Songs & Goals for Intermediate Combos
Song Selection Criteria
- Limited to one or two key centers (or tonalities) within a song
- Up to 5 or 6 key centers/tonal centers
- Time signatures other than 4/4 encouraged (3/4 is highly encouraged)
- SOME adventurous harmony is encouraged (diminished 7ths, altered dominants, augmented 7ths)
- Faster harmonic motion with few key changes
- More key changes with slower harmonic motion
- (Avoid fast harmonic motion with frequent key changes)
- Most genres and feels are encouraged (including ballads), at least one standard is recommended
- Jazz blues’ progressions should include II Vs and/or secondary dominant
- Longer forms, intros, outros, etc.. are encouraged
- Student originals and original arrangements are always encouraged
Examples:
|
Song Title
|
Style
|
Composer
|
Model Recordings
|
| Angel Eyes | Ballad | Matt Dennis |
|
| Body And Soul | Ballad | Johnny Green |
|
| In A Sentimental Mood | Ballad | Duke Ellington |
|
| Lament | Ballad | J.J. Johnson |
|
| Mood Indigo | Ballad | Duke Ellington |
|
| My Foolish Heart | Ballad | Washington & Young |
|
| My Funny Valentine | Ballad | Rodgers & Hart |
|
| Peace | Ballad | Horace Silver |
|
| Polka Dots And Moonbeams | Ballad | Burke & Huesen |
|
| Prelude To A Kiss | Ballad | Duke Ellington |
|
| Skylark | Ballad | Hoagy Carmichael |
|
| Soul Eyes | Ballad | Mal Waldron |
|
| Stairway To The Stars | Ballad | Malneck, Parish, Signorelli |
|
| Summertime | Ballad | George Gershwin |
|
| What's New | Ballad | Bob Haggart |
|
| When Sunny Gets Blue | Ballad | Segal & Fisher |
|
| When You Wish Upon A Star | Ballad | Harline & Washington |
|
| Yesterdays | Ballad | Jerome Kern |
|
| A Child Is Born | Ballad 3/4 | Thad Jones |
|
| Bags Groove | Blues | Milt Jackson |
|
| Billie's Bounce | Blues | Charlie Parker |
|
| Blue 'N' Boogie | Blues | Charlie Parker |
|
| Blue 7 | Blues | Sonny Rollins |
|
| Blue Monk | Blues | Thelonious Monk |
|
| Blue Train | Blues | John Coltrane |
|
| Blues For Gene | Blues | Milt Jackson |
|
| Blues In The Closet | Blues | Oscar Pettiford |
|
| Blues Walk | Blues | Clifford Brown |
|
| C Jam Blues | Blues | Duke Ellington |
|
| Centerpiece | Blues | Edison & Tennyson |
|
| Dejection Blues | Blues | Milt Jackson |
|
| Doodlin' | Blues | Horace Silver |
|
| Freddy Freeloader | Blues | Miles Davis |
|
| Groove Blues | Blues | Steve Turre |
|
| Hey Now | Blues | Red Garland |
|
| Miss Jackie's Delight | Blues | Gene Wright |
|
| Misterioso | Blues | Thelonious Monk |
|
| No Name Blues | Blues | Bud Powell |
|
| Now's The Time | Blues | Charlie Parker |
|
| One For Daddy-O | Blues | Nat Adderley |
|
| Raise Four | Blues | Thelonious Monk |
|
| Sandu | Blues | Clifford Brown |
|
| Sonnymoon For Two | Blues | Sonny Rollins |
|
| Straight No Chaser | Blues | Thelonious Monk |
|
| Tenor Madness | Blues | Sonny Rollins |
|
| The Blues Walk | Blues | Clifford Brown |
|
| Things Ain't What They Used To Be | Blues | Duke Ellington |
|
| Trane's Slow Blues | Blues | John Coltrane |
|
| Walkin' | Blues | Carpenter & Ammons |
|
| West Coast Blues | Blues | Wes Montgomery |
|
| Black Orpheus | Bossa Nova | Luiz Bonfa |
|
| Gentle Rain | Bossa Nova | Luiz Bonfa |
|
| One Note Samba | Bossa Nova | Antonio Carlos Jobim |
|
| Wave | Bossa Nova | Antonio Carlos Jobim |
|
| Chitlins Con Carne | Funky | Kenny Burrell |
|
| Blue Bossa | Latin | Kenny Dorham |
|
| Recorda Me | Latin | Joe Henderson |
|
| Salt Song | Latin | Milton Nascimento |
|
| Senor Blues | Latin | Horace Silver |
|
| Song For My Father | Latin | Horace Silver |
|
| Summer Samba | Latin | Marcos Valle |
|
