LEARN SHEET: BASS LINES & IMPROVISATION (9.1) Vocabulary

Copy Link

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 .

Recommended publications

Queen of the Blues © Photos AP/Wideworld 46 D INAHJ ULY 2001W EASHINGTONNGLISH T EACHING F ORUM 03-0105 ETF 46 56 2/13/03 2:15 PM Page 47

03-0105_ETF_46_56 2/13/03 2:15 PM Page 46 J Queen of the Blues © Photos AP/WideWorld 46 D INAHJ ULY 2001W EASHINGTONNGLISH T EACHING F ORUM 03-0105_ETF_46_56 2/13/03 2:15 PM Page 47 thethe by Kent S. Markle RedRed HotHot BluesBlues AZZ MUSIC HAS OFTEN BEEN CALLED THE ONLY ART FORM J to originate in the United States, yet blues music arose right beside jazz. In fact, the two styles have many parallels. Both were created by African- Americans in the southern United States in the latter part of the 19th century and spread from there in the early decades of the 20th century; both contain the sad sounding “blue note,” which is the bending of a particular note a quar- ter or half tone; and both feature syncopation and improvisation. Blues and jazz have had huge influences on American popular music. In fact, many key elements we hear in pop, soul, rhythm and blues, and rock and roll (opposite) Dinah Washington have their beginnings in blues music. A careful study of the blues can contribute © AP/WideWorld Photos to a greater understanding of these other musical genres. Though never the Born in 1924 as Ruth Lee Jones, she took the stage name Dinah Washington and was later known leader in music sales, blues music has retained a significant presence, not only in as the “Queen of the Blues.” She began with singing gospel music concerts and festivals throughout the United States but also in our daily lives. in Chicago and was later famous for her ability to sing any style Nowadays, we can hear the sound of the blues in unexpected places, from the music with a brilliant sense of tim- ing and drama and perfect enun- warm warble of an amplified harmonica on a television commercial to the sad ciation.
The Blues Blue

03-0105_ETF_46_56 2/13/03 2:15 PM Page 56 A grammatical Conundrum the blues Using “blue” and “the blues” Glossary to denote sadness is not recent BACKBEAT—a rhythmic emphasis on the second and fourth beats of a measure. English slang. The word blue BAR—a musical measure, which is a repeated rhythmic pattern of several beats, usually four quarter notes (4/4) for the blues. The blues usually has twelve bars per was associated with sadness verse. and melancholia in Eliza- BLUE NOTE—the slight lowering downward, usually of the third or seventh notes, of a major scale. Some blues musicians, especially singers, guitarists and bethan England. The Ameri- harmonica players, bend notes upward to reach the blue note. can writer Washington Irving CHOPS—the various patterns that a musician plays, including basic scales. When blues musicians get together for jam sessions, players of the same instrument used the term the blues in sometimes engage in musical duels in front of a rhythm section to see who has the “hottest chops” (plays best). 1807. Grammatically speak- CHORD—a combination of notes played at the same time. ing, however, the term the CHORD PROGRESSION—the use of a series of chords over a song verse that is repeated for each verse. blues is a conundrum: should FIELD HOLLERS—songs that African-Americans sang as they worked, first as it be treated grammatically slaves, then as freed laborers, in which the workers would sing a phrase in response to a line sung by the song leader. as a singular or plural noun? GOSPEL MUSIC—a style of religious music heard in some black churches that The Merriam-Webster una- contains call-and-response arrangements similar to field hollers.
The Solo Style of Jazz Clarinetist Johnny Dodds: 1923 – 1938

Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 2003 The solo ts yle of jazz clarinetist Johnny Dodds: 1923 - 1938 Patricia A. Martin Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations Part of the Music Commons Recommended Citation Martin, Patricia A., "The os lo style of jazz clarinetist Johnny Dodds: 1923 - 1938" (2003). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 1948. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/1948 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please [email protected]. THE SOLO STYLE OF JAZZ CLARINETIST JOHNNY DODDS: 1923 – 1938 A Monograph Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College In partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in The School of Music By Patricia A.Martin B.M., Eastman School of Music, 1984 M.M., Michigan State University, 1990 May 2003 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This is dedicated to my father and mother for their unfailing love and support. This would not have been possible without my father, a retired dentist and jazz enthusiast, who infected me with his love of the art form and led me to discover some of the great jazz clarinetists. In addition I would like to thank Dr. William Grimes, Dr. Wallace McKenzie, Dr. Willis Delony, Associate Professor Steve Cohen and Dr.
Minor Pentatonic & Blues- the Five Box Shapes

