1. Understanding Jazz (How to listen):
•Requires understanding the performer & what instruments are played
•Personal voices are more important that composers
•Listener must be actively involved
•Requires mental concentration
•Non-visual elements & textures

2. Rhythm (metronome- BPM)
Things to listen for:
INSTRUMENTS & Vocals
DYNAMICS
TEMPOS
Rhythm (metronome- BPM)
Form -
GROUP INTERACTION

3. INSTRUMENTS & Vocals
What instruments? What Voices?
Ranges, tone colors, ect…
Register – what part of range is instrument playing in
Pitches- who is playing more or less notes?

4. DYNAMICS (pp vs. ff)
Are certain instruments loud or soft ?
How’s the whole group?
Does it start the same, end the same, or??
Individual dynamics, group dynamics, or terraced dynamics

5. Rhythm (metronome- BPM)
TEMPOS
Rhythm (metronome- BPM)
Rhythm Feels

6. TEMPOS
Rhythm (metronome- BPM)
–Meter – how fast, how slow THE PULSE
–Accents - emphasize a particular note
–Syncopation - displace the accents
– Rhythmic notation … ¼ notes, 8th notes, 16ths notes,

7. TEMPOS
Rhythm Feels
–Lay back - play behind the beat (pulse)
–Straight – play right with beat (pulse)
– On Top – play in front of the beat (pulse)
– Time Signature – 4 beat vs. 3 beat or ect….

8. Form - how music is organized
• Repetition
• Contrast
• Section Patterns ABA AAB ABC ,ect…
• Blues form - 12 bar blues A (4bars) A’ (4bars) B(4bars)
• Comparative to Pop forms verse, chorus, other modern forms

9. HEAD / SOLOS / Bass or Drum Solos / HEAD OUT / TAG or CLOSING
Typical layout (Form)
HEAD / SOLOS / Bass or Drum Solos / HEAD OUT / TAG or CLOSING

10. LISTENING between band members
GROUP INTERACTION
LISTENING between band members
Do others in the group react to soloist?
Soloist is lead other react using…
Dynamics
Tone colors
Rhythmic changes
Pitch changes (key)
Repeated Ideas
Ect…

11. Listening Journal Practice:
Instruments / vocals
How many musicians are playing
Range - high or low of instruments available
Register - part of total range that particular instruments are playing in
Dynamics - loud or soft
Tempo – how fast
Form – repeated melodies , solos, sections
Interaction – plays reactions to other players
Emotional response – happy, sad, anxious, relaxed, nothing??

12. LISTENING EXAMPLES
Ella Fitzgerald
Miles Davis
Mahavishnu Orchestra