We can summarize some key features of the jazz genre, which although they do not completely define jazz, help significantly in its recognition :
- Jazz has peculiarities in relation to European music, as it uses not only the basic scales of European music, ie major and minor (a system that replaced the Ecclesiastical Ways of Western Ecclesiastical Music in the 17th century), but also many other scales originating from Africa and elsewhere, used in conjunction with European harmonies. Jazz musicians often, at the time of improvisation, think and choose notes based on scales that best convey the harmonious framework of a chord.Thus, as the chords used in jazz are often strongly disagreeable (7th, 9th, 11th, 13th, increased, decreased, etc.), many of the scales also contain dissenting notes at various points on the scale to better reflect the harmonious background. of escort.
- Jazz is deeply rooted in another African element, rhythm, which is a fundamental component of organizing music. The rhythms of jazz music are more complex and with continuous variations that alternate, usually two or four quarters.
- In jazz music, the sound of musical instruments and the voice are used in a special way. The special “color” of jazz sound is due in large part to the unorthodox playing technique of its first and self-taught musicians. The main feature of jazz is that the instruments are used as human voices.
- Jazz has formed special musical forms and a special repertoire. The two main forms he uses are the blues (a main theme, usually twelve meters) and the ballad (standard type usually 32 meters).
- The dominant element of jazz is still the organ players themselves and their personal improvisations on the main musical theme. The composition in jazz is usually simple for orchestration and various variations in the context of individual or group improvisation.