UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN, MADISON
School of Music
MUS 331 AND MUS 530
BY PROFESSOR JOAN WILDMAN
This is the second in a series of articles written to accompany class activities for beginning jazz improvisation students. If you've not yet read the earlier pages, or if you wish to review previous concepts and materials go to Article 1.
Remembering: THELONIOUS MONK (1917-1982).
ARTICLE 2
SMALL UNITS: MELODIC MOTIVES
Melodies are organized by the jazz improvisor much the same as rhythms and accents: pitches are an added element in the development of swing rhythms. Through their dissonance or consonance, pitches relate to tension and relaxation similar to downbeat and offbeat accents. Such pitch relationships can be analyzed in numerous ways but for now will be restricted to: (1) half- and whole-steps, (2) line direction, (3) repetition, and (4 ) combinations of steps, direction, and repetition.
CONTENTS
--All Article 2 materials © by Joan Wildman--
please send comments to
jwildman@facstaff.wisc.edu