All Blues - Miles Davis Flashcards
What are the 12 bar blues?
The chord structure of many blues, jazz, rock & roll and funk songs.
What is a scale?
A set of notes upon which tunes and improvisations can be created.
What is the rhythm section?
The group of instruments that support the front row instruments; piano, double bass and drum kit.
What is an improvised solo?
A section of the piece where one musician makes up music on the spot, based on the chords or scales of the main tune.
What does “swung” mean?
Describes rhythms in which the sub-beats have uneven lengths.
What is an outro/coda?
The ending section of a piece of music, which tells the listener the music is coming to a close.
What is syncopation?
Describes rhythms where the emphasis is shifted from the main beats.
What is a Head?
The main tune of a jazz piece: it is generally played at the beginning and end of the piece.
Who plays the alto sax?
“Cannonball” Adderley
Who plays the piano?
Bill Evans
What instrument does John Coltrane play?
Tenor Sax
What instrument does Miles Davis play?
The trumpet
What are the stylistic features of this piece?
Improvised solos Minimal rehearsal time when recording the track Based on 12 bar blues Use of blue notes Unusual notes in a lower register Exploring the concept of modal jazz
What is the texture like?
Largely homophonic Start - drum kit, bass, piano Builds up texture as instruments are added Saxophone chordal riff (both saxes) Trumpet with Head Thin texture - links between solos
What is the instrumentation like?
Frontline:
Trumpet
Alto sax
Tenor sax
Rhythm:
Drums - wire brushes
Bass - pizzicato
Piano - tremolos to start comping
Trumpet uses a harmon mute to make a different, quieter sound
