RhythmicVocabulary

FromFundamentalsofJazzImprovisation:

WhatEverybodyThinksYouAlreadyKnow

Dr.MarkWatkins
DirectorofJazzStudies
BrighamYoungUniversityIdaho

2010byMarkWatkins
Materialshereinareprovidedforpersonaluse.Nopartmaybereproducedwithout
writtenpermissionfromtheauthor.

RhythmandArticulationAnalysis
ofCharlieParkersImprovisation

DataisbasedonananalysisofthefollowingCharlieParkersolos:

Anthropology
DonnaLee
Ornithology
BluesforAlice
MoosetheMooche
ScrapplefromtheApple
Confirmation
NowstheTime
YardbirdSuite
DeweySquare

Percentagesaregivenforsomeconceptsforthefollowingreasons:
ToknowhowoftenParkertendstouseacertaindevice.
Toknowhowimportantspecificmusicalelementsarewhenemulatinghisstyle.
Toknowwhichtendenciestopracticefirst;toprioritizetheincorporationofperformancetraits.

EighthnoteArticulation

Foundational1/8thnotearticulationstyle:Tongueupbeat,slurtodownbeat.

Anthropology,m.3439

Confirmation,m.6669

DeweySquare,m.3639

DonnaLee,m.6467

DonnaLee,m.6974

NowstheTime,m.7681

Ornithology,m.4749

YardbirdSuite,m.4449

Exception,rareoccurrence:Tonguedsequential1/8ths.

YardbirdSuite,m.3640

PhraseEndings

Fourprinciplecategoriesortypes:
1. ShortUpBeat(bebop)
2. LongUpBeat(dodah)
3. ShortdownBeat(bop)
4. LongDownBeat(dah)

Bebop(shortupbeat):24%.Tonguingthelasttwonotesismostcommon.
DeweySquare,m.3639(descending,penultimatenotetongued,common)

Confirmation,m.7273(ascending,infrequent)

DonnaLee,m.8284(penultimatenoteapproachedbyslur,lesscommon)

Dodahordowah(longupbeat):30%

Thereisafairlyequaldispersalofupanddownwithdodahbeingfourtimesmorecommon.
Alldowahexamplesinthesampletranscriptionsaredescending,mostbystep.

Oftenwithterminalvibrato.
Airrelease.

Anthropology,m.67(ascending)

Confirmation,m.8084(ascending)

DeweySquare,m.5659(descending)

MoosetheMooche,m.4950(dowah,descendingslur)

Anthropology,m.3439(dowah,descendingstep)

Bop(shortdownbeat,tonguestop):10%

ScrapplefromtheApple,m.3536

Dah(longdownbeat):7%Often1/4or1/2notetongued,airrelease,withterminalvibrato.
Oftenwithterminalvibrato.
Airrelease.

Anthropology,m.4448

Other(slur,fall,gliss,bend,scoop,air1/4,air1/8):29%

DeweySquare,m.2729(slur)

ScrapplefromtheApple,m.3740(fall)

DeweySquare,m.3032(gliss)

Anthropology,m.6165(bend)

Anthropology,m.5758(scoop)

ScrapplefromtheApple,m.4142(air1/4)

BluesforAlice,m.3336(air1/8)

PhraseBeginnings

Upbeat1/8thnote(alltypes):37%
37%doesnotsuggestthatallotherbeginningsaredownbeats.
Othertypesnotcountedinthispercentageincludesustainedsyncopatedentrance,flam,gliss,and
ghostednotes.

Upbeat1/8thnotefollowedby1/8ths:21%
Anthropology,m.24

Upbeat1/8thnotefollowedbytriplet:13%
Slurfrom1/8thnotethroughtriplet
Tonguetopnote
Occasionallyslurintotopnote(rare)

DonnaLee,m.6167(ascending)

Anthropology,1720(descending)

Upbeat1/8thnotefollowedbyturn:3%

BluesforAlice,m.4144

Downbeat1/8thnote(alltypes):14%

Downbeat1/8thnotefollowedby1/8ths:12%

ScrapplefromtheApple,m.5158

Downbeat1/8thnotefollowedbytwo1/16ths:2%

Confirmation,m.6971

Anthropology,m.1416

Flam:11%
Descendingdiatonicmostcommon:5%.
Alternativesincludechromaticandascending.

