Jazz Blog » Jazz Improvisation

The Art of Jazz Music

admin2 — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 17:57:51 +0000

Jazz music is a very popular form of music, this form of music has been a popular genre since the early 20th century, mostly present and evident in African American neighborhoods and then spread across America and Europe. Jazz has always influenced popular, more mainstream music, over the years it has gone through many evolutions, producing many different sub genres as time has gone on. Jazz is also influenced by the different cultures and regions it is brought into, with each culture adding its’ own distinct twist on the genre. This has created many distinctive and different styles in jazz culture.

It’s hard to define the starting point of the jazz music genre, as there are so many different sub genres and cultures that have involved themselves in jazz music. It’s also very difficult to actually define jazz, and put some kind of label on it’s traits and characteristics, as it has become so widely varied. One huge element of jazz music is definitely improvisation – playing around, rarely playing the same song or melody more than once, not having particular notes or keys to follow and experimenting with the music, which is a huge part of jazz’s liberal, free feel. Early jazz movements also had a kind of call-and-response pattern, in which some players would play a note, only to have other people playing different instruments play the same thing, and so on it would go, making the genre a little bit competitive during live performances. Many early jazz musicians did not even know how to play music. However, this is certainly not to say that jazz players are not talented – they certainly are very talented, often more than classical performers. They often instead learn notes by ear.

Some trace the jazz music genre back to the late 18th century, when African slaves were first brought over to the United States. They would sing, chant or improvise the creation of song and instruments while they were forced to work in the slave trade. This is where jazz’s call-and-response characteristic is from, it became a form of entertainment for the slaves. With the end of slavery, jazz music began to develop even more, as African-Americans were finally treated as people and were entitled to education. They began to perform early forms of jazz music as entertainment in nightclubs and other venues. ‘Ragtime’ was one of the first established sub genres of jazz, which became popular around this time, along with the rise of blues music. Jazz was especially popular in the South during this time, particularly New Orleans, where a lot of jazz music was developed and a lot of famous and influential jazz musicians first became recognized and known.

Throughout the early 1900s’ jazz began to blossom and grow, as musicians played around more with the genre and its’ possibilities. This included sub genres such as swing, gypsy jazz and European styles of jazz.Since this time, jazz has become a major influence and is even partially responsible for the invention and creation of other genres. It’s amazing to see how music has evolved.

By: Gareth L

Jazz Guitar Improvisation – Online Lessons

admin — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 12:29:50 +0000

Improve your guitar learning skills through jazz guitar improvisation online lessons. These online courses are easier to learn than attending a practical guitar class. You are required to follow a fixed routine for practical guitar learning sessions. Whereas with the Internet, you can have the advantage of choosing your own class timings according to your needs. Besides, online courses are easily affordable and sometimes, even free of cost. You just need to register with the website at a very low registration fee or no fee. You can login for the guitar classes anywhere anytime.

If you want to learn to play your guitar immediately, then browse through the jazz guitar improvisation online lessons. Improve your skills through the online classes with flexible timings. The “Immediate Approach” link provides you with an appropriate beginning. There are colored diagrams as the notes of the guitar, which can be repeated whenever you want. Follow the instructions written on the same page for combining the colored diagrams together in order to strum a particular tune. Once you become familiar with the diagrams, it gets easier for you to mix the notes and play any tune you want. The images make you comfortable with the mixing of high and low notes. There are numbers with the diagrams indicating where to put your fingers while playing the guitar. A clear visual overview of colored diagrams and numbers is easy and quick enough to teach you how to string your guitar.

Once you are familiar with the diagrams, it becomes more comfortable for you to connect the diagrams. You can follow any sequence for playing a melodious tune on your guitar. You can start from either the UP or DOWN pitch. Make sure that you start with a rather simple tune for practice. Make it a regular habit to practice and memorize the notes. When you realize that you are reaching a comfort level, only then can you start improvising further. Jazz guitar improvisation online lessons make things easier for you with all the possible information and tips. You can also download or buy guitar learning packages in the form of CD, DVD, video and audio files. Online courses are very informative about the latest developments of guitars. Well-known or experienced guitarists also offer online tips for the new learners. You can easily get information on how to buy, string, tune and play a guitar. The best part is that you can simply relax at your home and learn the guitar anytime from the online lessons.

