Good Example Of Music Lesson 2 Essay

A. Outline the four possible definitions of jazz that appear in the text. Describe each and explain which definition you favor. Can you come up with a definition that expresses your current sense of what jazz is? (3 points) Based on the text’s exploration of the origins of jazz, there are four possible definitions. First, jazz can be seen as a style of music that involves the use of improvisation and syncopated rhythms in the creation of this music. Secondly, jazz is a style of music that draws from European brass band influences and adds African-American musical influences. Thirdly, jazz is a style of music that combines elements of ragtime and the blues, which had previously been created by African American musicians. Lastly, jazz is a style of music that utilizes rough tone qualities, blue notes, polyrhythms and overlapping call and response.
Of these four, I prefer the first, as it provides a more succinct and overarching expression of what sets jazz apart from other styles of music. If I were to develop my own definition of jazz, it would likely include elements of all four definitions – an Afro-European style of music that includes improvisation, syncopated rhythms and other unique characteristics. It may be somewhat vague, but it provides a comprehensive definition of what jazz is comprised of.

B. What are the basic components of a jazz drum set, and how are they played by the drummer? (3 points)

Drums in jazz often combine elements of European brass band drums and New Orleans instruments, including cowbells and wood blocks. However, the basic jazz drum set typically includes a bass drum, a set of snare drums, toms and hi-hat cymbals, the number and type of which is dependent on the drummer and the band’s needs. Crash and splash cymbals, as well as ride cymbals, are also often found in the jazz drummer’s kit.
When a drummer plays a jazz set, one prominent way in which the drums are played involves substantial use of polyrhythms, which is defined as the “practice of sounding different rhythms at the same time” (48). The goal is to set up a syncopation of beats that accompanies the similar polyrhythms being emitted by the other instruments, backing and supporting the instruments while also asserting themselves at important moments (e.g. improvised drum solos). Fills and similar techniques are utilized in order to time solos, break up sections of the song, and allow for drummers to add flourish to jazz songs.
C. Improvising jazz musicians must be aware of many events while soloing. Discuss everything that the jazz musician consciously and intuitively tries to do while improvising. (4 points)
When improvising, jazz musicians have to be aware of a great many factors. First of all they must be aware of a consistent set of musical rules that, within their own framework, would allow for improvising that actually sounds good. Using jazz scales, for instance, and knowing them by heart allows a jazz musician to improvise in a way that is not just random notes strung together. New Orleans jazz musicians, in particular, focused on getting the ‘stocks’ of a piece down, the framework within which they could improvise.
In addition to that, jazz musicians must be acutely aware of what the other players in the ensemble are doing – their rhythms, keys and tempos – in order to effortlessly improvise along with them. They must also know when to start and stop solos, something which comes intuitively based on their knowledge of the piece and of the band they have assembled. Consciously, the jazz musician must be aware of his or her instrument and how to pull of the notes and chords they wish to hit; however, in what order to do them in is intuitive, and depends primarily on the flow of the song and what their skills teach them to do at a particular moment.