Date Updated: 2023-2024
Transition Exam Requirements by Academic Year (Drum requirements appear separately at the end)
Notes for the Transition Exam and Recital:
It is mandatory to play the exam with a rhythm section.
1st Year
- Blues in 12 keys.
- Rhythm Changes - choice from the following list of tunes:
- Oleo - Sonny Rollins
- Ray's Idea-Walter Fuller
- Moose the Mooch - Charlie Parker
- Anthropology - Charlie Parker
- Kim - Charlie Parker
- Wee - Dizzie Gillespie
Must be played in the original key (melody and solo) and around the half-cycle - 6 keys in total.
Beyond an obvious mastery of the structure, the examinee must demonstrate impressive command of the language and style, and maximum rhythmic precision.
2nd Year
- Blues for Alice in 12 keys.
The solo is required to reflect high-quality and impressive mastery of Bebop, as studied throughout the year. - Ballad - choice from the following list of tunes (recommended performances in parentheses):
- Round Midnight - (Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis)
- Body and Soul - (Coleman Hawkins, Dexter Gordon)
- Willow Weep for Me - (Dexter Gordon, Clifford Brown)
- I Remember Clifford - (Lee Morgan, Dizzy Gillespie)
- Time After Time - (J.J. Johnson, Sonny Stitt)
- Darn that Dream - (Dexter Gordon, Billie Holliday)
- Autumn in New York - (Billie Holliday, Charlie Parker)
- Easy Living - (Clifford Brown, Billie Holliday)
- My One and Only Love - (John Coltrane, Joe Henderson, Sonny Rollins)
- Lover Man - (Charlie Parker, Cannonball Adderley)
- Misty - (Erroll Garner, Sarah Vaughan)
- Someone to Watch Over Me - (Art Tatum, Stanley Turrentine)
- What's New? - (Modern Jazz Quartet, Louis Armstrong)
- You Don't Know What Love Is - (Sonny Rollins, Art Blakey)
- Blue in Green- (miles Davis)
- My Ideal-(Kenny Dorham)
- Stardust – (Hoagy Carmichael, Nat King Cole)
- The Very Thought of You
3. Bebop (med up tempo). Choice of 3 tunes from the following list (the committee will choose one tune out of the two selected by the examinee):
- Donna Lee -parker
- confirmation - Charlie Parker
- Groovin' High - dizzy Gillespie
- Hot House -Tadd Dameron
- Half Nelson - Miles Davis
- Ray's Idea - Walter Fuller
- Joy Spring- Clifford Brown
- Cherokee - Ray Noble
- Tiny Capers - Clifford Brown
- Daahoud-Clifford Brown
- Fried Bananas-Dexter Gordon
- Room 608 - Horace Silver
- Cool Eyes - Horace Silver
- Quicksilver - Horace silver
- I mean you - Thelonious Monk
- Chick's Tune - Chick Corea
- Voyage - Kenny Barron
- Lover - Rogers-Hart
3rd Year
- head + solo transcription of free choice (the solo must be at least 64 bars long and played by heart). Note: Students are requested to avoid submitting a solo from improvisation classes.
- modern jazz - choice of 3 tunes from the following list (the committee will choose one out of the two):
- Giant Steps- John Coltrane
- Moment's Notice - John Coltrane
- -26-2 John Coltrane
- stablemates - Benny Golson
- Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum - Wayne Shorter
- E.S. P - Wayne Shorter
- Children of The Night - Wayne Shorter
- Very Early-Bill Evans
- Inner Urge-Joe Henderson
- Punjab - Joe Henderson
- windows- Chick Core
- Humpty Dumpty - Chick Corea
- Bud Powell - Chick Corea
- Piccadilly Lilly-David Lillyman
- Dolphin Dance - Herbie Hancock
- Criss Cross - Thelonious Monk
- Epistrophy - Thelonious Monk
- Monk's Dream - Thelonious Monk
- Isfahan - Billy Strayhorn
- Ariettas - Freddie Hubbard
- Jazz standard without accompaniment head + solo. Below is the mandatory repertoire that must be well known, from which the committee will choose the tunes the examinee will be asked to play:
- Satin doll
- Take the A Train
- Speak Low
- Bye Bye Blackbird
- Without a Song
- But Not for Me
- I Love You
- If I Were A Bell
- Sunny Side of the Street
- All the Things You Are
- Night and Day
- Invitation
- Star Eyes
- My Secret Love
- The Night Has a Thousand Eyes
- Come Rain or Come Shine
- A Foggy Day
- Have You Met Miss Jones
- I wish I Knew
- Spring is here
- For all we know
- Recorda Me
- I Hear a Rhapsody
- Tea for Two
- Lady Bird
- Out of Nowhere
4th Year Final Exam
For the avoidance of doubt, all 4th-year students will take the final degree exam.
During the exam, 4 tunes of the students' free choice will be played. The tunes must be from the jazz repertoire and include:
- A fast jazz tune.
- A slow jazz tune (ballad).
- A medium-tempo jazz tune.
- A jazz tune in an odd meter.
Note: For drummers, there is a specific adaptation to this requirement.
An accompanying jazz ensemble will be available to students: piano/guitar, bass, drums.
The student will provide the accompanying ensemble with 4 sheet music pages (lead sheets) for the selected tunes.
The student will present the tunes with two choruses of improvisation for each tune, except for the ballad which will have one chorus of improvisation.
For a tune shorter than 32 bars, the examinee will improvise for 4-5 choruses.
