Jazz GlossaryWe've compiled this jazz glossary in the hope that it might shed some light on some of the jargon. They're not all jazz specific, but are relevant to the style (we hope!). If you spot any mistakes, or think we've missed any, please get in touch to let us know.A
Ad Libitum or Ad lib The freedom to play spontaneously or at will. Obviously a very important aspect of jazz playing.
Aeolian The 6th mode of the major scale. The C major played from A to A or the G major scale from E to E are example
of an Aeolian scale.
Arrangement The adaptation of one piece of music into another form either from one style to another or for different instruments.
Augmentation The lengthening of time values or the borrowing of elements from other keys. For example, Caug or C+
would have a sharpened 5th i.e. C E G#. Literally, making greater the interval between the root and the 5th. When applied to just two notes, it simply means to make greater the distances between the notes, i.e. to sharpen them.
Band Generic term for a group of musicians who play together. A band differs from an orchestra in terms of size and instrumentation. Big band is the term given to a group of 10 or more jazz musicians and usually features a prominent brass section.
Block Chords A style of piano playing whereby the pianist plays with both hands locked together, playing the same rhythmic and melodic pattern. Gearge Shearing is one of the great exponents of this style.
Blow A term meaning simply to play or improvise.
Blues Musical form in a minor scale, consisting of 12 bars (hence the 12 bar blues). It is also a genre of music which predates and forms the stem of most jazz styles.
Boogie A style of blues where a typically lively and energetic melody is played over repeated eighth note patterns.
Bridge A section of music which links two others.
Changes The chords of a tune.
Channel An alternative term for the bridge.
Chart A musical score. In jazz, chord charts are often used. These are either notated melody lines with chord symbols over the top or simply just the chords written within bar lines.
Chops A term given to describe a musician's technical ability and proficiency.
Chord A unit of harmony. Simply speaking, it is three or more notes played at the same time.
Chorus A section of music (or song) which is repeated throughout a piece.
Coda The last section of a piece of music. It is also sometimes referred to as an outro.
Cross Rhythm The use of a different meter (either expressed or implied) over the top of the prevailing meter.
Diminished or Diminuation The opposite of augmentation, where an interval is lowered by a semi-tone (or half step).
Dorian The 2nd mode of the major scale. The C major played from D to D or the G major scale from A to A are examples of a Dorian scale.
Double Time To play a piece at double time is to play it twice as fast.
Extensions The 9th, 11th and 13th of a chord.
Fake Book A compendium of jazz charts, which were originally printed illegally. Today, there are a number of legal fake books, which offer greater quality than their illicit predecessors.
Front Line The wind instrument players in a band.
Half Diminished A chord with a minor 3rd, a lowered (diminished) 5th, and a minor 7th.
Half Step An alternative term for a semi tone.
Head The tune or melody of a song or piece of music.
Improvisation Playing spontaneously new melodies or chords around a piece. See also Ad Lib
Inversion A chord with any note other than the root in the bass.
Ionian The root position of the major scale.
Jazz Standard A tune widely known by jazz musicians.
Latin Jazz Jazz derived from Afro-Cuban or South American (largely Brazilian) roots. Characterised by Bossa Nova and Samba rhythms.
Legit A jazz term for any form of music that isn't jazz.
Lochrian The 7th mode of the major scale. The C major played from B to B or the G major scale from F# to F# are examples of a Lochrian scale.
Lydian The 4th mode of the major scale. The C major played from F to F or the G major scale from C to C are examples of a Lydian scale. Melodic Minor In jazz, a scale with a minor 3rd but a major 6th and 7th (both up and down).
Meter or Metre The arrangement of beats of time into a certain rate, organised into numbers within a bar. For example a meter of 4/4 will have 4 crotchet (or quarter) beats in a bar.
Mixolydian The 5th mode of the major scale. The C major played from Gto G or the G major scale from D to D are examples of a Mixolydian scale.
Mode The term given to the way in which a series of notes within a scale are ordered.
Modern The term given to post 1945 styles of jazz.
Modulation The term given to a key change.
Out The last chorus of a tune
Outro Another name for the coda.
Pedal A bass line that remains primarily on a single note.
Pentatonic A scale of 5 notes, in particular the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 6th modes of the major scale.
PhrygianThe 3rd mode of the major scale. The C major played from E to E or the G major scale from B to B are examples of a Phrygian scale.
Pickup The beginning of a phrase which comes before the beginning of the first bar.
Pocket In the Pocket. Perfectly in time.
Progression A distinct series of notes or chords that have some harmonic unity.
Quartel A piece of music based on fourths.
Quote A borrowed phrase of music from a well know piece used during a solo.
Riff A repeated, catchy phrase often used in blues.
Root The note on which a chord or scale is built.
Scale The organisation of notes within an octave.
Shed Short for Woodshed, someone who practises diligently.
Solo One player's improvisation over the tune.
Stroll To continue playing without piano.
Substitution The use of a different chord in place of the original or established chord.
Thumb Line The line played by the pianist's left thumb.
Top The beginning of each chorus or the very start of a piece.
Trad Term given to the jazz style of the 1920's.
Triad A chord of three notes.
Tritone An interval between two notes of three whole tones.
Turnaround A chord progression at the end of a stanza or verse, which brings the tune back to the tonic, or original key, a typical example is a I-VI-II-V progression.
Walk To play single bass notes at one note per beat.
...This Jazz Glossary is still under construction and we welcome any comments or suggestions for it.
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