Jazz Musical Elements

Question 1

What is a secondary 7th chord?

Answer 1

A 7th chord on any degree of the scale except the dominant (V)

Question 2

What is tritone substitution?

Answer 2

Swapping a chord for the chord 3 tones above it

Question 3

What is a smear?

Answer 3

Aggressively smudging a pitch

Question 4

What is a rip?

Answer 4

A rapid, ascending slide to a note

Question 5

What is a spill/fall-off?

Answer 5

A descending pitch slide

Question 6

How is a pitch bend achieved?

Answer 6

Through bending a string

Question 7

What is standard song form?

Answer 7

AABA (each section is approximately 8 bars long)

Question 8

What is a head?

Answer 8

The first section of main chord changes

Question 9

What is a chorus?

Answer 9

A repetition of the ‘head’ section

Question 10

What is fours?

Answer 10

Dialogue between soloists- often 4 bar sections each

Question 11

What is a heterophonic texture?

Answer 11

Slightly different layers of sound being played together

Question 12

What is growl/talking trumpet?

Answer 12

An aggressive timbre, imitating animals e.g. elephants

Question 13

What is a rim-shot?

Answer 13

Hitting both the rim of the snare and the drum itself, creating a very loud sound

Question 14

What is a harmon mute?

Answer 14

inserted into the end of the instrument, altering its timbre

Question 15

What is a wah-wah mute?

Answer 15

(also called a plunger mute) held over the end of the trumpet; adjust to vary the timbres produced

Question 16

What are cross rhythms?

Answer 16

When different rhythms are being played at once e.g. a triplet over 4 quavers

Question 17

What is push and drag?

Answer 17

When notes are played slightly early (push) or slightly late (drag)