Questions tagged [jazz]
An original American music style that originated in the early 20th century by improvisation and syncopation.
473
questions
4
votes
3answers
79 views
What is the underlying theory behind bebop enclosures?
I see a LOT of pages and books showing which enclosures work for certain chords and target notes, but I haven't seen many explain why a given enclosure works over some other arbitrary set of approach ...
4
votes
5answers
187 views
Are rootless jazz chords truly rootless?
Comments about roots never being omitted in another question How to distinguish between a minor triad and a maj7 chord with same notes but without the root prompted this one.
This question Why ...
2
votes
1answer
43 views
New to Lilypond, I want a guitar chord box above each bar of the staff , does anyone have a template?
I am new to Lilypond, I want to print blank guitar chord box(es) above each of the 32 bars of the blank staff , does anyone have a template?
7
votes
5answers
522 views
How to think of chord extensions when soloing over chords?
Guitar player here. I have been learning about chord extensions and how they can be used to color to a basic progression or when playing a solo. However as I was doing research on this it seems that ...
0
votes
2answers
82 views
How do I play a jazz standard in a fusion style?
I was playing with some friends the other day and since we all listen to jazz fusion (like Herbie Hancock and Snarky Puppy) we were trying to play jazz standards in that style. However, none of us ...
2
votes
4answers
85 views
IVm6 or IVm7? (in major)
(Note: using the key of C major as generic instead of roman numerals.)
Yesterday I was reading the book "Hearin' the Changes" (by Coker, Knapp and Vincent), which discusses Fm7-B♭7-C as an ...
2
votes
3answers
158 views
Jazz piano: fingering — special cases and hacks
I have a couple of questions related to corner cases in fingering:
How do you play Gmaj9 in RH when it is inversion F♯, A, B, D? Thumb on the (black) F♯ and the rest line up? Another ...
9
votes
3answers
697 views
Jazz piano: chords and melody in right hand. How?
Aiming for being capable of playing solo and in ensemble, a jazz pianist is exposed to the following:
Bass player is playing the root tones, hence the pianist can play rootless
When playing alone or ...
4
votes
5answers
2k views
Are my hands too small for chord embellishments?
I’ve been playing guitar for about a year and I’m learning to play RnB style chord embellishments and right now they seem absolutely impossible. Playing an Emin7 and hammering on the 10th fret seems ...
1
vote
4answers
102 views
Jazz piano: problem remembering harmony, melody is fine
In my quest to become a general jazz pianist I practice jazz standards. Having several years experience with violin, a melody instrument, I have no trouble learning and remembering melodies but the ...
20
votes
7answers
3k views
Jazz improvisation: what's going through your mind
I have been trying to improvise on bebop standards (on guitar) for almost 20 years now, and it still feels completely out of reach. Why is it so hard for me?
Well, a typical standard has about 24 ...
5
votes
3answers
461 views
I Got Rhythm changes
Why are the changes in the tune “I Got Rhythm “ considered so important in learning Jazz standards?
1
vote
3answers
109 views
Question about Dave Brubeck/Paul Desmond Take Five
I’m trying to decode "Take Five" and so far I have (for my version) it in the key of F with one flat (B-Flat) and the initial phrase (A Section) is based on a D minor which is the natural minor 6th of ...
0
votes
0answers
55 views
Diminished scale fingering on piano
What do you think about fingering of diminished scale on piano RH, C Db Eb... 1231 2134? In one forum I read that standard is 123 13 123. But didn't see "my" fingering anywhere. What do you think ...
-2
votes
2answers
62 views
Isn't more comfortable to play Cmaj7 chord's root position 1245 instead of 1235 fingers on piano?
As I saw in Youtube and in various websites that Cmaj7 root fingering should be 1235, but for me it would look like more logical to play 1245. Because when I play on RH 1235, my wrist goes to left. ...
0
votes
1answer
78 views
Writing down chord names and understanding their function in an example
I've been trying to learn more about music theory by transcribing songs. I am not bad at writing down the notes, but have a lot of trouble understanding the chords/harmony.
Below is a sketch of one ...
7
votes
2answers
521 views
How to apply Barry Harris 6th diminished voicings and maintain chord functions?
