Post 351: COMPLEX CHORDS - BY GUEST WRITER CHRIS REILLEY

Today : another article from guest writer Chris Reilley (pianist)

Chris Reilley

Back in April this year Ivan published my contribution article on “Improvising in Traditional Jazz” in which I mentioned “The understanding of Chords is a whole different subject which is not being enlarged on here. Suffice it to say that not even the Chord symbols used are common throughout musical notation and some of the more complicated chords require the use of 7 notes."

In an effort to explain that statement and to make this easier to understand, I have listed most of the chords that I have seen used whilst playing Jazz, also showing the representative note intervals. These can be applied to any key, but I have shown the chord name only in the Key of C for this example:-

Note where an interval is shown as “b3” or “bb3” or “#5” that interval should be flattened (or double flattened in the case of ”bb”) or sharpened as shown. (Click on the chart to see it enlarged.)

Note the figures shown in red are the notes in a chord that are recommended to be dropped for musicians playing a 4 stringed instrument eg 4 string Guitar or 4 string.

Banjo, Ukulele etc.

As the reader can see the extended notes (11th and 13th) can also be flattened or sharpened as shown with the Flattened and Sharpened 9th Chord. As can be seen, there are numerous Chord Shapes which need to be learnt to grasp a full knowledge of those available – and they are not all of them, I'm afraid!

To simplify the chords some notes can be dropped. The 5th is usually the first to go, as it is generally considered not to add any special character or essential function to the chord. This, believe it or not, can include the root especially when playing with a full band where the bass player would have that covered.

Really, the most important notes of any chord are the 3rd and 7th. These are known as "guide tones". Some layouts of extended chords may include nothing more than the root, 3rd, 7th, plus the extension. But this is down to personal choice.

As I do not profess to be a 4 Stringed Instrumentalist, I have not included Chord Charts for those instruments, but for the benefit of Banjo Players this is dealt with very successfully by Andy Allinger on his Web Site:-
http://www.13olive.net/chords/plectrum_inversions.html.

There are also similar sites for the Guitar and Ukulele players.

For the Piano or Keyboard Players the problem of 7 note chords is not difficult to deal with if the musician is playing the full chord with both hands. This is not so easy if the musician is a soloist, where they may need to play the Melody Line or improvise with the Right Hand, whilst the Left Hand is playing the chord. There are several different methods of achieving this end which have been used by the Ragtime Pianists and the “Vamping Pianists” (e.g. Fats Waller, James P. Johnston, etc.) who in most cases could easily span a 10th with their left hand (so were able to play the 9th extension of most chords anyway). When it came to the 11th and 13th Chords and all their varieties, they employed several different techniques, one of which was to “roll the chord” as a Glissando from Root to the extended note or to split chord over 2 beats playing the first 4 notes of the chord on the first beat and remaining 3 (or how many were left to play or however they decided to split it) on the second beat. Both of these methods obviously cannot be used if the Chord is to be played as single beat only (see “That's All” below). In those cases the musician would have to play a “cut down” version (similar to the 4 stringed Instruments mentioned above) of the chord in their left hand, whilst playing the melody (or improvisation) in their Right Hand. 

For those playing in a Band, the problem is slightly different because very often the original music will contain the 9th., 11th., or 13th. notes in the melody line, which is the salient bit of the Lead Instruments part. In this case if both Piano (Keyboard) and (say) Trumpet were to play the same note at the same time this would be unnecessary or “messy”. So, (for my choice only) I choose to play the Chord in its 7th form and let the lead Instrument play the extended note(s) which can also be part of their improvisation, with possibly the other front line instrumentalist playing the 9th. and 11th as part of their harmony in the case of a 13th being played by the Lead. Anyway the extended notes in the Music are usually a very important and individual part of the Melody, so it may be wisest to leave it to the Lead instrument to accentuate that note.

Following on from the above I choose to show (below) a couple of examples (amongst many available) of where extended chords have been included in tunes together with example of the use of chords in rapid succession. For the beginner this can be a difficult task, but with practice is achievable. However again in a Band Line up, the rhythm instrumentalists have got to be really on the ball if they decide that they are all going to play the same multi chord parts in a bar together, without losing time and being exactly in sync. For simplicity it might be decided for 2 or more chording Instruments (say Banjo and Piano) to play the chords only on both the first and last beats of a single Bar where 4 chords are shown in the music. In these examples the Band/Musicians may also choose to play these in different key.

