RhythmicVocabulary

FromFundamentalsofJazzImprovisation:WhatEverybodyThinksYouAlreadyKnow

Dr.MarkWatkins

DirectorofJazzStudiesBrighamYoungUniversity–Idaho

©2010byMarkWatkinsMaterialshereinareprovidedforpersonaluse.Nopartmaybereproducedwithout

writtenpermissionfromtheauthor.

RhythmandArticulationAnalysisofCharlieParker’sImprovisation

DataisbasedonananalysisofthefollowingCharlieParkersolos: AnthropologyBluesforAliceConfirmationDeweySquare

DonnaLeeMoosetheMoocheNow’stheTime

OrnithologyScrapplefromtheAppleYardbirdSuite

Percentagesaregivenforsomeconceptsforthefollowingreasons:‐ToknowhowoftenParkertendstouseacertaindevice.‐Toknowhowimportantspecificmusicalelementsarewhenemulatinghisstyle.‐Toknowwhichtendenciestopracticefirst;toprioritizetheincorporationofperformancetraits.Eighth‐noteArticulationFoundational1/8th‐notearticulationstyle:Tongueupbeat,slurtodownbeat.Anthropology,m.34‐39

Confirmation,m.66‐69

DeweySquare,m.36‐39

DonnaLee,m.64‐67

DonnaLee,m.69‐74

Now’stheTime,m.76‐81

Ornithology,m.47‐49

YardbirdSuite,m.44‐49

Exception,rareoccurrence:Tonguedsequential1/8ths.YardbirdSuite,m.36‐40

PhraseEndings

Fourprinciplecategoriesortypes:1. ShortUpBeat(bebop)2. LongUpBeat(do‐dah)3. ShortdownBeat(bop)4. LongDownBeat(dah)Bebop(shortupbeat):24%.Tonguingthelasttwonotesismostcommon.DeweySquare,m.36‐39(descending,penultimatenotetongued,common)

Confirmation,m.72‐73(ascending,infrequent)

DonnaLee,m.82‐84(penultimatenoteapproachedbyslur,lesscommon)

Do‐dahordo‐wah(longupbeat):30%‐Thereisafairlyequaldispersalofupanddownwith“do‐dah”beingfourtimesmorecommon.‐All“do‐wah”examplesinthesampletranscriptionsaredescending,mostbystep.

‐Oftenwithterminalvibrato.‐Airrelease.Anthropology,m.6‐7(ascending)

Confirmation,m.80‐84(ascending)

DeweySquare,m.56‐59(descending)

MoosetheMooche,m.49‐50(do‐wah,descendingslur)

Anthropology,m.34‐39(do‐wah,descendingstep)

Bop(shortdownbeat,tongue‐stop):10%ScrapplefromtheApple,m.35‐36

Dah(longdownbeat):7%Often1/4or1/2‐notetongued,airrelease,withterminalvibrato.‐Oftenwithterminalvibrato.‐Airrelease.Anthropology,m.44‐48

Other(slur,fall,gliss,bend,scoop,air1/4,air1/8):29%DeweySquare,m.27‐29(slur)

ScrapplefromtheApple,m.37‐40(fall)

DeweySquare,m.30‐32(gliss)

Anthropology,m.61‐65(bend)

Anthropology,m.57‐58(scoop)

ScrapplefromtheApple,m.41‐42(air1/4)

BluesforAlice,m.33‐36(air1/8)

PhraseBeginningsUpbeat1/8th‐note(alltypes):37%‐37%doesnotsuggestthatallotherbeginningsaredownbeats.‐Othertypesnotcountedinthispercentageincludesustainedsyncopatedentrance,flam,gliss,and

ghostednotes.Upbeat1/8th‐notefollowedby1/8ths:21%Anthropology,m.2‐4

Upbeat1/8th‐notefollowedbytriplet:13%‐Slurfrom1/8th‐notethroughtriplet‐Tonguetopnote‐Occasionallyslurintotopnote(rare)

DonnaLee,m.61‐67(ascending)

Anthropology,17‐20(descending)

Upbeat1/8th‐notefollowedbyturn:3%BluesforAlice,m.41‐44

Downbeat1/8th‐note(alltypes):14%Downbeat1/8th‐notefollowedby1/8ths:12%ScrapplefromtheApple,m.51‐58