Confirmation,m.4952

MoosetheMooche,m.5155

HeldSyncopation:9%

NowstheTime,m.8489

ScrapplefromtheApple,m.4749

Gliss:8%

Confirmation,m.3637

Downbeat1/4note:4%

Ornithology,m.3133

Triplet:3%

Anthropology,m.12

Gracenote:4%,appliedtoabovevariations

14%accountedforbylesscommonchoicessuchasaturnorghostednoteandbyroundingoff
abovepercentages.

ContourNotes

Standard/foundationalarticulation:Tonguedupbeatsslurredtodownbeats.
Melodiccontournotesareusuallyhigherinpitchthantheirsurroundingnotes.
Contournotescanbeonupbeatsordownbeats.
Whentonguingadownbeatpitchthenotethatprecedesthetonguednoteisapproachedbyslur,
ghosted,orhalftongued(tongueoncornerofreedcoveringsurfaceunderthetip,lightlyand
allowingthecontinuationoftone,somewhatmuffled).

Occasionally(butrarely)thenotethatprecedesadownbeataccentislegatotongued.

Exampleoftheprincipleofmelodiccontour:

Confirmation,m.4549

DeweySquare,m.4350

BluesforAlice,m.2832(tongueddownbeatprecededbytonguednote)

QuarterNoteArticulation

Short:

MoosetheMooche,m.4950

Anthropology,m.3334

Long:

MoosetheMooche,m.5758

Anthropology,m.4143

EighthQuarterEighth

1/4long:

Fairlyevendistributionoflong1/4andshort1/4.
Appliedwhenascendingto1/4byskip,descendingon1/8th(sometimesghosted),and
ascendingtoresolve.

Confirmation,m.8591

1/4short:

Sometimesnotatedastwo1/8ths,1/8rest,followedbyan1/8th.

Commonwhencontourotherthan(andsometimesincluding)theabove.
Createsatotallydifferentmelodicconceptthanlong1/4version.

Anthropology,m.6165

Confirmation,m.3235

YardbirdSuite,m.6064

Triplets

Ascending(notincludingphrasebeginnings),even:15%

DonnaLee,m.8284

Descending(notphrasebeginnings),even:3%

DeweySquare,m.4350

Horizontal:16%
1/4+two1/6ths:9%Oftenwrittenasatriplet.

Anthropology,m.1416(m.14couldhavebeenwrittenasatriplet.Measure15tripletismore
even.)

Confirmation,m.4549

Even:5%

Confirmation,m.5759

Dotted1/8th1/16th1/8th:3%Writtenasatripletor1/8th+two1/6ths.
BluesforAlice,m.2425

Quarternote:uncommon,pullsmomentumback

BluesforAlice,m.3336

TripletPairs

Ascendingorascendinganddescending:3%

Confirmation,m.6065(ascending)

Anthropology,m.2125(ascending/descending)

Ascending/Horizontal(even):

DeweySquare,m.5155

Ascendingeven+1/8thandtwo1/16ths:

BluesforAlice,m.1619

Anthropology,m.5760

NowstheTime,m.71

Descending/Horizontal:

MoosetheMooche,m.6769

Turns

Allturnscontainahorizontal1/16thnotetripletfollowedbyan1/8th(regardlessofnotation,
theyarethesame).
Theaboverhythm(fillingonebeat)isslurred.
Theintervalanddirectionmovingfromthetripletisusuallydownbystepbutcanbeaskipor
stepineitherdirection.
Resolutiontothefollowingbeatisalsousuallybystepbutcanbeaskiporstepineither
direction,contrary(oppositedirection)orcontinuous(samedirection).
Turnsareslurredbuttheonsetandexitarticulationscanbeeithertonguedorslurred.
49%proceeddownbystepoutofthetripletanddownbysteptothenextbeat(m.87and88).

Turnnotation:
Themostaccuratenotationforajazzturnisa1/16thnotetripletfollowedbyan1/8th.
Whenconsideringthe1/8thnotetripletsubdivisionoftheswingfeelinjazz,otherrhythmsare
lesssuccessful.
Listeningtoajazzturnsloweddownonerevealsthelastturn1/8thusuallyliningupwiththelast
tripletsubdivision1/8th.
Triple
t
1/8thnotewithtriplet
subdivision(swing)
1/8thandthree
1/16ths

Four
1/16ths

Three1/16thsand1/8
(correct),
places1/8thonlasttriplet
subdivision.

