Musical Form

The Form of Jazz and Baroque pieces are also similar in many ways. In these two songs the ritornello form typical of Baroque music is similar to the form. The opening melody played by the whole ensemble is referred to as the 'head' in jazz music while the opening theme in ritornello form reflects this stage of the music. In ritornello form this opening theme is returned to in different keys in part are in whole while in between there are sections expanding upon the melody sometimes featuring solo instruments. The original theme is returned to in the original key to conclude the piece.[2] Similarly the 'head' is played at the beginning and end of the piece and in between improvised solos usually occur based on the chords of the opening statement.

'So What' is built around a 32 bar structure with the first 16 bars in D minor with Dmin7 chords, 8 bars with Eb7 chords and a final 8 bars in Dmin7. This form repeats throughout the song and provides a simple chord structure for soloists to improvise over. As evident in the improvisation the melodic lines in the piece are based strongly around these chords. The changes in chords can be heard in the 'head' as the same motif is played in a different key and during the solo sections.

The simply solo section comprised of two chords can be seen at the bottom of the score

In the Brandenburg Concerto there is a strong motivic element as in the head of 'So What' and modulations can clearly be heard using the same motif. The two styles share a similar structure in this way however the key difference is that the development in Bach's composition in solo sections is based on these motifs while in jazz the chords are the basis and the use of motifs are simply a way of stating the chords. In this way the motifs in Baroque music can be compared to chords in jazz music. For example in the third movement of the Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 the two bar motif played at the beginning by the solo violin is the basis of the piece and is heard in many different forms throughout the piece.

Bach's Brandenburg Concerto also utilises a Concerto Grosso format where there is a contrast between the ripieno, the parts where the whole orchestra is involved, and the concertino where the soloists are featured. In contrast to cool jazz music the concertino sections are predominantly marked obligato in Bach's score meaning the parts must be played exactly as written. It is the Ripieno sections where the basso continuo part is written with figured bass that improvisation is most prevalent in Bach's work.

In both styles there is a clear distinction between tutti sections and solo sections. While there is a clear musical link the reasons for this are different as the Baroque style is conveying a contrast in force between the large orchestra and small soloist sections while in Cool Jazz the solo sections simply direct focus to the soloist and their musical skills.[4]

Secondary Link – Musical Notation

The musical notation used in both styles is an integral part of the form and conveys the performance practices of each style. In Baroque music a system of figured bass is used to indicate the chords to be played in the basso continuo. A bass note is noted on a staff while numbers are written beneath the staff to indicate to the performer what intervals above this note should be played.[1] In jazz music chord symbols are often  used in the rhythm section. For example in a bass line written with chord symbols the actual notes played and the rhythm is left up to the performer to reflect the chord and style of the song best. 

An example of figured bass from Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 5

Both music genres convey chords without traditional notation however the reasons for this are different. In the Baroque era musical notation as we know it today was a new development. The use of numbers was a simpler way for the composer to convey the essential part of the music to the performer, the chords. In jazz however the use of chord symbols in contrast to western art music of the same period reflects the focus on the performer and the interaction between ensemble members. In both styles the performer is allowed some degree of freedom.

 

[1] Collier, J.L., 1978, The Making of Jazz, Dell Publishing, New York, p. 54

[2] Bailey, D., 1993, Improvisation: its nature and practice in music, Da Capo Press, UK, p. 104

[3] ibid, p. 107

[4] Kamien, R., 2008, Music: An Appreciation, McGraw Hill, New York, p.261