UNIT ONE: 1900 - 1940

History of American Music

Unit One

RagtimeJazzBluesSwingBig Band

Ragtime

Who made Ragtime music? Scott Joplin, an African – American composer and

pianist, was the first composer in the early 1900’s to write ragtime music.

He used complex rhythms and syncopated melodies while other compsers at the time were using.

This music flourished between the late 1890’s and 1920. Ragtime music was most often played on the piano.

Some of the most popular ragtime musicians were Eubie Blake and Jelly Roll Morton.

Ragtime

“Maple Leaf Rag” – Scott JoplinPlayed on a player piano.

Ragtime

Ragtime was the first type of “social” music forms to hit America.

There was a lot of people against Ragtime music because it was not sacred music.

Ragtime

Piano Rolls and Player Pianos During this time – music was “punched” into long rolls

of paper that was spun through a special type of mechanical piano.

It would cost one quarter to play a song on a player piano in a pub, store, or on the street.

End Week #1

Jazz

Jazz music was born in the United States and is one of the best representations of American music.

The most important part of Jazz music is improvisation. Improvisation: the act of creating an immediate

musical composition and response to other musicians.

Jazz

Improvisation is inventing something in the spur of the moment in response to something else.

There can be a different interpretation every time the tune is played – so it may never sound the same twice.

Improvisation becomes its own musical dialogue between musicians.

Jazz

How are some ways you “improvise” in your day to day life?

Jazz

Listening Activity: Number your paper one through six leaving room to

write between each.

Listen to the examples and write down what you hear during each one.

Be ready to discuss each piece with a partner and chose your “favorite”.

Jazz

“Chameleon” – Herbie Hancock“How High the Moon” – Ella Fitzgerald“Lonely Woman” – Ornette Coleman“Main Stem” – Duke Ellington“Take Five” – The David Brubeck Quartet“The Entertainer” – John Arpin

Jazz - Improvisation

Improvisation is jazz’s most essential ingredient.

Improvisation is spontaneous composition that the musician creates as he/she is playing.

Jazz improvisation is very similar to a regular conversation.

Jazz - Improvisation

In order to improvise, a musician needs to: Be able to technically play his/her instrument well.

Have an understanding of music theory (the way notes and chords fit together)

Have the ability to play by “ear” - be able to create music just by listening to something – not needing to look at music.

Have a musical vocabulary covering a wide variety of styles.

Jazz – Rhythm

Rhythm – a regular pattern formed by a series of notes of differing duration and stress.

Rhythm is the part of the music which concerns how long or short each note is played.

It is the beat of the music. It often portrays a songs genre or style.

Jazz - Syncopation

Syncopation – the accenting of beats that are normally not accented.

Stressing the notes that are on the up beat – beats 2 & 4 rather than 1 & 3.

Jazz - Swing

Swing is a difficult to define rhythmic concept – it is easier heard than seen.

It is the manner of playing a steady stream of notes in a long-short-long pattern.

Generally has a happy and upbeat feel to it.

Jazz – Emotional Expression

Unlike classical musicians, jazz musicians usually strive for sound that is more “vocal”.

Jazz musicians will usually growl, whine, or bend pitches. They can make their sound raunchy, dark, light, airy, raspy, bluesy, throaty, or nasally – jazz instruments can do anything the human voice can do to express human emotion.

Jazz - The Instruments

Voice/VocalsTrumpetPiano, Bass, and Drums Guitar Clarinet TromboneFlute Saxophone

Jazz – The Instruments

The Horn Section– The saxophone, trumpet, and trombone are responsible for playing melodies – both written and improvised.

The Rhythm Section – The piano, bass, and drums make up the rhythm section. Their primary roles is to provide support for the horn players as well as each other.

Jazz – The Instruments

Piano – the pianists primary job is to play the chords that accompany the rhythm. Sometimes the piano will improvise a melody during a piece.

Bass – the bassists primary job is to keep a steady tempo by determining the rhythm – or the pulse.

Drums – the drummers primary job is to keep a steady beat while also adding rhythmic and melodic accents.

Guitar – the guitar can work as a melodic instrument or a support instrument.

Jazz – The Sound

Each instrument has its own general tone color (saxophones sound different from a flute) – and each musician has his/her own particular sound on that instrument.

One jazz trumpet player may have a different sound from a different jazz trumpet player – much like we have different sounds to our voices.

Jazz - Sound

A jazz musicians particular sound is part of his/her signature, part of what distinguishes them from other jazz musicians.

What attracts listeners to jazz music is WHAT

a particular jazz musician plays (improvisation) and the WAY a particular jazz musician plays (sound).

Jazz – Listening

1. A Night in Tunisia – Charlie Parker 2. Giant Steps – John Coltrane3. St. Thomas – Sonny Rollins 4. Take Five – The Dave Brubeck Quartet

End Week #2

Jazz – Where did it come from?

Quickwrite: On a sheet of paper from your notebook – please answer the following question.

How do you think jazz music has influenced the music you listen to today? Think of specific music examples and terminology we learned last week.

Jazz – Where did it come from?

Jazz music in the early Americas was a mash up of music from Africa and music from western Europe.

Since early America was seen as a “melting pot” – citizens took what they knew from their homelands and made a new form of music.

Jazz – African Roots

From 1619 well into the 1800’s, slaves were brought to the Americas from Africa.

In Africa – music then played a functional role. In today’s society we are used to music playing an artistic role in our lives.

Jazz – African Roots

Functional music included work songs, spiritual songs, healing songs, fertility songs, etc.

Functional music was often learned aurally (by ear) and passed down from generation to generation.

Jazz – African Roots

Those who were involved with the slave trade tried to take everything from their victims – freedom, names, possessions, family, etc.

One thing they could not take away from the was their music.

They believed that their music would keep them “content” and were less likely to cause an uprising.

Jazz – African Roots

“Deep River”“Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child”“Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”

Jazz – European Roots

Early jazz musicians took traditional European instruments and paired those instruments with traditional African spirituals.

This is how modern day jazz was invented. This later evolved into the blues and Dixieland music.

Jazz – European Roots

PianoSaxophone Trumpet Trombone Clarinet

These were the European instruments that were used to create Jazz music.

Jazz – European Roots

Harmony was developed in western Europe during the 1600’s – the Renaissance era - and was used to create layers and depth in jazz music.

There is usually harmony between the support instruments and the main solo instrument.

Jazz – European Roots

These are the main things European culture contributed to early American music: Instruments

Written musical notation

March – like rhythms

Standard European chord progressions

Jazz – African Roots

These are the main things African culture contributed to early American music: The songs and melodies.

Advanced, syncopated rhythms.

Musical expression and emotion or “feel”

“Blues” quality – slow and melancholy

End Week #3

West Side Story Reflection Questions

How have race relations and gang behaviors changed over the years since the film was made?

What does the absence of positive adult figures in this film say about the society that it portrays?

What does the following exchange between Tony and Maria mean? Tony: I'll be all right. I know it. Maria: It is not us. It is everything around us.