Jazz

Jazz

A style of music characterized by improvisation, syncopation, and usually a regular or forceful rhythm. It emerged at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions.

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Jazz

voice

Music; Jazz

Any one of the melodic lines formed by the flow of the music. The bass line and the melody form the two outer voices, and the tones in between may, to a greater or lesser extent, form melodic lines ...

diminished seventh

Music; Jazz

Chord composed of 4 notes, stacked in minor thirds. The symbol is a small raised circle. Since an additional minor third on top will be the octave of the bottom note, inversions of a º7 will have the ...

extensions

Music; Jazz

The ninth, eleventh and thirteenth of a chord.

pentatonic

Music; Jazz

Pertaining to scales of 5 notes to the octave, in particular 1-2-3-5-6 of the major scale. Pentatonic melodies are typical of much indigenous music around the world, and these scales are also an ...

back-beat

Music; Jazz

Beats 2 and 4 in 4/4 time, particularly when they are strongly accented. A term more used in rock 'n roll.

transpose

Music; Jazz

To write or perform (a composition) in a key other than the original or given key, most often to accomodate the range of a vocalist or another instrument.

coda

Music; Jazz

(1) A portion of a tune which seems like a tail, or extra measures, added to the last A section. It is repeated for every chorus, however. (2) An ending for a tune, used only once after the final ...