The Blues: Understanding and Performing an American Art Form!
Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester
Completing a jazz music course from the Eastman School of Music is no easy task. It requires time, focused attention, dedication, and a full commitment. The concept of one-to-one musical interaction among the instrumentalists was the core foundation of this course and its stated objectives. The course was presented with a unique pedagogical approach. This course presented the perfect blend of history and tactical knowledge. It was the most challenging and exciting opportunity to not only expand my educational goals but also fulfill my musical ambitions.
The blues is an American art form and the most important musical form in jazz. Blues improvisation is rooted in spontaneity, creativity, self-expression, and, at the same time, form and order. While some forms of jazz have been constantly changing from one stylistic convention to another, the blues has never lost its identity and expressive power. The blues exerts a powerful influence on the harmonic and melodic syntax of jazz. Although there are various paradigms of the blues, such as the 8-bar or 16-bar, this course examined the traditional 12-bar blues and their various incarnations.
The course explored the essential aspects of what makes up the blues form. For a deeper understanding of this American art form, we focused our attention on improvisation, chord voicing and textures, harmonic movement, and melodic syntax. Each topic was introduced from a practical perspective with the clearly stated goal of improving one’s improvisational skills within the blues form. Practice techniques were also addressed, including ear-training strategies, the blues scale, and the basics of jazz rhythms and blues riffs. As the course progressed, we moved on to the concept of guide tones and their association with invertible counterpoints.
Consider the fact that there are many flavors of blues, including early jazz blues, swing blues, bebop blues, modal blues, and post-bop blues. Each type has its own unique harmonic syntax, melodic vocabulary, and, associated with them, improvisational techniques. The ongoing evolution of blues music is happening every day around the world. We must continue to listen, experiment, and explore. The improvisation possibilities and creativity are endless, even within the constrictive boundaries of a 12-bar blues form.
Dariusz Terefenko
Associate Professor of Jazz Studies and Contemporary Media
Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester