Introduction to Jazz and Its Instruments
60 Questions
2 Views

Choose a study mode

Play Quiz
Study Flashcards
Spaced Repetition
Chat to lesson

Podcast

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson

Questions and Answers

Which of the following characteristics is NOT associated with bebop music?

  • Fewer popular tunes and singers
  • Less predictability in the music
  • Faster playing with more surprises
  • Darker, weightier tone colors (correct)

    • Who is considered the most important saxophonist in jazz history?

  • Lee Konitz
  • Glenny Tristano
  • Charlie Parker (correct)
  • John Birks 'Dizzy' Gillespie

    • What differentiates Hard Bop from Bebop?

  • A relentless hard-driving feeling (correct)
  • More written arrangements
  • Brighter tone qualities
  • Fewer chord changes

    • Which musician is NOT recognized as one of the early Cool Jazz musicians?

    <p>John Coltrane</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a characteristic of Funky Jazz?

    <p>Bluesy inflections and gospel-type harmonies</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are the main components that define jazz?

    <p>Improvisation and swing feeling</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the term 'walking bass' refer to in jazz?

    <p>A method to track the chord progression.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which instrument in jazz typically provides the accompaniment through chords?

    <p>Piano</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How did early jazz differ from its precursors like ragtime and blues?

    <p>It was characterized by more relaxed rhythmic feels.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What key characteristic distinguishes the swing feeling in jazz?

    <p>Abundance of syncopated rhythms.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which trend contributed to the birth of jazz by allowing improvisation?

    <p>Taking liberties with rhythm patterns.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    When did jazz become a fully formed and recorded genre?

    <p>1920s</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What best describes the relationship between jazz and its African American origins?

    <p>Jazz was influenced by both African and European musical traditions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which musician is known for starting the 'Cool Jazz' movement?

    <p>Miles Davis</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a characteristic feature of Free Jazz?

    <p>Dispersion of melody and timekeeping</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Who is considered the most influential saxophonist in jazz after Charlie Parker?

    <p>John Coltrane</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which guitarist is noted for their contributions to Hard Bop?

    <p>Wes Montgomery</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is NOT a prominent figure in Hard Bop?

    <p>Ornette Coleman</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What distinguishes Jazz from Rock and Funk?

    <p>Greater complexity</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of these recordings was made by Horace Silver?

    <p>Gregory is Here</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of style is characterized by improvisation over chords that sound odd together?

    <p>Free Jazz</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which instrument was NOT originally part of the first Jazz Band?

    <p>Violin</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was significant about the original Dixieland Jazz Band?

    <p>They were the first group to record in 1917.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which statement about Louis Armstrong is true?

    <p>He had a significant role in innovating Jazz improvisation.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which characteristic distinguishes Swing from Early Jazz?

    <p>Increased use of high-hat cymbals.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Count Basie is known for which of the following contributions to Jazz?

    <p>Creating a unique style of comping.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is true about Duke Ellington?

    <p>He was a prolific composer-arranger in Jazz history.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Benny Goodman earned the title 'King of Swing' for which reason?

    <p>He led the most well-known swing band in the 30s and 40s.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What aspect did Bebop reject when compared to Swing?

    <p>Collective improvisation.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Diegetic music exists separately from the characters and influences the audience's emotional reaction.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The cantina scene in the original Star Wars is an example of non-diegetic music.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Non-diegetic music is commonly used in film to enhance emotional responses and does not involve characters interacting with it.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The Golden Age of Hollywood is noted for a unique period of creativity in film from the 1930s to the 1950s.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Most film music is diegetic, integrating directly with the actions of the characters on screen.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Leitmotif, a technique utilized by Max Steiner, assigns specific instruments or musical themes to individual characters or events.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Erich Korn Gold is known for composing the music for the film 'Star Wars'.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Alfred Newman directed music at RKO Studios and composed over 300 films.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The score for 'A Street Car Named Desire' was composed by Erich Korn Gold.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The success of the song 'Oh My Darling' led studios to ask composers to create original songs for their films for promotional purposes.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Miles Davis's jazz score for Elevator to the Gallows was created with a group of musicians performing original compositions.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    John Barry is known for defining the sound of romantic comedies with his scoring.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The soundtrack for The Graduate was primarily created using original songs written specifically for the film.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Elmer Bernstein’s score for The Magnificent Seven is considered a classic example of Western film music.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Ennio Morricone's work on Sergio Leone's Dollar Trilogy was characterized by a fusion of jazz and pop music.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The income opportunity of soundtrack sales makes scoring films with songs a less appealing strategy for studios.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Synthesizer scores in the 1980s were influenced primarily by traditional orchestral music.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    John Williams is known for his role in reviving the sound of the Golden Age of Hollywood through his film scores.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The film 'Flash Dance' and 'Foot Loose' featured original scores that played a minor role in the films.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The 1990s saw film scoring continue to evolve, incorporating nearly every music genre while still favoring orchestral scores.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Hans Zimmer became influential due to his use of technology and collaborative approach in music production.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Jerry Goldsmith is primarily known for his contributions to the animated film genre.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    John Carpenter introduced a new vocabulary of computerized arpeggios through his synthesizer scores.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The presence of synthesizers in the 1980s helped aspiring film composers enter the industry more easily.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Colman gained recognition by composing music for film and television after working with the band Prince & the Revolution.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Mica Levi was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Score for her work on the film 'Under the Skin'.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Miriam Cutler has co-produced albums with famous artists like Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Trent Reznor, a member of Nine Inch Nails, is known for his success in the film industry.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Mica Levi was recognized as the first woman nominee for Best Original Score at the Academy Awards in 16 years.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Colman released three original albums together after their success with Prince.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Miriam Cutler is known for her contributions to film scores and has been active for over 15 years.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    What is Jazz?