The Last 4 Bars of the Song “Sugar” in G Major (click on to see enlarged):

Below the last 8 Bars the song “That's All” in C Major

I understand that the character “Bp” indicates a Double B flat (or the chord of “A Major”) and the chord shown as “F#Ø” is F Sharp, Half Diminished (otherwise known as F# Minor Seventh, Flattened Fifth). Some practice will be required to play the bars with 3 or 4 chords in each.

Chris Reilley

Post 309: THE NOWHERE CHORD AND THE CLAPHAM JUNCTION CHORD

Listening to Wabash Blues, I was reminded that what 'makes' this tune is the 13th bar (measure), where we suddenly land on a note and chord that sound alien but are in fact just right.

Don't know what I mean? Well, hear what happens at 30 - 32 seconds into this video (click on to view) and again (more conspicuously) from 1 minute 42 seconds to 1 minute 44 seconds.

Checking it out, I found it's the chord on the flattened 6th of the key in which the tune is played. So, if you are playing in C, the flattened 6th would be the chord of Ab. If you're playing in F, it would be the chord of Db:

And so on.

The flattened 6th is a chord that rarely appears in our music but, whenever it pops up, it creates a special effect.

I discussed this with my friend Ralph Hunt and he told me that among banjo players such as himself it is known as the 'Nowhere Chord'. That sounded really interesting. Did it mean the chord that led nowhere? Did it mean the chord that seemed to come from nowhere? Unfortunately the explanation was much more mundane: it came from the tune 'Out of Nowhere', in which the chord plays a prominent part.

The led us to wonder what other tunes we could think of in which the listeners are hit at some point with the chord on the flattened 6th. In five minutes we came up with these:

Bye Bye Blues (on the word 'blues': you can hear it, can't you?)

Come Back Sweet Papa (very emphatically in the Verse)
I Never Knew What a Girl Could Do (both in the verse and in the main theme)

Love Songs of the Nile
Oriental Strut (in the main theme)

Oh, You Beautiful Doll

Marie (30th bar)

Mama's Gone, Goodbye (Mama's gone, Mama's gone goodbye)

My Melancholy Baby (in the second half of each of the first two bars):

San (it makes the Chorus truly distinctive)
Sorry (bars 3 & 4, for example)
Golden Leaf Strut (bars 25 and 26)

Henry Kiel reminds me that four more are:
Alabama Jubilee (in both Verse and Chorus)
Angry
Black and Blue (Middle Eight)
Dancing With Tears in My Eyes

But no doubt you will tell me there are more......

And while we're on the subject of these strange named chords, did you know there is one called 'The Clapham Junction Chord'? I learned about it from The Oxford Companion to Music. It is the chord of the 7th diminished. For example, in the key of C, it would contain B, D, F, and Ab.

Why Clapham Junction? Because that is a railway station in South London from which routes branch off in many directions. In the same way, when you play this chord, you can modulate into any one of several different chords to follow it.

Post 307: THE GOLDEN AGE - 'IF YOU LOVE ME, REALLY LOVE ME' AND MARGUERITE MONNOT

I decided to work out the beautiful song If You Love Me, Really Love Me, composed for Edith Piaf by the great Marguerite Monnot. I opted for the Key of C, and used repeat signs.

So what are its secrets? To find out, I've had a go at playing it. You may care to listen. Please excuse my limited ability: I'm not a pianist. To hear my attempt, click on this link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTxzulTbUTU
First, note how the melody soars up six times through arpeggios (of E7th and D minor7th: the latter adds poignancy, of course). What goes up must come down; and the corresponding triple-dip descents are amazing too. Note in particular how effective the E7th and F minor harmonies are at the point indicated below. (If you want proof of this, just try them on your keyboard.)

Marguerite Monnot could have used a conventional C7th where she has the E7th; but the E7th is so much more impassioned in this context.

The Middle Eight switches into the relative minor key, conveying the excitement, concern and commitment of passionate love. We progress from A minor eventually to D minor, to G7th and so naturally back to the triumphant home key of C. But note how - during this journey - astonishing harmonic techniques are used. See especially the F sharp diminished chord and the F7th (one beat each) followed by the E7th. Marguerite Monnot could so easily have left the first two beats on A minor, as a lesser composer would have done. But the F sharp diminished chord and the F7th are so effective. Again, try the phrase on your keyboard!

