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

bridge

Music; Jazz

The contrasting middle section of a tune, especially the 'B' section of an AABA song form. Traditionally, the bridge goes into a different key, often a remote key. Thelonious Monk once remarked that ...

outside

Music; Jazz

(1) The A sections of a tune, the parts other than the bridge. (2) A manner of playing over changes that avoids using the normal scales, or has no relationship to the changes. (3) A style of playing ...

double time feel

Music; Jazz

A time feel twice as fast, so that written eighth notes now sound like quarter notes, while the chords continue at the same speed as before.

chord tones

Music; Jazz

The root, third, fifth and seventh of a chord, as opposed to extensions.

verse

Music; Jazz

In many older standard songs, an introductory section, often rubato, that leads up to the 'chorus' or main strain, which is the tune as generally recognized. Jazz players (and fakebooks) usually omit ...

open voicing

Music; Jazz

One in which the chord tones are spread out over a greater range.

improv

Music; Jazz

The process of spontaneously creating fresh melodies over the continuously repeating cycle of chord changes of a tune. The improviser may depend on the contours of the original tune, or solely on the ...