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Glossary
word definition

Afro-Cuban Beat patterns typical of popular music of Cuba.

rhythms

arrangement The specific organization or performance order of a given composition (i.e., who
plays what when).

arranger Musician who writes the parts to be played by a music ensemble.

atonal Music not based on a particular key or scale; dissonant music.

autonomous Not controlled by others or by outside forces.

autonomy The condition or quality of being autonomous; independence (e.g., jazz musicians
have the autonomy to play chords any way they want).

avant-garde Jazz (usually atonal) not based on preconceived chord changes; jazz played in a
freely improvised nature (but which is not entirely "free" as it generally shows
evidence of a structure or blueprint); the term first came into widespread use in the
1960s to describe some of the more freely improvised music of artists such as John
Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor, their peer artists, and those who followed
in their footsteps.

axe Synonym for instrument.

basic chord Symbol indicating the fundamental vertical (chordal) sound of its related scale; any
symbol note from the related scale (except for any avoid tones) may be used in the
pianists or guitarists chord voicing; the most common basic chord symbols are C
(major), C7 (dominant 7 AKA mixolydian), C- (dorian), C (half diminished AKA
locrian), Co (whole-half diminished), C7b9 (half-whole diminished), C7+5 (whole
improvisation Spontaneous composition; composing the music as you are playing; extemporaneous soloing; musical
conversing.
inland A canal, river or lake that can be used by boats, barges or ships.
waterway
intonation The degree of adherence to correct pitch by a given instrument; good intonation suggests close approximatio
of the pitch; poor intonation implies the opposite (horn players, unlike pianists, have the ability to adjust
their intonation by pushing in or pulling out their mouthpieces as well as by adjusting their embouchure).
intro The introductory section of a tune prior to the theme statement, or head.
intuition The act or faculty of knowing or sensing without the use of rational processes.
intuitive; Of, relating to, or arising from intuition; subconsciously; reflexively; (e.g., in the same way people converse,
intuitively most jazz musicians improvise more intuitivelythan cognitively).
jam Musician's slang for a session of improvising.
jam session An informal gathering and performance of musicians, stressing improvisation.
jazz A music originating in America. Characteristics include syncopation, improvisation, and strong expressions of
emotion.
jazz waltz Medium to up tempo swing groove in 3/4 time, i.e., a feeling of three beats to the bar (please note that a tune
does not necessarily have to be written in 3/4 to be played as a jazz waltz; for example, Footprints is writt
in 6/4 but is generally played with a jazz waltz feel, i.e., each 6/4 bar feels like two bars of 3/4); tunes in th
standard jazz repertoire usually played as a jazz waltz include All Blues, Black Narcissus, Bluesette, A
Child is Born, Emily,Footprints, How My Heart Sings, My Favorite Things, Someday My Prince Will
Come, Up Jumped Spring, Valse Hot, West Coast Blues, and Windows.
Jim Crow Laws of segregation.
laws
jitterbug A lively dance for couples, usually done to swing music.
jukebox An automatic phonograph that plays recordings when money is inserted into a coin slot.
Latin Catchall term used by jazz musicians denoting any straight-eighth groove that incorporates bossa and/or
samba rhythms (or other Latin dance rhythms including Afro-Cuban, baion, beguine, calypso, cha-cha,
conga, guaguanco, mambo, merengue, paso doble, rumba, salsa, and songo).
Latin Musical instruments often played by ensembles in Latin American countries such as bongos, congas, cow be
percussion etc.
instruments
lead sheet Sheet of music indicating the basic melody and chord symbols (i.e., head and changes) of an entire tune (e.g
the way each tune is written in the Aebersold play-along books - or any fakebook - is considered a lead
sheet)
Lindy Hop See "jitterbug."
looping The continuous repetition of a musical phrase manipulated by electronic means; in acid jazz, the
accompaniment portion of old records are often sampled then looped, providing the background for new
recordings (over which are placed other synthesized sounds, raps, and/or jazz improvisations).
