Jazz

12 Pages 2914 Words

The History of Jazz

When it comes to music, most people don’t say they like it. People say they like heavy metal, pop, rhythm and blues, or any other type of music, since they have their own preference to what type of music they like, not just enjoying the broad area of music. One of those types of music, which many enjoy, is jazz. Actually right now jazz is really big and popular in Europe, and is rising in its popularity in the USA through its many forms. Jazz does have many forms, so many that some enjoyed bebop, ragtime, blues, or other types of jazz. Jazz has survived longer than many types of music, and it has always influenced the ways people involved in jazz compose or perform. It has also brought out many famous people.
Although jazz is not the most influencing music currently in the nation, its history proves that it is great form of music with many origins, a multigenerational life span, numerous styles, many legendary musicians, and its own creative, independent interpretation.
Jazz is over 100 years old, probably making it one of the longest lasting forms of music so far. Europeans did not create jazz; it was created by Afro-Americans who descended from ancestors in Africa. These Afro-Americans learned how to play these European instruments well, including percussion or the drum set, trumpet, cornet, saxophone, trombone, tuba and many other instruments. They wanted to show what they were like to other races, so they attempted to express themselves and their feelings through music and the instruments, which were so foreign to them. A lot of the music, which they played, came from folk music. Jazz did have a part of it come from Europe. The instruments of course, and the basic beginning forms of music helped jazz to be created. Another part of jazz, which is not of African origin, is improvisation, which is similar but has no melodic restrictions. Improvisation began with the Greeks and their musi...