Jazz and Blues

What this page covers

This page brings together study material on jazz and blues, from the origins of the blues to big band and swing, ragtime, bebop and a number of set pieces. Most of it is mind maps, with quizzes, flashcard decks, notes and a few flowcharts alongside. Everything was made by GoConqr users, so you will see different styles and levels of detail.

Where to start

Begin with the big picture. The Blues mind map explains what blues music was and how it began, including repeated chords and call and response. Then open the Jazz mind map, which looks at the big band and how soloists improvise over a melody and chords. The Origins of Jazz flowchart and the Key Features of Jazz mind map help you place each style in order.

Set works and close listening

Miles Davis's 'All Blues' has the most material. Several mind maps break it down by instrumentation, metre, tempo, texture, dynamics, structure, harmony and melody. They note the sextet, the 6/4 metre, the Harmon mute on the head and the 12 bar blues form. Other maps cover Louis Armstrong's West End Blues, Duke Ellington's Black and Tan Fantasy, Boplicity and Livery Stable Blues. Because the resources mention GCSE Music and A-level Music, school students will find material that fits those courses.

Using quizzes and maps together

1. Read a mind map on one piece or style.
2. Take a matching quiz, such as the Structure of All blues quiz or the Texture of All blues quiz.
3. Note what you missed and go back to that branch of the map.
4. Move to flashcards to fix names, dates and terms in memory.

For wider history, the Jazz Timeline Quiz and the History of Jazz (Swing Quiz) work well after the overview maps. University students will also spot midterm and final review quizzes.

Where this unit sits

Jazz and Blues belongs to the strand Popular Music and Jazz in the subject Music. Pick one piece, work through its map, and then test yourself with a quiz.