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B

back beat

A rhythmic device in which the second and fourth beat of a measure is heavily emphasized in 4/4 time.

Black Bottom Stomp (1926)
Jelly Roll Morton & His Red Hot Peppers

ballad

A slow song, usually of a romantic nature; sometimes used for any song of the AABA or similar popular song form.

bar

Also known as measure. A grouping of beats, that establishes the meter of a piece of music.

barrelhouse

An older style of piano, rough, loud, and appropriate to playing in noisy bars and dance halls.

bass drum

Also "kick drum." The largest and lowest-pitched drum of the drum set, and played with a foot pedal.

beat

A heard or felt pulse of a piece of music.

bebop

Also "bop." A style of jazz characterized by long flowing melodic lines, irregular accents, non-symmetrical written themes, and elaborated harmonies; first heard c. 1943.

Shaw 'Nuff (1945)
Dizzy Gillespie Sextet

Continue reading "bebop" »

behind the beat

Playing slightly behind the beat as articulated by the rhythm section or implied by the ensemble.

big band

An orchestra of more than 10 members.

bitonality

The use of two different keys at once.

block chords

A series of chords with wide voicings that move in parallel motion. (See also locked hands.)

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blow

To improvise (on any instrument); to play.

blue notes

(1) Pitches in the scale that can be flattened or sharpened within the blues scale; (2) tones that are bent or changed to increase the expressivity of the music, not simply to alter the scale.

blues

(1) A 12-bar form built on the I, IV, and V chords; (2 ) a scale with a flatted third, fifth, and perhaps a seventh; (3) a poetic form; (4) a way of articulating tones; (5) a set of verbal sentiments similar to those used in folk blues songs; (6) a vaguely defined, mythic "feeling" that some say is basic to all jazz.

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bolero

Originally, a Cuban mid-tempo form played by guitar trios; now more generally a slower and more sentimental form (Latin).

Deep Song (2001)
Chris Washburne & The SYOTOS Band

bombs

Irregular bass drum accents (typical of bebop drummers).

boogaloo

Also bugalú. A rhythm and blues and soul-influenced Latin form originated in the United States and characterized by elements of mambo and chachachá with an added back beat.

boogie woogie

A style of piano blues based on strong left hand eighth note figures. First heard in the late 1920s, but popular throughout the 1940s.

Boogie Woogie Stomp (1939)
Albert Ammons And His Rhythm Kings

Continue reading "boogie woogie" »

book

The repertoire of a band or singer.

boot it

To play with energy and excitement (early jazz).

bootleg

Recordings or made or sold without the permission of the performers or a recording company.

bop

See bebop.

bossa nova

A Brazilian jazz/pop music form derived from the samba (originated c. 1960), influenced by cool jazz, and usually played quietly, with minimal percussion.

Moosha (2000)
Chris Washburne & The SYOTOS Band

Continue reading "bossa nova" »

bounce

A light, medium fast tempo piece (swing era).

box

A piano; a guitar.

break

A short suspension of rhythm or the flow of the music (usually of a four or eight beat duration) while the soloist or melody instruments continue playing.

Black Bottom Stomp (1926)
Jelly Roll Morton & His Red Hot Peppers

bridge

The third group of eight-bars in a thirty-two bar chorus (see popular song form); also known as the channel, the middle-eight or the B-section.

brushes

Drum sticks with wire brushes on the end, sued to produce a quieter, scratching sound.

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