Elements of Jazz

Jazz comprises the same basic elements of all music: melody, harmony, texture, rhythm and instruments, with one important additional ingredient:  improvisation.

MELODY

The Bing Dictionary defines the element of melody as follows:

    mel·o·dy [ méllədee ]

1. tune: a series of musical notes that form a distinct unit, are recognizable as a phrase, and usually have a distinctive rhythm
2. linear musical structure: the linear structure of a piece of music in which single notes follow one another
3. main tune: the primary and most recognizable part in a harmonic piece of music

Melody is the main musical idea of a piece of music, expressed in a succession of pitches (notes) in a specific rhythm.  In jazz the musical idea remains, but the actual pitches and rhythms may be rearranged or modified by the performing musician to express his or her interpretation of the emotion or meaning of the music.

HARMONY

In music, harmony is the simultaneous playing of different notes to create layers of pitches commonly known as chords.  Harmony can consist of one note in addition to the melody or any number of notes.  The harmony helps "paint" the emotion of the music.  In jazz, the harmonies are quite complex compared to contemporary rock or pop. 

TEXTURE

Texture is how the melody, harmony and rhythms are combined in a song.  Texture can be described as how "thick" or "thin" the music sounds.  There are four basic kinds of texture:  monophony, homophony, polyphony and heterophony. 

Monophonic music (monophony) consists of only one line or music (the melody) all by itself, such as a chorus singing the exact same pitches together in the same rhythm. 

Homophonic music (homophony) is the most common texture found in Western music.  Homophony is "thicker" than monophonic music, and consists of more than one instrument or voice basically moving together, but singing or playing different pitches (singing or playing in harmony). Singing a Christmas carol in 4-part harmony is a good example of homophony: while every part is singing something different, for the most part they sing the words and move along at the same time.

Polyphonic music (polyphony) is where two or more instruments are playing completely different things -- the melody will be there, but another melody (or melodies) -- called a countermelody -- will also be doing its own thing.  In jazz, the ensemble often performs polyphonic music; the various musicians will each play his or her interpretation of the melody and harmony, playing different tones and rhythms.  When you sing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" in a round, you are creating polyphony: although each person is singing the same melody, you are doing it at different times. The result is a thicker texture with everybody singing something completely different (a different part of the melody and rhythm) at any given point in the music.

Heterophonic music is lesson common in Western music.  Heterphony consists of two or more variations of a melody being performed at the same time.  Heterophony typically occurs in jazz music as part of a larger polyphonic texture, where two or more musicians are playing their versions of the melody and the rest of the group is playing harmonically-based lines to support the melody.

RHYTHM

Rhythm is often thought of as the heartbeat of the music.  It is the pattern that is created by the length that notes are held.  Rhythm is often confused with the beat or pulse of the music, but they are very different.  The beat or pulse of the music is what you tap your foot to; it is the ongoing underlying basis for the music and is uniform and consistent.  The rhythm is layered on top of the beat and is relative to the beat, but is not uniform and typically includes notes of varying length. Jazz rhythms are very complex, because every person is typically playing a different patterns at the same time.

INSTRUMENTS

Although today, almost every common instrument known to man has been played in the jazz arena, we typically think of a select group of instruments when we think of jazz.  The most commonly used brass instruments are trumpet or cornet and trombone.  Woodwind instruments heard most often in jazz are the saxophone (soprano, alto, tenor), clarinet and sometime flute.  Essential to the jazz trio is the string bass, and jazz guitar is now common in jazz ensembles. And jazz piano has been with us since the genesis of jazz. Percussion instruments include the vibraphone (the vibes) and the almighty drummer to round out the basic essentials of today's jazz ensemble.

