Jazz
Jazz is a family of traditions built around shared repertoire, rhythmic feel, improvisation and interaction. Harmony often uses seventh chords and ii-V-I motion, but style lives equally in phrasing, time, articulation and the way players respond to one another.
- form is shared
- improvisation changes the surface
- swing is performed, not calculated
Where you run into this
- Standards
- Combos
- Improvisation
- Arranging
What does the ensemble share?
A lead sheet can provide melody, chord symbols and form. The group agrees on the head and section order, then creates voicing, accompaniment, fills and solos in performance.
A common route is head, improvised solos over the form and a return to the head. The form stays available as a map even when the surface changes.
Why are seventh chords normal?
Jazz harmony commonly treats the seventh as part of the basic chord color. Extensions such as ninths, elevenths and thirteenths add available color; alterations intensify dominant motion.
Do not stack every available note. Choose a bass, guide tones and one or two colors that support melody and register.
What creates a ii-V-I?
| Chord | Main role | Voice-leading clue in C |
|---|---|---|
| Dm7 | predominant | F and C prepare the dominant |
| G7 | dominant | B and F form the guide-tone tritone |
| Cmaj7 | tonic | B can remain; F resolves to E |
Play only the third and seventh of each chord. The harmonic route remains clear without full root-position voicings.
What is swing?
Swing involves uneven subdivision, accent, articulation and interaction. The ratio between long and short eighths changes with tempo and player, so one percentage cannot define the feel.
Listen to the ride pattern, walking bass and comping together. Each part can place time differently while the group maintains one pulse.
Start improvising from the form
- Sing the headknow the melody before replacing it.
- Play guide tonesfollow thirds and sevenths through the chords.
- Limit the solouse one rhythmic idea across four bars.
- Leave spacehear the rhythm section answer.
- Return to the melodyend by reconnecting with the tune.