Most popular songs of the time were based on a 32-bar structure involving four groups of 8 bars:

A1

A2 - virtually repeating A1

B [known as the Middle Eight]

A3 - virtually repeating A1

Even in this respect, Margerite Monnot springs a surprise. Although she gives the illusion of following this structure, in fact A2 and A3 of her song both contain NINE bars - not eight.

The trick is so well worked that you scarcely notice it, but the effect is remarkable: the extra bar gives her room to end those two phrases (and the final phrase of the song in particular) on extra-high emotion.

There are some fine performances of this song on YouTube, if you should wish to hear it in its full glory.

Born in 1903 at Decize – a town on the River Loire - Marguerite Monnot was home-educated by her musician parents. She was a musical child prodigy and developed into a gold-standard musician – a fine performing pianist, well grounded in theory. She studied in Paris and was taught by several classical luminaries. One of these was Nadia Boulanger (who probably trained her in harmony; Nadia was one of the most influential music teachers of the Twentieth Century). Another was the composer and teacher Vincent D’Indy; and there was Alfred Cortot, the great pianist who specialised in the works of Schumann and Chopin.

Her lifetime shyness did not help Marguerite as a performer but it did not hinder her work as a composer, when in the 1920s she started attempting (with success) to write popular songs.

At the age of 33, Marguerite was introduced to France’s best-loved singer, the great Edith Piaf, and they worked together for many years. They became friends and collaborated on many songs that became part of Piaf’s stage act. It was Piaf, of course, who made Hymne à l’Amour and Milord famous.

Marguerite also wrote film music. And in 1955 she had a huge success when she wrote the score for the musical Irma La Douce, which I remember seeing with great pleasure in Peter Brook’s production at the Lyric Theatre, London, in 1958.

Although Marguerite wrote hundreds of songs, English readers are likely to know her best for Milord and The Poor People of Paris (La goualante du pauvre Jean) and If You Love Me, Really Love Me (Hymne à l’Amour).

Sadly, in 1961 Marguerite Monnot died in Paris at the age of 58, following a ruptured appendix.

Marguerite Monnot’s career reminds me that the period between 1940 and 1980 was a Golden Age for popular music and its centre was France. Songs had words that were important and worth listening to, with a narrative and drama; and those words were clearly articulated by the great singers such as Edith Piaf, Jacques Brel, Charles Aznavour, Yves Montand, Juliette Greco and Georges Brassens. The singer was accompanied by a real, accomplished pianist or band or orchestra, playing from an arrangement that would include adventurous harmonies, changes in rhythm and key; and even accelerandos, rallentandos and pauses. (You find all these features in Marguerite Monnot's work.) There was no need for electronic amplification.

How different from the synthetic, mechanical dreary disco music of today!

Marguerite Monnot

Post 173: USE THOSE 6THS AND 9THS

Introducing flattened thirds and sevenths adds colour and excitement to a tune; but it's also interesting to throw sixths and ninths into your improvisations.

Listen to a great creative player such as Shaye Cohn and note how frequently she gives a lot of emphasis to 6ths and 9ths - especially at the start of one of the final choruses, when she is still finding fresh approaches. For example, a tune may begin with two bars firmly on the C major chord but you may find Shaye decisively hitting several 'A's (the 6th). Or in a tune beginning with the D major chord, she will deliberately and firmly go for the 'E' above the chord, making a 9th.

Composers have been well aware of the effect gained by making the sixth or the ninth the melody note at a particular point, too.

Think, for example, of You're The Cream in My Coffee played in the key of C. You find many of the melody notes are D played above a C major chord, or A played above a G chord.

Or take There'll Be Some Changes Made played in the key of C. What do you find? Lots of Bs above the A chord, and plenty of Es above the D chord. 

Another is If I Had You: Think of it in the key of Bb. Numerous times in this song, you find (yes - in the composed melody) a C being played above a Bb chord. You find a G being played above an F7th chord. And you find Cs being played above Eb chords.

I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby is another. Its Middle Eight is unusual, its special effect being achieved by the fact that the melody notes are so often the 6ths or the 9th of the chords.

