Ch 1 Flashcards
backbeat
a simple polyrhythm emphasizing beats 2 and 4 of a 4/4 measure (rather than 1 and 3).
bass
in the rhythm section of a jazz band, an instrument—string bass, electric bass, or tuba—that supports the harmony and plays a basic rhythmic foundation.
block chords
a homophonic texture in which the chordal accompaniment moves in the same rhythm as the main melody.
blue notes
notes in which the pitch is bent expressively, using variable intonation; also known as blue notes.
break
a short two- or four-bar episode in which the band abruptly stops playing to let a single musician solo with a monophonic passage.
cadence
stopping places that divide a harmonic progression into comprehensible phrases.
consonant
the quality of a harmony that’s stable and doesn’t need to resolve to another chord.
countermelody
in homophonic texture, an accompanying melodic part with distinct, though subordinate, melodic interest; also known (especially in classical music) as obbligato.
dissonant
the quality of an unstable harmony that resolves to another chord.
drum set/traps
a one-man percussion section within the rhythm section of a jazz band, usually consisting of a bass drum, snare drum, tom-toms, and cymbals.
foundation layers
continuous, unchanging patterns whose very repetition provides a framework for a musical piece.
glissando
sliding seamlessly from one note to another, as exemplified on the trombone; also known as smear.
half-valving
depressing one or more of the valves of a brass instrument only halfway, producing an uncertain pitch with a nasal sound.
homophony
a texture featuring one melody supported by harmonic accompaniment.
multiphonics
complicated sounds created on a wind instrument (through intense blowing) that contain more than one pitch at the same time; used often in avant-garde jazz.
percussion
in the rhythm section of a jazz band, the drums, cymbals, congas, and other instruments that are struck to provide the music’s rhythmic foundation.
phrase
a musical utterance that’s analogous to a sentence in speech.
polyphony
texture in which two or more melodies of equal interest are played at the same time.
polyrhythm
the simultaneous use of contrasting rhythms; also known as rhythmic contrast.
saxophone
invented by Adophe Sax in the 1840s, a family of single-reed wind instruments with the carrying power of a brass instrument. See alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, and baritone saxophone.
shake
for brass instruments, a quick trill between notes that mimics a wide vibrato, often performed at the end of a musical passage.
stop-time
a technique in which a band plays a series of short chords a fixed distance apart (e.g., a measure), creating spaces for an instrument to fill with monophonic improvisation; often used in early jazz.
swing
(1) jazz from the period 1935–1945, usually known as the Swing Era; (2) a jazz-specific feeling created by rhythmic contrast within a particular rhythmic framework (usually involving a walking bass and a steady rhythm on the drummer’s ride cymbal).
variable layers
contrasting parts played above the foundation layers in a piece.
straight mute
inserted directly into the bell of a trumpet, quiets the sound without too much distortion
cup mute
adds an extension to the trumpet that more or less covers the bell, further attenuating the sound while rounding it out
Harmon mute
a hollow mute with a hole in the center for the trumpet; originally this hole had a sliding tube; creates a highly concentrated sound
plunger mute
the rubber end of a sink plunger; by moving the plunger in various positions it can resemble human speech
bass clarinet
found more of a acceptance in the 1960s thanks to Eric Dolphy, and is still often heard
bongos
two drumheads, one larger than the other
timbales
two drums mounted on a stand along with a cowbell that are played with sticks by a standing musician
blues scale
a collection of pitches that is also an avenue into an African American cultural world. All American music–jazz, blues, gospel, pop, rhythm and blues, country, wester, rock and roll, hip-hop–is influenced by the blues scale
licks
specific simple/basic melodic phrases
riff
repeated fragment of a melody