The Barry Harris diminished 6th voicings are popular voicings in Jazz, often related to Bill Evans when using drop 2 's.
In essence, these are harmonizations of the bebop scale using the I and V7b9 (...
2
votes
0answers
58 views
How to get that off-kilter feeling from sungazer?
Sungazers music has this beautiful off-kilter feeling to it and I hope to replicate it in my own music. How is this achieved?
examples:
...
2
votes
3answers
142 views
Jazz comping rhythms for piano
I am a piano player but am new to jazz; I am classically trained. I have recently began playing jazz however and was curious as to what rhythms to use for comping. I know the rhythms are on off beats ...
2
votes
2answers
70 views
How does reharm work in jazz
Ive heard a lot about reharminzation however i am kinda confused now because it appears as though you can basically reharmonize any note with a chord as long as the chord fits that note. Which i ...
4
votes
1answer
51 views
Improvising in two pulses/tempos at once
In this documentary, Brad Mehldau states this about his trio with Jorge Rossy and Larry Grenadier:
It’s pretty specific what I’m doing, I think, especially with the trio. We have the regular pulse ...
3
votes
0answers
87 views
Who Were Art Tatum's Influences?
Art Tatum is one of the most influential figures in the history of jazz piano. He propelled the music forward perhaps more than any other jazz pianist. Specifically, Art was known for his ...
3
votes
2answers
175 views
Advice for a budding musician trying to understand composition and music theory
So I have been producing music for around 2 years now, and am an avid listener to many genres of music. I have never been taught music or music theory, but used youtube to get a fundamental albeit ...
5
votes
2answers
272 views
What are the quintessential characteristics of bebop?
What are the characteristics that make bebop, bebop?
A well-written answer in my perspective includes but is not limited to the following (credit to @jdjazz for writing (a) through (e))
(a) the ...
2
votes
4answers
106 views
Character Tones in Modal Jazz
I'm learning modal jazz harmony for the first time, and I am confused why the character tone of D Dorian is B and not F. I can see the difference between Dorian and Aeolian is in the 6th degree. But ...
0
votes
2answers
166 views
Why does this progression sound so good?
What is the first chord that makes the CMaj9 sound so good? And what is that progression called?
16
votes
3answers
2k views
Which jazz standards are best for beginners?
I would like to learn some jazz standards, but is there any recommended list to follow from easy to difficult? Because I am not very fast on the guitar, I want to know which of them are best for ...
8
votes
1answer
334 views
Is this an example of a coda in jazz? Can you find more examples?
I was listening to a particular jazz song the other day,
"First Song", composed by Charlie Haden, recorded by him together with Enrico Pieranunzi and Billy Higgins in 1990.
I realized something ...
7
votes
3answers
845 views
Jazz Theory Prerequisites
What topics should I master on music theory before I move on to jazz guitar? Is it necessary to learn blues guitar? I have basic knowledge of music theory, like major and minor chords.
5
votes
6answers
286 views
Is there a theoretical explanation for a change of a major7 to minor7 of the same root in jazz?
In jazz there are many chord substitutions with various names like tritone, but there's a particular chord movement which I have seen in many jazz standards where major7 is immediately followed by a ...
19
votes
3answers
1k views
What did bebop masters practice?
Players such as Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, etc., invented the jazz genre of bebop. Today, I am told to be good at playing bebop you must listen to the best jazz players and ...
4
votes
1answer
283 views
Help with non-diatonic chords in All the Things You Are
The harmony for All the Things You Are seems mostly straightforward, but I'm stuck on a few bars struggling to see where the following non diatonic chords come from. The chords are: C+7 in bar 24, D♭...
1
vote
1answer
61 views
Avoid Notes in scales [closed]
In my understanding, an 'avoid note' in the context of a scale is practically a particular note we should not play , for example during an improvisation, because of the clash (minor 9th interval) it ...
2
votes
3answers
71 views
Jazz piano: Keeping base tone for soloing but not for ensemble
As a pianist I want to excel at playing solo as well as in a jazz ensemble. When playing solo one has to play the base tone oneself, while in an ensemble the bass player covers that. How does one ...
