What makes it Jazzy?

NorioDS

I wanna know what makes jazz so jazzy? I found that when I entered the recent weekly competition with the 5/4 timing, it sort of "inspired" more jazzy playing out of me. That coupled with a good clean tone and some chromatic tones and I was set.

My favourite definition of jazz so far was someone saying that it's playing totally freely.

What do you think it is?

Manfred-Klose

Welcome back norio, haven't seen you in a while.

I would say being smooth and adding mystique to your style.
Being unpredictable with the lick that you are playing and looking real smooth while doing it.

With jazz the rhytmn is real important, not keeping it constant, and adding lots of suprises into the song.

One thing i like to do is if i made a mistake at playing a lick of riff, i would just repeat the same mistake few seconds later and tell people that i'm playing jazz, that is the smoothness and mystique i was talking about 8)

Rene and Alan would be able to give a better answer, probably even a quote from zappa..........

Renesongs

When I heard your submission It sounded eerily like the way I use to solo over that track in my jazzier days, (I wrote the back track round about 1986 or 87) Even though the time signiture is 5/4 there is still a great jazz swing feel (largely lifted from Paul Desmond's Take 5). The progression (Im Vm Im Im Vm Vm Im Im IIIbm IIm Im) Is very West coast progressive jazz cirrus 1950-65. You will find similar progressions used by Miles Davis or Wayne Shorter's "Footprints". So if you try to do anything not jazzy to it, it will probaly bite you in the bum. Having said all that I am still very impressed with how you handled it. 8)

Mmmm me thinks I should feed young Norri more jazz back tracks and see what he comes up with. ?

NorioDS

I like your description, Mannie ? I didn't realise I went anywhere. Maybe I just haven't been starting enough threads lately ?

Yes please Rene!!! I'm quickly growing very fond of jazz and I really think I need better backing tracks to jam to!

And thanks for the compliments! It means a lot to me coming from someone on the forum who I consider to be a guitar-god ?

Renesongs

It means a lot to me coming from someone on the forum who I consider to be a guitar-god

Ah shuchs Norrie I'm just a mere mortal :-[ besides AFAIK Clapton and Gilmour have the copyrights to that title
But flattery will get you everywhere, I'll look through my my jazzy comps during this week and PM a few to you It's takes a little time because all my comps are in midi format and need a few tweaks to be rendered to audio and of course I have to remember to write down the chords so you will know what's happening ?

NorioDS

Thanks muchly Rene ? One of my goals is to learn how to figure out chords by ear. I just need some practice and then I should get it right but, ja, that applies to everything doesn't it?

Really appreciate the effort you're putting into this for me! ?

sepheritoh

IMO There are two things that make jazz sound different than anything else. Firstly the harmony, use of extended chords (6/4ths, 9th, 13ths, suspended, diminished, etc) together with regular modulation (dabblle into alternative and related keys).

And then the rhythm. I have not studied jazz and might be wrong, but in my mind jazz tends to make a lot of use of syncopated rhythms and triplet, often making it sound like a swing.

Renesongs

@ Seph - Nail on the head on everything , except you missed he most essential 7th chord by a smidgen. If you play all the chords in a key in triads eg C Dm Em F G A you have the elements of folk and rock. Now add the 7ths to these chords (4 part harmony) - you get Cmaj7 Dmi7 Emi7 Fmaj7 G7 Ami7 and Bmi7(b5) and already you can hear the jazz coming out - Go on pick up your guitar and give it a try. BTW for the noobs that are reading this maj7 mi7 and 7th are very different chord constructs, best look them up in your chord charts.