30 !!Chapter 3
many other musicians and composers. Different styles of jazz are associ-
ated with various time periods.
The Middle Ages is a significant period in Western musical history.
Although notation systems existed prior to the Middle Ages, musical nota-
tion underwent rapid development during this period, making it possible
for music to be notated and enabling musicians other than the composer
to perform it. Musical rules were invented that included modes (eight
musical scales) as well as rhythmic and harmonic rules.
Jazz combines improvisation and musical notation with rhythm and
harmony. A jazz composition varies each time it is played because of the
improvised solos. The melody is always the same because the underlying
rhythmic and harmonic structure does not change. The basic harmonic
structure for most jazz compositions has been documented in written
form, with a combination of notation and identification of the harmonic
structure (chord changes) along with an indication of the number of mea-
sures, the tempo, and the time signature.
Dixielandjazz is associated with New Orleans, and the genre has been
used on many commercials that are associated with that city. Most com-
mercials promoting Mardi Gras contain Dixieland scores and New
Orleans funeral band music, which is also unique to the region and, there-
fore, creates an instant identity.
Become familiar with the instrumentation that denotes specific styles.
For example, if an assignment is to create a Dixieland piece, in addition to
understanding the style, an authentic instrumental combination is a cornet
(not a trumpet), a clarinet or soprano saxophone, a piano, a banjo
(optional), a trombone, and drums. The size of the ensemble can vary, but
the basic performance style cannot change.
Swingmusic was most popular in the late 1930s and 1940s. There have
been numerous films depicting World War II, and the music featured is
swing. The Gap stores re-created the popular dance the Lindy Hop in a
series of commercials—called the Gap Khaki Swing—that depicted the
predominant dance style of the 1940s and early 1950s. (The dancers and
the set look contemporary.) There has been a resurgence of swing music;
swing dance clubs have opened throughout the United States and Europe.
Let us assume that the assignment is to create the sound of the Glenn
Miller Band. The unique sound of that band came from years of Miller
experimenting with instrumental combinations. The final signature sound
was that of a clarinet used in place of the traditional alto saxophone as the
lead instrument of the saxophone section. The band also had a fluid and
polished sound that resulted from Miller’s penchant for perfection; the
Miller Band was never sloppy.
Assume that a commercial requires vocals depicting the same time
period. A vocal group called the Modernaires sang with the Glenn Miller
Band. Their lead singer was a female backed by three men, making their
musical style distinctive. If this were the assignment, it would behoove the