Jazz for Non-Jazzers

“It just goes like this, ‘doo ba doo bop’. You dig?” Historically, this was the way jazz was learned, informally, and for many early aspiring jazz musicians—they dug. Others need a little more guidance. This chapter is based on a presentation its author often delivers to introduce teachers to teaching jazz. After this presentation, members from the audience often tell the author: “This is not all that different from the musicianship skills I already have.” This chapter provides a basic overview of (a) styles such as swing, Latin, bop, and blues; (b) rhythmic solfège; (c) articulation; (d) ornamentation; (e) improvisation; (f) intricacies of the rhythm section; and (g) rehearsal and stage setup of the beginning jazz band. The remaining chapters in this book presume some basic and foundational knowledge about jazz as a point of departure, so this chapter serves as that starting point.