[Tom M]

lattely I've been trying to get into jazz music. I'm finding it to be easy at times on the ears and at other times hard. I have a very modest musical back ground. I've played guitar for a few years(all rock stuff). I also during this time learned some basic music theory. While listening to jazz I find my self trying to figure out what the musicians might be doing. I'm listining for tonality to find weather the piece is in some major key or minor key and I'm also trying to find out what time signature the piece is in. For example 4/4,5/4,6/8. With jazz I find I can not do this like I can with rock. I find the sound of jazz music to be a bit strange sounding to my ears at times. So how is someone suppose to listen to jazz? What is the best way to properly digest it's sound.

 

[zowie]

I don't know what you mean be "fully appreciate," but here's what I suggest.

1.a. Modern jazz (bop and later) is extremely complex harmonically, and sometimes rythmically. You really need to know a lot of theory or have an exceptional to pick up the changes like that.

1.b. If you're interested, try to get your hands on some transcriptions and follow along with some tunes. There's something called "The Real Book" that's sold under the counter at most small music shops that has transcriptions of the heads of standards right off of famous jazz recordings, so you can see the altered changes from the originals. Don't get confused with a commercially published fake book called The Real Book, it's not bad but it's not the same thing.

1.c. Picking up the time signature really shouldn't be that hard if you play even a little. The vast majority of jazz is in 4. A little bit is in three and a little bit is in odd signatures. Maybe what's confusing you is the swung eighth notes. Two eights are played more like a tied-eighths + eighth or eight + tied eights triplet (easier notated than explained here). Again, reading along with a transcription might help you. Pick something slow, not a Parker solo.

2. In light of 1a, I suggest you concentrate less on the theoretical end and more on the emotional content the musicians are trying to express, or as the musicians sometimes used to put it, the "story." Focus on what they're saying. You don't need to know any theory for that. Many people enjoy and appreciate jazz on this level alone. That's why I said "fully appreciate" doesn't make sense.

However, it's my personal opinion that fully appreciating jazz on this level requires (a) some knowledge of the larger cultural context in which jazz developed, from field hollers, to New Orleans brothels, to harlem rent parties, to swing, to elitest intellectualism, etc. etc., and (b) some knowledge of the 6 or 8 major styles, who the innovators were, and how they fit into the larger culatural scheme. There are a number of good books on this. I'd recommend LeRoi Jones' Blues People as a great place to start, were it not that he's decided to become New Jersey's Anti-Semite Lauriate. Ken Burns' Jazz does an okay buy not excellent job of this.

3. In either event, I suggest exploring jazz more-or-less chronologically, as it developed. Each generation kept innovating and pushing envelopes. (Okay, maybe not so much during the 70s and 80s, with notable exceptions.) It's of course hard to appreciate what you're listening too if you jump in in the middle of the story. I don't know who made the rule that Kind of Blue has to be everyone's first jazz album. Buy some Basie and Armstrong and have a little fun until your ear for the music develops.

 

[finleyville]

Appreciating jazz is similar to appreciating any type of music. It dependes on your definition.

I used to play trumpet and was in a jazz band myself, although that was a long time ago. Now I'm lucky to recognize a trumpet 3 out of 4 times.

Does this background give me a grander appreciation and love of the genre? Maybe.

There are some people that can get immersed in some music who have never picked up an instrument in their lives. (Air drums do not count

) They don't understand or could care less about the technical aspects of the music. All they know is that the music touches them on an emotional level that they cannot describe.

Other people who have studied an instument or theory will have a greater understanding of the music and the mechanics, but may not reach the emotional level as the untrained.

Who appreciates it more? You can answer that question on your own.

As far as trying to foster a love for a particular style of music, I would start with what you already enjoy. I'm assuming that you like blues since Led Zepplin, your avatar, relied heavily on its forms at times. Start with blues artists or jazz artists with a blues feel. Focus on artists who feature instruments which you enjoy the most. If there is a song on a disc that you especially like, figure out what makes it special to you and expand in that direction. Is it the great solo in the middle or the off-beat funky style of the rhythm section? Does it have a latin feel or is the vocalist's voice especially appealing? Once you start to understand what you do or do not like about jazz, then you can start to find your own personal niche within the genre. For example, I really like Miles Davis' Kind of Blue and other early stuff. However, I cannot stand his later free form style. It's not that it is bad music; it's just not for me. By asking the knowledgable people on this forum and your quality neighborhood music shop, you can be guided to artists that suit your tastes.

Remember, it is not listening to jazz that you dislike and forcing yourself to like it in order to "appreciate" jazz music, it is experimenting and finding the style within jazz that you connect to.

 

[Braver]

Quote:

Originally posted by finleyville There are some people that can get immersed in some music who have never picked up an instrument in their lives. (Air drums do not count ) They don't understand or could care less about the technical aspects of the music. All they know is that the music touches them on an emotional level that they cannot describe.

that sounds like me

you just need some general understanding of what the guys are doing. are they making a statement, is anything related to anything. and what does the artistic development of the music look like? I read a lot about the artists I listen to, to understand what they're doing. couldn't care less if it's in 13/28 or in 4/4. specially with jazz, it's all improvisation, no need to analyse it. and you should see it live anyway.

it's like, with Coltrane for instance, I believe Miles said it once, he thinks of some melody and then tries to explain it in five different ways. and it's like he thinks of all those possibities all at once and needs to play them before he forgets

ful fiery passion!

 

[Tom M]

Thanks for the imput guys. Hey braver I noticed your avatar. Are you a King Crimson fan? I love court of the crimson king. Great album

 

[millerdog]

hehe...some of the younger folk say jazz sounds like a soundtrack to some **** movie...Ah, youth!
Coltrane works for me as much as the Rippingtons do.
md

 

[Braver]

Quote:

Originally posted by Tom M Thanks for the imput guys. Hey braver I noticed your avatar. Are you a King Crimson fan? I love court of the crimson king. Great album

yeah, love that album too. theres also a lot of Crimson I don't like, so, to catagorize myself as a fan....I dunno. In The Court has one brilliantly disturbing album cover tho!