LEARN SHEET: BASS LINES & IMPROVISATION (9.1)

Vocabulary you need to know:

Rhythm & Tempo terms The Walking Bass is a moving bass line used in Jazz, Syncopation An ‘off-beat’ or jazzy rhythm Blues and Rock and Roll music. It travels up and down Triplet 3 notes played in the time of 2 in a ‘walking’ motion using mainly the chord notes:

Irregular An ‘off-beat’/unpredictable rhythm Regular A predictable, straightforward rhythm Lento/Largo Slow Moderato Medium speed Allegretto Quite fast Allegro Fast The Blues Scale is a combination of notes used to Melody & Texture terms improvise in Jazz and Blues music. As well as the normal Riff A repeating pattern or phrase rd th th Phrasing Divisions of melody, like a comma/ scale notes it also has the flattened 3 , 5 and 7 .

full stop in a sentence Conjunct Stepwise movement Disjunct Movement using leaps and jumps Triadic Movement using notes of the chord Melodic Fill Decoration between main melody Improvisation Making music up on the spot Melody with A clear melody with simple parts A Riff is a short musical phrase or pattern which keeps accompaniment accompanying beneath its shape while moving around in pitch depending on Harmony the chord sequence: Tonic Number 1 of the scale or key Dominant Number 5 of the scale or key Perfect 2 chords (5-I) which make a piece sound cadence finished Imperfect 2 chords (x-5) which provide a link to the cadence next section Transpose Move a melody/piece to a new key 12 Bar Blues A standard chord progression used in The 12 Bar Blues is a CHORD GRIDS Jazz, Blues and Rock and Roll standard progression The G major chord grid:

Target Grade 6- or higher? used in Jazz, Blues and I – G B D (TONIC) Blue Note Flattened 3rd/5th/7th of a scale Rock and Roll music. It ii – A C E Countermelody A contrasting melody played can be played in any ‘against’ the main melody key using the chords: iii – B D F Backbeat/Skank Emphasising the ‘off-beat’/beat 2&4 IV – C E G Shuffle/swing Lively rhythm used in Jazz & Blues I I I I V – D F# A (DOMINANT) Boogie-Woogie Style characterised by lively bass line IV IV I I vi – E G B Primary Chords I, 4 and 5 in a given key V IV I I vii – F# A C Secondary Chords 2 and 6 in a given key

TARGET GRADE 6- OR HIGHER?

A Boogie-Woogie Bass is a decorated version of Make the 12 Bar Blues more interesting by adding th the Walking Bass. Each note is played twice, the a 7th (ie C7 instead of C). To add a 7 to a chord, 2nd an octave higher than the first: add the note 3 semitones above its top note:

‘C’ becomes…’C7’

FEATURES OF JAZZ AND BLUES  Originated from slaves ‘worksongs’ with Trad. Jazz starting in the 1920s in New Orleans

 Well known Jazz musicians and bands included Glenn Miller (Big Band), Duke Ellington, Miles Davis (Trumpet), Charlie Parker (Saxophone) and Ella Fitzgerald (Vocal)  Typical features include improvisation, syncopated (off-beat) rhythms and a lively, energetic style  Typical instruments include trumpet, saxophone, piano, guitar, bass and drums  The 12 Bar Blues chord sequence and Blues Scale give the style its distinctive sound  A ‘head arrangement’ is often used with several repetitions of the 12 Bar Blues while performers improvise