General Study Jazz Music

Question 10 on the Junior Certificate Music Paper is the General Study question. Students in 2nd and 3rd Year are using Jazz Music as part of their General Study. The answer to question 10 normally takes the following form:

 

GENERAL STUDY JAZZ MUSIC

 

FROM THE CATEGORY: MUSIC IN THE POPULAR TRADITION.

 

TWO PIECES WITH PERFORMER/COMPOSER:

• IN THE MOOD: COMPOSED AND PERFORMED BY GLENN MILLER.
• BOOGIE WOOGIE BUGLE BOY: PERFORMED BY THE ANDREWS SISTERS.
• MAPLE LEAF RAG: COMPOSED BY SCOTT JOPLIN.
• THE ENTERTAINER: COMPOSED BY SCOTT JOPLIN.
• WHEN THE SAINTS GO MARCHING IN: PERFORMED BY LOUIS ARMSTRONG.

(ANY TWO OF THESE)

 

OSTINATO: AN OSTINATO OCCURS WHEN A SECTION OF MUSIC IS REPEATED CONSISTENTLY THROUGHOUT THE PIECE OF MUSIC. IN JAZZ MUSIC, OSTINATOS ARE OFTEN REFERRED TO AS RIFFS. THEY CAN BE RHYTHMIC, WHERE A SECTION OF RHYTHM IS REPEATED OR HARMONIC, WHERE A SECTION OF MELODY IS REPEATED THROUGHOUT THE PIECE OF MUSIC. OSTINATOS ARE A VERY COMMON FEATURE OF JAZZ MUSIC AND ARE USED TO ACCOMPANY A GREAT NUMBER OF JAZZ PERFORMANCES. A PIECE OF MUSIC THAT USES OSTINATO IS IN THE MOOD BY GLENN MILLER.

SYNCOPATION: SYNCOPATION IS ANOTHER VERY COMMON FEATURE OF JAZZ MUSIC. SYNCOPATION OCCURS WHEN THE EMPHASIS OR STRONG BEAT IS PLACED ON WHAT WOULD NORMALLY BE THE WEAKER BEAT OF THE BAR. FOR EXAMPLE IN A PIECE OF MUSIC WITH A TIME SIGNATURE OF 4/4, THE STRONG BEAT WOULD NORMALLY BE ON THE BEATS OF ONE AND THREE. WHEN THAT PIECE OF MUSIC IS SYNCOPATED, THE STRONG BEAT IS NOW PLACED ON THE BEATS OF TWO AND FOUR. A PIECE OF MUSIC WHICH FEATURES SYNCOPATION IS THE ENTERTAINER BY SCOTT JOPLIN.

 

IMPROVISATION: A THIRD COMMON FEATURE OF JAZZ MUSIC IS IMPROVISATION. DURING A PERFORMANCE, INDIVIDUAL PLAYERS ARE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY IMPROVISED SOLO VARIATIONS OF THE PIECE OF MUSIC, OFTEN REFERRED TO AS BREAKS. WHEN IMPROVISING, PLAYERS OFTEN USE HEAD ARRANGEMENTS WHERE THE BASIC CHORD PATTERN AND OTHER ESSENTIAL FEATURES ARE WRITTEN DOWN. A PIECE OF MUSIC WHICH FEATURES IMPROVISTION IS WHEN THE SAINTS GO MARCHING IN BY LOUIS ARMSTRONG.