Effective, isn't it?
===============
Reader Barrie adds:

Hi Ivan,

I agree with your statement about using a 6th and a 9th. I use the 6th a lot, a very useful note. At times it can be sustained over several chords. I mainly use the 9th on the fourth bar of a 12 bar blues. It works well.

Post 168: 'MAGIC IS THE MOONLIGHT' - A GOOD ONE FOR BEGINNERS

I was having a look at Magic is the Moonlight (with music composed in 1930 by Maria Grever) and it occurred to me that this tune has all the ingredients to make it useful for anyone learning to play traditional jazz.

Why?

Well, it has a simple 32-bar a-a-b-a structure, like hundreds of our tunes. The (a) part comprises eight bars taken at only moderate speed and they are virtually the same each time they are played, so the melody is easy to learn. The Middle Eight - the (b) part - is easy too, and is based on a progression of chords with which you need to become familiar and totally at ease as you progress in your playing. On top of all this, the tune is a pleasant one - much enjoyed by audiences.

The wonderful Lasse Collin, whose website I have often praised, has kindly supplied a lead-sheet for this tune. If you look at it carefully, you will see how simple the tune is. Improvising is helped by the fact that you need work only with the major tonic chord in the first four bars of each Section (a). The Middle 8 is essentially a IV - I - II7 - V7 sequence of chords, such as you will encounter in hundreds of tunes.

If you would like to hear a jazz band having a go at this tune, CLICK HERE.

Post 159: POPULAR SONGS WITH MIDDLE EIGHT KEY CHANGES

My friend John Burns suggested I should write something about classic songs that change key during the course of the melody.

This topic fascinates me but I wish I knew more about the theoretical aspects of harmony. John generously over-estimates my ability.

However, I am sure you would agree there are some songs that - when you first hear them - sound as though something weird or wrong has happened, usually at about the midway point of the chorus. You listen to them time and again until you discover the tune has embedded itself in your consciousness and the ‘weirdness’ begins to sound right. You then realise it’s the weirdness that gives the tune its memorable character.

Examples of tunes fitting this description (and I would be grateful if you would suggest any more) are When It’s Sleepy Time Down South, Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans?, China Boy, A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square, Body And Soul, I’m Getting Sentimental Over You, Smoke Gets In Your Eyes and Tea For Two. They all take us by surprise with the chords they use in the Middle Eight.

What seems to happen in these 32-bar tunes is: (1) we begin with two similar 8-bar phrases in the home key; then (2) in Bar 17 we switch into a different key before (3) finding the dominant 7^th in Bar 24 and so (4) returning to a final eight comfortably back in the home key.

As an example, consider When It’s Sleepy Time Down South. In the Key of F, its first two 8-bar phrases are not entirely orthodox. They begin on the chord of Bb major; but this is immediately followed by Bb minor, which takes us naturally into F in the third bar; and so we are comfortably rooted in F up to the end of Bar 16.

Then wow! We are suddenly in the Key of A, with the melody twice climbing the stairs and pottering around at the top of the stave.

But in Bar 24, we land on the A chord, which quickly transmutes into A7th sliding up to C7th – and so we are beautifully steered back into the Key of F for the reassuring final eight bars.

That is pretty much what happens in all these tunes. Probably the simplest is China Boy. It’s usually played in the Key of F but the Middle 8 is distinctly in Ab, with Bars 23 and 24 sliding us back into the comfort zone, via the chords of Ab and C7th respectively.

Then of course there is I Love Paris by the great Cole Porter. The chorus has 16 bars in the minor key followed by virtually the same melody in the major (achieving a sudden brightness from Bar 17). The first sixteen bars could be in C minor, the next sixteen in C major.

I may be wrong, but I think the proportion of classic songs using the harmonic key-changing trick is probably fewer than 10%. But they form an interesting group – offering so much more of a challenge to the musician and improviser than the hundreds of tunes with orthodox harmonic patterns.

Post 142: A HAUNTING MELODY - 'LAURA' AND DAVID RASKIN

Some tunes are described as ‘haunting melodies’; and I have been wondering what gives a tune a ‘haunting’ quality.

I think the answer is that is has to be the kind of tune that defies expectations and yet – after being heard a few times – implants itself in our minds.

A prime example of a haunting tune is Laura, composed by David Raskin in 1945.

For ease of discussion, let’s consider it in the key of C. The first thing we notice is that the opening bar involves the extremely unlikely combination of A, B and C. (A minor the harmony, B the note being played, C the key [and the chord we might normally expect]).

