What are the components of jazz?
You're
probably wondering why you landed on a page about jazz. Jazz? I
don't care, you think to yourself. I'll admit it - it takes a
while to appreciate jazz. Jazz is about the triumph of spirit - of
going one step beyond what is expected of you. It's like a pleasant
surprise or a twist ending.
What are the
personality traits of this man known as jazz?
Instrumentation
The modern jazz small ensemble is
built upon the rhythm section-piano, bass, and drums. The bass is
the starting point and keeps time, like a metronome. The piano and
drums play other rhythms over the bass, something known as
"comping" (or accompanying). Trumpets and saxophones are brass
instruments which also help carry the overall melody of the
song.
Musical
Structures
"It's taken me all my life to
learn what not to play." - Dizzy Gillespie
Jazz is much harder than
classical music because you have to know different harmonies for
different chords by heart. Jazz musicians use crib sheets which
have a single-note melody with the song's chords. This shared
knowledge allows musicians to improvise and have "jam sessions",
even if the musicians have never played the song or have played
together before. These types of music sheets, called lead
sheets are usually published in books called "fake
books".
Improvisation
"Learn the changes, then forget
them." - Charlie Parker
Improvisation is making something
up as you go along. Jazz is built on musical structures and
conventions, but within these structures you have the freedom to
play whatever you want. That's why jazz doesn't sound like a pile
of notes that sound like a child banging on the piano.
The
Live Performance
"Do not fear mistakes. There are
none." - Miles Davis
Live performances are the essence
of jazz - since everything is made up as you go along, your song
will change slightly every time you play it. That's why people love
finding new recordings of songs - they can hear the different
interpretations.
When jazz first came out,
musicians had to tour in Europe before becoming successful in
America - from Jimi Hendrix to Wynton Marsalis. Today that is still
true.
The
Free Spirit
Jazz is about being a rebel and
it is about freedom. It is about doing what you want. It is about
not conforming to standards or what you know - it's about exploring
what's out there. This concept of artistic rebellion became a
symbol for all types of rebellion. Listening to jazz in Europe was
a symbol of rebellion against the Nazis - the Nazis had even banned
the word "jazz"!
Swing
When you ride a swing, you move
back and forth in a swaying motion. Swing in jazz refers to its
perpetual forward momentum. It's this swing beat that makes you
want to move around and dance, and even tap your fingers happily
across the table.
Syncopation
Syncopation is a fancy word which
describes the way jazz musicians play their notes. They place
accents before and after the beat, which emphasizes the beat
itself. This is what makes jazz different from the regular
classical and pop music. Check out Wynton
Marsalis explain the Big Four beat in this cool video - and
hear the transition from a song with a regular beat to the same
song with a new syncopated, jazzy beat.
Call
and response
This melody dates back to the
African tribal songs, and even the songs which slaves used to sing
before slavery was abolished in America. The call and response
occurs when a preacher or the dance leader shouts a statement, and
the audience shouts back. Similarly, instrumentalists also have
this call and response "conversation". They trade musical phrases
as if they are playing tag. One musician will say something, and
the other musician will respond - using their instruments or
voices.
Photo Credits:
City
art gallery
Splintered sunrise
Wardomatic
Cover vs.
Original
Bob and
Beyond