Downbeat1/8th‐notefollowedbytwo1/16ths:2%Confirmation,m.69‐71

Anthropology,m.14‐16

Flam:11%‐Descendingdiatonicmostcommon:5%.‐Alternativesincludechromaticandascending.Confirmation,m.49‐52

MoosetheMooche,m.51‐55

HeldSyncopation:9%Now’stheTime,m.84‐89

ScrapplefromtheApple,m.47‐49

Gliss:8%Confirmation,m.36‐37

Downbeat1/4‐note:4%Ornithology,m.31‐33

Triplet:3%Anthropology,m.1‐2

Gracenote:4%,appliedtoabovevariations14%accountedforbylesscommonchoicessuchasaturnorghostednoteandbyroundingoff

abovepercentages.ContourNotes‐Standard/foundationalarticulation:Tonguedupbeatsslurredtodownbeats.‐Melodiccontournotesareusuallyhigherinpitchthantheirsurroundingnotes.‐Contournotescanbeonupbeatsordownbeats.‐Whentonguingadownbeatpitchthenotethatprecedesthetonguednoteisapproachedbyslur,

ghosted,orhalf‐tongued(tongueoncornerofreedcoveringsurfaceunderthetip,lightlyandallowingthecontinuationoftone,somewhatmuffled).

‐Occasionally(butrarely)thenotethatprecedesadownbeataccentislegatotongued.Exampleoftheprincipleofmelodiccontour:Confirmation,m.45‐49

DeweySquare,m.43‐50

BluesforAlice,m.28‐32(tongueddownbeatprecededbytonguednote)

QuarterNoteArticulation

Short:MoosetheMooche,m.49‐50

Anthropology,m.33‐34

Long:MoosetheMooche,m.57‐58

Anthropology,m.41‐43

Eighth‐Quarter‐Eighth1/4long:‐Fairlyevendistributionoflong1/4andshort1/4.‐Appliedwhenascendingto1/4byskip,descendingon1/8th(sometimesghosted),and

ascendingtoresolve.Confirmation,m.85‐91

1/4short:‐Sometimesnotatedastwo1/8ths,1/8rest,followedbyan1/8th.

‐Commonwhencontourotherthan(andsometimesincluding)theabove.‐Createsatotallydifferentmelodicconceptthanlong1/4version.Anthropology,m.61‐65

Confirmation,m.32‐35

YardbirdSuite,m.60‐64

Triplets

Ascending(notincludingphrasebeginnings),even:15%DonnaLee,m.82‐84

Descending(notphrasebeginnings),even:3%DeweySquare,m.43‐50

Horizontal:16%1/4+two1/6ths:9%Oftenwrittenasatriplet.Anthropology,m.14‐16(m.14couldhavebeenwrittenasatriplet.Measure15tripletismoreeven.)

Confirmation,m.45‐49

Even:5%Confirmation,m.57‐59

Dotted1/8th‐1/16th‐1/8th:3%Writtenasatripletor1/8th+two1/6ths.BluesforAlice,m.24‐25

Quarternote:uncommon,pullsmomentumbackBluesforAlice,m.33‐36

TripletPairsAscendingorascendinganddescending:3%Confirmation,m.60‐65(ascending)

Anthropology,m.21‐25(ascending/descending)

Ascending/Horizontal(even):DeweySquare,m.51‐55

Ascendingeven+1/8thandtwo1/16ths:BluesforAlice,m.16‐19

Anthropology,m.57‐60

Now’stheTime,m.71

Descending/Horizontal:MoosetheMooche,m.67‐69

Turns‐Allturnscontainahorizontal1/16th‐notetripletfollowedbyan1/8th(regardlessofnotation,

theyarethesame).‐Theaboverhythm(fillingonebeat)isslurred.‐Theintervalanddirectionmovingfromthetripletisusuallydownbystepbutcanbeaskipor

stepineitherdirection.‐Resolutiontothefollowingbeatisalsousuallybystepbutcanbeaskiporstepineither

direction,contrary(oppositedirection)orcontinuous(samedirection).‐Turnsareslurredbuttheonsetandexitarticulationscanbeeithertonguedorslurred.‐49%proceeddownbystepoutofthetripletanddownbysteptothenextbeat(m.87and88).Turnnotation:‐Themostaccuratenotationforajazzturnisa1/16th‐notetripletfollowedbyan1/8th.‐Whenconsideringthe1/8th‐notetripletsubdivisionoftheswingfeelinjazz,otherrhythmsare

lesssuccessful.‐Listeningtoajazzturnsloweddownonerevealsthelastturn1/8thusuallyliningupwiththelast

tripletsubdivision1/8th.

