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jazz theory terms Flashcards

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1
Q

Aeolian mode

A

the sixth mod of the major scale, also known as the natural minor scale

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2
Q

alteration (aka altered note)

A

the b9 #9 #11 b5 #5 b13 of a chord

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3
Q

“avoid” note

A

a note from the scale of a chord that sounds dissonant when held against the chord. the term usually refers to the 4th of a major chord and the 11th of a dominant chord

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4
Q

bag (aka bag of tricks)

A

a jazz musician’s repertoire of licks, patterns, and son on, often used in proprietary form, as in in “Jackie’s bag”

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5
Q

ballad

A

slow tune

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6
Q

bebop

A

the revolutionary style of jazz that evolved in the early 1940s

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7
Q

Bird

A

Charlie Parker

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8
Q

blowing choruses

A

the choruses of a tune that are improvised

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9
Q

break

A

Breaks typically occur at the beginning of a solo. The soloist plays alone as the rest of the band lays out, usually for 2, 4, or 8 bars. One of the greatest is Lee Morgan’s break at the beginning of his solo on John Coltrane’s “Locomotion” on Coltrane’s album Blue Train.

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10
Q

bridge

A

The “B” section of a tune, usually on an AABA or ABA tune. Sometimes called the “channel.”

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11
Q

cadenza

A

An improvised rubato ending of indeterminate length, played by the soloist while the rhythm section lays out.

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12
Q

changes

A

the chords to a tune

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13
Q

chart

A

arrangement, lead sheet

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14
Q

chops

A

Technique

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15
Q

chorus

A

Once through a tune

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16
Q

circle of fourths (AKA cycle of fourths)

A

A circular arrangement of all 12 notes of the chromatic scale. When viewed counterclockwise, each note is a 4th higher than the preceding note. When viewed clockwise, each note is a 4th lower than the preceding note.

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17
Q

deceptive cadence

A

A V chord resolving someplace other than down a 5th

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18
Q

diatonic

A

Chords within a particular key. CM, D-7, Esusb9, FM#4, G7 and Gsus are diatonic to the key of C

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19
Q

diminished scale

A

A scale alternating half steps and whole steps (or vice versa)

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20
Q

Diz

A

Dizzy Gillespie

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21
Q

Dorian mode

A

The second mode of the major scale; also the chord derived from that mode

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22
Q

double diminished chord

A

Two diminished 7th chords played at the same time by a pianist, an eight-note chord including all the notes of a diminished scale

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23
Q

double time

A

Change the tempo to one that’s twice as fast, the changes also moving twice as fast

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24
Q

double time feeling

A

Change the tempo to one that is twice as fast, but with the changes still moving at the speed of the original tempo

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25
Q

eights (or “trading eights”)

A

Two or more players, each intern trading eight-bar improvisations, usually fro one or more choruses after regular solos.

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26
Q

ending

A

The last part of a tune, often specially arranged

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27
Q

enharmonic

A

Two differently spelled notes that are the same, such as Gb and F#

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28
Q

extensions

A

The 9th, 11th, and 13th (also known as the 6th) of a chord

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29
Q

fake book

A

A book of standards and jazz originals, usually consisting of just the melody and chord symbols, so-called because improvising used to be called “faking”

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30
Q

finger memory

A

The internalized muscular memory of what a chord, lick, phrase, pattern, and so on, feels like (a term used mainly by pianists, but applicable to all instruments)

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31
Q

fours (or “trade fours”)

A

Two or more players, each in turn trading four-bar improvisations, usually for one or more choruses after the regular solos

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32
Q

free (or “play free”)

A

Improvise, usually without chord changes or a pre-set form

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33
Q

from the top

A

Take the tune from the beginning

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34
Q

funky

A

Earthy, soulful, visceral, unintellectual

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35
Q

gig

A

A musical job, be it at a club, party, festival, or record date

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36
Q

Great American Song Book, The

A

The compositions of George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, Jimmy Van Heusen, Jimy McHugh, Hoagy Carmichae, and so on

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37
Q

groove

A

The “lock” between members of a rhythm section playing well together

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38
Q

half-diminished

A

(1) A minor 7th chord with a flat 5th; (2) the chord built off of the sixth mode off the melodic minor scale; (3) the chord built off of the seventh mode of the major scale

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39
Q

head

A

(1) The composed melody and changes of a tune (2) a tune composed by a jazz musician based on the changes to a standard (3) the chord built off o the seventh mode of the major scale

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40
Q

interlude

A

A section of a tune, usually played between the head and the solos, or between soloists

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41
Q

interval

A

The space between two notes

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42
Q

in the pocket

A

When the music is rhythmically in a groove

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43
Q

intro

A

An introductory section before a tune is played, often improvised

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44
Q

Ionian mode

A

The first mode of the major scale

45
Q

jam session (also “to jam”)

A

Informal gathering of jazz musicians playing together

46
Q

kicks

A

Specific rhythmic hits played by the rhythm section

47
Q

Latin jazz

A

a fusion of jazz and Afro-Cuban music

48
Q

lay back

A

Relax; play on the back side of the beat

49
Q

lay out

A

Don’t play

50
Q

lead sheet

A

A sheet of music usually containing just ht melody and the chord symbols of a tune

51
Q

left-hand voicings

A

Rootless voicings for the left hand, originally developed by pianists Red Garland, Bill Evans, and Wynton Kelly

52
Q

lick

A

An improvised phrase that has entered the everyday language of jazz, often used descriptively, as in “a Joe Henderson lick”