Get yourself trained to become a professional guitarist through the jazz guitar improvisation online lessons. Search on the Internet to find out the best and the most convenient guitar courses. Remember that there is no alternative for hard work. If you don’t practice, there is no other way that you can learn to play a guitar. The most important thing is your interest and the amount of dedication you have for learning a guitar. If you have it in you, then it becomes possible anyway for you to pluck and strum your guitar.

By: Logan Young

Learn to Play Jazz Guitar

admin — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:56:01 +0000

One of the reasons that people devote their time to learning the guitar is that they love the idea of making up their own songs and music. Simply by sitting down at an inspired moment, a guitarist might come up with a great song in only one session. Some guitar styles differ greatly from another, but it is by learning the jazz guitar that many musicians have experienced the liberty it brings. The deviations in styles that somehow hold to one rhythm and work together in the name of improvisation are why jazz musicians are said to be filled with “soul”.

When training your ear or your mind to learn how the jazz guitar fits into an entire ensemble of musicians, it is important to first know how jazz music works, at the root level. Much like an athlete prepares for a race, a jazz musician also prepares for a performance. The jazz musician needs to warm up, have an introduction, and be allowed to have some time to get used to the atmosphere of a place and an audience. Some musicians, however, especially those who have played a long time together will jump right into a tune without warming up, giving listeners an awakening into what’s about to take place.

A jazz guitarist in a band may or may not lead the group through a melody. Many jazz performances may not have a singer, but instead a trumpet, or some other horn instrument will take this lead. If a horn isn’t present in the ensemble, then the guitar or piano might work to lead a session. Since jazz music is made up of a band, each person in the band has a certain role to fill before they begin their improvisational role. The jazz guitar tends to hold the players together within a certain chord so that other band members can stick to what’s being played. A jazz guitarist in this role, will not necessarily strum a rhythm such as in other forms of music, but will instead move rhythmically with the rest of the players involved.

In the game of jazz music, improvisation is key. If you know how to play another instrument, learning the jazz guitar might be a little easier. And, if you love improvising on the piano, for example, then you might love it on the guitar. “Improv” as it is sometimes referred to, is one way music can be highly addictive and liberating. When that liberation happens with a group who is playing together, the soul and reaction from the audience involved can be magical. Overall, learning to play the jazz guitar will be rewarding on many levels. Learning to play the necessary chords and knowing when and how to strum to the rhythm of others in the group takes time and practice. Give yourself plenty of time and dedicate yourself to listening to and learning how jazz music works and you’ll be on your way to playing along with a jazz group in no time.

By: Rich Matthews

The Evolution of Jazz

admin — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 23:07:55 +0000

Jazz is an American form of music that has come from an interesting background and evolved into a worldwide genre. It roots are in blues and other African-American styles of music combined with the classical European musical system, and it largely started in the southern United States. While the term jazz may refer to many different things in the beginning it eventually evolved into a style comprised of improvisation, syncopation, swing, and blue notes. This base of jazz has constantly evolved over time to where we find it today.

Jazz improvisation originally started out as slight modifications and embellishments to the melodies of standard tunes. This changed into a harmonically based improvisation style where the soloist uses notes based on the harmony of the tune to construct a sometimes completely new solo line. With this development, jazz improvisation started on a course towards some of the most technically proficient and impressive improvisation of all time in the bebop era, characterized by lightning fast runs of notes over highly complex and frequent chord changes. Once this style had reached its zenith, the jazz world reacted by moving in a new direction; minimal chord changes and slower tempos of the modal jazz era, started by Miles Davis.

From here, jazz has evolved more in instrumentation and overall style rather than in improvisational philosophy. Miles Davis also helped bring about new forms of fusion and experimental jazz. In the 70s and 80s, bands got started mixing jazz with the funk and popular music of the time. All of these developments have spread jazz to new listeners and new places.

