What is Jazz?

On 04.14.10, In Jazz Blog, By admin



HOW JAZZ MUSIC WORKS
Jazz is like a musical language. When the musicians play, it’s as if they are talking to each other in jazz language. Most jazz music is based on a tune or a theme. The tune might be made up specifically or it might be based on a popular tune. A jazz group, or line-up has two parts: the rhythm section and the front line.

THE FRONT LINE
Front-line instruments are the ones that play solos during a jazz piece. They are given this name because the players usually stand in front of the rhythm section. Front-line instruments include the clarinet, trombone and the right-hand side of a piano.

THE RHYTHM SECTION
The rhythm section is a part that keeps a steady pulse. It also plays harmonies for the front-line instrument to improvise over. Rhythm section instruments include the bass guitar, double bass, drums, and the left-hand side of the piano.

RHYTHM AND SYNCOPATION
Most rhythms have a regular pulse or beat. Normally the stress, or accent, comes on the first beat, in a measure. In Jazz, the stress sometimes comes on the second beat, or in between the main beats. This is called syncopation. A tension is created between the steady pulse and the syncopated rhythm.

JAM SESSIONS
When musicians get together without an audience and experiment with tunes, it is known as a jam session. It is during sessions like these that most Jazz evolves.

COMPOSING JAZZ
Although jazz involves lots of improvisation, there are some fixed elements in a piece. Instead of writing down every note, jazz composers provide a rough outline, usually consisting of a tune and the chords that go with it. Chords are two or more notes played or sung together. They are usually written as chord symbols, which tell the musician which chords accompany a tune. The musicians improvise around this hotline. Most jazz composers base their work on music they come up with during jam sessions.

By: Diana Rogers

Tagged with: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

Immerse yourself in Jazz – Let it Seep in to the Soul

On 12.28.09, In Jazz Blog, By admin

Read, write, discuss and debate over Jazz. In simple words, love Jazz. Perhaps it is the best way to learn and play Jazz better. Never limit your experimentation during the phase of learning. The more you would experiment, the more you would be exposed to different styles and techniques of jazz. The more you’d be exposed to the styles and techniques, the brighter are the chances of attaining mastery over Jazz.

But while delving over the emotion of Jazz, keep in mind the fact that emotion is intrinsic in nature and no book can teach you to capture it. Your belongingness and affinity enables to master the emotion and help a lot to learn to play Jazz faster. This article comprises some necessary tips on mastering Jazz.

First step of Jazz learning is assessing your self potential. As a beginner you are advised to listen to as many Jazz tracks as you can. Maintain a judicious balance between the all time hits and the current trends. Try to understand the basics and implement it to lay the foundation of Jazz learning. After it learn and try to have proficiency in all 12 major scales. Your exposure and expertise in all the scales helps a lot in future.

In the next step you can buy a Jazz book published by any reputed publisher to make your learning easier. While buying a book, go for that where chord symbols or guitar tabs are written above the melody line. Then master major 7th, minor 7th, and dominant 7th, half diminished and diminished chord of every key. Once you master these, stop taking the help of the book and start playing on your own. With passage of time and experience, learn chord inversions, playing CM7, pentatonic scale, 3, 6, 2, 5, 1 progression, chromatic and diatonic harmony to add to your skill and expertise.



By: Akhila Choudhary

Tagged with: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

Jazz Piano and Style

On 12.28.09, In Jazz Blog, By admin

The piano or keyboard is an instrument that can be played in a solo performance or it can be part of a band. Jazz bands make heavy use of pianos since jazz began. The reason for this is that pianos along with guitars are some of the few instruments in a jazz band that can play chords in addition to a melody or counter melody.

In the past, a jazz pianists main role was to keep tempo with a combination of repetitive chords, but in recent years this has changed. Jazz pianists now days are able to select from a multitude of styles and techniques that they will use to accompany a band or singer. Short and sustained chordal or melodic fragments are used.

Experienced jazz pianists are not only great at sight-reading, but can also improvise chord symbols and adapt to the various playing styles of jazz bands. A jazz pianist must balance this improvisation and interpretation with the music style of the band.

The extended range that the piano provides also helps a jazz pianist with creating unique sounds that other instruments in the jazz band can not create.

Jazz pianists have 3 goals that they aim to achieve while they are playing. The first is to provide a clear rhythm and swing. The second is to play a melody or improvised solo with the right hand. Jazz pianists are also expected to help guide the band into chord changes with the help of notes leading up to the chord change.

It is quite a challenge for pianists to meet these 3 demands at the same time. Most jazz pianists are quite skilled in this art and are able to maintain this while planning unique improvisations.

If the intend to be great at playing the piano in a jazz band, you need to master these styles and techniques.



By: Mary Nicole Hicks

Tagged with: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response
« Previous Entries
Go To Top »