Minor Pentatonic & Blues- The Five Box Shapes Now we will add one note to the minor pentatonic scale and turn it into the six-note blues scale. Pentatonic & Blues scales are the most commonly used scales in most genres of music. We can add the flat 5, (b5), or blue note to the pentatonic scale, making it a six-note scale called the Blues Scale. That b5, or blue note, adds a lot of tension and color to the scale. These are “must-know” scales especially for blues and rock so be sure to memorize them and add them to your soloing repertoire. Most of the time when soloing with minor pentatonic scales you can also use the blues scale. To be safe, at first, use the blue note more in passing for color, don’t hang on it too long. Hanging on that flat five too long can sound a bit dissonant. It’s a great note though, so experiment with it and let your ear guide you. The five box shapes illustrated below cover the entire neck. These five positions are the architecture to build licks and runs as well as to connect into longer expanded scales. To work freely across the entire neck you will want to memorize all five positions as well as the two expanded scales illustrated on the next page. These scale shapes are moveable. The key is determined by the root notes illustrated in black. If you want to solo in G minor pentatonic play box #1 using your first finger starting at the 3rd fret on the low E-string and play the shape from there.
Crossing Over: from Black Rhythm Blues to White Rock 'N' Roll

PART2 RHYTHM& BUSINESS:THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF BLACKMUSIC Crossing Over: From Black Rhythm Blues . Publishers (ASCAP), a “performance rights” organization that recovers royalty pay- to WhiteRock ‘n’ Roll ments for the performance of copyrighted music. Until 1939,ASCAP was a closed BY REEBEEGAROFALO society with a virtual monopoly on all copyrighted music. As proprietor of the com- positions of its members, ASCAP could regulate the use of any selection in its cata- logue. The organization exercised considerable power in the shaping of public taste. Membership in the society was generally skewed toward writers of show tunes and The history of popular music in this country-at least, in the twentieth century-can semi-serious works such as Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, Cole Porter, George be described in terms of a pattern of black innovation and white popularization, Gershwin, Irving Berlin, and George M. Cohan. Of the society’s 170 charter mem- which 1 have referred to elsewhere as “black roots, white fruits.’” The pattern is built bers, six were black: Harry Burleigh, Will Marion Cook, J. Rosamond and James not only on the wellspring of creativity that black artists bring to popular music but Weldon Johnson, Cecil Mack, and Will Tyers.’ While other “literate” black writers also on the systematic exclusion of black personnel from positions of power within and composers (W. C. Handy, Duke Ellington) would be able to gain entrance to the industry and on the artificial separation of black and white audiences. Because of ASCAP, the vast majority of “untutored” black artists were routinely excluded from industry and audience racism, black music has been relegated to a separate and the society and thereby systematically denied the full benefits of copyright protection.
The Descending Diminished 7Ths in the Brass in the Intro

VCFA TALK ON ELLINGTON COMPOSITION TECHNIQUES FEB.2017 A.JAFFE 1.) Clarinet Lament [1936] (New Orleans references) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FS92-mCewJ4 (3:14) Compositional Techniques: ABC ‘dialectical’ Sonata/Allegro type of form; where C = elements of A + B combined; Diminution (the way in which the “Basin St. Blues” chord progression is presented in shorter rhythmic values each time it appears); play chord progression Quoting with a purpose (aka ‘signifying’ – see also Henry Louis Gates) 2.) Lightnin’ [1932] (‘Chorus’ form); reliance on distinctively individual voices (like “Tricky Sam” Nanton on trombone) – importance of the compositional uses of such voices who were acquired by Duke by accretion were an important element of his ‘sonic signature’ – the opposite of classical music where sonic conformity in sound is more the rule in choosing players for ensembles. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XlcWbmQYmA (3:07) Techniques: It’s all about the minor third (see also discussion of “Tone Parallel to Harlem”) Motivic Development (in this case the minor 3rd; both harmonically and melodically pervasive) The descending diminished 7ths in the Brass in the Intro: The ascending minor third motif of the theme: The extended (“b9”) background harmony in the Saxophones, reiterating the diminished 7th chord from the introduction: Harmonic AND melodic implications of the motif Early use of the octatonic scale (implied at the modulation -- @ 2:29): Delay of resolution to the tonic chord until ms. 31 of 32 bar form (prefigures Monk, “Ask Me Now”, among others, but decades earlier). 3.) KoKo [1940]; A tour de force of motivic development, in this case rhythmic; speculated to be related to Beethoven’s 5th (Rattenbury, p.
Discografía De BLUE NOTE Records Colección Particular De Juan Claudio Cifuentes

