Oct 29, 2013 ... Just as some people appreciate fine gourmet food and wine, jazz ... 5)
Arrangement — see back page for a typical arrangement of a jazz tune.
Jazz Listener’s Guide Just as some people appreciate fine gourmet food and wine, jazz fans (also referred to as jazz aficionados) demand expressive music rich in technical nuance. As the classic musical art form of the United States, jazz is a blend of American blues, African rhythms, scales, patterns and European instruments, harmonies and song forms. Just as good writers study vocabulary and classical literature, jazz musicians spend many years studying music.
Step-By-Step Listening Guide Within the first few measures, jazz fans immediately focus on: 1) Jazz Artists — just as sports fans follow their favorites sports stars, jazz fans get very excited about their favorite artists 2) Tune — if not familiar, the listener tries to determine whether or not the jazz tune is obscure or an original
Like nearly all music, jazz tunes have unique melody (single notes), harmony (two or more notes played at the same time) and rhythm (or beat). Although all are important, most jazz tunes can be identified by their melody alone.
3) Jazz Style — see below for a list of only a few of today’s most common jazz styles 4) Rhythmic Style — see below for a list of a only a few of today’s most common rhythmic styles 4) Recurring Form — refers to a recurring pattern of chords (chord patterns have been compared to monopoly boards):
Most jazz performances contain the same theme and variations used in European music. Jazz improvisations are variations on the main theme or melody (referred to as the head), based upon a pre-determined set of chords (referred to as the chord progression). Each time through the recurring form is called a “chorus”.
Although there are many different jazz forms, perhaps the most common is the AABA form (A represents the 1st section of the pattern and B represents the 2nd, also known as the “bridge”)
Other common patterns are the blues (usually 12 bar chord pattern), vamp (very short repetitive pattern, usually with only one or two different chords), through-composed (a longer pattern containing a number of sections with different lengths).
5) Arrangement — see back page for a typical arrangement of a jazz tune Jazz Styles As noted above, the experienced jazz listener identifies the applicable jazz style (e.g., ballad, bebop, etc.) within the first few measures of the tune. While there are many different types of jazz tunes, a few of the more common styles performed in today’s jazz clubs, festivals and concert halls are: Avant Guard complex, usually featuring less familiar, or dissonant, melodies and harmonies—usually free of predetermined recurring forms Bebop intricate jazz melodic lines based on standard chord progressions, usually performed at extremely fast tempos Bossa nova based on Brazilian samba rhythms Latin Jazz based on Latin dance rhythms from the Caribbean, incorporating Latin percussion instruments such as conga and bongo drums Orchestral Jazz large jazz ensembles often including up to 18-20 musicians Straight-ahead based on songs with recurring forms, using swing rhythm Vocal featuring jazz vocalists, may or may not include scat singing (vocal improvisation)
Rhythmic Styles— Ballad slow romantic song Bossa Nova jazz style based on Brazilian samba Swing indigenous rhythm of continental U.S. Latin based on Caribbean rhythms (e.g., Montunos) Rubato out of tempo (no recurring rhythmic pattern) Waltz moves in 3’s (3 beats per measure)
Please see www.bluetrufflemusic.com for more Jazz Listening information. Join the Blue Truffle Jazz Club, membership includes access the Blue Truffle online jazz boutique, jazz downloads, monthly e-zine, artist bios, listeners guides, etc.
© Blue Truffle Music, LLC 2013 www.bluetrufflemusic.com Email:
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Jazz Listener’s Guide continued from other side
Arrangement Jazz fans enjoy following the different sections (the arrangement) of the tune. Although arrangements vary, this is a common jazz arrangement:
I. Intro Optional first few notes are often used to set the mood for the rest of the tune. II. Head (Theme/Melody)
Melody Lead instrument (e.g., horn, guitar, piano) plays (interprets) a pre-determined melody line over a background of rhythm and harmony.
Harmony Piano, guitar and/or other accompanying instruments play a pre-determined pattern of chords designed to support the melody.
Rhythm Bassist outlines both the harmonic and rhythmic structures. The drummer accompanies the performance with the specific rhythmic style of the piece, along with the (different) specific supporting role.
III. Improvisation (Variations on the Theme, “Soloing” or “Blowing”)
Melody Lead instrument(s) each take turns improvising (also called “soloing” or “blowing”) over the head (theme) and its accompaniment. During live performances, jazz fans often applaud after each solo.
Harmony The piano, guitar and/or other accompanying instruments all repeat the same pre-determined pattern of chords used during the head, but provide subtle rhythmic and harmonic variations to support the soloist as he/she improvises.
Rhythm Bassist continues to outline the harmonic and rhythmic structure, while the drummer improvises in response to the soloist, within the prevailing rhythmic style.
IV. Head (Theme/Melody) Head is repeated after all improvisations are complete. V. Outro Optional brief final statement ends the tune. Per Yogi Berra, “90% of all jazz is half improvisation. The other half is the part people play while others are playing something they never played with anyone who played that part. So if you play the wrong part, its right. If you play the right part, it might be right if you play it wrong enough. But if you play it too right, it's wrong.”
Per Thelonious Monk, “You’ve got to dig it to dig it, you dig?”
Help Jazz Musicians in Need: www.jfa.org Please see www.bluetrufflemusic.com for more jazz listening tips (e.g., African musical devices, glossary, etc.).
Join the Blue Truffle Jazz Club, membership includes access the Blue Truffle online jazz boutique, jazz downloads, monthly e-zine, artist bios, listeners guides, etc.
© Blue Truffle Music, LLC 2013 www.bluetrufflemusic.com Email:
[email protected]
