Jazz: What In The Heck Is It?

All of us know what jazz is when we hear it, but trying to define it is a different matter. With so many variant styles, coming up with an accurate definition of jazz is difficult if not impossible.

But I suppose that an article on jazz really ought to attempt to define the term "jazz." My Thorndike-Barnhart Dictionary defines jazz like this:

*jazz (jaz), noun. 1. American music with the accents falling at unusual places; syncopated music. 2. Slang, liveliness ? adj. of or like jazz: a jazz band.

Besides not telling us very much, it is also obviously false. I think immediately of ballads played by jazz musicians, such as Thelonious Monk's 'Round Midnight and Bill Evan's Peace Piece, and countless other examples. They are based on neither syncopation nor liveliness; they are slow, extremely thoughtful, and the antithesis of "jazzy." Yet they are considered by both jazz musicians and jazz critics alike to be well within the mainstream of jazz.

Let's try A New Dictionary of Music and see if we can get closer to the essence of jazz:

*jazz, a term used at least from 1914 for a type of American popular music originating among blacks of New Orleans and taken over also by whites; also used generally for various types of dance music indebted to this (though purists reserve the term for such music as retains the original flavor and the original basis of improvisation.) The jazz idiom, characterized by certain syncopations over strongly reiterated rhythms, has influenced e.g. Lambert, Stravinsky, and Milhaud, as well as many American composers.

That's better than the Thorndike-Barnhart definition, but it still leans heavily toward defining jazz in terms of rhythm alone: "characterized by certain syncopations over strongly reiterated rhythms." I think again of ballads, but also of much contemporary jazz which is not characterized by "certain syncopations,: such as the work of pianists Keith Jarrett and Chick Corea.

What then is jazz? If the general dictionaries and musical dictionaries can't satisfactorily answer the question, what hope is there for us?

Ask a hundred jazz musicians what jazz is, and you'll get a hundred different answers (I know ? I've asked at least a dozen and gotten as many different responses.)

I would like to suggest that the answer may lie, not in music, but in semantics.

I think it is entirely possible that we are lumping together widely disparate types of music, and labeling them all with the term "jazz," then wondering why we can't come up with a lexical definition of the term. Maybe we should abandon the word "jazz," and use terms such as "improvised fast syncopated music," or "improvised slow non-syncopated music." Maybe we should, but we won't. So we are stuck with the non-definable term "jazz."

So let's not define jazz.

We all know what it is, more or less. We would disagree mainly in the "grey" areas, such as ballads, some contemporary works, and so forth. But let's agree not to disagree, and just enjoy it.

The following articles in this series will deal with the various styles we find in jazz, from ragtime to fusion.

So stay tuned.

Duane Shinn is the author of over 500 music books and music educational materials such as DVD's, CD's, musical games for kids, chord charts, musical software, and piano lesson instructional courses for adults. His course on blues and jazz improvisation titled "How To Make Up Music As You Go Along: Improvising On The Piano!" is being used by musicians and pianists around the world. He holds advanced degrees from Southern Oregon University and was the founder of Piano University in Southern Oregon. He is the author of the popular free 101-week online e-mail newsletter titled Amazing Secrets Of Exciting Piano Chords & Sizzling Chord Progressions! with over 57,400 current subscribers.

---

Is the Mainstream Ready Once Again for Dance Music?

Not since the heyday of Dance/Pop Artists like Taylor Dayne... Read More

The Strange Days (mostly nights) of Guns N? Roses

Kenny "Axil" Rose (Lead vocals), D.J. "Slash (Lead guitar), Joshua... Read More

Setting Up In-House Retail Sales

Now, that you are familiar and likely connected with online... Read More

History of the Clarinet From the 19th Century

While composers had already begun to write music for the... Read More

What Works Best in New Age Piano Improvisation

Many students want to know how to improvise. What they... Read More

The Death-Defying Warehouse Party Life: An Interview by William of Orange

About an entire local music industry that's rarely heard from,... Read More

Musical Improvisation Basics - Four Strategies For Playing Wrong Notes

While it probably doesn't seem like this would help -... Read More

One Way to Improve Your Music Journalist Relationship

Boy, I really detest how some people do websites. Bands... Read More

Learning the Piano and Playing the Piano

Many piano students spend much time learning how to play... Read More

Dont Go Tubthumping

I have always had a big problem with my addiction... Read More

Guitar Facts: A Glossary of Terms

It is said that the forerunner of the guitar, the... Read More

An Interview with Angus Young of ACDC - Why He Plays a Gibson SG

Steven: Maybe more than any other guitarist ever, you're inextricably... Read More

New M3 with Competition Package

The new competition package available for the BMW M3 is... Read More

Motorhead Inferno

Motorhead-"Inferno"-Review by Les Lewellyn When David Grohl... Read More

George Winston and New Age Piano Playing

The first time I heard George Winston play back in... Read More

Piano Playing Your Way: How To Have More Fun Playing The Piano Than You Ever Have Before

Piano playing doesn't have to be boring. There's no law... Read More

A Guitar Lesson To Help You Test Your Note Knowledge

In this guitar lesson we look at a great way... Read More

The Ostinato - What It is and How to Use It

Ostinato means "repeating pattern" and is used frequently in all... Read More

The Piano Parent Trap!

"My 6 year old daughter really loves the piano and... Read More

Hip Hop History

Rap music originated as a cross-cultural product. Most of its... Read More

Things To Know When Shopping For A Guitar Amplifier

Guitar amplifiers are a major part of your tone. Some... Read More

How To Play Guitar Like a Pro!

Having taught the guitar for many years, I see the... Read More

How to Create Hip, Mature, and Lush Harmonies [correction]

Rarely is a chord played with its tones contained in... Read More

Playing The Piano Using Chord Symbols Instead of Being Tied To The Written Sheet Music

Piano improvising and arranging is an art but definitely not... Read More

Beginner Guitar Tips: How to Get a Feel

"I don't like to go into the studio with all... Read More

Music: Uniting Nations, Dividing Generations

Cultures around the world since the beginning of time have... Read More

Top Rap Song

After months of email and posts, we've finally compiled and... Read More

The Case Against Traditional Piano Lessons

How would you like to spend 4 years in a... Read More

Composing George Winston Style

If you're a fan of New Age piano, no doubt... Read More

Visualization Techniques for the Pianist

Controlling the images of the mind through image projection has... Read More

Discover The Perfect Place To Perform

Once you know what your Unique Selling Proposition is as... Read More

Are iPods Changing the Way We Listen to Music

They're everywhere, and not only are they everywhere, they look... Read More

Creating Your Own Unique Music

Have you ever dreamed of penning your own compositions? Writing... Read More