investigation into jazz :: essays research papers

Written investigation into the contexts and musical influences on the jazz style.Summary of HND seminar on History of Jazz. On the 10th March, we were given a seminar by the HND students on The Development of Jazz Music and Dance. My aim in this written investigation is to sum up the information given to me.Development through African musicThe earliest form of Jazz, began in African music. While most West African stopping point was erased when people were transported into slavery, some core possession and spirit based beliefs remained. People began to develop rhythms by using polyrhythmic drums, dance and clapping. This was carried from the work place to the Christian church building House. Church began to become more of a music lesson, than a spiritual, calm place to pray. This was the earliest sign of Gospel churches. The rhythms developed here became known by Western listeners as syncopation.Development of the Blues.Blues lyrics are simple rhyming couplets. The first line is re peated followed by a second to complete the common chord lines of poetry. The story is always about a subject upon which the performer has strong feelings. This is the example we were givenwhile youre livin in your mansion You dont know what hard times meanwhile youre livin in your mansion you dont know what hard times mean misfortunate workin mans wife is stravin your wife is livin is like a queen. We were also given another example which was Natural Blues by Moby.Merging of cultures.By the end of the civil was in 1865, the abolition of slavery meant that many black musicians earned their living by playing music. The musicians would play European tunes adding their own rhythms and melodies. Tunes were consequently jazzed or ragged. The merging of black and white music traditions began the birth of jazz.New Orleans is considered to be the birth place of jazz. The French section of the metropolis housed black creoles originally from the West Indies, were influenced by the Europe an rule. The black creoles were trained in European music and often played in chamber ensembles and so on. The American part of the city housed newly freed American Blacks who were greatly disadvantaged and generally uneducated. To occupy themselves they would play the music of gospel, blues and worked on songs played passed on by ear. A new racial segregation law introduced in 1894, forced Creoles and American Blacks to live together in one section of the city.