Confirmation,m.8591

DoubleTime

Onlyselectedcontournotesaretongued.
Othernotesslurred.
Subdivisionbecomesstraight.

Anthropology,m.4445

BluesforAlice,m.2627

Confirmation,m.4244

DoubleTonguing

BluesforAlice,m.2024

NowstheTime,m.4446

GhostedNotes

Impliedbutnotsoundedorbarelyaudible.
Generallybelowtheirsurroundingnotes.

Ornithology,m.4749

Glissandos

Nonearebent,allfingeredwithdistinctsoundingnotes.
Mostareascending(doublethosedescending).

NowstheTime,m.4951

GraceNotes

NowstheTime,m.5356

Growls

BluesforAlice,m.3941

HalfTongue

Tongueheldtocornerofreedwhileblowing,dampenstone.
Oftenonupbeat1/8thnotethatprecedesadownbeataccent(butnotexclusively).
Createsasmoothlinebecausethetongueisonthereedforonenoteandoffforthenextthus
eliminatingpossibleexcessivemotion,whichcansometimescauselinestobechoppy.
Ahalftonguednoteissofterallowingadownbeattonguingtoavoidtheharshnessandpossible
separationoftwotonguednotesinarow.

DonnaLee,m.9295

NowstheTime,m.2832

RepeatedNotes

Notcommon.
Usuallyatthebeginningofphraseswhenused.

DeweySquare,m.3335(endofphrase,uncommon;oncein10solos)

MoosetheMooche,m.6467

YardbirdSuite,m.6568

Rests=Rhythm

Restswithinaphraserepresentrhythms
Blowthroughthenoteswithmelodicconnection
Restsdonotrepresenttheseparationofmelodicelements

Anthropology,12

Confirmation,m.3841

Scoops

Deliberate,notanaccidentalbyproductofpoorcontrol
Stylesuggestlessfrequentusethanmanyyoungstudentsevidence

BluesforAlice,m.4547

Syncopations

Ornithology,m.4046

Vibrato(Terminal)

Awide,briefvibratoattheendofanotesduration.
Almostalwayspresentonnotesofsufficientlengthattheendsofphrases.
Airrelease.

DonnaLee,m.3133

BasicArticulation

SwingSubdivision

Thedownbeatcomprisesthefirsttwothirdsofatripletwhiletheupbeatcarriesthelastthirdofa
triplet.

TheFundamentalArticulation

Playamajorscaleallslurred,withastraightsubdivision,applyingconstantair,withfulltoneon
allnotes.Connectioniskey.Upbeatsanddownbeatsshouldhaveequalvolume.

Addtheswingsubdivisionbutmaintainallotheraspects.

Jazzisalegatostyle.Lightly,legato,articulatetheupbeatnote.Thisisachieveddifferentlyasper
instrument.Brass,excepttrombone,andwoodwindsusealightcontact.Trombonesplacea
slightlyheavierarticulationontheupbeatnotes.Rhythminstrumentscanplayallslurredorwith
aslightaccentonupbeatnotes.

Brass(excepttrombone)andWoodwinds:

Trombone:

Rhythm1:

Rhythm2:

Thisfoundationalarticulationunderliesjazzphrasing.CharlieParkeronlyusedthisstylepurely
about25%ofthetimebutitinfluencedhowheplayedotherarticulationsand.Itisinterestingto
experimentwithotherfoundationalarticulationpatterns.Essentially,therearefourchoices:

1. Thefoundationalstyleasdescribed.
2. Itsexactopposite:tongue(orslightlyaccent)downbeatsandslurtotheupbeat.
3. Tongue(orslightlyseparate)allnotes.
4. Allslurred.

Certainly,jazzmusiciansuseallofthesearticulations.However,onlythefirstwillcreateastyle
familiartousasjazz.Withinthiscontextthereisagreatamountofvariationamongstplayers.