Having started in that weird way, the tune continues in the same vein. In its 32 bars, it gets through an astonishing range of chords. No matter how simple the version of chords you try to use, you are unlikely to get away without using at least Am7 (sometimes with flattened 5th), D7, G, Gdim, Gm7, C7, F7, Fdim, Fm7 (sometimes with flattened 5th), Bb7, Eb major 7, Eb7, Em7, Bm, E7, G7, and C (C - the home chord - surprisingly being used only with the final note).

How’s that for a tune of 32 bars? Can you think of any other popular song with such changes? No wonder the tune is VERY rarely attempted: it’s too difficult! It is almost as if Raskin set himself the task of writing a tune that used pretty well every possible chord in the chromatic scale.

Strangely, though, you find the chord changes – as you work through each sixteen bars – are based subtly on the familiar circle of 5ths – starting with A (in the form of minor 7th rather than usual 7th).

What makes it sound so ‘haunting’ is that the chords are not the conventional 7ths. Minors, diminisheds and major 7ths are preferred to normal 7ths and the melody note often adds a 9th to the chord, as indeed on the very first note.

Also, the second half copies the first only for 8 bars and then – although keeping the rhythmic pattern of the first sixteen bars, introduces a slightly different upward arpeggio and harmony.

FIRST SIXTEEN ENDING:

SECOND SIXTEEN ENDING:

You will not be surprised to hear that Raskin (who died in 2004) was a classically-trained composer. The son of an orchestral conductor, he studied composition at the University of Pennsylvania and later was tutored by Arnold Schoenberg. Raskin wrote over 100 film scores. Laura was based on the theme for the 1944 film of the same name. Lyrics for it were provided by the great Johnny Mercer.

Post 12: IMPROVISING (by GUEST WRITER CHRIS REILLEY)

Today I am printing below an article that has been sent to me by the English jazz pianist Chris Reilley. Chris has contributed articles to this blog in the past - on Chords, on Jazz Devices, on Playing Boogie-Woogie. Today he tackles the subject of improvising.

=====================

Firstly let me point out that I am not an expert on this subject and with regard to any remarks I make, this should be borne in mind. For what it is worth I have been a jazz musician for about 60 years playing Mouth Organ, Clarinet, Trombone and Piano/Keyboard. I currently play Piano/Keyboard with several different Bands playing in the New Orleans Revival, Classic Jazz, Rhythm and Blues and Boogie Woogie styles.

An important factor to consider for this Art is that Jazz is one of the few music styles in which musicians are expected to Improvise (Extemporise) on a melody, that is compose a new melody based on the existing tune on the hoof. For anyone who has not attempted to master this should be aware that this is not an easy thing to master, but hopefully the following suggestions might be of assistance.

There are several Guides which have been published on the Internet which might also be considered in relation to this subject as helpful for the student on this subject. A very great deal of information is available for those who want to make a greater study of the subject, however from purely a practicable standpoint, I have written this Guide in the hope that musicians who wish to learn this Art will not be overawed with too much information. It would be beneficial if the student musician had some basic rudimentary knowledge of Musical Notation, especially if they wish to follow some of the additional material provided as Musical Score.

I think there are several areas which could be addressed to clarify this Guide and I will deal with them as follows:-

1. Understand the use of Chord Patterns as an Aid.
2. Using Scales and Arpeggios and Leading Notes.
3. Learning the correct melody for tunes.
4. Listen to the recordings.
5. Copy “licks” or sequences.
6. Establish the best Tempo, Key and Arrangement for tunes, including Latin Rhythms.
7. Practice keeping a steady Tempo (in Time) on your own with a Metronome and a Band.
8. Use Tonal Changes and Phrasing .
9. Use tricks.

1. Chord Patterns

Whilst it is important to understand the use of Chords in being able to improvise it should be stressed that this is not the main requisite for being able to Improvise on any melody. It is important however that any Improvisation follows the Chord Pattern of the tune. The most important factor to consider is the how the instrumentalist follows the tune without necessarily playing all the same notes as the composition. To do this is much more difficult as it requires composing a new melody to fit the tune structure on the fly.