| Afternoon In Paris | Med Swing | John Lewis |
|
| All Of Me | Med Swing | Marks & Simmons |
|
| Autumn Leaves | Med Swing | Johnny Mercer |
|
| Beautiful Love | Med Swing | King, Young, Alstyne & Gillespie |
|
| Bernie's Tune | Med Swing | Bernard Miller |
|
| Birk's Works | Med Swing | Dizzy Gillespie |
|
| But Not For Me | Med Swing | George & Ira Gershwin |
|
| Bye Bye Blackbird | Med Swing | Ray Henderson |
|
| Four | Med Swing | Miles Davis |
|
| Green Chimneys | Med Swing | Thelonious Monk |
|
| Have You Met Miss Jones | Med Swing | Rodgers & Hart |
|
| How High The Moon | Med Swing | Morgan Lewis |
|
| In A Mellow Tone | Med Swing | Duke Ellington |
|
| In Walked Bud | Med Swing | Thelonious Monk |
|
| It Don't Mean A Thing | Med Swing | Duke Ellington |
|
| Killer Joe | Med Swing | Benny Golson |
|
| Lady Bird | Med Swing | Tad Dameron |
|
| Like Someone In Love | Med Swing | Van Heusen & Burke |
|
| Lullaby Of Birdland | Med Swing | George Shearing |
|
| Mellow Minor | Med Swing | McCoy Tyner |
|
| My Romance | Med Swing | Rodgers & Hart |
|
| Nutty | Med Swing | Thelonious Monk |
|
| Perdido | Med Swing | Juan Tizol |
|
| Satin Doll | Med Swing | Duke Ellington |
|
| So What | Med Swing | Miles Davis |
|
| Softly As In A Morning Sunrise | Med Swing | Romberg & Hammerstein |
|
| Solar | Med Swing | Miles Davis |
|
| Star Eyes | Med Swing | Don Raye & Gene de Paul |
|
| Stolen Moments | Med Swing | Oliver Nelson |
|
| Sugar | Med Swing | Stanley Turrentine |
|
| Sweet And Lovely | Med Swing | Arnheim, Daniels & Tobias |
|
| Take The "A" Train | Med Swing | Billy Strayhorn |
|
| The Preacher | Med Swing | Horace Silver |
|
| There Will Never Be Another You | Med Swing | Harry Warren |
|
| They Can't Take That Away From Me | Med Swing | Gershwin & Gershwin |
|
| Tune Up | Med Swing | Eddie Vinson |
|
| Well You Needn't | Med Swing | Thelonious Monk |
|
| What Is This Thing Called Love | Med Swing | Cole Porter |
|
| When Lights Are Low | Med Swing | Benny Carter |
|
| Work Song | Med Swing | Nat Adderley |
|
| You And The Night And The Music | Med Swing | Dietz & Schwartz |
|
| Little Sunflower | Straight 8th | Freddie Hubbard |
|
| All Blues | Various | Miles Davis |
|
| I'll Be Seeing You | Various | Kahal & Fain |
|
| Night And Day | Various | Cole Porter |
|
| On Green Dolphin Street | Various | Kaper & Washington |
|
| Once In a While | Various | Michael Edward |
|
| Speak Low | Various | Kurt Weill |
|
| Bluesette | Waltz | Toots Thielemans |
|
| Someday My Prince Will Come | Waltz | Churchill & Morey |
|
Goals For All Instruments
- Learn two songs per quarter, preferably at least one song learned aurally
- Discuss the music being learned, its composer(s) and performers, and their musical and life experiences
- Play in sync rhythmically is a primary goal at all time
- Demonstrate clear melodic phrasing - question and answer - singability - space
- Can clearly articulate harmonic movement with melodic improvisation (targeting 3rds and 7ths of chords)
- Form and chord progression of all tunes in repertoire memorized
- Has control and awareness of dynamic levels in the context of the ensemble and as a soloist, in terms of balancing instruments and shaping arrangement
- Continue developing swing and straight 8th feels through the class repertoire
- Awareness of “Do” (the root of a song’s key) at all times in all tunes in the repertoire
Goals By Instrument
Drums
- Heavy triplet feel in the swing groove
- Active on the ride symbol, more than quarter notes, improvised
- Active snare which is improvised and reactive
- Comfortable with swing, shuffle, bossa, 6/8 afro-cuban, ECM (straight 8ths) feels
