Jazz and Contemporary Guitar

Performance Concentration: Jazz and Classical Guitar (41-46 credit hours)

Required Courses

Foundational Music Courses (18 credit hours)
Appreciation Courses (3 credit hours)
  • MUS 274 Western Music History: An Overview (3 credit hours)
Basic Skills Courses (6 credit hours)
  • MUS 101 Fundamentals of Music and Class Piano I (3 credit hours)
    • Pianists and guitarists are exempt
    • No prerequisite; may not be repeated for credit
  • MUS 277 Entrepreneurship for the Creative and Performing Artist (3 credit hours)
    • No prerequisite; may not be repeated for credit
Music Theory Courses (9 credit hours)
  • MUS 129 Rudiments of composition (3 credit hours)
    • No prerequisite; may not be repeated for credit
  • MUS 107 Music Theory I (3 credit hours)
    • Prerequisite MUS 129; may not be repeated for credit
  • MUS 108 Music Theory II: Rotating Topic (3 credit hours)
    • This class MAY be repeated for credit, Prerequisite: MUS 129
Applied Music Courses (16 credit hours)

Additional Fee Applies

  • MUS 136 Private Instruction: Guitar (4 credit hours per year total)
  • MUS 228 Private Guitar Instruction (2 credit hours)
    • Prerequisite in MUS 136, 4 credit hours
  • MUS 218 Private Instruction: Survey of Guitar Styles (2 credit hours)
    • Prerequisite in MUS 136, 4 credit hours
  • MUS 326 Private Guitar Instruction (4 credit hours per year total)
    • Prerequisite in MUS 228 and MUS 218
  • MUS TBD (400 level) Private Guitar Instruction (4 credit hours per year total)
    • Prerequisite in MUS 326, 228 and 218
Ensemble Courses (1-6 credit hours)

Students completing the jazz/contemporary guitar performance concentration are required to take two of the following courses:

  • MUS 231 Group Guitar II (3 credit hours)
    • Prerequisite: MUS 136 (4 credit hours); may be repeated for credit
    • And/Or MUSE 3950 Jazz Band (0.5 Credit Hours) at Concordia University Chicago; audition required; may be repeated for credit

Note: Courses MUSE 2950 and 2425 at Concordia University Chicago may be substituted for private instruction courses at Dominican if enough students of the appropriate level are available to form an ensemble, and upon Guitar Professor and Director of Music Discipline approval.

Targeted Skills Courses (6 Credit Hours)

Two of the following courses are required (all three are recommended):

  • MUS 266 Blues and Jazz Appreciation (3 credit hours)
  • MUS 268 History of Rock and Roll (3 credit hours)
  • MUS 278 The Beatles (3 credit hours)
    • No prerequisite for the above three courses; may not be repeated for credit

Additional Requirements

  • Juries, once annually
  • Performances bi-annually
  • Senior Recital