Beginnings Of European Jazz
As only a limited number of American jazz records were released in Europe, European jazz traces many of its roots to American artists such as James Reese Europe, Paul Whiteman, and , who visited Europe during and after World War I. It was their live performances which inspired European audiences’ interest in jazz, as well as the interest in all things American which accompanied the economic and political woes of Europe during this time. The beginnings of a distinct European style of jazz began to emerge in this interwar period.
British jazz began with a . In 1926, and His Cambridge Undergraduates began broadcasting on the BBC. Thereafter jazz became an important element in many leading dance orchestras, and jazz instrumentalists became numerous.
More Things To Learn From Primo
For the Primo player, the musical principles to be learned may be a bit more limited than for the Secondo player. Among other possibilities, the teacher can point out:
Identical rhythmic patterns in different locations
Matching patterns of interval movement, starting in different locations
Concept of a Home Tonemoving away from it and back
Scale movement, step-wise, descending and ascending
Chord tones and passing tones
To extend the lesson, the student could be asked to transpose the pattern to a different key, that is, to begin on a different tonic.
For the very advanced thinking student , an exciting challenge would be to play the Primo part in both hands, an octave apart, and to fill in the chord tones between the two melody notes to match the harmony of the Secondo part.
The Can Can Jacques Offenbach
The can-can is a high-energy, physically demanding dance that was popular in the music-hall dances in French cabaret.
This song by Jacques Offenbach has some melodies you’ll be sure to recognize. The song is not terribly difficult, but does move along at a good clip, so be prepared to keep up!
The player on the low end of the piano is often playing bass notes in octaves, and both players are sometimes in total unison. Once you get your head around the melody, it’s just a matter of getting the song up to speed.
This MIDI piano tutorial is great. Both players do a nice job and the video can be slowed down and learnt quickly.
Offenbach actually wrote this song for the operetta Orpheus in the Underworld. The can-can section has become synonymous with can-can music in popular culture.
Also Check: Right Now Piano Sheet Music
Bouncin Boogie Martha Mier
I had to include the Bouncin Boogie, because I distinctly remember playing this song with my piano teacher growing up.
The song can be played with two students or players, but it is also fun as a duet between a parent or teacher and a young student.
The player using the low end of the piano plays a boogie-woogie bass line that runs through the whole song. This is the part that is typically played by the more experienced player. The student holds down the melody and gets to learn some solid boogie-woogie piano licks and techniques.
In this video, you can see a student and teacher playing the song quite well. The little guy on the melody does a nice job of the boogie-woogie licks!
This song is available in a sheet music book called Jazz, Rags & Blues for Two. The book is filled with fun, rockin piano duets. All of these pieces are suitable for early piano players with a few songs venturing into intermediate territory.
Swing In The 1920s And 1930s
The 1930s belonged to popular big bands, in which some virtuoso soloists became as famous as the band leaders. Key figures in developing the “big” jazz band included bandleaders and arrangers , , and , , , , , , , and . Although it was a collective sound, swing also offered individual musicians a chance to “solo” and improvise melodic, thematic solos which could at times be complex “important” music.
Over time, social strictures regarding racial segregation began to relax in America: white bandleaders began to recruit black musicians and black bandleaders white ones. In the mid-1930s, Benny Goodman hired pianist , vibraphonist and guitarist to join small groups. In the 1930s, Kansas City Jazz as exemplified by tenor saxophonist marked the transition from big bands to the bebop influence of the 1940s. An early 1940s style known as “jumping the blues” or used small combos, uptempo music and blues chord progressions, drawing on from the 1930s.
Don’t Miss: Sadness And Sorrow Piano Sheet
Long & Mcquade Performance Assurance
Buying a new instrument is an exciting event and we want to ensure that every instrument we sell comes exactly how the manufacturer intended it to be. That is why Long & McQuade performs a quality control check for every stringed, brass, and woodwind instrument over $99 ordered online at Long-McQuade.com.
Our team of experienced staff will unbox your instrument and perform a detailed inspection to ensure it leaves our warehouse looking and playing great with our QC card signed and dated for your peace of mind.
We work hard to source the best instruments from around the world from the finest brands. It is important to us that you are completely satisfied with your new instrument purchase from day one onwards.
Stringed Instrument Performance Assurance Checklist
Unlike our free set-up, which is included within the first year of purchase, this process is done to have the instrument set to the factory specs rather than to each player’s feel or preferences.
We look after the following:
- Inspect finish and hardware.
- Check electronics to make sure everything is in working order. Check batteries on active pickups.
- Inspect strings.