lynching Putting an accused person to death, usually by hanging without a lawful trial.
mainstream Originally a term that embraced certain music (particularly small bands) which extended the swing jazz traditio
into the present; an umbrella term that includes all post-bebop acoustic jazz except that which is
considered free or avant garde jazz; jazz reflecting hard bop sensibilities.
megaphone A large funnel-shaped horn used to increase the volume of the voice.
melisma a group of notes sung to one syllable of text
microphone An instrument for magnifying sound.
modal jazz Jazz tunes that stay on one mode (and thus on one chord) for a long time, usually at least four bars per mode
(in contrast with most standard jazz repertoire which changes chords far more frequently).
modal tune Type of tune that is harmonically based on a small number of modes (scales), each lasting a long time (four o
more bars) rather than a progression of rapidly changing chords; examples of modal tunes
include Impressions, Maiden Voyage, and Cantaloupe Island.
mode A particular series of notes that are derived from a "parent" scale beginning and ending with a note other than
the parent scale's root, resulting in a different set of intervals and tonal center thus creating a different
mood, e.g., the second mode of the Bb major scale (Bb C D Eb F G A Bb) is C Dorian (C D Eb F G A Bb C
moving A row of workers and machines along which work is passed until the product is made.
assembly line
multiphonic technique in instrumental music in which a monophonic instrument (one which generally produces only one
note at a time) is made to produce several notes at once
mute The device brass players insert in the bell of their instrument to diminish the loudness of their instrument and
create various effects.
New Deal The policies and measures proposed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as a means of improving economic
and social conditions during the 1930s.
New Orleans Early instrumental jazz band music; Dixieland.
style jazz
nonet A band, ensemble, combo, or unit consisting of nine musicians.
out-head The last chorus of a tune when the music returns to the original theme, or head.
ragtime A non-improvised, notated late 19th-early 20th century style of piano-based music characterized by its
syncopated, distinctive so-called "ragged" right hand movement on the keyboard; an influence on and
direct precursor of early jazz; a piano style with stride left hand and highly syncopated right hand; ragtime
was composed music.
range The gamut of pitches from low to high that a voice or an instrument is capable of producing.
real book Fakebook (see fakebook).
rent party A gathering in one's home for which an admission fee is charged in order to raise money to pay the rent or
other bills.
rhythm The pulse or pattern of beats of a given piece of music; the element of music dealing with time.
rhythm The chords ("changes") of George Gershwin's I Got Rhythm; an adjective describing a contrafact based on
changes George Gershwin's I Got Rhythm (as in rhythm changes tune, e.g., Anthropology, Oleo, Moose the
Mooch, etc.).
rhythm The musicians in the band whose primary function is to provide and maintain the pulse, rhythm, and feel of th
section music as well as its underlying chord structure; the rhythm section consists of piano, bass, guitar, and
drums.
riff Short fragment of melody, usually repeated many times.
sampling Consists of digitally recording acoustic, synthesized, or previously recorded sounds for the purpose of
electronically manipulating them (e.g., changing pitch, changing timbre, looping them, etc.); in acid jazz,
entire musical phrases from old albums are often sampled then resynthesized as the basis for new
recordings.
saxophone A musical instrument in the woodwind family. The sound is produced by blowing into a reed mouthpiece.
scat singing A vocalist's improvisatory device whereby he/she sings in nonsense syllables rather than lyrics as a means of
approximating an instrumental solo; vocal improvisation (note: listen to Ella Fitzgerald singing How High t
Moon on the album The Complete Ella in Berlin).
segregated Racially separated.
sit in Musician's slang for performing with a group.
slide guitar a method of guitar playing that produces a gliding sound by pressing a metal bar or glass tube against the
(AKA strings
bottleneck)
slur connecting two or more notes smoothly with no additional attacks