Grading parameters: selection of musical pieces (the various pieces must be diverse in nature and challenging to perform), presentation, improvisation, interaction with the accompanying ensemble, demonstrating personal touch, mastery of playing style, etc.
About the Recital:
- The final recital is a festive and musical moment for the graduating student. The recital is supposed to reflect and include characteristics and elements that the student learned and internalized during their studies, while also giving expression to the student's vision and musicality.
- The instrument teacher will accompany the student during the preparation for the recital, and will listen to the student to ensure compliance with section 1 above.
Transition Exams for Jazz Drum Set
Last Updated: 2021-2022
This format contains accommodations we deemed appropriate to implement in light of the Coronavirus pandemic and its implications.
Now that the pandemic has passed, we will return to the regular format.
Improvisation classes will continue to function in their regular format.
Transition Exam Requirements by Academic Year
Notes for the Transition Exam and Recital:
- It is mandatory to play the exam with a rhythm section/playback.
- For online exams, a Drive link containing the audio and video recordings must be sent.
- As of today, online exams are no longer being held.
- Submission of the recital is conditional upon a grade of 90 or higher in the 3rd year transition exam.
1st Year
- Demonstrate ability in playing with a Rhythm Section and improvising on a 12-bar blues. Minor or major head of your choice. Singing the head out loud is mandatory.
Proficiency is required in:fast swing, medium tempo, slow tempo.. - Choose one of the six songs on the list and demonstrate ability in playing with a Rhythm Section .
Improvise on a Rhythm Changes structure in 4/4 meter. Singing the head out loud is mandatory.
- Oleo - Sonny Rollins
- Ray’s Idea - Walter Fuler
- Moose the Mooche - Charlie Parker
- Anthropology - Charlie Parker
- Kim - Charlie Parker
- Wee - Dizzie Gillespie
Playing proficiency is required in fast swing, medium tempo, slow tempo
- Play two solos in the exam. Mandatory performance: Tin Tin Deo /Philly Joe Jones.
- Play the solo: Well you needn’t/ Art Blakey.
- Demonstrate ability in playing the tune Toots Thielemans - Bluesette with a Rhythm Section in 3/4 meter. Singing the melody out loud and improvising is mandatory.
- Play the 6/8 etude on page 48 in "MORRIS GOLDENBERG".
2nd Year
Both solos must be played:
Roy Haynes - Reflection
All The Things You Are/ Philly Joe Jones
- Demonstrate ability in brush playing for the tune "All The Things You Are" with a Rhythm Section in medium tempo.
Integrate the solo playing of Philly Joe Jones using brushes. - Orchestrate via free improvisation on the drum set the tune Evidence/ Thelonious Monk. Singing the melody out loud is mandatory.
- Demonstrate mastery in improvising on the drums in combination with the song Blues for Alice - Charlie Parker.
- It is mandatory to play the snare etude by wilcoxon/ Battin Em Out.
- Choose one of the ten songs on the list. Demonstrate ability in brush playing at a Ballad tempo with a Rhythm Section:
- Round’ Midnight - Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis
- Body and Soul - Coleman Hawkins, Dexter Gordon
- Willow Weep for Me - Dexter Gordon, Clifford Brown
- Time After Time - J.J. Johnson, Sonny Stitt
- Darn that Dream - Dexter Gordon, Billie Holliday
- My One and Only Love - John Coltrane, Joe Henderson, SonnyRolling
- Lover Man - Charlie Parker, Cannonball Adderley
- Misty - Erroll Garner, Sarah Vaughan
- You Don’t Know What Love Is - Sonny Rollins, Art Blakey
- Blue in Green - Miles Davis
6. Choose three tunes from the list to play with a Rhythm Section. The examination committee will ask to listen to only one tune:
- Donna Lee -Parker
- Confirmation -Parker
- Groovin High - Dizzy Gilespie
- Hot House -Tadd Dameron
- Half Nelson - Miles Davis
- Ray’s Idea - Walter Fuler
- Joy Spring - Clifford Brown
- Cherokee - Ray Noble
- Tiny Capers - Clifford Brown
- Dahoud - Clifford brown
- Fried Bananas - Dexter Gordon
- Room 608 - Horace Silver
- Cool Eyes - Horace Silver
- Quick silver - Horace silver
- I Mean You - Thelonious Monk
- Chick’s Tune - Chick Corea
- Voyage - Kenny Barron
- Lover - Rogers-Hart
3rd Year
- Learn to sing and orchestrate on the drum set the song Charlie Parker/Confirmation as it appears in the book Omnibook pages 1, 2, 3 head and improvisation.
- Play two mandatory solos!
Fiesta-Pilly Joe Jones
Steve Gadd Samba Song
It is mandatory to play the FRED ALBRIGHT 1 etude.
Bebop - On the next page, there are two song lists.
- Choose two tunes to play with a Rhythm Section from song list Part A - Modern Jazz.
The committee members will check if you indeed know the song before the performance by asking you to sing it a-cappella.
- Song list Part B.
Knowledge of the Jazz Repertoire
The committee members will require you during the exam to sing 3 songs a-cappella from list B and to improvise with brushes on one of the three songs in a bebop style.
4th Year
- Playing a Torento snare drum etude by Mitch Markovich.
- Prepare the jazz fusion piece Branford Marsalis/ In The Crease including improvising on vamp bars 18, 19, 20. in 5/2 meter.
Graduation Recital
Mandatory recital pieces:
- Jazz Standard without arrangement or reharmonization, performed in the most traditional manner.
- Performance of a piece by an Israeli jazz artist of free choice.
Aside from these pieces, students will be able to play a program of their own choosing.
