Welcome!

Welcome to our jazz blog!  Here you can find information about what we have done in class, my PowerPoint presentations, and links to teacher-approved jazz resources.  Check it out!

Jazz Vocabulary

Work Song: A type of song slaves sang as they did group labor.  The beat and rhythms helped keep them together as they were working.

Syncopation: Accenting the weak part of a beat.  Remember: "Throw it away" (not syncopated) and "Take out the garbage" (syncopated).

Swing:  Describes the rhythm of jazz music.  In swing, the beat is divided into three parts (pi-a-no) instead of two (trum-pet).  Remember: "Pia--no, pia--no" (swing) and "trum-pet, trum-pet" (not swing).

       *Another way of thinking about swing: Swing makes the first part of the beat longer than      

        the second part of the beat.

Improvisation: Creating (or "making up") music on the spot.  The musician uses a certain set of pitches, improvises the order of the pitches and rhythms.

           One student defined improvisation: Musical freestyle.

Rhythm Section: A group of instruments that provide the beat, pulse, and groove for the jazz tune.  This often includes piano, drums, bass, and guitar.