What is Jazz?

Jazz is basically a form of music that evolved in the 1980s in the America. It has since then covered a broad spectrum of different other style like swing,bebop,hard-bop,funk,jazz-fusion,jazz rock,latin,acid jazz,etc.Whatever substyle it may be, the basic fundamental approach to jazz need not be one of ignorance or condemnation but of openness and willingness to explore.Jazz exposes a musician technical prowness and virtuosity and a band's cohesiveness and collaboration through subtle communication,sometimes by eye contact, hand signals or signs.

Jazz Mechanics:
there are 3 very important elements in jazz:
1. improvisation
2.harmony
3.swing

1.improvisation:
a form of musical self expression based on a given structure of harmony,sometimes played(or scattered) within or outside of this harmony.this self expression is instinctive and instantaneous and is not prearranged.

2. harmony:
this involves the chords that relate to a particular peice of music. The proggression of these chords can sometimes be a series of different simple cadences or it can be as complex as containing more than this series if cadences. The harmony of a piece can resolve around a major or minor tonality. Jazz is basiccally reliant on harmony to effectively project its full potential.
eg: C Major and C harmonic Minor

3. swing:
perhaps the most difficult to attain and achieve, the swing in jazz provides the groove by which the music holds. Without swing, jazz would be quite lame." a chrochet and a quaver"

Scales for improvisation:
1. major scale- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 (1)
2.harmonic min scale
3.melodic min scale
4.major pentatonic scale- 1 2 3 5 6 (1)
5.min pentatonic scale- 1 b3 4 5 b7 (1)
6.blues scale-1 b3 4 #4 5 b7 (1)
7.mixolydian(dominant) scale- 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7 (1)
8.diminished scale-1 2 b3 4 b5 b6 6 7 (1)- 9 notes

another imortant element in improvisation is phrasing. An improvisation should contain different varieties of phrasing to enhance its musical value. Play in motifs and sequences. A motif is a series of not more than 3 notes and a sequence is a series of not more than 12 notes. these motifs and sequences are played repetitively to create something musical.