Overview
This section will introduce you to the musical elements that are common to much of the music we call jazz. We will look at jazz from a theoretical perspective and examine three essential features of the music to see how they contribute to this remarkable art form. In addition, we will look at how the unique swing feeling of jazz is achieved.
We will also get a first glimpse at the blues. To appreciate jazz and blues more fully, it’s good to know how the unique sounds of blues originated, and how those sounds were absorbed into jazz. This section also covers some of the defining characteristics of blues music, and some of the differences between blues and jazz.
Objectives
Upon completion of this part of the lesson, you will be able to do the following:
- Identify three essential features of jazz
- Define improvisation
- Describe the swing feeling of jazz
- Identify the musical components that create a swing feeling in jazz
- Define swing eighth-note
- Define syncopation
- Define polyrhythm
- Identify how African Americans contributed to the development of jazz
- Describe the blue note
- Describe pitch bending
- Define harmony
- Define chord
- Define chorus
- Describe how tonality is relevant to jazz
Essential Features
As we noted in our introduction, jazz is a uniquely American art, a marvelous blending of African Americans' musical heritage with that of European Americans. Throughout the history of jazz, African Americans have been the major innovators, furthering its evolution by creating new jazz styles. Yet, the music has drawn practitioners from all quarters, not only in America, but around the world.
So... what is jazz? In truth, it is a music that remains difficult to define. When asked to define it, jazz great Louis Armstrong's response was quintessential: "If you have to ask what jazz is, you'll never know."
With the variety of jazz styles that have developed over the last century, we might ask questions such as the following: What are the elements common to all of these styles? What makes it jazz? Many jazz musicians and scholars would identify three essential features:
- ImprovisationSpontaneous composition of music in the moment of performance., or performances that are made up on the spot by one or more of the players
- Rhythms that create a swing feelingA term used to describe the groove or rhythm of jazz music.
- A bluesy flavorA musical quality that suggests, or is reminiscent of, blues music. is present.
"Blues developed in the southern United States after the American Civil War (1861–65) and was largely played by Southern black men, most of whom came from the milieu of agricultural workers."
