■A Cappella
To do Chorus or vocal solo without accompaniments. In Jazz, it’s difficult and added scats. The origin of the word is ‘like chapel music’ in Italy.
■Ad Lib
Ad Lib means Solo performances by improvisation. Basically Jazz players perform ad lib along with a cord progression of theme. The origin of the word is ‘Ad Libitum’ (for free) in Latin.
■Alternative Take
Rejected takes from original release of records.
■Articulation
Delicate performance techniques to cut or to tie a tone to a tone.
■Battle
Some players take solos by turns in ad lib.
■Bird
The nickname of Charlie Parker.
■Blindfold Test
Shut out the information and make examinees to listen to the song(s), then examinees guess the performers and give their opinions.
■Block Chord> (Geroge Shirring Method)
The piano harmonize method set 4 tones in closed positions (within one octave under melodies).
■Blue Note
Specific tones of Blues. They are three tones of E-flat, G-flat and B-flat.
■Blue Note Scale
The scale inserted blue notes.
■Blues Form
The form of blues is composed of 12 bars by a pattern of basic 3 cords (Ⅰ – Ⅳ – Ⅴ) cycles.
■Bounce
Playing brightly and easy in middle tempo.
■Brass Section
Brass part of orchestra. Usually it consists of 4 of trumpets and 4 of trombone.
■Break
Blank parts in songs, stop melody and rhythm.
■Brownie
The nickname of Clifford Brown.
■Call and Response
Dialogue by instruments or a vocal.
■Chase
Some players take solos by turns in a measures (usually 4 or 8 bars). Chase also called 4 bars (change) or 8 bars (change).
■Chorus
Sections expresse theme of a song.
■Cliche
Cliche means fixed form. In Jazz, for example C major cord continues in a song. it can move the code like C-Cm7-C6-Cm7.
■Combo
Small formation of band.
■Comping
Comping means to do accompaniment. Similar mean to backing.
■Drive
Characteristic brilliant rhythm feeling of Jazz performance.
■Ellingtonians
Musician enrolled the Duke Ellington Orchestra, and support the sound of Ellington. Harry Carney, Johnny Hodges, Lawrence Brown, Ray Nance, Cootie Williams and Barney Bigard.
■Fake
Breaking a song listeners somehow can realize the original.
■Format
Compositions of instruments or numbers of members.
■Front Line
Front line means a horn section compared with a rhythm section.
■Gig
Regular live performance works for free musicians.
■Groove
The word Groove is a similar mean to Swing. It signifies feeling of undulation and beat in Jazz.
■Growl Tone (Grow Tone, Dirty Tone)
Distorted tone or such performance by wind instruments.
■Harmonize
Take harmonies to a melody.
■Head Arrangement
Scores wrote rough arrangement and melodies,
■House Band
A band appears in a Jazz club or live house, attached to them.
■Idiom
Idiom in Jazz means feeling of a album or a song, style, characteristic or manner of performance.
■Improvisation
Playing music instantaneous without resorting to scores, Equal mean to ad lib.
■Interplay
Interplay means interactions in playing Jazz. Players improvisational perform their music affecting mutual.
■Jam Session
Musicians happened to be there, play ad lib performance by a easy previous arrangement for their own pleasure.
■Laid Back
Playing sticky to a rhythm.
■Leader Album
The albums planed and recorded by a specific leader, Also the album released by the name of the leader.
■Liner Notes
Handbooks attached Record or CDs.
■Marathon Session
■Modern Jazz
Total name of Jazz style after Swing Jazz. But Resurgence of Traditionalism or Modern Traditional is not included to Modern Jazz.
■Niagara Fall
The word signified wild drum roll play by Art Blakey.
■Off Beat> (After Beat)
In Jazz often the second and fourth beats are emphasised. Way of play like this called off beat.
■Percussive Tone
Plosive tones have strong attack by wind instruments.
■Personnel
Members take part in a Jazz album.
■Phrasing
Deciding divides of melodies.
■Polyrhythm
Adopting plural different rhythms.
■Quartet
Bands consisted by 4 members. Usually in Jazz it is organized by a piano trio and a solo wind instrument player.
■Quintet
Bands consisted by 5 members. Usually in Jazz it is organized by a piano trio and two solo wind instrument player.
■Refrain
In Jazz, refrain means theme parts of the song.
■Reharmonize
Hamonize again to songs by using alternative code, and it become more complex. Players can obtain rather modern sound by this method.
■Rhythm Change
Cyclic code called by american musicians.
■Rhythm Section
The section is in charge of rhythm in a band, Usually it includes a piano, a guitar, a bass or a drum.
■Riff
Instrumental melodies without lyrics. Many of riffs are repetition of easy melody.
■Rubato
Not set order a tempo, to play music slowly and quickly in a song.
■Sheets of Sounds
The tenor play style by John Coltrane. Coltrane brake up code progressions and established the modal idiom free from the bondage of code. It make him play tenor like sound overflow and paved.
■Shirring Style
The style suggested by George Shirring. Three of instruments, vibraphone, guitar and piano play melodies unison.
■Side-Men
Players not a leader or featured artist.
■Sit in
To take part in a band, he or she not a regular member.
■Soli
Plural form of solo. Soli means performances featured a section on Big Band.
■Standard Form
The form of one chorus consists of 32 bars of A-A-B-A (each part are 8 bars).
■Standard Number
Masterpieces or popular songs played by many players.
■Straight Ahead
The Jazz style succeed the tradition of 4 beat Jazz.
■Swing
Feeling of rhythm shake or swing bodies naturally. To do ‘swing’ or not is the absolute requirement in Jazz.
■Tension Note
Tone added the basic cord to heighten the tension of sound. Such as 9th, 11th and 13th notes.
■Theme
Theme part of a song. Same mean of chorus in Jazz.
■Tutti
Tutti means all of players playing simultaneously in big bands or orchestra, and indication to do so.
■Two-Five
The typical cord progression of Jazz, especially Be Bop. For example like Ⅰ – Ⅱ – Ⅴ – Ⅰ or Ⅰ – Ⅳ – Ⅱ – Ⅴ.
■Vamp
Brief accompaniment by codes and rhythm.
■Walking Bass
The playing style of 4 beat Jazz (Bebop, Hard Bop). Bass line up side down along with 4 beats, it makes swing feeling.
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