All the personal notes I took for Music!
JAZZ – Unit 3 NLCS Jeju
19th August 2022
What makes it sound jazzy?
-Metre = beats in a bar
-Swing rhythms = characteristics of jazz
-Syncopation = to emphasize the weak beat
-Pizzicato = plucking
Key jazz terms
→ IMPROVISATION SYNCOPATION SWING RHYTHMS SAXOPHONES
The piece is played by a Jazz band, the tempo is conspicuously faster than the piece played by an orchestra. The instruments change. From classical/string instruments such as Violin to many jazzy/wind/brass instruments like Clarinet. The metre changed from 3/4→4/4
However, it still takes part in the melody of the piece.
D 16 beats
G 8 beats
D 8 beats
A 4 beats
G 4 beats
D 8 beats
25th August 2022
Extended Instrumental Techniques
Drum set
Clarinet
Baritone Saxophone
Tenor Saxophone
Trombone
Trumpet
Vibrato
Pizzicato
Mute (changing the tone)
Rimshot
Pitch/note bending
2nd September 2022
Pop version
-String bass
-Pizzicato
-Pop voice/Head voice
-4/4
-Fast tempo
Jazz version
-slower tempo
-Traditional Jazz (Trad Jazz)
-Trombone & Clarinet & Saxophone
-Vocal harmony
-Swing rhythms
-Vibrato
-Pizzicato (string bass) solo
→ Double time (Accelerando)
→ Slow down (Ritardando)-lento
-Extended technique → growling voice, vibrato, close harmony(singing in thirds), tone quality
-Improvising – both instruments and vocals
(VOCAL-Improvised fills)-legato phrasing (smooth)
-4/4
All About That Bass
Similarities
Time signature (4/4)
Use of Pizzicato
Differences
Tempo
Style of vocal
More emphasis on individuals’ skills
Improvisation
8th September 2022
-Trumpet
-Walking bass
-Improvising spontaneously (no music)
-Pizzicato
-Duet
*Dizzy Gillespie Quintet*
→ Using trumpet as if singing
-Improvisation of piano
-fast tempo
23rd September 2022
Mile Davis – So What (1959)
-Crescendo
-Decrescendo
-Improvisation
→ not perfect, gives character
-trumpet with a mute
→distinctive tone
-tenor saxophone
-piano
-drum set
→ switches the stick (different tone→ brushes to stick)
-4/4 time signature
-walking bass line
-steps in the notes
-double bass pizzicato
Jazz → combination of instruments
29th September 2022
What makes a great improvisation?
- Techniques such as pizzicato
- Walking bass line (steps?)
- Acting instinctively
→ pushing to the limit, taking risks
- Enjoying it
- Understanding chord progressions and notes
- Comfortable
- The balance between repetition and change
- Timing
- Control of acceleration and volume
- Cooperation
11th November 2022
Jazz Improvisation Reflection
Q1. How I feel about this task
A1. I really enjoyed working on this task, since I have been learning jazz piano since July. I am a beginner, I was surprised at how I went from D to D performance to various usage of chords, pitch bend, starting and finishing phrases and chromatic notes. I felt more and more comfortable with this piece every time I practiced.
Q2. My strengths
A2. I could spontaneously select the appropriate notes for the chord I was going on while improvising. I tried to use inversions of the chords for the notes I play to make it sound more full. Every time I played my piece it was always different, which made me enjoy the variance of improvisation.
Q3. How I could improve my musicianship ‘It would be better if’.
A3. I could have expressed more emotions or character to enrich my piece to go beyond. I wish the feeling of pleasantness could have shown through my performance. Next time, I would like to think of a theme or an atmosphere the piece could deliver to the audience.
Q4. How will I make progress as a jazz musician?
A4. I think the most important thing to do to make progress is to love the genre and to be curious about it. I need to have more questions and things I want to learn about this topic to make progress. I will also think about all the things that make jazz a ‘jazz’ whenever I listen to jazz music.
Billie Jean Jazz Arrangement
-Tempo slower
-Instruments
-Swing rhythm
-Instruments improvisation
-Vocal improvisation
-Vocal pitch bends
-Drum not absolutely necessary
-Time signature 6/8 (3 beats inside 1)
(Original version in 4/4) → (big difference!)
IDEAS
-Moon Eyes (by cehryl)
-I’m not the only one
-Best Part
-Can’t take my eyes off of you
VIVA LA VIDA
UPTOWN FUNK
Dreams Funk Arrangement
-Tempo sped up
-Bass much more mobile
-Guitar almost like a percussion instrument
-Time signature 6/8 (3 beats inside 1)
-Change in Instruments (trumpet, saxophone)
-Different voice technique
-Reverb = echo effect
MINIMALISM
6th January 2023
Piano Phase (solo)
- 2 pianos
- Starts the same
- As the piece progresses one stays the same, one slightly speeds up
= Phase Shifting
= shifting the timing of one part slowly over the top of another
= effect is to shift in and out of time as the music progresses
20th January 2023
Minimalistic
Repetition
-Strong rhythm
-looping
-phase shifting
-Black American talking about blood and bruises
-sampling & manipulating audio
-Moves with the speech, as it stops, the dance stops, as it repeats, the dance repeats
-Simple sequence
-Not always in unison
-Two tracks, two dancers
-Echo + isolated in the large space + modern basic building = minimalistic
-Focusing on the car
-Solid black car – classic
-Only subject
-Interlocking sound – fits
-Repetition
-Sampling
-Autotune
Music = organised sound
→ this piece is organised = music
10th February 2023
Pendulum Music
-Repetitive sound
-Rhythm gradually changes
-Minimalistic room
-Monotone color scheme
-Creative concept
MINIMALISM CONCEPT
-Phase shifting
-Sampling
-Repetition – ostinato
-Rhythmic complexity/creativity
-Simple resources (1 recording, 1 instrument, drum hand clap, etc)
-Concept often important – (pendulum music / come out/ clapping)
12th April 2023
<Chance the Rapper>
- Varying tempo
- Varying dynamic
- Articulation
→ emphasize the words – accent
→ rhyme and drum beat helps
<Queen of the Night Aria>
- Range of articulation
5th May 2023
<Easy On Me – Adele>
-confidence
-false voice going high (use of falsetto)
-dynamics and tone
-live
–melisma (more than one note in a syllable)
-change between falsetto – operatic voice
-voice breaking/cracking in purpose
-articulation