Today you find too many different types of jazz to mention. There are neo-traditionalists, modern players who use traditional arrangement but play with new harmonic and structural elements, a huge number of different types of fusion, and finally, the widespread addition of electronic music elements to jazz. Electronic jazz represents a new direction and ability for jazz to appeal to different music lovers and increase the ability to jazz musicians to arrange and compose their music. A new era of jazz should be provided by the addition of electronic music and modern recording technology. Look for this new style of electronic jazz to have an impact soon.

There are already many jazz musicians who have redefined themselves with electronic jazz, which enables them to make use of more types of sounds in their recordings and enables them to craft more precise compositions.

By: Randal Stevens

Learn to Play Jazz Guitar

admin — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0000

By: Sam Bateman

Get MIDI Files And Jazz Play Alongs To Learn Jazz Music Faster

admin — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Jazz music is one of the most popular music forms, and there is a huge mass following of this kind of music than any other kind of music. Most people have started to admire the beauty of jazz music and even youngsters are in love with it. Moreover, there are many online service providers who offer a huge range of Jazz Midi Files of renowned jazz bands and artists. If you are thinking to learn some jazz music by your own then you can seek the help of these online service providers and get your favorite Jazz play alongs that will allows your to practice jazz quite effectively.

Jazz is primarily an American musical art that originated during the early 20th century in the African American communities of the southern part of the United States. Jazz music mainly comprised of blue notes, poly-rythms, swung notes, improvisation and syncopation. It is also very difficult to define Jazz music as it has many facets. Jazz music has gone through an evolutionary process and there are many types of Jazz that include Latin Jazz, Cool Jazz, Bebop jazz, Free Jazz, Modal jazz, Hard bop, and Dixieland Revival. Improvisation is one of the most important features of Jazz music and higher the rate of improvisation the better will be the quality of the jazz music. Jazz music is played with instruments like bass guitar, saxophone, drums and piano. However, many new sophisticated instruments have been introduced to offer greater improvisation to the music.

By locating an online service provider, you will be able to get most famous jazz midi files loaded with many helpful tips for learning to play it at your home. Some websites also offer instructional videos for guitarists, pianists and bassists who are learning jazz music. Jazz play alongs, offered by online providers, are also very useful in building your improvisational talents. Many jazz play alongs track are available with different combinations of jazz instruments. It is also very easy to get started with these midi files and jazz play alongs tracks as they provide step to step procedures and detail information on how to use it. You can easily download them to your computer or store it in your iPod.

By: Akhila Choudhary

Jazz Musicians And The Art Of Transcribing Jazz Solos

admin — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Every great jazz musician has, at one time or another, transcribed jazz solos from recordings. Since jazz is an art from that is aural in nature, it makes complete sense that listening and copying the improvisations of earlier jazz masters helps one become a more consistent and skilled jazz improviser.

Transcribing a jazz solo involves the repetitive listening and notation of a recorded jazz solo. To get maximum benefit from the process, the person studying the solo through transcription should memorize and internalize every note and every inflection played by the improviser. “Transcribing” refers to the activity of notating on paper the exact notes and rhythms played by the improviser.

Evolving Technologies of Transcribing Jazz Solos

Charlie Parker could arguably be called the most influential jazz artist of the 20th century. His inventive jazz improvisations changed the face of jazz and ushered in one of the most exciting eras of jazz: the bebop era.

Charlie Parker was born with a huge amount of natural talent, but that does not mean Charlie never worked hard at his honing his craft. History reveals that Charlie spent almost a year early on in his music career memorizing – note by note – the jazz solos of Lester Young from 78 RPM recordings.

Before jazz became widely available on 78 RPM recordings, musicians relied on listening and learning in “real time”. The only way to learn jazz improvisation in the early days of jazz was to listen to live musicians and pick up what you could from what they played. Once played however, the music was gone forever.