For the suggested chords given in sheet music, please refer to paragraph 3. below. The above chord Chart represents most of the chords used in Traditional Jazz music, but not all. The understanding of Chords is a whole different subject which is not being enlarged on here. Suffice it to say that not even the Chord symbols used are common throughout musical notation and some of the more complicated chords require the use of 7 notes. As a Pianist I decided not to attempt to play these as I use my left hand only in playing chords (limited to 5 notes and a stretch of about an octave) and use the right hand for melody. Anyway in most cases the lead instruments will play the extraneous notes to extend the chord, so for them it might be more important to play extended chords.

2. Scales, Arpeggios, and Leading Notes

Again as an Aid to the musician, it would be helpful to master the Scales, Arpeggios and Leading Notes for the Keys which are usually used in playing Traditional Jazz. In the development of this Genera, Bands usually play tunes in one of the “Flattened Keys” i.e.- Ab, Bb, Db, Eb, F and Gb. However the musician will probably come across the use of C and G as well as passing Chords in which the relevant passing notes maybe used. Added to these are notes used in the different chord structures e.g.- Minor, Major, Augmented, Major 6^th, Dominant 7^th, Diminished, and Dominant 9^th. to name just a few. To add further there are some unusual “magic” chords used in tunes that appear to bear no resemblance to the key e.g.- in the Key of Bb major there might appear a leading chord of Db! Diminished Chords can also be used in the same way. Also see the chords for Alexander's Ragtime Band below where the chords F#o, Dm7, Bo, D7 and G7 all of which would need to be considered for learning outside of the normal flattened keys.

3. Learning the Correct Melody

Here there is possible the most difficult part. Unfortunately the original recordings of tunes made by the Composers were produced on equipment that was not accurate for speed, and in some cases the the recording was speeded up to get it all on the Recording Disc or Cylinder. This meant that the resulting Key was sometimes as much as a whole tone out. There is, however a check (of sorts) that the Sheet Music normally gives the suggested Tempo and Key. The shortfall of the Scored Music is that it is only a Guide to the Melody and is usually intended to be played in Strict time without any slight change in tempo or accent. This just does not happen in Traditional Jazz, where the musicians use their own interpretations of the Melody. Besides which to write accurate score for some of the tunes played in jazz bands would require a page full of vary short notes and rests – almost unreadable. Most musicians would probably not play the same phrase twice in the same way anyway.

A reference to the collection of available sheet music for Traditional Jazz tunes can be a help to establish the melody line, playing key and suggested chords can be a help for those starting to learn the tunes. Lead Sheets for many tunes can be purchased as volumes are an alternative asset at less cost than the full sheet music.

An example of this is:-This shows both the Verse and Chorus for this old tune from 1911 composed by Irving Berlin. 

As most of the tunes in these collections are shown in Concert Key format, it is necessary for the Bb Instruments to Transpose.

4. Listen to the Recordings.

In my view this is the most important requirement in leaning to Improvise. Most musicians have a favourite Jazz Musician who they would like to emulate and some (including me) have several. There are many in this field of Jazz to choose from. It is important that the student musician(s) listen to those jazz masters which they like in this Genre of music. It is not suggested that any attempt should be made to play exactly the same notes and style as the master, but to learn how they phrase and time the improvisation played by the professional. The notes the master plays should always fit the existing tune in terms of chords and timing but it might be difficult to appreciate some of the more subtle phrases without the student trying them on their own instrument.

5. Copy “licks” or Sequences.

From listening to the recordings the musician should hear (from time to time) a “lick” or Jazz Phrase used by a master in more than one as part of their Improvisation. An example of of this can be heard on the recording by the George Lewis Band made in 1962 shown on YouTube:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WjvJwtPLyg. The tune is Over The Waves which starts in Waltz Time and goes into 4/4. In his solo you can hear several phrases which he uses from time to time in other recordings of other tunes in which he improvises on the Melody.

6. Tempo, Key and Arrangements

These three factors need to be considered separately.

Tempo

There is a common tendency for musicians who are just starting to play Jazz is to start tunes at too fast a tempo or speed up during the tune. In the early days (after 1900) in New Orleans most of the music was performed by Marching Bands so the common saying at that time was “do not play faster than you can walk”. Then there were the Dance Bands that played early Dance Music which was always played at a slow to moderate tempo. It was not until the age of Jazz came along in the 1920's that the Dances and Tunes hotted up, but there still had be an allowance for the performing of some numbers that could not be played by any but the most versatile of musicians working together as a Band and if they included a Vocalist the tempo had to be moderated to allow the words to be sung clearly. Another consideration was the heat, especially in the Summer.

