The Jazz Language

[gongchime]

After all that talk about modes in the other thread, that made me think of the expression that "running up and down the right scales isn't jazz" as my professor was fond of saying. To that end I made a list of the basic melodic jazz vocabulary at:http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.c ... e278e1It's derived from Charlie Parker's early work.Of course you'll have to log into myspace first to see them. They're in a photo album called Jazz Language. It's NOT the one that says Music Composition.The melodic examples/motifs are for any of the major/minor/modes of C.In the second photo in the album it starts with really basic chromatic neighbor tones, then moves on to all of the Donna Lee variations starting on the second line.The first photo is a continuation of the Donna Lee variations then starts into combinations of diatonic and chromatic encirclement at the double bar in the second line.In the third photo it shows chromatic approach tones to triadic arpeggios and 7th chord arpeggios after that, then chromatic passing tones within tetra chords, and finally blues motifs showing which notes to bend with a little swoosh next to it.Purists, such as my professor, would say that jazz has a chromatic language, so to him, what Kenny G does on Songbird isn't jazz. But I'll leave that for you to decide.

[mazz]

Hi Greg,There's a problem with the URL, at least for me. I couldn't access the page.That being the case, I think what you have done is admirable. I do think basing it completely on Charlie Parker is leaving out a whole spectrum of the language that evolved from before and after his tenure. After all, Coltrane stretched the vocabulary and some of his later music wasn't based on chord progressions per se so it can't really be analyzed in relationship to standard harmony, he really evolved it to a very melodic place. His later stuff was influenced by Indian music which is completely melodic in nature.Granted, Parker broke open a whole new way of thinking when he came along but the music didn't stop there. Ornette Coleman, for instance, took it to a whole other planet, as did Cecil Taylor and the Art Ensemble of Chicago. Is that jazz? Depends on who you ask. I say yes and it's far away from what Parker did but it still has the same roots.I suggest studying this stuff and then leave it alone so you don't get trapped by it. Maybe you could post this somewhere easier to access, I'd like to see what you've done, it sounds impressive!Mazz

[gongchime]

The url wraps to the next line which is where it is broken. You have to paste in both the orange highlighted part and the white part that comes after. You can't just click on it. Of course you must first be logged into myspace. Also, if you just go to www.myspace.com/gongchime, after logging in, then you can go to my pics. Then navigate to the third page of my pics which is where the Jazz Language photo album is located. Then open that baby. What is there is just the bare bones basic jazz vocabulary. Yeah, Coltrane, Coleman, and Cecil Taylor all broadened out from the roots but never threw out what came before. Smooth Jazz is kind of a severe pruning of the tree. But it also has it's charm. Actually, modal jazz is my favorite kind and I'm aware of it's roots and history. It's critics also say it isn't jazz. Hah. Whatever, who cares. It's good. Probably even better. What is there in my Jazz Language folder isn't really so impressive. It was just scribbled quickly on staff paper, often even without stems on the note heads. Yeah, you shouldn't get trapped by this basic vocabulary. Each motif is just a seed that will lead to more of the later vocabulary if we keep turning them around in our minds, ears and hands.