3
votes
3answers
201 views
Transcribing Jazz Piano Chord Voicings
I have just started to play jazz piano after many years of classical piano and one of the big things I have to do as a jazz musician is to transcribe (by ear) famous jazz recordings. When I am ...
4
votes
4answers
830 views
Band rehearsal over the internet
I am playing in a jazz band. We usually have band rehearsals every week. Due to coronavirus regulations, we are not allowed to meet for rehearsals for at least 6 weeks.
We would like to switch to ...
3
votes
1answer
81 views
Chord Scale Voice leading question for guitarists
I've recently been practicing voice leading chord scales, trying to keep the bass note within a range of 2-3 frets, playing through all the diatonic 7th chords in a scale. So ill start off in say, ...
0
votes
3answers
157 views
Search for Nice Jazzy Changes for German Church Song
Lets assume we have this german church song:
Which chords could be changed that it sounds more jazzy. Please also let me know the systematic behind your suggestions.
Here is also the muse score file ...
0
votes
1answer
63 views
Jazz enclosures for minor iim7b5 V7alt im6
The tutorials I have seen for jazz enclosures all reference diatonic tones. Mostly in reference to a diatonic scale.
https://youllhearit.com/enclosures-the-lightbulb-for-beginners/
https://www....
1
vote
0answers
34 views
Looking for “big & brassy” band finales [closed]
I apologize for the crude example, but the last part of "Kyle's Mom's a Bitch" (timestamp: 1:17) is a direct reference to the trope I'm talking about.
I've heard finales like these in countless ...
10
votes
3answers
733 views
13 Chord Voicing Without Root, 3rd or 5th
I've been improvising over Hoagy Carmichael's Heart and Soul and I came across a chord voicing that seemed a little strange to me. As shown below, the C13 is voiced F-Bb-D-A, using the 7th, 9th, 11th ...
4
votes
5answers
793 views
What's the difference in sound between the shell voicing of a minor 7th chord vs a half diminished 7th chord?
I am learning about shell voicings for 7th chords. I understand that you you remove the 5th because it makes no difference in the quality of the chord.
That leaves me with
Cmin7 being C Eb Bb
C half ...
0
votes
2answers
112 views
Economizing finger movement in exercise vs following the book
In Al Di Meola and Bob Aslanian's books "Al Di Meola - A Guide to Chords, Scales & Arpeggios" there's an exercise to strum a chord four times and move from one form to another, fluidly. Below is ...
2
votes
1answer
111 views
What are voicings in jazz and how are they different from chord inversions?
I've began studying jazz and I came across to something called "voicings","drop 2 voicings", etc. To me, voicings seem like chord inversions but from what I've found online it seems to be something ...
2
votes
3answers
121 views
Is there a way for a beginner in jazz to learn how to play tritone substitutions? [closed]
Is there a way for a beginner in jazz to learn how to play tritone substitutions?
Or is this something that you should only try after you have played jazz for some time.
8
votes
6answers
2k views
Does C° also indicate a major seventh chord?
I had always thought that this notation indicated a major seventh chord: [C°]. At least it seemed to make sense that way in some of the chord sheets I have used in the past.
I am now finding that it ...
2
votes
4answers
107 views
You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To chord function question
I have been playing through You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To. I have a pretty good grasp of the song and the chord functions up to the final section. I am interested to know the function and ...
2
votes
3answers
81 views
Jazz Strings for
I recently purchased a 198o's Ibanez Artstar AC100 but the strings on it are for slide, not jazz. I'd like to put flatwounds, but there is a huge range of them, and I have no experience with them.
...
0
votes
2answers
289 views
Tritone substitution in minor, just change the root or change the chord quality too?
Recently I've been practicing rootless ii V i in minor jazz from Jerry Coker's Jazz Keyboard.
Here is the rootless chord chart...
Unless I missed something in the booklet, Coker doesn't ...
6
votes
2answers
140 views
Jazz, and the adjectives “nasty/disgusting” in context of a good performance
I want to preface this by saying that this is a really dumb question, but here goes.
When describing some praised jazz performance, an adjective that sometimes pops up is "nasty or disgusting" (or ...