Key

The Composer suggests the key, but this might have to be changed to allow for stringed or other sorts of instruments or Vocalist (particularly with a limited range). Well known recordings have established Keys as well.

Arrangements

From the illustration shown below there are many tunes that follow specific arrangements. All these should be mastered keeping in mind how many times each part is to be played, the order and in which key. As can be seen from this example of Tiger Rag, composed in 1917, this has several parts with suggested “Breaks”, starting in the key of F Major, going to Bb Major and finally to Ab Major. The Improvisation would normally not be used until the Ab Strain during the Solos.

7. Practice keeping a steady Tempo

The need for Practice is also paramount. I found it helpful to Practice whilst playing along with some recordings. Only those that were not too far out of Key. The alternative was to practice with other members of a Band (assuming the Student is in one). Practice on your own. This form of practice is the most demanding as the player has to remember the tune whilst they play the improvisation keeping good time. Consequently the player must be able to count accurately as well as all the rest. The musician might find it helpful to record their efforts as well, so that they can be checked later. It can be made easier if the Musician has a chording instrument to play along with as at least a Duet.

8. Tonal Changes and Phrasing

Each Instrument has it's own limitations and advantages. The student should be aware and use as many of these as they can.

For Tonal Changes wind instruments there is the use of note bending, slurring, triple toughing etc. added to the use of mutes of all types. Knowing the range limitation of their instrument and particularly when the attempted notes takes the instrument out of tune.

When playing in a Band it is also a good idea to ensure all instruments are in tune with any non tunable instrument such as a Piano. Beware that being out of tune could effect the ability to Improvise well as the musician will not sound the same as when previously practising in the correct key.

Example of Tonal changes are:-

The following recording on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WojNaU4-kI

Just listen to Nick LaRocca (cornet) and Larry Shields (clarinet) share the break in Livery Stable Blues (1917) to hear how LaRocca imitates a horse.

The Clarinet introduction for Rhapsody In Blue: Gershwin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynEOo28lsbc

The Benny Goodman solo on St. Louis Blues 1936 listen for the bent notes (usually called “blue notes”) :-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enbZPu0u78s.

The Phrasing the musician uses for their Improvisation is just as important as the notes they play and gaps they leave in their Improvisation.

To see some mastery of phrasing and timing view the YouTube recording made by the Count Basie Orchestra featuring the Count Basie piano & bass duet 1960 which features the great man, his basest:- Eddie Jones, the lead Trombonist:- Billy Mitchell and the whole band playing a Blues called “I Needs to Be Bee'd With” all muted.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eti5v0E_lbw

Another “Jazz man's” Singer, the great Billie Holiday sings “All of me” on the next YouTube example to illustrate the way to sing/play behind the beat but keep in time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P0hG3sD0-E

9. Use Tricks

Tricks is the general term in this case for the use of sounds not normally heard on Jazz Music recordings.

The use of “Tricks” is not confined to this style of Jazz, but there was a number used by some of the early well known New Orleans Bands to great effect:-

Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers - Sidewalk Blues (1926)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFlmUEzaCI8

Steamboat Stomp - Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers 1926

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7HFnhP_Ctw

Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers:- "Billy Goat Stomp"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9v16P7UwfgI.

To illustrate most of the points made in this document watch the YouTube recording of Wynton Marsalis plays Buddy Bolden Blues for an illustration of how to perform without accompaniment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1g-1Gpwx9EE

FOOTNOTE

The information was mainly related to "the melody instruments". There are a different approaches required by each of the instrulmentalists within a Traditional Jazz Band. For example the Clarinet normally weaves a musical line around the main lead instrument, where the Trombonist will usually play a bass lead again complementing the Lead instrument. 

These are very rough and ready statements as each Band member will usually establish his/her own musical style and there may be times when an established Harmony or Riff will be played by several Band members at pre-established times during tunes. 

The most obvious times when individual Improvisation is heard  is in Solos. It is at that point that the use of the previous suggestions given can be followed. 

Added to that, the rhythm instrumentalists have a different approach. For example the Drummer must rely on trying to represent his/her ideas in Rhythm and a different sound from each part of their Kit.

Chris Reilley, April 2016.