Triplet1/8th‐notewithtripletsubdivision(swing)

1/8thandthree1/16ths

Three1/16thsand1/8(correct),places1/8thonlasttripletsubdivision.

Four1/16ths

Confirmation,m.85‐91

DoubleTime‐Onlyselectedcontournotesaretongued.‐Othernotesslurred.‐Subdivisionbecomesstraight.Anthropology,m.44‐45

BluesforAlice,m.26‐27

Confirmation,m.42‐44

DoubleTonguingBluesforAlice,m.20‐24

Now’stheTime,m.44‐46

GhostedNotes

‐Impliedbutnotsoundedorbarelyaudible.‐Generallybelowtheirsurroundingnotes.Ornithology,m.47‐49

Glissandos‐Nonearebent,allfingeredwithdistinctsoundingnotes.‐Mostareascending(doublethosedescending).Now’stheTime,m.49‐51

GraceNotesNow’stheTime,m.53‐56

GrowlsBluesforAlice,m.39‐41

Half‐Tongue

‐Tongueheldtocornerofreedwhileblowing,dampenstone.‐Oftenonupbeat1/8th‐notethatprecedesadownbeataccent(butnotexclusively).‐Createsasmoothlinebecausethetongueisonthereedforonenoteandoffforthenextthus

eliminatingpossibleexcessivemotion,whichcansometimescauselinestobechoppy.‐Ahalf‐tonguednoteissofterallowingadownbeattonguingtoavoidtheharshnessandpossible

separationoftwotonguednotesinarow.

DonnaLee,m.92‐95

Now’stheTime,m.28‐32

RepeatedNotes‐Notcommon.‐Usuallyatthebeginningofphraseswhenused.DeweySquare,m.33‐35(endofphrase,uncommon;oncein10solos)

MoosetheMooche,m.64‐67

YardbirdSuite,m.65‐68

Rests=Rhythm‐Restswithinaphraserepresentrhythms‐Blowthroughthenoteswithmelodicconnection‐RestsdonotrepresenttheseparationofmelodicelementsAnthropology,1‐2

Confirmation,m.38‐41

Scoops‐Deliberate,notanaccidentalbyproductofpoorcontrol‐StylesuggestlessfrequentusethanmanyyoungstudentsevidenceBluesforAlice,m.45‐47

SyncopationsOrnithology,m.40‐46

Vibrato(Terminal)

‐Awide,briefvibratoattheendofanote’sduration.‐Almostalwayspresentonnotesofsufficientlengthattheendsofphrases.‐Airrelease.DonnaLee,m.31‐33

BasicArticulationSwingSubdivisionThedownbeatcomprisesthefirsttwothirdsofatripletwhiletheupbeatcarriesthelastthirdofatriplet.

TheFundamentalArticulationPlayamajorscaleallslurred,withastraightsubdivision,applyingconstantair,withfulltoneonallnotes.Connectioniskey.Upbeatsanddownbeatsshouldhaveequalvolume.

Addtheswingsubdivisionbutmaintainallotheraspects.Jazzisalegatostyle.Lightly,legato,articulatetheupbeatnote.Thisisachieveddifferentlyasperinstrument.Brass,excepttrombone,andwoodwindsusealightcontact.Trombonesplaceaslightlyheavierarticulationontheupbeatnotes.Rhythminstrumentscanplayallslurredorwithaslightaccentonupbeatnotes.Brass(excepttrombone)andWoodwinds:

Trombone:

Rhythm1:

Rhythm2:

Thisfoundationalarticulationunderliesjazzphrasing.CharlieParkeronlyusedthisstylepurelyabout25%ofthetimebutitinfluencedhowheplayedotherarticulationsand.Itisinterestingtoexperimentwithotherfoundationalarticulationpatterns.Essentially,therearefourchoices:

1. Thefoundationalstyleasdescribed.2. Itsexactopposite:tongue(orslightlyaccent)downbeatsandslurtotheupbeat.3. Tongue(orslightlyseparate)allnotes.4. Allslurred.

