Lesson 2: Jazz and Classical Music

Jazz and Classical Music

Over the last several units, we have been considering Western classical music and its history. How does jazz music compare to the classical music that we’ve been discussing? One way of looking at the connections between these two types of music is to say that they are both approaches to musical art. Music scholars have suggested that some of the classical periods of music correspond to later types of jazz. For example, music from the Baroque period shares some commonalities with classic jazz or Dixieland jazz. The composers during the Baroque period, such as Bach, were actually good improvisers, just as the jazz musicians of the classic jazz era were known for their improvisation. In addition, the emphasis on form during the Classical period corresponds to the swing/big band period of jazz. The emphasis on emotion during the Romantic period is also reflected in the bebop period of jazz. In other words, both classical music and jazz follow similar developments over time, from simple melodies in the beginning to accompanied melodies to multiple melodies. Although the music sounds very different, we find that these two forms of music share similar developments and evolution over time.

One of the common aspects in both classical music and jazz music is improvisation. Although we typically don’t think of improvisation when looking at classical music, many of the composers were skilled at taking a written score and adding their own interpretation of the music, just as jazz musicians do with the music they hear. During the Baroque periods, for example, it was almost expected for musicians to embellish and add to the scores that they were playing. Composers such as Bach and Mozart were said to be very skilled at doing this. As time went on, composers began to exert greater control over their music, and improvisation began to decrease in classical music.

Another common element is that both classical and jazz music use basic forms and structures. For example, in classical music, composers often wrote in established forms such as sonatas and symphonies. In jazz music, musicians also typically use established forms, such as the blues 12 measure form or the AABA form of music. While the forms are different, they still offer structure to both musical approaches.

One of the biggest differences between the two types of music is in the tone of the music. With classical music, particularly in the Classical and Romantic periods, musicians tend to follow the composer’s score. For example, if you listen to ten different recordings of a specific piece of classical music, it is likely to sound very much the same. However, in jazz, the musician is expected to find his or her own sound, which makes even the same melody sound very different from musician to musician.

A second difference that we see between the two types of music is in the instruments and performances of the music. Classical music often uses large-scale orchestras, comprised of string, wind, percussion, and other types of instruments. Because string instruments, such as violins and cellos, were developed earlier than many of the brass instruments and were more reliable musically speaking, classical music often places the emphasis on these instruments. In contrast, jazz music often places the emphasis on brass instruments, such as trumpets and saxophones. Jazz bands are much smaller than orchestras, creating a different type of sound.