Download Jazz_ part 1 Ragtime

Jazz
 Jazz music originated with slaves.
 In the African tradition, they had a single-line
melody and a call-and-response pattern, but
without the European concept of harmony.
 In the early 19th century an increasing
number of African-American musicians
learned to play European instruments.
 Another influence came from AfricanAmerican slaves who had learned the
harmonic style of hymns and incorporated it
into their own music as spirituals.
Jazz
 Begin with a basic melodies and
musicians take turns improvising or
“taking a solo” on the melody.
 Melody
 Improv
Jazz
 Syncopation – shifting the accent to
the weak beat or off-beat
Jazz
 Syncopated rhythms reflected African
speech patterns, and the African use of
pentatonic scales led to blue notes in
blues and jazz. (lowered 3rd, 5th, & 7th)
Ragtime
 Based on the military two-step march
 Rhythms are "ragged" and
syncopated (putting emphases on
weak beat)
 Mostly played on the piano
Scott Joplin
 Most famous ragtime
composer – Scott Joplin
 Called "King of Ragtime"
 Unsure of date of birth. Was 2 years
old at census in July 1870
 Born in Northeast Texas
 Moved to Texarkana while still young
Texarkana
Scott Joplin
 In the 1880’s, Joplin lived in Sedalia,
MO as a teenager.
 Joplin worked as
an itinerant
musician.
 When not traveling
Joplin played piano
at local events
 Died April 1, 1917
Joplin’s Music
 Joplin received a 1-cent royalty from the
sales of printed music of “Maple Leaf Rag,”
which gave him a small, steady income for
the rest of his life.
 Sales of “Maple Leaf Rag” reached half a
million in 10 years.
 Wrote “The Entertainer” (used in movie,
The Sting)
 Also wrote an opera called “Treemonisha”