CifuJazz Discografía de BLUE NOTE Records Colección particular de Juan Claudio Cifuentes Introducción Sin duda uno de los sellos verdaderamente históricos del jazz, Blue Note nació en 1939 de la mano de Alfred Lion y Max Margulis. El primero era un alemán que se había aficionado al jazz en su país y que, una vez establecido en Nueva York en el 37, no tardaría mucho en empezar a grabar a músicos de boogie woogie como Meade Lux Lewis y Albert Ammons. Su socio, Margulis, era un escritor de ideología comunista. Los primeros testimonios del sello van en la dirección del jazz tradicional, por entonces a las puertas de un inesperado revival en plena era del swing. Una sentida versión de Sidney Bechet del clásico Summertime fue el primer gran éxito de la nueva compañía. Blue Note solía organizar sus sesiones de grabación de madrugada, una vez terminados los bolos nocturnos de los músicos, y pronto se hizo popular por su respeto y buen trato a los artistas, que a menudo podían involucrarse en tareas de producción. Otro emigrante aleman, el fotógrafo Francis Wolff, llegaría para unirse al proyecto de su amigo Lion, creando un tandem particulamente memorable. Sus imágenes, unidas al personal diseño del artista gráfico Reid Miles, constituyeron la base de las extraordinarias portadas de Blue Note, verdadera seña de identidad estética de la compañía en las décadas siguientes mil veces imitada. Después de la Guerra, Blue Note iniciaría un giro en su producción musical hacia los nuevos sonidos del bebop. En el 47 uno de los jóvenes representantes del nuevo estilo, el pianista Thelonious Monk, grabó sus primeras sesiones Blue Note, que fue también la primera compañía del batería Art Blakey.
Richard King Creates Harmony Through Musical Relationships

Richard King creates harmony through musical relationships By Jeremy Essig n 1982, Richard King booked a little-known band with a randomly chosen acronym to play at The Blue Note. Both the nightclub and the band, which had just recorded its first album, were 2 years old at the time. Following an appearance in support of their album Chronic Town, Michael Stipe and the other members of R.E.M. were about to leave The Blue Note, though known for building up on him. “I said, ‘No, it was Columbia when King’s partner Phil Costello noticed they were about bands, also holds a notorious place in alternative definitely (Costello).’” to loose a tire on their van, recalled Kevin Walsh – a longtime friend music history as the spot where an influential band Although The Blue Note of both King and Costello. self-destructed. might have missed out on Crow, When it came time to pay them, Costello provided extra money to Minnesota’s Husker Du, touring in support of King played an integral role in the purchase a new tire for the band, which would go on to become one 1987’s Warehouse: Songs and Stories, played their development of another regional of the most famous in rock and roll history. final show at The Blue Note. Drummer Grant Hart band — Uncle Tupelo from Belleville, Ill. “I can’t see myself at 30,” Stipe sang on “Little America,” the performed after missing the sound check and then Uncle Tupelo, whose members would band’s commentary on touring. On July 30, The Blue Note will do disappeared.
Ext. Patrick Schenkius

9th EUROPEAN MUSIC ANALYSIS CONFERENCE — EUROMAC 9 Patrick Schenkius Conservatory of Amsterdam, The Netherlands Royal Conservatoire, The Netherlands [email protected], [email protected] Wayne Shorter and the 12-bar blues form ABSTRACT The piece Tell it Like it Is has a regular twelve bar length but with two different melodies played consecutively in the Background opening theme. The first melody of twelve bars is in the minor The 12 bar blues form has always been an important tool in tonality and the second starts in the parallel major and ends jazz. However, until now there hasn’t been much analysis again in parallel minor tonality. The use of the minor tonality done as to how this form relates to the original compositions for the blues structure is somewhat problematic. Firstly the by jazz musicians and composers, among which includes the traditional blue note tension has disappeared: the flatted third saxophonist Wayne Shorter (b. 1933). This is especially the and seventh are scalewise now in minor. Secondly, what case when the characteristic elements of the blues are not chords should be used in order to state the three harmonic clearly perceivable in the foreground. functions? Until the mid 1950s the ‘minor blues’ was a mere curiosity, not a mainstream practice. Aims and repertoire studied The next two blues pieces were recorded in 1964 by Wayne Wayne Shorter’s compositions are characterized by stretch- Shorter as a band leader for his first two albums for the Blue ing conventional forms as well as bending traditional har- Note label. The first piece is Charcoal Blues, a twelve bar riff mony, all bound together by a rhythmical persuasive melody.
Otis Blackwell: Songwriter to “The King”

Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum • Words & Music • Grades 3-6 Otis Blackwell: Songwriter to “The King” As the songwriter of two of Elvis Presley’s career-making hits, Otis Blackwell will always be linked to the man known as the King of Rock & Roll. But so many artists have recorded Blackwell’s songs that his work reaches far beyond Presley’s shadow. The many hits Blackwell wrote made him one of rock & roll’s most inﬂuential songwriters. Born February 16, 1932, in Brooklyn, New York, Blackwell grew up next to a movie theater and developed a passion for Hollywood’s singing cowboys and their western music. “Like the blues, it told a story,” he once said. “But it didn’t have the same restrictive construction. A cowboy song could do anything.” Blackwell began writing songs in his teens, but turned his attention to performing after winning a local talent show. He soon tired of the road, however, choosing instead to focus on songwriting while working a day job pressing clothes at a New York tailor shop. Presley soon followed this success with “All Shook Up,” which Blackwell penned after his publisher shook a bottle of soda and Blackwell’s demo tape of “Don’t Be Cruel” caught the ear of jokingly challenged him to write a song about it. Presley, who was then looking to expand his popularity from the South to the nation as a whole. Taking cues from Blackwell’s vocal Building on his early success, Blackwell continued to write phrasing, Presley turned the song into a 1956 sensation that topped for Presley, and he created a string of hit songs for other the country, R&B, and pop charts alike.
Twin Cities Funk & Soul

SEPTEMBER 25, 2012 I VOLUME 1 I ISSUE 1 DEDICATED TO UNCOVERING MUSIC HISTORY WILLIE & THE PROPHETS BAND OF KUXL JACKIE BUMBLEBEES OF PEACE THIEVES RADIO HARRIS 99 SECRET STASH ISSUE 1: TWIN CITIES FUNK & ANDSOUL MUCH SEPTEMBER MORE 25, 2012 The Philadelphia Story (AKA Valdons) mid 70s courtesy Minnesota Historical Society. Photo by Charles Chamblis. Left to right: Maurice Young, Clifton Curtis, Monroe Wright, Bill Clark Maurice McKinnies circa 1972 courtesy Minnesota Historical Society. Photo by Charles Dance contest at The Taste Show Lounge, Minneapolis late 70s courtesy Minnesota Historical Chamblis. Society. Photo by Charles Chamblis. 02 SECRET STASH VOLUME 1 - ISSUE 1: TWIN CITIES FUNK & SOUL SEPTEMBER 25, 2012 INTRODUCTION It was three years ago that we launched Secret Stash Records. About a year and a half lat- er, we started working on what would eventually become our biggest release, Twin Cities Funk & Soul: Lost R&B Grooves From Minneapolis/St. Paul 1964-1979. What follows is our attempt to share with you some of the amazing stories, history, and photos that have been so gracious- ly shared with us during the course of producing a compilation of soulful tunes from our hometown. ..... R&B, soul, and funk music in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota went through dra- matic changes during the 1960s and 1970s. Predating these changes, a vibrant jazz scene beginning in the 1920s laid the groundwork with several players being instrumental in helping teach young local R&B mu- sicians how to play. However, many of the early R&B pioneers, including Mojo Buford, Maurice McKin- nies, and Willie Walker, came to Minnesota from other states and brought the music with them.
ULTIMATE BLUES GUITAR CHEAT SHEET - WRITTEN MANUAL - Page 2 of 39

ULTIMATE BLUES GUITAR CHEAT SHEET - WRITTEN MANUAL - Page 2 of 39 INTRODUCTION: This book of written lessons is an excellent tool and reference manual to develop and enhance your guitar skills. Use these instructional materials to help open up guitar avenues and to examine different chords and rhythms, lead guitar techniques, learning the fretboard, music theory,scales, and the world of playing over chord changes. If you don’t keep a practice log you want to start one for sure. A three ring binder with filler paper works best. Print out this booklet of written lessons and keep it with all other music reference materials in the three ring binder. Keep these items handy so you can refer to them when studying and practicing. Add filler paper to your binder and keep accurate records in your practice log of the items you are working on, what needs work, chord changes, progressions, songs, original material, scales, etc. Date the entries and keep track of your progress as you move forward in your guitar journey. Just like settings goals in life you want to set musical goals……and then go out there and achieve them. Remember to follow my structured curriculum, keep on practicing the right things, and keep developing your ear. Don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to take on too many new things at once. Take these lessons and techniques in stages and slow and steady wins the race. Some of the more advanced lead guitar avenues will take time to digest. One of the keys is consistency. Keep trying to put those guitars in your hands every day, even if its only for 10-15 minutes.