Jazz Improvisation Is The Key to Playing Jazz
Jazz music is a very popular genre of music and is actually a very important kind of American classical music. Some believe that Jazz originated in the early twentieth century in South America. But there is no question that the early development of jazz took place in the United States and was greatly influenced by blues music. Blues was especially popular among African Americans in the first half of the 20th century in the rural south and in cities such as New Orleans, St. Louis and Chicago.
Eventually jazz formed from these distinctive roots and became popular in many countries beyond the United States. While enjoying great popularity in the U.S., it also quickly spread to many countries in Europe, parts of Asia, as well as South America and Australia.
Jazz is characterized through the use of ‘blue notes’, improvisation and syncopation. It is largely based on the more spontaneous expression of musicians rather than being limited to a written musical score. Jazz became widely popular in the 1930s and was dominated by African American musicians. During this time, there was also a rise in ‘white’ jazz singers. However, this era of jazz music continued to reflect the characteristics of the blues-oriented black musicians who invented and originally developed it.
That is why jazz music reflects not only American classical, popular and traditional music, but it also boasts of a mix of African and even European music styles reaching back hundreds of years. Because of the complex nature of jazz, and its improvisational character, the only way to properly understand jazz music is to be immersed in it, hear it played by jazz masters and actually play with other jazz performers, because jazz music is ultimately a communal experience.
Jazz is a musical style that contains a lot of self-expression. Open your mind to many different jazz musicians by listening to them play and then joining a group of musicians in your own jazz combo. Because of its improvisational character, Jazz is usually not the kind of music that can be perfected by individual practice.
For a musician learning improvisation, it is wiser to begin with simple songs. Basic techniques can be learned through listening to other musicians, experimenting, or taking some lessons. Those techniques, once mastered, can be applied in a more advanced way to more complicated songs. Remember, too, that a jazz musician is more about self-expression than technique.
Start experimenting by playing the music the way is written, but occasionally modifying certain phrasings and adding a few embellishments of your own. This is a great way to become comfortable with jazz improvisation. This process of “intentionally messing up”, and learning what sounds good is not just for piano or guitar, but can be applied to any of the hundreds of instruments used in jazz.
Immerse yourself in jazz music by listening to both contemporary and traditional jazz masters. There are also schools of musical instruction that specialize in teaching jazz, jazz improvisation, jazz soloing, and many other facets of the discipline. If you are serious about playing jazz music, one of these jazz schools might be the most direct way to get your career as a jazz musician going in the right direction.
Jazz music is one of the richest, most expressive and most satisfying genres of music for the musician looking for creative expression. The magic which jazz creates cannot be expressed in words. It is entertaining and appropriate for almost any occasion where people are interested in actually listening to the music. And it is challenging and rewarding for the musicians too. What could be better than that?