    • Jazz involves improvisation and swing feeling
      • Improvisation is creating a spontaneous melody usually within a set of guidelines.
      • Although most jazz groups use arrangements, a substantial portion of their performances is improvised.
      • Swing feeling is achieved by spirited performances of many different kinds of music that employ a steady tempo.
      • Swing feeling in jazz has an abundance of syncopated rhythms, swing 8th notes (longer on 1's, 2's, 3's and 4's) and continuous rise and fall of tension.

    Jazz Instruments

    • Bass: Plays walking bass style, keeping time and outlining the chord progression for the improvisers.
    • Drums: Keeps time with the snare drum, bass drum, ride cymbal, and high hat cymbals. Contributes kicks and prods to communicate with the improvising soloist.
    • Piano: Uses comping accompaniment style, feeding chords to the improvising soloist in a flexible and syncopated way.
    • Soloist: Considers chord progressions, logical and original construction of their solos, and communication with accompanists while performing.

    Jazz Timeline

    • Pre 1890s: Afro Roots, Worksongs, Gospel
    • 1890: Ragtime
    • 1900: Blues Early Jazz
    • 1930: Swing
    • 1945: Bebop
    • 1949: Cool Jazz
    • 1950: Latin Jazz
    • 1960: Free Jazz/ Freeform
    • 1969: Fusion
    • 1980: Contemporary

    Origins of Jazz

    • Jazz originated in the 1800s, blending brass band and ragtime piano styles to satisfy social dancers.
    • It became a recognizable style in the 1890s.
    • Jazz was fully formed and recorded in the 1920s.
    • Taking liberties with melody and accompaniments, leading to improvisation.
    • Taking liberties with tone qualities, mixing raspy rough sound with smooth tone quality.
    • African Americans created new music, such as Ragtime and Blues, blended with European dance and church music.

    Early Jazz

    • Early jazz differed from its ragtime, blues, and brass band roots in several ways.
      • Much of each performance was improvised.
      • Rhythmic feel was looser and more relaxed.
      • Early jazz generated its compositions.
      • Collective improvisation created a more complex musical product than previous styles.
    • Early Jazz bands used the same instruments as brass bands: trumpet, clarinet, trombone, tuba, drums and saxophone.
    • We infer early jazz sounds through New Orleans players’ recordings after moving to Chicago in the 1920s.

    Early Jazz Bands and Key Figures

    • The Original Dixieland Jazz Band: The first jazz group to record in 1917 with the track "Dixieland Jazz Band One-Step."
    • King Oliver and his Creole Jazz group: The first African American group to make records containing a substantial amount of improvisation, including "Alligator Hop."
    • Louis Armstrong: A jazz innovator, known for his incredible improvisation skills. Nicknames include: Father of Jazz, Pops, and Satchmo.

    Swing

    • Swing differed from Early Jazz in several ways:
      • Greater use of written arrangements.
      • Less emphasis on ragtime-like pieces.
      • Rejection of collective improvisation in favor of solo improvisation.
      • String bass was used instead of tuba.
      • Greater swing feeling.
      • Increased use of high-hat cymbals.
      • Emphasis on big band over small group instrumentation.
      • Saxophone became the prominent instrument.

    Important Swing Big Bands

    • Count Basie: Known for his light, precise touch, impeccable sense of tempo, and comping style which made silence as important as notes played.
    • Duke Ellington: The most creative and prolific composer-arranger in jazz history, leading one of the most stable and longest-lived big bands (1923-1974).
    • Benny Goodman: The "King of Swing," leading the most well-known jazz-oriented big band in the 1930s and 1940s. Known for his technically impressive clarinet playing and popular tracks like "Don't Be That Way."

