Jazz

Unit Outline History of Jazz Characteristics Different Styles of Jazz Ragtime Blues New Orleans Jazz Swing Bebop Cool Jazz Free Jazz Jazz Rock

Unit Outline Continue 12 Bar Blues progression Improvisation in Jazz

Early Jazz Early jazz was neither notated or recorded as it was improvised and only existed in performance Music originated from New Orleans in America. Jazz was created by African Americans. Jazz has been influenced from African and European music

Early Jazz Cont. African music: African music involves everyone They have halls in Africa, although they do not sit around and listen to music - European influence Songs were passed down by singers known as Griots (“gree-ohs“) who memorised and repeated the songs about their people and history.

Early Jazz Cont. African Music Characteristics Call and response Polyrhythm Call and response Repetition of rhythms (rhythmic ostinato) Harmony occurs when two or more melodies are played together Scales were used ( pentatonic and seven note scales)

Ragtime Ragtime gets it name from ragged or syncopated rhythms in the music Ragtime was not polyrhythmic, but it uses a lot of syncopation which was influenced from African music The structure of ragtime is formal (binary, ternary, rondo) Piano rags were popular in homes, riverboats and nightclubs

Maple Leaf Rag by Scott Joplin (1868 – 1917) Listening: Duple Meter 2/4 Moderato tempo Right hand on the piano plays syncopated melody Left hand on the piano maintains the beat with an “oom-pah” accompaniment

Blues Originated from the African American slaves in America working to rhythmic songs in the fields. Country blues is the earliest form of blues - vocals accompanied by guitar. By 1900 the blues had developed into a highly structured style with distinct forms for lyrics and melodies

Blues Cont. Lyrics followed the form of AAB when it consisted of two rhyming lines and the first line is repeated as shown below a : Now listen baby, you so good and sweet a’: Now listen baby, you so good and sweet b : I want to stay ‘round you, if I have to beg in the street

Blues Characteristics 12 Bar Blue Progression Section a a’ b Bar 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 Chord I IV I V I Eg C major key: I - Cmaj, IV – Fmaj, V – Gmaj Vocalists and instrumentalists use “bent” notes and vocal scoops and slides

Blues Characteristics Use the Blues Scale Lowering the the 3rd, 5th and 7th notes Rhythm is very flexible. Vocalists and instrumentalists play “around” the beat, either just before or just after the beat.

Lost Your Head Blues by Bessie Smith (1894 – 1937) Listening: Blues characteristics Tone colour of the voice and cornet Pitch of the vocals Expressive techniques used on the vocals