Ragtime Vs Jazz Essay

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Jazz is a genre of African American music originating from New Orleans in the southern United States from the late 19th century to the early 20th century. Jazz is recognized for its unique playing style and performance itself rather than the format of the song or the song itself. Sounds, phrasing, rhythm, blues and harmonies of jazz come from the unique sense of African and African American music. Instruments, melodies, harmonies used in jazz follow the traditional approach of Europe. Jazz’s features include swing from the offbeat rhythm, originality and vigor by the improvisation and sound of the player’s unique individuality, so these may be described as different from European music and classical music. Jazz is a music that pursue the novelty …show more content…

In the late 19th century, they could think of their lives after the emancipation of slaves and express the sorrows and the rustic life as the songs. It had deeper roots in a style of music called blues. Ragtime developed in African American communities throughout the Midwest, particularly Missouri and was popular from 1895 to 1918. Ragtime was similar to the march and combined with black songs and dances such as the cakewalk. Ragtime was the precursor of the jazz. The difference between ragtime and jazz was that ragtime was played by the sheet music, whereas jazz focused the improvisation of the solo. Jazz can be said to arise from the black brass bands of New Orleans. The first black bands are modeled after the band of white, but the performances gradually began to show the black unique sense, such as marches and ragtime. Trumpeter Buddy Bolden was one of the leading jazz musicians. There was the collective improvisation by three pipe combinations of the clarinet, trumpet, trombone in the late 19th century and early 20th century. The features of New Orleans jazz were collective improvisation and ensemble style. The organization of the New Orleans jazz was a small brass band.

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