- Check truss rod. Adjust for bow and relief.
- Tune instrument to manufacturers specified tuning.
- Check/set action height.
- Stretch strings and re-tune instrument and ensure machine heads are working well.
- Check for fret buzz by playing every note.
- Check/set intonation.
Sacred And Liturgical Jazz
As noted above, jazz has incorporated from its inception aspects of African-American sacred music including spirituals and hymns. Secular jazz musicians often performed renditions of spirituals and hymns as part of their repertoire or isolated compositions such as “Come Sunday”, part of “Black and Beige Suite” by . Later many other jazz artists borrowed from black . However, it was only after World War II that a few jazz musicians began to compose and perform extended works intended for religious settings and/or as religious expression. Since the 1950s, sacred and liturgical music has been performed and recorded by many prominent jazz composers and musicians. The “Abyssinian Mass” by is a recent example.
Relatively little has been written about sacred and liturgical jazz. In a 2013 doctoral dissertation, Angelo Versace examined the development of sacred jazz in the 1950s using disciplines of musicology and history. He noted that the traditions of black gospel music and jazz were combined in the 1950s to produce a new genre, “sacred jazz”. Versace maintained that the religious intent separates sacred from secular jazz. Most prominent in initiating the sacred jazz movement were pianist and composer , known for her jazz masses in the 1950s and . Prior to his death in 1974 in response to contacts from Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, wrote three Sacred Concerts: 1965 â A Concert of Sacred Music 1968 â Second Sacred Concert 1973 â Third Sacred Concert.
You May Like: All My Life Piano Chords
The Influence Of Duke Ellington
While swing was reaching the height of its popularity, spent the late 1920s and 1930s developing an innovative musical idiom for his orchestra. Abandoning the conventions of swing, he experimented with orchestral sounds, harmony, and with complex compositions that still translated well for popular audiences some of his tunes became , and his own popularity spanned from the United States to Europe.
Ellington called his music American Music, rather than jazz, and liked to describe those who impressed him as “beyond category”. These included many musicians from his orchestra, some of whom are considered among the best in jazz in their own right, but it was Ellington who melded them into one of the most popular jazz orchestras in the history of jazz. He often composed for the style and skills of these individuals, such as “Jeep’s Blues” for , “Concerto for Cootie” for ” rel=”nofollow”> Bob Russell’s lyrics), and “The Mooche” for and . He also recorded compositions written by his bandsmen, such as ‘s “” and “”, which brought the “Spanish Tinge” to big-band jazz. Several members of the orchestra remained with him for several decades. The band reached a creative peak in the early 1940s, when Ellington and a small hand-picked group of his composers and arrangers wrote for an orchestra of distinctive voices who displayed tremendous creativity.
Punk Jazz And Jazzcore
The relaxation of orthodoxy which was concurrent with in London and New York City led to a new appreciation of jazz. In London, began to mix free jazz and dub reggae into their brand of punk rock. In New York, took direct inspiration from both free jazz and punk. Examples of this style include ‘s Queen of Siam, Gray, the work of and the .
took note of the emphasis on speed and dissonance that was becoming prevalent in punk rock, and incorporated this into free jazz with the release of the album in 1986, a collection of tunes done in the contemporary style. In the same year, , , , and recorded the first album under the name , a similarly aggressive blend of thrash and free jazz. These developments are the origins of jazzcore, the fusion of free jazz with .
Recommended Reading: Clocks Coldplay Piano Sheet Music
Maple Leaf Rag Scott Joplin Great For Collaborating On Piano
Ive been a big fan of Scott Joplins rags since I was a kid, but boy are they hard! Your left hand has to play both bass lines and jump around on all the chords. Your right hand is all over the keyboard playing big octave melodies. Tough!
I had never thought about playing a rag as a duet, but it makes perfect sense. One player plays bass notes and chords, and the other player handles the melody. Much easier!
Check out these two players having a good time playing the song. Its much easier to play this song with four hands the only hard part is staying in time together!
This song is not an easy one even with four hands. It would fall under the intermediate category. That said, it is very fun and teaches you lots of important skills for playing country and honky-tonk piano.
Two People Piano Songs For Beginners Final Thought
Piano duets are a great way to play piano collaboratively. Sometimes, piano is seen as a solitary instrument, and that can get boring for students. As a teacher, getting your kids to play duets together gets them thinking in a different way, gets them working towards a song as a group, and can get them excited about playing.
In this list, there is a duet for any taste and any skill level. If you are curious about a popular song, just search for Duet in YouTube there are a surprising amount of piano duet tutorials on the web.