During the 1920s, artists such Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong and many others began recording their music and jazz improvisations onto 78 RPM acetone discs. This leap in technology opened the door for future musicians to “study” the improvisations of their jazz predecessors.

The 1950s saw the introduction of reel to reel tape machines and ultimately cassette tape recordings. Magnetic tape made it possible for jazz musicians to forward and rewind the tape to exact locations of solos and specific passages of a solo. No longer did musicians have to “drop the needle” on worn out discs to learn a solo or tune. Some cassette tape players were made specifically for musicians, allowing them to slow down parts or all of a recording at half or quarter speed. This proved to be helpful, but slowing down analog tape created problems with pitch and fidelity that was annoying to say the least.

In recent years, computers have assisted jazz musicians transcribe recordings in ways that were once considered impossible. Inexpensive or free computer programs have made it possible to slow down fast passages without changing fidelity or pitch. Other advantages of computer assisted transcription include the ability to change key, precise looping of passages for ease in learning, and even help with notating pitches that are played.

Transcribing and studying great jazz solos can be one of the smartest and beneficial activities any jazz musician can undertake to help hone his or her craft. Even with the marvels of modern technology, the process still takes time and effort however. Don’t forget to use the knowledge and skills you acquire from transcribing jazz solos to performing with live musicians. Nothing will replace the experience of playing jazz with others!

By: James P Martin

Jazz Improvisation is a Study in Theory

admin — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:09:41 +0000

Jazz has long been considered to be one of the most demanding forms of contemporary music to master. So much so, that many would be Jazz musicians will spend years learning music theory, alongside developing advanced playing techniques, simply to get a start in this fascinating musical genre.

The major difference between Jazz and most other forms of music is in the fact that improvisation is not only encouraged, it forms the very backbone of the style. Although there are many Jazz classics, no two musicians or bands will play these songs the same. They will follow the basic progression, but will be given a new inflection through personal and group improvisation.

The ability to play improvisations relies heavily upon two things; first the musicians creativity, and secondly upon the musicians knowledge of musical theory. Of course, there are many fine Jazz players out there who will tell you that they do not know any music theory. The simple truth of the matter is that they do, they just do not know it. They have spent years learning to play by ear, and although they cannot name the correct musical terms for what they do when they are playing, they are clearly demonstrating a deep knowledge of music theory at a base level.

For those wishing to take up playing Jazz, then a firm grounding in music theory is entirely recommended. Even the rhythm section of a Jazz band is encouraged to improvise and embellish the piece being played. Rhythm guitar players will be called upon to construct complex chord patterns, including augmented, diminished, 5th, 9th and 13th chords. They will also be expected to follow the soloist, should they decide to shift tempo, key or mode.

As a soloist, playing Jazz is all about creativity, backup up by an understanding of what they are doing musically. Many Jazz musicians, when questioned about scales, will smile and reply, “What is a scale? I don’t know any!” This is something of an insider’s Jazz joke, as most Jazz soloists play what they feel, not what they know works mathematically. Of course, this is far from the truth, but a Jazz player will have transcended standard scales in many ways. Instead, using their ear, they will be able to find step off points, into new scales and modes, shifting the music as they go. This of course, requires an immense amount of theoretical knowledge, either learned conventionally, or learned over years of playing by ear.

Playing Jazz can be one of the most rewarding experiences any guitar player is likely to experience. A good Jazz performance will see the musician develop ideas, and musical concepts on the fly, breathing fresh life into Jazz classics, while enthralling the audience like a true virtuoso. Although a thorough understanding of music theory is not a prerequisite for becoming a competent Jazz player, it can be seen as an effective short cut, removing the requirement to play Jazz for decades before becoming entirely competent in its application.

By: Bill Kernodle

Jazz Improvisation, A Fascinating Musical Sub-Genre

admin — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 06:57:51 +0000

Jazz music is a very popular genre of music and is actually a very important kind of American classical music. Some believe that jazz originated in the early twentieth century in South America. But there is no question that the early development of jazz took place in the United States and was greatly influenced by blues music. Blues was especially popular among African Americans in the first half of the 20th century in the rural south and in cities such as New Orleans, St. Louis and Chicago.