Certainly,jazzmusiciansuseallofthesearticulations.However,onlythefirstwillcreateastylefamiliartousasjazz.Withinthiscontextthereisagreatamountofvariationamongstplayers.PhraseEndingsTherearefourfundamentalphraseendingsamidstmanypossibilities.Theyare:

1. Shortupbeat2. Shortdownbeat3. Longupbeat4. Longdownbeat

Boththeshortupbeatandtheshortdownbeatcarrythe“be‐bop”element.Thebeginningandtheendofthelastnotemustbetonguedorstoppedsomewhatabruptlydependingonone’sinstrument.Theresultantsoundisreminiscentof“be‐bop.”The“be‐bop”endingcanbeapproachedinseveralways,sometimesdictatedbytempo.Shortupbeat:

Shortdownbeat:

Thelongorsustainedupbeathasa“du‐dah”or“du‐wah”sound.Itisseldomlongerthanadottedquarterinlengthandmightendwithaterminalvibrato.Longupbeat:

Thelongorsustaineddownbeatisseldomlongerthanahalfnoteandusuallyendswithaterminalvibrato.Longdownbeat:

TheBasie‐ismTheCountBasiestyleisoftenthoughtofastheepitomeofhardswingingjazz.Often,thedownbeatofthewindplayersisslightlybehindthatofhisrhythmsection.Theupbeatscanfallanywherebetweenthetriplettothedottedeighthsixteenth.Oneofthemostsignificantaspectsofhisstyleinvolvestheendsofphrases.Hisbandoftenheldthesecondtolastnoteextralong,closertoadottedeighth,layingthelastupbeatnotealmostonthenextbeat.

PracticingThefundamentalarticulationwillgarnermuchrepetitionifappliedtoscalestudy.Phraseendingsarebestappliedtopatternsthatrequirethem.Takingsuchapatternthrough12keysisexcellentpractice.NotationThefollowingpagecontainsjazzarticulationsymbolsascodifiedbytheInternationalAssociationforJazzEducation(unfortunatelynowdefunct).AnaccompanyingCDisavailabletohearthesoundrepresentedbythesymbols.

JazzArticulationSymbols

Syllables

RhythmBlocksMostrhythmsusedinjazzcanbeanalyzedaccordingtoeightfundamentalrhythmswiththreemodifications:rests,ties,andtriplets.Ameasurein4/f4timeisnotatedintwohalves.TheRhythmBlocksystemofrhythmicidentificationworkswithahalfmeasure.1‐noterhythm

2‐noterhythms

3‐noterhythms

4‐noterhythm

Modifications

Example1:CharlieParkerConfirmation

Example2:SonnyRollinsOleo

DoubleTimeDoubletimeRhythmBlocksworkwiththebeatasopposedtothehalfmeasure.1‐note

2‐note

3‐note

4‐note

Modifications

Example:CharlieParkerK.C.Blues

ConsiderationsThefirstsectionbelowdemonstrateshowtheRhythmBlocksmightbearticulated.ThereisaCDavailableforauralexample.TheConsiderationsexplorepossiblevariations,adaptations,and“considerations”fortheimplementationofRhythmBlocksintoimprovisation.Fundamentals1‐noterhythm

2‐noterhythm

3‐noterhythm

4‐noterhythm

Consideration1CombineRhythmBlocksbyRest:Thefirstmeasureremainsintactiffollowedbyarest.Thesecondrhythmcontainsarestsubstitute.

Consideration2CombineRhythmBlocksbySlur:Useaslurtoconnecteighthnotes.

Consideration3ContourNotes:Slurtothenotethatprecedesamelodiccontournote(accentedortonguednote).Oftenthenotethatprecedesatongued(accented)downbeatwillbehalf‐tongued;rhythminstrumentsmightghostthenote.

Keepthesepointsinmind:

1. Jazzisalegatostyle.2. Accentsamidstalegatostandardcreateinterest.3. Highmelodiccontournotes,noteshigherthanthosesurroundingthem,oftenreceive

accentregardlessofdownbeatorupbeatplacement.4. Ghostednotes(usuallylowerthannotesaroundthem),usedwithdiscretion,cancreate

interest(parenthesis=ghostednotes).5. Slur(half‐tongue)thenotethatprecedesadownbeattonguednote(Parker).

Example:CharlieParkerYardbirdSuite,mm.9‐14

Consideration4RhythmicDisplacement:Startrhythmsonabeatotherthanone.

Consideration5Pick‐upNote:Addaneighthnotebeforearhythm.

Consideration6Substitutions:Rests,triplets,andties.