- Experience playing fills to mark the form and solos
- Texture changes based on song form and solo order
- Melodies (chord changes if possible) to all tunes memorized
- Ability to keep form while soloing, and quote melody clearly
- Ability to play clear phrases while soloing and cue band in/out
- Can keep form and tempo when playing combo repertoire unaccompanied, for comping and for soloing
Bass
- Walking lines include some 8th notes and triplets
- Walking lines include chromatics and longer arcs
- Basslines not always starting chords on the root
- Comfortable with swing, shuffle, bossa, 6/8 afro-cuban, ECM (straight 8ths) feels
- Can play the melody to all songs in combo repertoire
- Can use stepwise motion through scales/tonalities for improvisation purposes (melodies and bass lines using major and minor 2nd intervals)
- Can arpeggiate the changes of all combo tunes in time
- Can keep form and tempo when playing combo repertoire unaccompanied, for bass lines and for soloing
Guitar
- Has at least two or three voicings for every chord in every tune being played (shells, rootless, different registers) to allow for smooth voice leading
- Can add 9ths and 13ths to most chord voicings
- One octave arpeggios of all 7th chords starting from any string
- Can play the melody to all songs in combo repertoire
- Can use scales/tonalities (not just chord tones) for improvising melodies and can use a variety of rhythms/subdivisions
- Can clearly articulate harmonic movement with melodic improvisation (targeting 3rds and 7ths of chords)
- Can keep form and tempo when playing combo repertoire unaccompanied, for comping and for soloing
Piano
- Can play II V I left hand rootless voicings in all keys
- Can use 9ths and 13ths in most chord voicings
- Knowledge of all chords by notes (vs. hand positions) - can arpeggiate all 7th chord types across keyboard
- Can use two-handed chord voicings with minimal doubling (e.g. drop 2 voicings)
- Can play the melody to all songs in combo repertoire
- Can use scales/tonalities (not just chord tones) for improvising melodies and can use a variety of rhythms/subdivisions
- Can clearly articulate harmonic movement with melodic improvisation (targeting 3rds and 7ths of chords)
- Can keep form and tempo when playing combo repertoire unaccompanied, for comping and for soloing
Melody Instrument
- Has all melodies memorized for combo repertoire
- Has changes to combo repertoire memorized and can play arpeggios for all chords in time
- Can use scales/tonalities (not just chord tones) for improvising melodies and can use a variety of rhythms/subdivisions
- Can clearly articulate harmonic movement with melodic improvisation (targeting 3rds and 7ths of chords), when playing unaccompanied
- Can play with clearly defined rhythmic styles including swing, latin, and rock/funk
- Can access the upper and lower register of the instrument when appropriate
- Can play with accurate intonation and pitch control
Vocals
- Has all melodies and lyrics memorized for combo repertoire
- Can count off the band and cue endings, breaks, etc.
- Can hear the form of the song and determine when to come back in based on the arrangement.
- Can alter the rhythmic phrasing of the melody using techniques like back-phrasing and rhythmic displacement.
- Can place melody rhythmically with the rhythm section so as to swing or accentuate a straight 8th feel with the ensemble.
- Is willing to improvise and practice singing chord tones, bass lines, and otherwise represent the harmonic content of the music with their voice.
You can learn more about Jazz Night School levels by reviewing our Student Skill Levels Matrix.