Terms Quizz

Question 1

Backbeat

Answer 1

Contrasting rhythms that emphasize the beats 2 and 4 of a 4/4 measure (rather than 1 and 3)

Question 2

Blue Notes

Answer 2

Notes where the pitch is bent expressively. Replacing where there should be major note with a minor one.

Question 3

Chords

Answer 3

Combination of notes played at the same time

Question 4

Solo Break

Answer 4

Soloist plays without accompaniment (usually improvised)

Question 5

Cadenza

Answer 5

Single melody that happens for as long as you want

Question 6

Scales

Answer 6

Collection of pitches within the octave, forming a pattern of whole and half steps, from which melodies are created

Question 7

Consonant

Answer 7

Quality of a harmony that’s stable and doesn’t need to resolve to another chord

Question 8

Dissonance

Answer 8

Quality of an unstable harmony that resolves to another chord

Question 9

Meter

Answer 9

Organization of recurring pulses into patterns

Question 10

Pulse

Answer 10

Tempo, what you tap along with

Question 11

Tempo

Answer 11

Speed of a piece of music

Question 12

Groove

Answer 12

Sense of swing in music, repeated pattern

Question 13

Harmonic Progression/Chord Progression

Answer 13

Series of chords placed in a strict rhythmic sequence, also known as changes

Question 14

Octave

Answer 14

Two notes with the same letter name, one pitch has a frequency about twice the other

Question 15

Horns/Horn Players

Answer 15

Jazz slang for wind instruments

Question 16

Rhythm Section

Answer 16

Instruments that provide accompaniment for jazz soloing

Question 17

Polyrhythm

Answer 17

Simultaneous use of contrasting rhythm, also known as rhythmic contrast

Question 18

Stop Time

Answer 18

Technique where a band plays a series of short chords a fixed distance apart, creating space for an instrument to fill with monophonic improvisation

Question 19

Swing

Answer 19

Syncopated beats

Question 20

Timbre

Answer 20

Quality of sound, as distinct from its pitch

Question 21

Tonic

Answer 21

First note in a major or minor scale

Question 22

Texture/Musical Texture

Answer 22

Relationship between melody and harmony: melody supported by harmonic accompaniment, melody by itself, or two or more melodies played at the same time, creating their own harmonies

Question 23

Song Form

Answer 23

Structure of the song

Question 24

AABA

Answer 24

First most common 32 bar form, referring to melody and harmonic progression, each part of 8 bars long

Question 25

ABAC

Answer 25

Second most common 32 bar form, referring to melody and harmonic progression

Question 26

32 Bar Form

Answer 26

Standard song form, usually divided into shorter sections

Question 27

12 Bar Blues Form

Answer 27

12 bar cycle used as a framework for improvising

Question 28

Big Bands

Answer 28

Large jazz orchestras featuring sections of saxophones, trumpets, and trombones

Question 29

Combos

Answer 29

Small musical group of 3-7 people

Question 30

Bridge

Answer 30

Middle part of 32 bar form which connects between the A sections

Question 31

Call and Response

Answer 31

Pervasive principle of interaction or conversation in jazz: a statement by one musician or group of musicians is immediately answered by another musician or group

Question 32

Chart

Answer 32

Shorthand musical score that serves as the point of reference for a jazz performance, often specifying only the melody and the harmonic progression

Question 33

Chorus

Answer 33

One time through the entire form

Question 34

Comping

Answer 34

Rhythmically unpredictable way of playing chords to accompany a solois

Question 35

Fill

Answer 35

Short drum solo performed to fill in the spaces in an improvised performance

Question 36

Head

Answer 36

Composed section of music that frames a small combo performance, appearing at the beginning and at the end

Question 37

Jam Session

Answer 37

Informal gathering at which musicians create music for their own enjoyment

Question 38

Lick

Answer 38

Short melodic ideas that form a shared basic vocabulary for jazz improvisers, stock pattern

Question 39

Melody

Answer 39

Single music line, one note at a time

Question 40

Harmony

Answer 40

More than one note played at one time (chord)

Question 41

Rhythm

Answer 41

Pattern of beats in music

Question 42

Modulation

Answer 42

Move from one key to another

Question 43

Motive

Answer 43

Short melodic or rhythmic idea

Question 44

Pedal Point

Answer 44

Passage in which the bass note refuses to move, remaining stationary on a single note

Question 45

Playing Outside

Answer 45

Improvising outside the structure of a tonal harmonic progression

Question 46

Ride Pattern/Swing Patten

Answer 46

Steady pulsation played on the ride symbol that forms one of the foundations for modern jazz

Question 47

Riff

Answer 47

Short, catchy, and repeated melodic phrase

Question 48

Trading Fours

Answer 48

Trading solos back and forth between the drums and the soloists or between soloists

Question 49

Voicing

Answer 49

Distributing the notes of a chord on a piano, or of different instruments in an arrangement

Question 50

Walking Bass

Answer 50

Bass line featuring four equal beats per bar, usually used as a rhythmic foundation in jazz

Question 51

Ostinato/Bass Line

Answer 51

Repeated melodic or rhythmic pattern