Y., the University provides exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary study and close collaboration with faculty through its unique cluster-based curriculum. Its College, School of Arts and Sciences, and Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences are complemented by its Eastman School of Music, Simon School of Business, Warner School of Education, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, School of Medicine and Dentistry, School of Nursing, Eastman Institute for Oral Health, and the Memorial Art Gallery.

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating96%(3,357 ratings)

Week

Week 1

1 hour to complete

Blues Progressions – Theory and Practice

Lesson 1 focuses on foundational aspects of the blues, examining its history, innovation, and evolving harmonic structure. At the end of this lecture, students should have a firm understanding of the harmonic structure of the basic, generic, and minor blues forms, as well as a familiarity with the A A’ B phrase-structure of the blues.

1 hour to complete

7 videos (Total 50 min)

Week

Week 2

1 hour to complete

Blues Scales

Lesson 2 dives into what makes the blues tick, beginning with an examination of the blues scale and the basics of jazz rhythms and blues riffs. Students will then explore call and response techniques and application of the blues scale in improvisation through demonstration with a live musician.

1 hour to complete

6 videos (Total 57 min)

Week

Week 3

2 hours to complete

Keyboard Realization

Lesson 3 introduces the concept of guide tones and its association with invertible counterpoint. Four-part and five-part chords are discussed in detail by exploring their construction and function, as well as techniques to facilitate good voice-leading between chords using chordal inversions.

2 hours to complete

7 videos (Total 65 min)

Week

Week 4

1 hour to complete

“Bird” Blues and Other Blues Progressions

In lesson 4 students analyze harmonic progressions from 3 jazz standards: “Now’s The Time,” “Billie’s Bounce,” and “Blues For Alice.” Practice techniques are discussed, including ear-training strategies, rhythmic displacement, and voice-leading exercises.

1 hour to complete

7 videos (Total 52 min)

Week

Week 5

2 hours to complete

Improvisational Tools

Lesson 5 introduces 3 more jazz standards for analysis: “Mr. PC,” “Mr. Day,” and “Isotope.” Tritone substitutions are examined, and pentatonic scale as tools in improvisation are introduced through exploration of their construction, typical voicings, and voice-leading principles.

2 hours to complete

8 videos (Total 65 min)

8 videos

Lesson 5 Introduction (2:39)2m

“Mr. PC” Progression – Analysis and Tritone Substitutions (10:49)10m

Pentatonics and Pentatonic Voicings (13:44)13m

“Mr. Day” Progression – Analysis (3:36)3m

Pentatonic Voicings – Voice-Leading Principles (7:20)7m

Pentatonic Voicings – Practical Exercises (6:09)6m

“Isotope” Progression – Analysis (8:00)7m

The Drop-Two Voicing Technique (12:48)12m

1 practice exercise

Quiz - Lesson 530m

Week

Week 6

2 hours to complete

Improvising the Blues – Part 1

Lesson 6 centers around the demonstration of improvisational techniques discussed thus far, including motivic development, guide-tone lines, and chordal arpeggiation. Observation of live Eastman musicians, as well as play-along tracks provided by the rhythm section, allow the student to imitate, assimilate, and apply the techniques discussed in the course.

2 hours to complete

14 videos (Total 87 min)

14 videos

Lesson 6 Introduction and “Half Past Nine” (4:55)4m

Techniques of Motivic Improvisation (13:19)13m

Demonstration of Motivic Improvisation (3:30)3m

Play-Along Session – “Now is the Time” Progression (4:19)4m

“Billie’s Dance” (3:12)3m

Guide-Tone Improvisation (15:38)15m

Demonstration of Guide-Tone Improvisation (3:49)3m

Play-Along Session – “Billie’s Bounce” Progression (4:19)4m

“Birdie Song” (3:46)3m

Chordal Arpeggiation – 4-Part Chords (11:14)11m

Demonstration of Arpeggiation of 4-part Chords (4:16)4m

Chordal Arpeggiation – 5-Part Chords (5:54)5m

Demonstration of Arpeggiation of 5-part Chords (4:30)4m

Play-Along Session – “Blues for Alice” Progression (4:16)4m

1 practice exercise

Quiz - Lesson 630m

Week

Week 7

2 hours to complete

Improvising the Blues – Part 2

Lesson 7 explores modal categories and scalar patterns in improvisation, in addition to continued discussion on pentatonics. As in the previous lesson, live musicians demonstrate key concepts and principles presented in the lecture, with additional play-along tracks provided for the student to explore concepts on their own.

2 hours to complete

12 videos (Total 79 min)

12 videos

Introduction and Diatonic/Chromatic Modes (7:46)7m

Modal Categories (10:06)10m

Characteristic Triads and Practice Tips (13:13)13m

Minor Blues - “Sea Blues” Improvisation (7:50)7m

Play-Along Session - “Mr. PC” Progression (3:06)3m

Pentatonics – Introduction (7:09)7m

Sus7 Blues Improvisation with Pentatonics (7:36)7m

Play-Along Session – “Sus Blues” Progression (2:52)2m

Scalar Patterns – Introduction (7:41)7m

Scalar Patterns - “Top Set” Improvisation (7:39)7m

Play-Along Session – “Isotope” Progression (2:42)2m

Conclusion (0:47)48s

1 practice exercise

Quiz - Lesson 730m

Reviews

4.8

215 reviews

5 stars
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4 stars
11.24%
3 stars
1.38%
2 stars
0.39%
1 star
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TOP REVIEWS FROM THE BLUES: UNDERSTANDING AND PERFORMING AN AMERICAN ART FORM

by JBJul 27, 2020

Very good and enjoyable mix of practice and theory - from basics to more advanced with good explanations throughout. I just wish I was a better piano player to be able to take full advantage of it!

by DBOct 7, 2016

Such a great course! Even though I am a bass player this course has made me understand patterns and ways in which the Blues can be taken to. Thank you very much for such an amazing experience.

by ANMay 9, 2020

This course is really interesting. I would like to recommend this course to those who genuinely loves music. Thanks to the University of Rochester for launching this wonderful masterpiece.

by JNSep 27, 2020

Quite enlightening course to get me introduced to Blues forms. Even though I'm a guitarist, I find the topics very interesting and rich to use on improvisation and blues development.

View all reviews

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The Blues: Understanding and Performing an American Art Form

The Blues: Understanding and Performing an American Art Form

About this Course

Learner Career Outcomes

62%

43%

10%

Skills you will gain

Learner Career Outcomes

62%

43%

10%

Instructor

Dariusz TerefenkoTop Instructor

Offered by

University of Rochester

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Week 1

Blues Progressions – Theory and Practice

Week 2

Blues Scales

Week 3

Keyboard Realization

Week 4

“Bird” Blues and Other Blues Progressions

Week 5

Improvisational Tools

Week 6

Improvising the Blues – Part 1

Week 7

Improvising the Blues – Part 2

Reviews

TOP REVIEWS FROM THE BLUES: UNDERSTANDING AND PERFORMING AN AMERICAN ART FORM

Frequently Asked Questions

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Dariusz Terefenko
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