Elements of Jazz: Swing, Syncopation, Styles & History

Jazz
It's been called the most American form of music. It's actually been called a lot of things, but we call
it jazz, the musical style of improvisation, African-American rhythms and European-American
performance. That's just one definition of jazz music. Other people define jazz by the feelings it creates,
the smooth and unrestricted sounds, or the attitude of freedom and cool that it embodies. However you
define it, jazz music has been a major part of America's musical landscape.

But if it's so important, why is it so hard to define? Well, to quote jazz musician J.J. Johnson, 'Jazz is
restless.' Jazz music bends and moves, incorporating new styles and sounds. It's musical freedom.
Poetic, right? What can I say; I just love jazz, whatever it is.

Swing and Syncopation

Despite the freedom and improvised nature of jazz music, there are several common elements that
help to define something as being jazz. One of the more technical elements is called syncopation, or
an unexpected rhythm on the off-beat. Western music is built upon several expectations. Certain chord
changes and progressions place emphasis on certain beats, usually the first and third. Syncopation
places rhythmic stress in areas where it normally isn't found, like on the second and fourth beats. This
is one of the ways that jazz maintains such an improvised feel, even when it's not improvised.

Syncopation feels unexpected, sometimes even forced, but breaks up normal rhythms into unique
patterns. In jazz, syncopation really traces its roots back to Buddy Bolden, a New Orleans cornet
player who played between 1895 and 1906. Bolden's band is often credited with developing the first
standard syncopated bass drum pattern, which created emphasis on the off-beats.

The other major element of jazz music is the swing note. Strictly defined, it is a triple subdivision of the
beat against duple subdivisions. But I prefer Louis Armstrong's definition: 'If you don't feel it, you'll never
know it.' In essence, swing is a rhythmic momentum, a pulsing of the beat created by playing notes
written in the same duration as a pattern of long and short.

Look at this section of sheet music. On paper, these are all eighth notes, so they should all be the same
length. However, when this is swung, every other note is played a little bit longer. So, where does it say
on the sheet music to do that? Well, it doesn't. Swing is something that is often spontaneous, only used
by musicians when it feels right. Sometimes a jazz band will decide collectively to swing a piece, other
times a soloist will improvise it, but it's always a personal choice.

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History and Styles of Jazz

With something so hard to truly define, it shouldn't be any surprise that the history of jazz isn't exactly
known. Jazz music, as we know it, sort of appeared in the early 20th century amongst African-American
musicians in New Orleans. The first styles of jazz drew very heavily from African-American music and
rhythms; even the swing beat was a common element of African music used by African-American
musicians for decades. After slavery was abolished in 1865, African-American musicians were able to
pursue opportunities around the country, and they introduced new rhythms and melodies into
mainstream American music.

These rhythms were different than those used by former slaves in the Caribbean, who maintained more
traditional African music, and so the emerging styles were something uniquely American. By the 1920s,
jazz music was becoming very popular. The freedom, spontaneity, and casual nature of jazz matched
the attitudes of the Roaring Twenties. However, by the 1930s, jazz was becoming less subversive and
was embraced more widely. Its origins in the African-American community meant that jazz and race
were almost always tied together in American history, leading its popularity to rise and fall several
times.

As the 20th century passed, jazz music changed and adapted, showing off its flexibility. In the 1930s,
swing music appeared, played largely by big bands and made for dancing. This was replaced in the
1940s by the more serious bebop style. Throughout the 1940s and 50s, Caribbean and Latin American
rhythms, chords, and melodies became more influential, and Latin jazz popped up in Puerto Rican and
Afro-Cuban neighborhoods of New York. This new hot feel was contrasted by cool jazz, emphasizing
smooth and extensive melodies with less aggressive rhythms.

The 1950s introduced free jazz without a strict beat and hard bop with a strong beat. The 60s and 70s
saw the rise of jazz-rock fusion, and the 80s turned to the more commercial smooth jazz. And on top of
those styles we also have West Coast Jazz, Ska jazz, soul jazz, jazz funk, punk jazz, acid jazz, jazz
rap, and chamber jazz, just to name a few. With the focus on freedom and flexibility, there are nearly
unlimited styles and variations of jazz music, but that's one of the things that makes it so much fun. You
can label it all you want, but jazz is still indefinable. You'll know it when you hear it.

Lesson Summary
Jazz is an American musical style characterized by improvisation, flexibility, and spontaneity. It is based
in African-American rhythms, incorporated into more mainstream American melodies and reflecting
casual attitudes. Really, it's difficult to define, but most jazz music does share common
elements. Syncopation, the emphasis on off-beats, produces an unexpected division of rhythm.

Many jazz musicians also rely on swing, an informal alteration to normal durations of notes to create a
sense of rhythm. Jazz music emphasizes flexibility and freedom, so it has expanded into dozens of
variations and styles, but due to its roots in African-American music, it has also been closely connected
to racial issues in the United States. Regardless, jazz music has been a major part of American history,
no matter how you define it.

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Learning Outcomes
Study the elements of jazz through this lesson, then determine whether you can do the following:
Recognize the reason that jazz is hard to define
Characterize syncopation and swing
Recall the known origins of jazz
Summarize the evolution of jazz music since the early 20th century

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