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The Blues: Understanding and Performing an American Art Form
  • Level Foundation
  • Duration 11 hours
  • Course by University of Rochester
  • Offered by

About

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.

Modules

Introduction to the Course

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • Course Introduction Video

Video Lectures - Lesson 1

    • 6 Videos
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Quiz - Lesson 1

6 Videos

  • Lesson 1 Introduction
  • Historical Overview (12:00)
  • Generic Blues (6:25)
  • Basic Blues Progression
  • Minor Blues (6:49)
  • AA’B Phrase Structures (5:54)

Video Lectures - Lesson 2

    • 6 Videos
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Quiz - Lesson 2

6 Videos

  • Lesson 2 Introduction (4:38)
  • The Blues Scale (8:08)
  • Jazz Notation and Jazz Rhythm (12:34)
  • Blues Riffs (11:40)
  • Call and Response (6:34)
  • One-Scale Improvisation and “East Main Blues” (13:22)

Video Lectures - Lesson 3

    • 7 Videos
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Quiz - Lesson 3

7 Videos

  • Lesson 3 Introduction (3:45)
  • Guide Tones (8:53)
  • Invertible Counterpoint (4:20)
  • Charleston Rhythm (10:04)
  • Four-Part Chords (9:35)
  • Five-Part Chords (9:43)
  • Comping Texture (18:58)

Video Lectures - Lesson 4

    • 7 Videos
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Quiz - Lesson 4

7 Videos

  • Lesson 4 Introduction (2:42)
  • “Now’s the Time” Progression - Analysis (5:45)
  • Ear Training Strategies (9:11)
  • “Billie’s Bounce” Progression - Analysis (4:49)
  • Rhythmic Displacement (10:34)
  • “Blues for Alice” Progression - Analysis (6:06)
  • Practical Tips (13:01)

Video Lectures - Lesson 5

    • 8 Videos
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Quiz - Lesson 5

8 Videos

  • Lesson 5 Introduction (2:39)
  • “Mr. PC” Progression – Analysis and Tritone Substitutions (10:49)
  • Pentatonics and Pentatonic Voicings (13:44)
  • “Mr. Day” Progression – Analysis (3:36)
  • Pentatonic Voicings – Voice-Leading Principles (7:20)
  • Pentatonic Voicings – Practical Exercises (6:09)
  • “Isotope” Progression – Analysis (8:00)
  • The Drop-Two Voicing Technique (12:48)

Video Lectures - Lesson 6

    • 14 Videos
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Quiz - Lesson 6

14 Videos

  • Lesson 6 Introduction and “Half Past Nine” (4:55)
  • Techniques of Motivic Improvisation (13:19)
  • Demonstration of Motivic Improvisation (3:30)
  • Play-Along Session – “Now is the Time” Progression (4:19)
  • “Billie’s Dance” (3:12)
  • Guide-Tone Improvisation (15:38)
  • Demonstration of Guide-Tone Improvisation (3:49)
  • Play-Along Session – “Billie’s Bounce” Progression (4:19)
  • “Birdie Song” (3:46)
  • Chordal Arpeggiation – 4-Part Chords (11:14)
  • Demonstration of Arpeggiation of 4-part Chords (4:16)
  • Chordal Arpeggiation – 5-Part Chords (5:54)
  • Demonstration of Arpeggiation of 5-part Chords (4:30)
  • Play-Along Session – “Blues for Alice” Progression (4:16)

Video Lectures - Lesson 7

    • 12 Videos
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Quiz - Lesson 7

12 Videos

  • Introduction and Diatonic/Chromatic Modes (7:46)
  • Modal Categories (10:06)
  • Characteristic Triads and Practice Tips (13:13)
  • Minor Blues - “Sea Blues” Improvisation (7:50)
  • Play-Along Session - “Mr. PC” Progression (3:06)
  • Pentatonics – Introduction (7:09)
  • Sus7 Blues Improvisation with Pentatonics (7:36)
  • Play-Along Session – “Sus Blues” Progression (2:52)
  • Scalar Patterns – Introduction (7:41)
  • Scalar Patterns - “Top Set” Improvisation (7:39)
  • Play-Along Session – “Isotope” Progression (2:42)
  • Conclusion (0:47)

Auto Summary

Explore the rich world of blues in "The Blues: Understanding and Performing an American Art Form," a seven-week course offered by Coursera. Dive into the nuances of 12-bar blues across various jazz styles, from Early Jazz to Post Bop, under expert guidance. Enhance your improvisational skills with a focus on blues progressions, scales, and theoretical concepts. Designed for foundational level learners, this course blends practical and theoretical knowledge, perfect for aspiring jazz musicians. Available through Starter and Professional subscriptions.

Dariusz Terefenko
Instructor

Dariusz Terefenko