A jazz band is a group that plays jazz, a kind of music born in the United States in the early 1900s. A big band has about 17 players: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. A small group can be three people. In both, the players swing the beat and make up solos on the spot.
Quick facts
- Born in: New Orleans and other American cities, in the early 1900s
- Grew from: blues, ragtime, marches, and church music
- A big band: about 17 players
- A small group: three to six players, called a combo
- What makes it jazz: swing, syncopation, and solos made up on the spot
Who is in a big band
| Section | Instruments | How many | Its job |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saxophones | Two altos, two tenors, and a baritone | 5 | Smooth tunes and rich chords |
| Trumpets | Trumpets | 4 | The high, bright punch |
| Trombones | Trombones | 4 | The warm middle and low brass |
| Rhythm section | Piano, bass, drums, and guitar | 4 | The beat and the chords |
The saxophones sit in the front row. The trombones sit behind them, and the trumpets stand at the back.
The rhythm section
The rhythm section never stops. It is the engine of the band.
- Bass. The bass player plucks one note on every beat. The line steps up and down, and players call it a walking bass.
- Drums. The drummer keeps time on a cymbal and adds kicks and fills on the drums. Read the drum kit for kids.
- Piano. The pianist plays short, off-beat chords behind the soloist.
- Guitar. The guitarist strums the chords, four to a bar.
Three ideas that make it jazz
Swing. In a march, two notes that share a beat are even: “da-da, da-da.” In jazz, the first is long and the second is short: “doo-ba, doo-ba.” That uneven lilt is called swing.
Syncopation. The strong notes land between the beats. Read what is syncopation?
Improvisation. A soloist stands up and makes up a new tune on the spot, while the rhythm section plays the song’s chords. No two solos are the same.
How a jazz tune goes
- The head. The band plays the tune.
- The solos. One player at a time makes up a solo over the same chords.
- Trading. The soloists may swap short turns with the drummer.
- The head again. The band plays the tune once more to finish.
The audience claps after each solo, in the middle of the piece. In jazz, that is good manners.
Small groups
| Group | Instruments |
|---|---|
| Piano trio | Piano, bass, and drums |
| Quartet | A trio plus a saxophone or a trumpet |
| Quintet | A trio plus two horns |
| New Orleans band | Trumpet, clarinet, trombone, banjo, tuba, and drums |
Eight pieces to hear
1. “Take the ‘A’ Train,” by the Duke Ellington Orchestra. A big band at full swing.
2. “In the Mood,” by the Glenn Miller Orchestra. The saxophones play a bouncing tune, and the band keeps pretending to end.
3. “Sing, Sing, Sing,” by the Benny Goodman Orchestra. It opens with pounding drums.
4. “One O’Clock Jump,” by the Count Basie Orchestra. The piano starts with the rhythm section, and the horns join later.
5. “Take Five,” by the Dave Brubeck Quartet. A small group, with five beats in a bar. Count “1, 2, 3, 4, 5” along with the piano.
6. “So What,” by Miles Davis. The bass plays the tune, and the band answers.
7. “Linus and Lucy,” by the Vince Guaraldi Trio. A piano trio. Many children know it from the Peanuts cartoons.
8. “Hymn to Freedom,” by Oscar Peterson. A slow, strong piano piece by a Canadian master. Read Oscar Peterson for kids.
Jazz and classical music
The two have borrowed from each other for a century. George Gershwin put the sounds of jazz into Rhapsody in Blue. Ravel and Stravinsky heard jazz and used it in their own pieces. Some jazz players train in classical music first.
Read the Rhapsody in Blue guide and Harlem Renaissance music for kids.
Joining a school jazz band
Many middle schools and high schools have a jazz band beside the concert band.
- Saxophone, trumpet, and trombone players move straight in.
- Clarinet and flute players often learn the saxophone to join.
- Pianists, guitarists, bass players, and drummers have a place here that the concert band cannot offer them.
- Reading and making it up. Players read their parts and also learn to take a short solo. Teachers start with a few notes and build from there.
Read the saxophone for kids, the trumpet for kids, and the trombone for kids.
Things to do together
Swing it. Say “doo-ba, doo-ba” with the “doo” long and the “ba” short. Snap your fingers on beats 2 and 4.
Walk the bass. Play “So What.” Step once for every bass note.
Trade fours. One person claps a rhythm for four beats. The next person answers with a different one. Keep the beat going.
Scat. Sing a tune you know with made-up sounds in place of the words: “doo,” “bop,” and “shoo-be.”
Count the solos. Play one piece. Hold up a finger for each new soloist, and name the instrument.
Count to five. Clap along with “Take Five.” Count “1, 2, 3, 4, 5,” with a strong clap on 1 and 4.
Print and play
Use a listening journal page for each piece. Test your ear with the rhythm match game. Read The Entertainer and Maple Leaf Rag for kids, for the ragtime that came before jazz.
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Use it with your kids
Print a listening page, a practice chart, or a composer fact sheet. Or try a tool, such as the composer timeline or the piece picker.