soli A melody which is played in harmony by a section rhythmically together (e.g., a sax soli).
solo The passages of a tune during which one musician improvises within the context of the tune; that person is
known as the soloist.
speakeasy A nightclub which operated illegally during Prohibition. Many musicians found employment in speakeasies.
specific chordSymbol indicating the specific notes to be included in a chord, e.g., Cmaj9 indicates that the chord contains C
symbol G B D, Cmi11 indicates C Eb G Bb D F, etc. (although a specific chord symbol is able to indicate the note
that should be included in a particular chord, it does not indicate any particular voicing).
spiritual Music with a religious theme.
standards Familiar, well-established popular or jazz tunes; those songs which through widely repeated performance hav
become part of the standard jazz repertoire.
stock market Place where investors may purchase "shares" or small increments of a business.
straight aheadTerm used to suggest a manner of playing which adheres closely to the tradition of jazz, as in played straight,
moving in a straight forward manner; also used as a stylistic designation related to mainstream (see
mainstream) playing; acoustic jazz based on the hard bop tradition and sensibilities.
straight-eighthGroove in which the underlying beat is comprised of non-swung eighth notes, i.e., eighth notes are even in
length (eighth notes played on downbeats or upbeats each receive exactly 1/2 of the beat.
swing 1. To swing is when an individual player or ensemble performs in such a rhythmically coordinated way as to
command a visceral response from the listener (to cause feet to tap and heads to nod); an irresistible
gravitational buoyancy that defies mere verbal definition. 2. A way of performing eighth notes in which
downbeats and upbeats receive approximately 2/3 and 1/3 of the beat, respectively, providing a rhythmic
to the music. 3. A stylistic term to designate a jazz form that originated in the 1930s with the advent of the
big bands (as in Swing Era).
swung-eighthInterpretation of eighth notes in which notes played on downbeats and upbeats receive 2/3 and 1/3 of the bea
respectively, providing a rhythmic lilt (swing) to the music.
syncopation The accenting of beats that are not naturally accented; the accenting of "upbeats."
tempo Refers to the speed of the underlying beat or pulse of a piece of music.
timbral relating to tone color (see timbre)
timbre the quality of tone distinctive of a particular singing voice or musical instrument; tone color
tonal Music that is based on the traditional major or minor scales; the entire system of all the major and minor keys
trombone A large brass wind instrument. Pitch is changed by moving a slide.
trumpet A musical instrument in the brass family. Tone is produced by blowing into a small mouthpiece.
tune Any song or composition that is part of the jazz repertoire.
turnaround A short melodic or harmonic passage usually comprised of a I VI II V progression (or variation thereof) that
returns (turns around) to the beginning of a section or top of the form.
twelve-bar A popular form for jazz compositions usually consisting of three 4-bar phrases (the first two phrases are often
blues somewhat identical with the third phrase contrasting the first two).
unison The note or passage played exactly the same (pitches and rhythms) by two or more musicians.
Urban An organization that works to end racial discrimination and increase economic and political opportunities for
League blacks and other minorities in the United States.
vamp One chord (or a brief chord progression) which is played over and over; a numerously repeated section of
music, usually two or four bars in length.
verse A composed set of music and words that serves as introductory material to a song, lyrically setting up the stor
(usually rubato -- rarely played by jazz instrumentalists but occasionally sung by jazz vocalists).
virtuoso An outstanding musician exceptional on his/her instrument; a musician with masterly ability, technique, and/or
personal style.
voicing The particular order of notes in a chord (e.g., E Bb D G is a 3 b7 9 5 voicing of a C7 chord).
West Coast Usually refers to cool style jazz.
jazz
work song A song sung in the same rhythm as a task being done. Groups would sometimes sing together to keep the
workers moving at a steady pace.
Works A United States government agency created in 1935 to provide paying jobs for unemployed workers.
Progess
Administratio
n (WPA)