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

half-diminished

Music; Jazz

The chord with a minor third, a lowered (diminished) fifth, and a minor seventh. Formally called 'minor 7 flat 5'. This chord probably evolved from the IV minor 6th chord, which was common in the ...

hard bop

Music; Jazz

The style of the late 50s, engineered by Horace Silver, Art Blakey, etc. Still essentially Bebop, the style used hard-driving rhythmic feel and vehement, biting lines and harmony drenched with urban ...

pedal

Music; Jazz

A bass line that stays mainly on one note (or its octaves) under several changes of harmony. Also pedal-point. The most typical situation is when a dominant pedal (bass on V) underlies a turnaround ...

AABA song form

Music; Jazz

The most common form in jazz music. This type of song has an opening section (A), a bridge (B) before transitioning to the final A section. Typical of songs by Gershwin, Cole Porter, Harold Arlen, ...

A section

Music; Jazz

The first section of a tune, typically 8 bars; the main theme.

harmonic rhythm

Music; Jazz

The structural organization of chord progressions in time; the rate at which the chords pass by. Since this may not be related to the rhythms of the actual notes, it is an abstract concept.

out

Music; Jazz

The last chorus of a tune, when the head is played for the last time. On the stand the gesture of a raised clenched fist or a finger pointing to the head indicates that the out chorus is coming up.