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| Author | Topic: Jazz composition |
Anonymous
Anonymous Poster
From Internet Network:
195.92.168.x
| posted: 11/8/2003 at 4:55:27 PM ET
I am a very unadvanced composer but must composed a jazz/blues duet for clarinet and saxaphone, for school. Any help with the 'rules', chord sequences, structure i should stick to for these genres?
Thanks
|  Taciturn
Registered User
Registered:
8/3/2003 | posted: 11/8/2003 at 6:19:45 PM ET
Some general rules (not set in stone) are you might want to start with an exposition (beginning, which kind of introduces the piece) and have a middle section, called the development (kind of starts something new, it's the majority of the piece) and end with the recapitulation (might be a mix of the exposition and development). But there are many ways you can do this. You might also want to consider the phrasing. Phrases commonly are made up of 4 measures, it's a complete musical thought. 2 phrases make a period, which usually ends on a perfect authentic cadence, the strongest type. The end of the first phrase ends on a weeker cadence, often a half cadence. You can also have double periods, 3-phrase periods, and even more.
The end of the piece will probably need to end on a perfect authentic cadence, meaning it will end on a 5 to 1. For instance, in C major, G is the 5 and C is the 1. You will want it to end on the tonic of the key, which is C in this case. You could end it on a 4 to 1, or 6 to 1, just as long as it ends on 1. Although that's not written in stone, it's pretty important and should probably be done for the best results.
You can probably search the web for further understanding, I don't know if you'll understand what I'm talking about exactly, since I don't know how much you already know about theory. But good luck on the piece!
| trumpet guru
Registered User
From:
Washington State
Registered:
8/22/2003 | posted: 11/9/2003 at 11:01:59 PM ET
I would suggest a 12 bar blues in Bb. This would have the clarinet in C and the alto sax in G which are both very comfortable keys.
The chord progression of the blues has many variations, but the standard form is:
Bb7 Eb7 Bb7 Bb7
Eb7 Eb7 Bb7 Bb7
F7 Eb7 Bb7 Bb7
The blues scale for the key is Bb Db Eb E F Ab Bb
Use these notes to create the "head". This is the melody which is played (usually twice through) at the beginning and again at the end (after improvised solos). The head equates with the "exposition" at the beginning and the "recapitulation" at the end. The "development" section is the solo section and any other goodies you want to add before the ending head.
The chord changes just keep repeating. Your job is to create head (intro and coda too if you want).
When you write the head, you can use the mixolydian scale on every chord (same as major but with a lowered 7th), the dominant arpeggio on each chord (1st, 3rd, 5th and b7th (9th too if you want)), or just create a riff using the blues scale. The best blues heads often use a 4 measure riff with some variation in the last 4 measure phrase.
YOU WILL NEED TO LISTEN TO SOME BLUES AND JAZZ to get a feel for the style if you are not a jazzer.
Good Luck!
GOOOOOOROOOOOO
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