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
Improvisation
The first and most essential feature, improvisationSpontaneous composition of music in the moment of performance., is the heart of jazz. Improvisation means that the performer is spontaneously composing the music that he or she is playing — at that very moment.
It's worth noting that improvised performance is not the sole province of jazz. Rock music and much of the music of India and Africa also feature improvisation. Certain aspects of performance in Western art music historically include improvisation as well.
However, apart from jazz, no other Western music emphasizes improvisation in a group setting to such a high degree. And while most jazz groups have some sort of preset structure that shapes their music, each piece includes significant segments of spontaneous performance by one or more of the players.
In Lesson 3, we will consider ways to appreciate jazz improvisation, all of which involve becoming a more attentive listener. Right now, though, let's get a basic understanding of improvisation. The principal way that we as listeners identify when a player is improvising is by recognizing that he or she is no longer playing the melody.
In each of the two duo performances below, you will hear a melody that is likely familiar. In the first videos, it's a version of "Frere Jacques" ("Are you sleeping, brother John?").
Notice that at the outset we hear the melody played twice on trumpet (0:02-0:37). Then the trumpet player improvises (0:38-0:57) until he plays another statement of the tune (0:58-1:15). For nearly the next two minutes we hear improvisation — not only from the trumpet player, who is now playing with a cup mute (1:26-2:32) — but from the guitarist as well (2:33-3:08).
Most often in jazz, one soloist is featured during an improvisatory passage. It's worth noting, though, that even when the guitarist is providing accompaniment in response to the trumpet soloist, he is still improvising his guitar part — although within prescribed boundaries that keep our attention focused on the trumpet soloist.
In this second video, we hear the tune "When the Saints Go Marching In," played initially by the guitarist (0:02-0:22), followed by a melody statement from the trombonist (0:24-0:47). Then the trombonist improvises (0:47-1:54) as the guitarist continues in his accompaniment role.
An interesting moment occurs as both players improvise together in a collaborative fashion (1:56-2:12), during which time neither player seems to be the dominant soloist. When we study early jazz in Lesson 4, we will learn more about this concept of collective improvisationA characteristic feature of New Orleans jazz in which multiple instrumentalists improvise together according to agreed-upon conventions..
"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."