P.S. Remember though, none of what you’ve learned will matter if you don’t know how to get your music out there and earn from it. Want to learn how to do that? Then get our free 5 Steps To Profitable Youtube Music Career’ ebook emailed directly to you!
Recommended Reading: Drops Of Jupiter Chords Piano
Easy Piano Duet Songs You Can Play Together Quickly
Piano can be a bit of a solitary instrument. Whereas guitar students often end up jamming and playing with their teachers and peers, piano students often practice and perform alone. This can foster a competitive attitude among pianists and some students can even end up bored.
Learning and playing duets is a great way to play piano with your friends. Piano duets are usually written for four hands, with two hands holding down chords and bass lines, and two more hands playing melodies and embellishments.
This list goes through a duet for every type of player. Some of these are so easy, that a parent who knows nothing about piano could play it with their young pianists. Some of them are more challenging. Either way, youll find something you like!
But first, if it’s your aim to do music professionally, you’ll want to check out our free ebook while it’s still available:
Free eBook: Discover how real independent musicians like you are making $4,077 – $22,573+ monthly via Youtube, let me know where to send the details:
Fine Print: For Teachers Only
The fun of this unit is revealing only a little at a time. When you begin with your students, keep the whole plan in mind but only focus on one step at a time. Each week or two when you add a new layer , it will be like a surprise.
This one simple traditional arrangement of the popular song Heart and Soul holds so much potential to teach basic music skills like improvising and transposing, and basic harmony like primary chords and relative minors and majors.
In short, Heart and Soul is motivating. It can spur on the absorption of several key skills and key points in music theory and harmony.
Teach it to all of your students!
I want to thank you for the wonderful Heart and Soul videos. Ive already received a big Thank You from one student. Im sure shes driving her family nuts by now playing it over and over!! Lol. Thank you again. Its wonderful!! ~ Melissa Ayotte, CA
Do you like this post and want more? In the side menu click follow to get notification of my posts each week in your inbox.
I appreciate shares, comments and likes. Happy teaching!
Read Also: Naruto Sorrow And Sadness Piano
Best Way To Listen To Music
Dont forget to install Wynk Music on your mobile phones
Bill Evans Waltz For Debby
One of the most influential and celebrated pianists of the 20th century, Bill Evans helped define the art of jazz piano. His style was marked by a deep understanding of harmony and counterpoint, a lyrical approach to improvisation, and a sensitive touch. He first came to prominence as a member of Miles Daviss legendary Quintet in the late 1950s and went on to enjoy a successful solo career that spanned more than three decades.
Evans was born in 1929 in Plainfield, New Jersey, into a musical family. His father was a Jazz saxophonist and his mother played piano. Evans began studying piano at an early age and by his teens was already performing professionally. In 1947 he entered Southeastern Louisiana University on a music scholarship. After two years he transferred to the Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with legendary jazz pianist Teddy Wilson.
In 1955 Evans moved to New York City, where he quickly established himself as a top musician on the citys bustling jazz scene. He began working with some of the biggest names in jazz, including Chet Baker, Art Blakey, and Miles Davis. In 1959 he joined Daviss groundbreaking Quintet, which also featured John Coltrane on tenor saxophone, Paul Chambers on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums. This group revolutionized jazz with their groundbreaking recordings Kind of Blue and Someday My Prince Will Come .
Recommended Reading: Pirates Of The Caribbean Theme Song Piano
Traditionalism In The 1980s
The 1980s saw something of a reaction against the fusion and free jazz that had dominated the 1970s. Trumpeter emerged early in the decade, and strove to create music within what he believed was the tradition, rejecting both fusion and free jazz and creating extensions of the small and large forms initially pioneered by artists such as and , as well as the hard bop of the 1950s. It is debatable whether Marsalis’ critical and commercial success was a cause or a symptom of the reaction against Fusion and Free Jazz and the resurgence of interest in the kind of jazz pioneered in the 1960s nonetheless there were many other manifestations of a resurgence of traditionalism, even if fusion and free jazz were by no means abandoned and continued to develop and evolve.
For example, several musicians who had been prominent in the genre during the 1970s began to record acoustic jazz once more, including and . Other musicians who had experimented with electronic instruments in the previous decade had abandoned them by the 1980s for example, , , and . Even the 1980s music of , although certainly still fusion, adopted a far more accessible and recognizably jazz-oriented approach than his abstract work of the mid-1970s, such as a return to a theme-and-solos approach.
ensemble included a rotation of young jazz musicians such as , , , , , , and .
A similar reaction took place against free jazz. According to :