    Bebop

    • Bebop differed from Swing in several ways:
      • Smaller bands.
      • Richer chords.
      • More chord changes.
      • Drier, more biting tone qualities.
      • Faster playing with more surprises.
      • Less reliance on written arrangements.
      • More complicated solos and accompaniments.
      • Less predictability in the music.

    Bebop Key Figures

    • Charlie Parker: A significant saxophonist of the 20th century, considered by many to be the most important saxophonist and even the most brilliant musical figure in the 20th century.
    • John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie: The first and most important bop trumpeter, known for his virtuoso skills and startling horn skills.

    Cool Jazz

    • Cool Jazz was a more subdued style, emerging as a response to bebop.
    • Glenny Tristano, Lee Konitz, and Miles Davis were among the first to pioneer cool jazz. - The nine-piece band that Miles Davis recorded with in 1949 is known as the "Birth of the Cool" band, also featuring Lee Konitz and Gerry Mulligan. - The "Birth of the Cool" album features tracks like "Move," "Jeru," and "Boplicity."

    Hard Bop

    • Hard Bop emerged from bebop in the 1950s, largely by East Coast and Midwest musicians.
    • Hard Bop differed from bebop:
      • Darker, weightier, and rougher tone colors.
      • Hard-driving feeling with an emphasis on swinging.
      • Less start-and-stop quality, leaving the listener off-balance.
      • More variety in rhythms and chord voicings in piano comping.
      • More activity in drumming.
      • Fewer pop tune chord progressions.
    • Funky Jazz is a subcategory of hard bop, featuring bluesy inflections of pitch and gospel-type harmonies.
      • Horace Silver and Cannonball Adderley were popular for their funky qualities, with catchy tracks like "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy."

    Prominent Figures in Hard Bop

    • Art Blakey: Drummer/Bandleader. Key recording: "Moaning The Egyptian."
    • Horace Silver: Pianist/Composer. Key recording: "Gregory is here."
    • Prominent Trumpet Players: Clifford Brown and Freddie Hubbard
    • Prominent Saxophone Players: Cannonball Adderley and Sonny Rollins
    • Prominent Guitar Players: Wes Montgomery and Miles Davis

    Miles Davis

    • Miles Davis was a pivotal bandleader in bebop, cool jazz, modal jazz, and jazz-rock fusion.
    • He started the “Cool Jazz” movement.
    • His trumpet style was distinctive, characterized by:
      • Playing with pitch and tone qualities at the beginning and end of notes.
      • Use of a Harmon mute.
      • Using space in solos.
      • Sometimes playing outside a strict tempo.

    John Coltrane

    • The most influential saxophonist in jazz after Charlie Parker.
    • His concepts were widely used by other musicians.
    • He innovated by combining unusual chords and improvising over them.
    • Some people hated his music, while others were deeply impressed. Some believe jazz history ended with Coltrane, while others feel it actually began with him.

    Avant Garde

    • Refers to the advance group of creators in any field of art and music.

    Free Jazz

    • Free jazz doesn't use preset progressions of chords.
    • Some forms dispense with preset melody and timekeeping.
    • Drummers often generate an unpredictable, ever-changing undercurrent of activity.
    • There's wider variation in pitch and tone quality than previous styles.
    • Some free jazz involves lengthy collective improvisation that is loud and frenzied.

    Prominent Free Jazz Musicians

    • Ornette Coleman: Saxophonist
    • Cecil Taylor: Pianist

    Fusion Jazz

    • Fusion jazz emerged in the late 1960s, achieving widespread popularity – the first jazz style to do so since the swing era.
    • It blends elements of jazz, rock, and funk music.
    • Jazz, rock, and funk music all share similar roots in Gospel music, work songs, and blues.
    • Jazz differs from rock and funk in its:
      • Smaller amount of repetition.
      • Larger amount of improv.
      • Greater complexity.
      • Higher level of musicianship.

    John McLaughlin

    • Important guitarist, bandleader, and composer in fusion jazz history.
    • He was born in England and active in British rock groups since the late 1950s.
    • He became known to American musicians during a period of collaboration with Miles Davis from 1969 to 1971.

    Studying That Suits You

    Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.

    Quiz Team

    Related Documents

    MUS-101 Module 4 PDF
    Music Film & TV Lecture Notes PDF

    Description

    Explore the fundamental concepts of jazz, including its emphasis on improvisation and swing feeling. This quiz covers essential jazz instruments such as the bass, drums, and piano, along with their roles in creating dynamic performances. Gain insight into the unique elements that define jazz music.

    More Like This

    Use Quizgecko on...
    Browser
    Open
    Browser
    Browser