Lesson 5
Improvisation
Improvisation
a musical conversation in which instrumentalists and/or vocalists
answer one another
call and response
to emphasize a beat or series of beats
accent
A family of musical instruments made of brass or other metal that includes trumpets, trombones, tubas, and French horns..
brass
the organizing element of a piece of music, including its harmonic structure
to become increasingly louder
crescendo
the organizing element of a piece of music, including its harmonic structure
form
the basic pulse of a piece of music; the unit by which musical time is measured
beat
A style of orchestral jazz that first surfaced in the 1920's and blossomed in the 'swing' era 1935-50 when it first became the popular music of the day. Big bands feature three section-brass woodwind, and rhythm - and generally play carefully orchestrated arrangement.
big band
the musical idea created by a composer
composition
the loudness or softness of a piece of music
dynamics
the interaction of rhythms to form a pattern
Groove
to play behind the beat in a way that slows or weighs down the movement of music
drag
More than one composed melody, played at the same time in the same song.
counterpoint
the middle section of a standard American popular song which typically moves to a different key
bridge
the pattern of chords for a song
harmonic structure
A tune; a succession of notes that form a complete musical statement. It is the primary statement of a piece of music.
melody
the un-emphasized beat between two counts of music
offbeat
The chords supporting the melody.
Harmony
The central group of notes around which a piece of music revolves
key
the atmosphere created by the combined sounds of musical instruments and harmonic voicing
texture
the organized motion of sounds and rests; patterned repetition of a beat
rhythm
the basic rhythmic attitude of jazz, sustained by the rhythm section that propels the music forward and is a defining characteristic of jazz. It is also a style of jazz that first appeared during the 1930's and features big bands playing complex arrangements, usually for dancing.
swing
The musical families of saxophones, trumpets, and trombones, collectively or in their individual families.
Horn section
a map created by the composer, dictating the notes to be played by each instrument
A device added to a musical instrument to dampen or quiet the tone, often changing the quality of sound.
mute