MUHL (History of Jazz) 2304 Exam 1

Where did the term "Jazz" come from?

The term jazz has no real origin (used as a non-musical slang term).

Define Improvisation

To compose and perform simultaneously.

Swing

Varies according to context and is based on a triple subdivision of the beat.

Melody

A horizontal music structure.

Harmony

A vertical music structure.

Homophonic Texture

A texture with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords.

Polyphonic Texture

A texture consisting of two or more simultaneous lines of independent melody.

Dissonance

Lack of harmony among musical notes.

Consonance

The combination of notes that are in harmony with each other.

Timbre

Purity in sound.

Tempo

The speed or pace of a given piece

Walking Bass

A bass part in 4/4 time in which a note is played on each beat of the bar and which typically moves up and down the scale in small steps.

Arco

Usually used as a direction in music for players of stringed instruments.

Pizzicato

Plucking the strings of a violin or other stringed instrument with one's finger.

Comping

The action of playing a musical accompaniment.

Cyclic

Occurring in cycles; regularly repeated.

Bar

A segment of time corresponding to a specific number of beats in which each beat is represented by a particular note value and the boundaries of the bar are indicated by vertical bar lines.

What are the three regions associated with African Retentions?

1. Mississippi Delta

2. Georgia Sea Islands

3. New Orleans

Uptown/Downtown Theory

Downtown = Creoles

Uptown = Negroes

Who made the first jazz recording?

The Original Dixieland Jazz Band

New Orleans Jazz Style

Distinctive style of collective improvisation.

Stride Piano

A style of jazz piano playing in which the right hand plays the melody while the left hand plays a single bass note or octave on the strong beat and a chord on the weak beat.

Ragtime

A style of early jazz music written largely for the piano and is characterized by jaunty rhythms and a whimsical mood.

Rent Parties

A party held to raise money to pay rent by charging guests for attendance.

Cutting Contests

A musical battle between various stride piano players, and to a lesser extent in improvisation contests on other jazz instruments during the swing era.