IMPROVISATION

Improvisation is the essential ingredient of jazz and what sets it apart from other musics.  Improvisation is, essentially, "making it up as you go along."  History is full of great improvisational musicians -- Mozart and Bach come to mind -- but only in jazz do you have a group of musicians improvising at the same time to create a unique piece of music.  We improvise every day of our lives.  When you have a conversation with someone, although you might have an idea of what you want to say, you respond to what the other person is saying or how they are reacting, and thus improvise your side of the conversation to "fit" what they are communicating.  It is the same in jazz music: musicians "do their own thing" while also listening to the others in the group and seeking to meet on a common plane to make music.

To learn more about the elements of jazz, visit the Jazz Lounge section of the PBS JAZZ website under "Music 101."  You can learn more about the instruments mentioned in this article by visiting the Musical Notes section of the site under "Buyers Assistant."

JAZZ Episodes 9 and 10

Summaries adapted from the PBS website.

Episode 9: "The Adventure"
1956 - 1960

Segregated Water Cooler

In the late 1950s, America's postwar prosperity continues, but beneath the surface run currents of change. Families are moving to the suburbs, watching television has become the national pastime, and baby boomers have begun coming of age. For jazz, it is also a period of transition when old stars like Billie Holiday and Lester Young will burn out while young talents arise to take the music in new directions.
Jazz still has its two guiding lights. In 1956, the first year Elvis tops the charts, Duke Ellington recaptures the nation's ear with a performance at the Newport Jazz Festival that becomes his best-selling record ever. The next year, Louis Armstrong makes headlines when he condemns the government's failure to stand up to racism in Little Rock, Arkansas, risking his career while musicians who dismissed him as an Uncle Tom remain silent.

Meanwhile, new virtuosos emerge to push the limits of bebop: saxophone colossus Sonny Rollins; jazz diva Sarah Vaughan; and the drummer Art Blakey, whose Jazz Messengers will become a proving ground for young musicians over the next forty years. But the leading light of the era is Miles Davis — a catalyst constantly forming new groups to showcase different facets of his stark, introspective sound; a popularizer whose lush recordings with arranger Gil Evans expand the jazz audience; and a cultural icon whose tough-guy charisma comes to define what's hip.

As the turbulent Sixties arrive, however, two saxophonists take jazz into uncharted terrain. John Coltrane explodes the pop tune My Favorite Things into a kaleidoscope of freewheeling sound, while Ornette Coleman challenges all conventions with a sound he calls "free jazz." Once again, the music seems headed for new adventures, but now, for the first time, even musicians are starting to ask, Is it still jazz?

Episode 10: "A Masterpiece by Midnight"
1960 to the Present

Wynton Marsalis

During the Sixties, jazz is in trouble. Critics divide the music into "schools" - Dixieland, swing, bebop, hard bop, modal, free, avant-garde. But most young people are listening to rock 'n' roll. Though Louis Armstrong briefly outsells the Beatles with Hello Dolly, most jazz musicians are desperate for work and many head for Europe, including bebop saxophone master, Dexter Gordon.

At home, jazz is searching for relevance. During the Civil Rights struggle, it becomes a voice of protest. Before his early death, the avant-garde explorer John Coltrane links jazz to the Sixties quest for a higher consciousness with his devotional suite, A Love Supreme. And Miles Davis, after conquering the avant-garde with a landmark quintet, combines jazz with rock 'n' roll by using electric instruments to launch a wildly popular sound called Fusion.

In the 1970s, jazz loses the exuberant genius of Louis Armstrong and the transcendent artistry of Duke Ellington, and for many their passing seems to mark the end of the music itself. But in 1976, when Dexter Gordon returns from Europe for a triumphant comeback, jazz has a homecoming, too. Over the next two decades, a new generation of musicians emerges, led by trumpeter Wynton Marsalis - schooled in the music's traditions, skilled in the arts of improvisation, and aflame with ideas only jazz can express. The musical journey that began in the dance halls and street parades of New Orleans at the start of the 20th century continues. As it enters its second century, jazz is still brand new every night, still vibrant, still evolving, and still swinging.

Students, in 2-3 complete sentences, post your comments on the video clips we watched in class below.