53
Q

Locrian mode

A

The seventh mode of a major scale

54
Q

Lydian augmented mode

A

The third mode of the melodic minor scale; also the chord derived from that mode

55
Q

Lydican dominant mode

A

The fourth mode of the melodic minor scale; also the chord derived from that mode

56
Q

Lydian mode

A

The fourth mode of the major scale; also the chord derived from that mode

57
Q

minor major mode

A

The first mode of the melodic minor scale; also the chord derived from hat mode

58
Q

minor II-V-I

A

A II-V-I progression in a minor key, as in D half-dim, G7alt, C-M

59
Q

Mixolydian mode

A

The fifth mode of the major scale

60
Q

mode

A

A seven-note scale created by starting on any of the seven notes of a major or melodic minor scale

61
Q

natural minor scale

A

Aeolian mode

62
Q

original

A

A tune written by a member of the bad, often part of a bandstand announcement

63
Q

out chorus (or) “out head”

A

The last time through the melody of a tune

64
Q

outside

A

Playing notes not in the changes (and assuming that they sound good, unlike “wrong notes”)

65
Q

parallelism

A

Chords or chord voicing moving in parallel motion

66
Q

parent scale

A

The scale from which a mode is derived

67
Q

pedal (or) pedal point

A

A note, usually in the bass, which remains the same, over which a chord, or series of chords, is played

68
Q

Phrygian mode

A

The third mode of the major scale; also the chord derived from that mode

69
Q

polychord

A

Two or more chords played at the same time

70
Q

polytonality

A

Playing in more than one key at the same time

71
Q

“Rhythm” changes

A

Chord changes based on the George Gershwin tune “I’ve Got Rhythm”

72
Q

riff

A

Repeated horn figure, often played behind a solo

73
Q

“right on it”

A

No intro; start playing right on the head

74
Q

rubato

A

Playing out of tempo

75
Q

sequence

A

A phrase, or motif, repeated at a different pitch. The repeated phrase doesn’t necessarily have to have the exact same interval structure, but generally has the same shape as the original motif

76
Q

‘shed

A

woodshed

77
Q

shout chorus

A

A specially arranged chorus, usually played between the last solo and the out chorus

78
Q

sit in, sitting in

A

When a musician who is not a member of the regular bad joins the bad to play

79
Q

slash chord

A

(1) A triad played over a note in the bass other than the root; (2) a 7th chord played over a note in the bass not in the chord; (3) a triad played on top of another train

80
Q

solo, soloing

A

Improvise on the tune

81
Q

solos

A

Improvised section of a tune

82
Q

song form

A

The organization of letter names given to different sections of a tune (usually in eight-bar segments), as in “AABA,” “ABC,” and so forth

83
Q

standard

A

A tune popular with jazz musicians, usually, but not always, composed by a non-jazz songwriter (George Gershwin, Cole Porter, and so on). Many of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhdorn’s songs are also considered standards

84
Q

stop-time

A

Usually occurring during a solo, the rhythm section plays on on the firs beat of every two, or four, bars. Occasionally a stop-time figure will have two or more kicks. One of the greatest stop-time solos is by Sonny Rollins on Vincent Yuma’s’ “I Know That You Know” on the Dizzy Gillespie-Sonny Stitt-Sonny Rollins album Sonny Side Up

85
Q

straight ahead

A

Play with a swing feelign

86
Q

straight 8ths

A

Play with a rhythmically even feeling, without swinging in a traditional sense. Most Latin music is played this way

87
Q

stroll

A

a solo section, where on the soloist’s cue, the pianist or the entire rhythm section, lays out for a while

88
Q

substitute chord

A

a chord that substitutes for the original chord

89
Q

sus chord

A

a dominant 7th chord in which the 4th does not act like an “avoid” note

90
Q

susb9 chord

A

A sus chord derived from either the Phrygian mode of the major scale or the second mode of the melodic minor scale

91
Q

swing era

A

Jazz of the 1930s

92
Q

tag

A

An improvised section at the end of the out chorus, often repeated indefinitely

93
Q

take it out

A

A signal from the band leader to play the out head

94
Q

tonic minor chord

A

A minor chord not functioning as a II chord, but as a “minor I”

95
Q

top

A

The beginning of a tune

96
Q

train wreck

A

When everything goes off track; someone forgets to take a repeat, or skips the bridge, or turns the time around, and so on

97
Q

‘Trane

A

John Coltrane

98
Q

tritone

A

The interval composed of three whole steps, most significantly occurring between the 3rd and 7th of a dominant 7th chord

99
Q

tritone substitution

A

A V chord substituting for another V chord a tritone away. Both chords share the same 3rd and 7th, which are also a tritone apart

100
Q

tritone substitution II-V

A

A II-V progression substitution for a V chord a tritone away, or for the II-V progression a tritone away

101
Q

turnaround

A

A chord progression occurring (1) at the end of each repeated section of a tune, leading back to the repeat (2) at the end of the tune, leading back to the top

102
Q

up

A

Fast tempo

103
Q

vamp

A

(1) A rhythm section ostinato figure (2) a short, repeated chord sequence

104
Q

“vamp til cue”

A

Keep repeating a vamp until the cue to go on

105
Q

verse

A

A specially composed introduction to a ballad, often played or sung rubato. The verse to Billy Strayhorn’s “Lush Life” is a prime example

106
Q

voicing

A

An arrangement of the notes of a chord, usually for piano or guitar, often in other than root position

107
Q

whole-tone scale

A

A scale made up entirely of whole steps

108
Q

woodshed (also ‘shed)

A

To shut oneself up, away from the world, and practice long and hard, as in “going into the woodshed”

109
Q

“you’ll hear it”

A

What the musician who called the tune sometimes says to another musician who’s not sure of the changes

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