JAZZ DEFINITIONS Accompaniment Music played in support of the melody, whether composed or improvised. Typically, the rhythm section (piano, bass, drums) provides the accompaniment. acid jazz A fusion of jazz improvisation and hip hop rhythms acoustic bass A stringed instrument that is also known as the double bass, acoustic bass, string bass, or contrabass. It is typically used as a bass instrument in most styles of jazz. angular A melody that contains many leaps of wide intervals, or one that changes direction often and in unexpected places arrangement A set of written or verbal instructions that specify the nature of the various components of a performance of a composition (intro, head, accompaniment, solos, interludes, coda, etc.) and the order in which they are put together articulation Specifics on how a note is played - whether the tongue is used to start or stop the note (on wind instruments), whether it is plucked or bowed (on stringed instruments), etc. atonal Music that has no well-defined tonal center; it often also implies the lack of chords or other traditional harmonic structures avant-garde A style of music on the forefront of experimentation; originally applied to jazz styles such as freebop and expressionism backbeat The second and fourth beats of a four beat measure. The term also refers to a rhythmic pattern that strongly emphasizes these beats. background A part played in accompaniment. The term typically implies accompaniment played by melody instruments. Ballad A relatively slow, quiet, and pretty composition bass The low notes; the role of any instrument that typically plays low notes. The term often refers specifically to the acoustic bass bass guitar A larger, lower pitched version of an electric guitar. It is used as a bass instrument, particularly in soul jazz and fusion styles. Beat A regular subdivision of time that forms the basis for the pulse Bebop A style of jazz that developed from swing and emphasizes virtuoso soloing bent pitch A note that is made to rise or fall in pitch while it is being played big band An ensemble of greater than ten or so players. The standard is around seventeen. blue note A note that is flat (low in pitch) compared to its counterpart in a major scale blues A style of music derived in part from work songs used during slavery; a precursor and component of jazz. blues progression A twelve measure chord progression, divided into three four-bar phrases and based on the I, IV, and V chords, often used in blues and in jazz blues scale A scale that includes one or more blue notes and is typically used in blues boogie-woogie A style of jazz, typically played on piano, that uses a repeating left hand bass line pattern bossa nova A style of jazz derived in part from the Brazilian samba break A short unaccompanied lead-in to a solo bridge The "B" section in a AABA form, or any theme that serves as a secondary theme to the main theme in a head call and response A musical device in which one musician plays a phrase and another musician plays a related phrase in response chamber jazz A fusion of impressionistic jazz and European classical music changes (Rhythm changes/chord changes) A chord progression chart A written arrangement, whether a full score for many instruments or a lead sheet Chicago jazz A style of traditional jazz that emphasizes solos and four-beat rhythms chord A set of notes sounded together, formed according to certain rules of harmony chord progression A series of chords used to harmonize a melody or to provide a basis for improvisation chord symbol A written symbol used to indicate a chord eg V7 or F/D or Em chorus One time through the chord progression for a composition city blues A form of blues that emphasizes jazz elements, also known as classic blues classic blues A form of blues that emphasizes jazz elements, also known as city blues clave A rhythmic pattern that underlies Afro-Cuban music cliché An ostensibly "improvised" phrase that has been played many times by many musicians cluster A set of notes sounded together that do not form any standard chord - especially a set of notes close together on the piano coda A section of an arrangement that follows the last performance of the head and serves to conclude the piece collective improvisation Several musicians improvising at once combo A small ensemble, typically referring to groups of three to seven players composition The elements of a performance that are predetermined or written down comping An abbreviation of accompanying is a term used in jazz music to describe the chords, rhythms, and countermelodies that keyboard players (piano or organ) or guitar players use to support a jazz musician's improvised solo or melody lines. Conduction A type of performance in which the leader directs the improvisations of the other players through hand gestures Conga A tall drum played with the bare hand, typically found in Afro-Cuban music Construction The act of turning a musical idea into a specific phrase contemporary jazz See smooth jazz contrafact A composition based on the chord progression of another composition cool A relaxed by emotionally detached mood cornet A brass instrument similar to the trumpet but shorter and fatter, employing a conical rather than cylindrical bore countermelody A secondary melody played simultaneously with the main melody. counterpoint The act of playing several melodic lines at once cymbal A large, round percussion instrument made of metal dissonance A combination of notes that is heard as harmonically unstable or unpleasant Dixieland Slang term for traditional (New Orleans / Chicago) jazz double Being able to play more than one instrument (not at the same time!) drum A percussion instrument consisting of a skin stretched across a frame. drum set A set of drums, cymbals, and other percussion instruments for a single player drums The plural of "drum", this term often is used to refer to a drum set duo An ensemble consisting of two musicians dynamics Loudness; often referring to variations in loudness electronic effects Electronic devices used to alter the sounds of instruments, such as artificial echo embouchure The manner in which one must form the mouth in order to play a wind instrument energy music See expressionism ensemble A group of musicians performing together expression Any of hundreds of different variables a musician can control when playing a note, including dynamics and articulation expressionism A high energy form of music in which soloists stretch out over simple themes extended effects General term for any of a number of ways musicians can alter the sounds of their instruments, such as removing a valve, plucking the strings inside the piano, and so forth fall A musical effect in which the pitch of a note is made to fall dramatically after the initial sounding field holler See work song flat fifth An interval consisting of six semitones, such as between C and F#. It is relatively dissonant and gained notoriety through its use in bebop four-beat A rhythm that emphasizes all four beats in a measure more or less equally fours A musical device in which to or more soloists take turns improvising four measure phrases. Often, one of the musicians is the drummer. free improvisation Improvisation with no chord progression or other predetermined structure to guide the process free jazz Any form of jazz that uses free improvisation freebop A form of jazz that is similar to bebop but in which predetermined chord progressions are not used to guide the improvisation front ‘in front' means before the top, as an intro. front line The jazz band would be divided in the front line – trombone, clarinet, saxophone, etc and the rhythm section, piano, banjo. Guitar, drums and bass. Funk Originally, jazz with a pronounced gospel influence. Later, a style of R&B music or jazz-rock fusion. Fusion A hybrid of jazz and rock Giant Steps changes The chord progression of John Coltrane's "Giant Steps", or any pattern of rapid modulations by major thirds. Coltrane and others have used this idea to harmonize a number of compositions. Gig Term used by musicians to refer to a performance or other job Gospel Music played in black Christian churches, usually ecstatic in nature Groove An underlying pattern behind a musical performance, consisting of a rhythmic component and perhaps a melodic riff as well. The term implies danceability. group improvisation Several musicians improvising at once growl A musical effect in which the player vocalizes through his instrument to emulate a growl hard bop A form of jazz related to bebop but with a stronger gospel influence harmolodics The theory that melody, harmony, and rhythm should be of equal importance in collective improvisation. In harmolodics, any musician might be responsible for any of these roles at any time. The term was coined by Ornette Coleman to describe his approach to music. Harmony The perception of notes sounded at once. The term often refers to the chords that underlie a melody, or to the theory that underlies the construction of these chords Head The composed theme/ themes/ main idea of the composition; basis for the improvisations head arrangement A simple arrangement in which the ensemble plays the head, then takes turns soloing over the chord progression, then plays the head again horn Literally, a brass instrument, but commonly used by jazz musicians to refer to any wind instrument, and occasionally other instruments as well hot An excited mood impressionism A form of jazz involving collective improvisation in which the musicians often forego their standard ensemble roles and instead contribute whatever the music seems to need in the moment improvisation The act of creating music that has not been predetermined.