Download The Roots of Rock: Ragtime and Jazz

The Roots of Rock
Ragtime and Jazz
Ragtime
• Emerges from mix of influences c. 1880
• Piano style, named for ragged melody line
Ragtime
• Emphasis on cross-rhythms
– Left hand establishes steady beat
• “walking bass” - primarily arpeggios
• “stride bass” - single note on beats 1 and 3, chord on
2 and 4
– Right hand plays complex, syncopated melody
Maple Leaf Rag - Scott Joplin
• Four strains (= sections), each repeated
• A strain returns in middle of piece
• Form: A
A
B
B
A
C
C
D
D
Syncopated dance music
• Ragtime spreads to instrumental ensembles
• Ex. Copenhagen - Fletcher Henderson
– Syncopated, like ragtime melody
– Banjo and tuba alternate between bass note and
backbeat = two-beat rhythm
• Popular for fox-trot and other “animal
dances”
New Orleans Jazz
• Solid beat - not “raggy”
• Extensive syncopation
• Collective improvisation
– Musicians “making up” parts according to
carefully defined rules
• Rhythm section: tuba, banjo, percussion
New Orleans Jazz
• Influence from the blues
• Blue notes: lowering of certain pitches for
emotional effect
– Particularly 3rd, 5th, 7th notes of scale
• four-beat style beat: strong accent on each
beat of bar
Dippermouth Blues - King Oliver
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Blue notes
Thick texture
Blues form (but no words)
King Oliver solo: wah-wah mute
Louis Armstrong (1900-1971)
• Most influential jazz trumpeter ever
• Also had great impact as singer
– Scat singing: vocalizing on nonsense syllables,
singing without words
– Instrumental quality to singing
• Ex. - I Got A Right To Sing the Blues
Swing or Big Band Jazz
• Popular c. 1930-1946
• Based in ensemble virtuosity, rather than
individual solos
• Dense textures
• Riff-based
Count Basie, Jumpin’ at the
Woodside
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Cymbal clearly states four beat rhythm
Riffs in trombones, trumpets
Syncopated melodies
Number of rhythmic layers
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Cymbal
Riffs
Soloist
Other rhythm instruments