The music that was called jazz was popular in many countries, including the United States. At the same time it quickly spread to many countries in Europe, and then to many parts of Asia, South America and Australia.

What makes jazz unique? Among other things the unique features of Jazz include ‘blue notes,” improvisation and syncopation. Jazz relies primarily on the spontaneous expression of the musicians – usually playing in small groups – and does not necessarily use a written score. The 1930s saw a rapid rise in the popularity of jazz. Although black musicians dominated the jazz scene, the 1930s saw an increase in the number of white jazz singers and players. But during this time jazz still remained true to its roots and to the African-American blues musicians who created it.

Jazz is a music of the world. It combines classical, popular and traditional American music with important strains of European and African musical traditions. Jazz is very technically sophisticated while still remaining spontaneous and improvisational. To really develop a good understanding and appreciation of jazz it is important to experience all aspects of the music, listen to the masters and join other musicians in playing. Jazz is truly a group experience.

Jazz is a musical style that contains a lot of self-expression. Open your mind to many different jazz musicians by listening to them play and then joining a group of musicians in your own jazz combo. Because of its improvisational character, Jazz is usually not the kind of music that can be perfected by individual practice.

For a musician learning improvisation, it is wiser to begin with simple songs. Basic techniques can be learned through listening to other musicians, experimenting, or taking some lessons. Those techniques, once mastered, can be applied in a more advanced way to more complicated songs. Remember, too, that a jazz musician is more about self-expression than technique.

Start experimenting by playing the music the way is written, but occasionally modifying certain phrasings and adding a few embellishments of your own. This is a great way to become comfortable with jazz improvisation. This process of “intentionally messing up”, and learning what sounds good is not just for piano or guitar, but can be applied to any of the hundreds of instruments used in jazz.

Immerse yourself in jazz music by listening to both contemporary and traditional jazz masters. There are also schools of musical instruction that specialize in teaching jazz, jazz improvisation, jazz soloing, and many other facets of the discipline. If you are serious about playing jazz music, one of these jazz schools might be the most direct way to get your career as a jazz musician going in the right direction.

One of the richest, most expressive and satisfying genres of music for the musician looking for creative expression is, without a doubt, jazz. It creates a magic which cannot be expressed in words. When people are really interested in actually listening to the music, jazz can be the most appropriate and entertaining type of music you can choose for almost any occasion. Being equally challenging and rewarding for the musician – what could be better than that!

By: Howard Brule

How To Learn Simple Jazz Improvisation

admin — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:40:27 +0000

If you’ve always wanted to improvise, but don’t know how, here’s a simple way to get started. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t improvise on the piano or that it takes talent to do it. Improvisation is a skill and like any skill, it can be acquired through practice. It involves risk, but the rewards are very enjoyable.

1) Start with a very simple tune. Memorize the melody. For the purpose of this article, we’ll choose “Happy Birthday”.

2) Play it as written – no changes… yet.

3) Now play the first line again. This time try to alter the pitch and rhythm. For example, if we’re playing it in the key of F, the notes of the first phrase as written are: C C D C F E, two eighth notes followed by three quarter notes, then a half note, alter it like this: C D C B C D C F E, four sixteenth notes followed by five quarter notes.

4) Use the same patter for the next phrase: alter C C D C G F for C D C B C D C G F.

And so on and so forth for the rest of the song. What you’re trying to do is adding the neighboring notes and alter the rhythm of the original melody line. Remember in jazz improvisation there’s no one way to go about it. This is a very simple way for you to get started. Experiment with other tunes. Use your ear to dictate what notes to use. Soon enough you’ll find other ways to improvise.

Be relaxed and have fun. Practice slowly at first. Slow down the tempo, if you’re not used to sixteenth notes. Try only the right hand first. When you’re comfortable with it, add your favorite left hand chord voicings to make it sound even better.

By: Alex Nguyen