PhraseEndings

Therearefourfundamentalphraseendingsamidstmanypossibilities.Theyare:
1. Shortupbeat
2. Shortdownbeat
3. Longupbeat
4. Longdownbeat

Boththeshortupbeatandtheshortdownbeatcarrythebebopelement.Thebeginningandthe
endofthelastnotemustbetonguedorstoppedsomewhatabruptlydependingonones
instrument.Theresultantsoundisreminiscentofbebop.

Thebebopendingcanbeapproachedinseveralways,sometimesdictatedbytempo.

Shortupbeat:

Shortdownbeat:

Thelongorsustainedupbeathasadudahorduwahsound.Itisseldomlongerthanadotted
quarterinlengthandmightendwithaterminalvibrato.

Longupbeat:

Thelongorsustaineddownbeatisseldomlongerthanahalfnoteandusuallyendswithaterminal
vibrato.

Longdownbeat:

TheBasieism

TheCountBasiestyleisoftenthoughtofastheepitomeofhardswingingjazz.Often,the
downbeatofthewindplayersisslightlybehindthatofhisrhythmsection.Theupbeatscanfall
anywherebetweenthetriplettothedottedeighthsixteenth.

Oneofthemostsignificantaspectsofhisstyleinvolvestheendsofphrases.Hisbandoftenheld
thesecondtolastnoteextralong,closertoadottedeighth,layingthelastupbeatnotealmoston
thenextbeat.

Practicing

Thefundamentalarticulationwillgarnermuchrepetitionifappliedtoscalestudy.
Phraseendingsarebestappliedtopatternsthatrequirethem.Takingsuchapatternthrough12
keysisexcellentpractice.

Notation

ThefollowingpagecontainsjazzarticulationsymbolsascodifiedbytheInternationalAssociation
forJazzEducation(unfortunatelynowdefunct).

AnaccompanyingCDisavailabletohearthesoundrepresentedbythesymbols.

JazzArticulationSymbols

Syllables

RhythmBlocks

Mostrhythmsusedinjazzcanbeanalyzedaccordingtoeightfundamentalrhythmswiththree
modifications:rests,ties,andtriplets.Ameasurein4/f4timeisnotatedintwohalves.The
RhythmBlocksystemofrhythmicidentificationworkswithahalfmeasure.

1noterhythm

2noterhythms

3noterhythms

4noterhythm

Modifications

Example1:CharlieParkerConfirmation

Example2:SonnyRollinsOleo

DoubleTime

DoubletimeRhythmBlocksworkwiththebeatasopposedtothehalfmeasure.

1note

2note

3note

4note

Modifications

Example:CharlieParkerK.C.Blues

Considerations

ThefirstsectionbelowdemonstrateshowtheRhythmBlocksmightbearticulated.ThereisaCD
availableforauralexample.

TheConsiderationsexplorepossiblevariations,adaptations,andconsiderationsforthe
implementationofRhythmBlocksintoimprovisation.

Fundamentals

1noterhythm

2noterhythm

3noterhythm

4noterhythm

Consideration1

CombineRhythmBlocksbyRest:Thefirstmeasureremainsintactiffollowedbyarest.The
secondrhythmcontainsarestsubstitute.

Consideration2

CombineRhythmBlocksbySlur:Useaslurtoconnecteighthnotes.

Consideration3

ContourNotes:Slurtothenotethatprecedesamelodiccontournote(accentedortonguednote).
Oftenthenotethatprecedesatongued(accented)downbeatwillbehalftongued;rhythm
instrumentsmightghostthenote.

Keepthesepointsinmind:

1. Jazzisalegatostyle.
2. Accentsamidstalegatostandardcreateinterest.
3. Highmelodiccontournotes,noteshigherthanthosesurroundingthem,oftenreceive
accentregardlessofdownbeatorupbeatplacement.
4. Ghostednotes(usuallylowerthannotesaroundthem),usedwithdiscretion,cancreate
interest(parenthesis=ghostednotes).
5. Slur(halftongue)thenotethatprecedesadownbeattonguednote(Parker).

Example:CharlieParkerYardbirdSuite,mm.914

Consideration4

RhythmicDisplacement:Startrhythmsonabeatotherthanone.

Consideration5

PickupNote:Addaneighthnotebeforearhythm.

Consideration6

Substitutions:Rests,triplets,andties.