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.

---

MP3 Music Subscription Services. A Good Deal?

There's a reason Apple Computer dominates the legal 99-cents-a-download digital... Read More

Try Some New Music!

Stuck in a music rut?It happens. After listening to your... Read More

Learn to Read Music Online

If you or anyone you know wants to learn to... Read More

The Revolution has begun - and it will not be Televised The new Artist Development Paradigm

In reflecting on the world of the Music Business in... Read More

A Brief History of Fender Guitars

Perhaps no other guitar maker has touched the hearts of... Read More

Setting Up In-House Retail Sales

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

They Laughed When I Sat Down at the Piano... but When I Started to Play...

Remember the old ad that used to run endlessly in... Read More

Music Industry Secrets Revealed - How To Become Succesful The Music Industry Without A Record Deal

Before the internet, unsigned music artists couldnt make a living,... Read More

Would Chopin Have Passed A Music Quiz?

Q. My children are very interested in playing music. Is... Read More

What Works Best in New Age Piano Improvisation

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

?Who Else Wants to Get Screwed When Signing a Recording or Songwriting Deal?!?!?

You've got your recording (or songwriting) contract in hand and... Read More

50 Cent

More so than any other music since the blues, hip-hop... Read More

Just 3 Chords? No Way!

A student wrote me an email about the lesson "Ocean... Read More

To Record or Not To Record - At Home, That Is

I will be honest. I am addicted to music recording.... Read More

Guitar Performance - Make The Most of It!

Getting ready for any type of guitar performance can be... Read More

How to Compose Using ABA Form

ABA form is like a musical sandwich. You have the... Read More

3 Secrets To Understanding What Makes Music Tick

It's no secret that virtually everyone loves music in some... Read More

Adults Can Learn to Play the Piano Too

Are you well past puberty and have always had a... Read More

Piano Lessons Can be Fun!

There are essentially two ways to learn piano - note... Read More

Why You Cant Play Piano

It's really not your fault. You see, you've been taught... Read More

Patriotic Music: Surprising Secrets About Those Flag-Waving Sounds

Whether played by a marching band, an orchestra, or a... Read More

Music for Cross Cultural Accelerated Learning

The Search for the Right MusicEver since Georgi Lozonav, the... Read More

The Open Position Piano Chord

Chords. They're amazing. There's no doubt about it. Especially when... Read More

Review: The Bled - Pass the Flask

Released in 2003, Pass the Flask turned this little quintet... Read More

Free, Legal Music Online

Almost everyone has heard about the massive crack down on... Read More

What is Piano GHD Syndrome?

Do you remember the movie, Groundhog Day? In this wonderful... Read More

How to Be in the Moment when Playing Piano

Your best music will always come when you are in... Read More

Building A Good Relationship With Your Guitar

The guitar is considered the friendliest musical instrument there is.... Read More

Music: Uniting Nations, Dividing Generations

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

Performance and Gigs

"For optimum amp tone onstage, plug your amp into your... Read More

Music Practice Techniques for Learning Repertory

These practice tips were written for fiddlers. I've used them... Read More

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

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

How To Play Guitar Like a Pro!

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