Jazz Festivals

All about jazz festivals
RSS

Posts Tagged ‘Jazz Sound’

The Mysteries of Acoustic Jazz Guitars

Posted by admin on April 14th, 2010 No Comments



Guitars used to play jazz have some special characteristics. They produce a certain type of sound that has been developed over the years. Due to the specialization, not just any guitar is appropriate for an acoustic jazz guitar. Learning about the characteristics of acoustic jazz guitars, and how to make them the most unique, will help you in your quest to purchase the perfect instrument to learn and perform with.

The Body Style

Certain types of instruments have become commonly accepted as essential acoustic jazz guitars. These include arch-top guitars, a physical feature that both early pioneers, modern day legends, and the stars of tomorrow are relying on for practice, performance, and recording purposes. The arch-top originally appeared in jazz because its unique shape tended to amplify the sounds of the guitar greatly, allowing it to soar over screaming horn lines and drums in larger jazz orchestras. Today, with the advent of advanced electronics, most mid to high end arch-top guitars feature built in plugs for amplifications. For these types of jazz guitars, this is an important feature because it allows you to practice or participate in a jam session easily without hauling an amp around, but you also have the option to plug in and play loud when you need to. The arch-top, despite the prevalence of electronics, still plays an important role in creating that signature jazz sound.

Another unique characteristic of typical acoustic guitars used in jazz is that they often feature unique sound holes, sometimes in the shape of the letter D or F. They often resemble classical instruments like violins, and the purpose of the sound hole design is to achieve maximum tone production.

The Sound

Every jazz guitarist wants to avoid feedback and distortion when they plug in. Acoustic guitars used for jazz are generally fortified against feedback, and other troublesome excess sounds. They are designed with clarity and distinction in mind, and this is something you will also want to listen for when you are looking for a good jazz guitar. These guitars are not intended to be played with effects pedals, and this is an instrument that will be valued for the trueness and forwardness of its tone. Jazz guitarists also try to avoid a great deal of sustain when they play, they want their instrument to produce a tone that is crisp and clear, but it does not need to ring in the back of the hall moments after it has been played. To new listeners, the sound can be “choppy” or “muted”, but to a certain extent, that is what the instrument should sound like.

The Playability

Acoustic jazz guitars should be extremely playable, all over the neck of the instrument. Melodic lines and funky solo licks need creative freedom, and a good guitar will feature a smooth, manageable, and playable neck from top to bottom. This does not mean that the instrument should have a thin neck, but it does mean that it should feature smooth frets and a reasonable action in order to maintain playability in the higher frets.

Now that you understand why and how jazz guitarists get their sound, you can experiment on your own.

By: David Smithe

Posted in Jazz Festivals

Enjoy Big Band Jazz Music

Posted by admin on November 27th, 2009 No Comments

Jazz enjoys a universal popularity. This form of music emerged in the beginning of the 20th century in the African- American community of the United States of America. The repetitive patterns of ‘call’ and ‘response’ define the jazz music. The various types of rhythm patterns that are prevalent in the jazz music are reggae, blues and the swing patterns.

A kind of musical assembly associated with the jazz music is known as the big band jazz music. This sort of ensemble can also be called as jazz band, jazz orchestra, jazz ensemble and dance band. However there is one primary difference between the big band jazz music and the other forms of jazz music. While the most of the jazz combos are highly improvised or and created spontaneously, the music that is played in the big bands jazz music is often arranged and prepared from before. In this form of music, the notations are notated on the sheet music in advance.

Started as an experimental form by the African slaves the jazz music attempted at combining the African folk culture with the American form of music. The most attractive fact about the jazz music that draws so many musicians to this form of music is its wide periphery that offers you to experiment with this musical pattern. The warm sound of jazz music also creates positive vibes in the mind of the listeners.

Nowadays, more and more people are getting attracted towards learning jazz music, particularly jazz guitar playing. If you wish to learn to play jazz guitar getting the apt guitar that has a distinctive jazz sound is very important. Of course jazz can be played on any kind of guitar, but the guitar with ‘f’ holes in its body, piezoelectric pickup and arched top are what gives a distinctive sound quality to the jazz music. In fact these guitar types give the warm and expressive feeling to the jazz music that this form of music is normally associated with.

To learn to play jazz guitar you need to listen to jazz music a lot. You have to have real passion fro this kind of music. Taking professional training or following online lessons can also help you to learn to play jazz music properly.



By: Akhila Choudhary

Posted in Jazz Festivals

Play Jazz Now

Posted by admin on September 30th, 2009 No Comments

Getting that jazz sound can be a complex process. It is impossible to say who have the greatest jazz tone and sound as we are all different and are subjective in our listening. What I’m about to share with you acts as a general guide in the area of getting that jazz tone and should be improvise upon should you feel like it.

The Guitar


For an authentic jazz tone, you should have a semi-acoustic hollow body electric guitar. The Gibson ES-175 or the Gretch Tennessean can run into thousands of dollars but there are also excellent entry models such as Ibanez Artcore line of guitars. Guitars by Yamaha or Guild also make great entry level semi-acoustics. Epiphone, owned by Gibson are designed for the aspiring musician to own a Gibson but lack the budget to do so. What you get is a fantastic sounding guitar made by Gibson but at a much much lower price. Look for a guitar which provides a clean tone with plenty of sustain.

Jazz guitar players often plays with a rich mellow tone that is suitable for the style. Roll off the treble on your guitar’s controls to achieve that.

A Jazz Guitar Amplifier


The playing style and sound that you wish to attain will determine the amp you need. Very often, traditional jazz guitar players uses solid state amps that can produce a clean sound which compliment acoustic arch-top guitars. For others seeking a more distorted sound, a tube amp might be just what you are looking for. Many jazz guitarists use a Fender Pro or a Polytone. On board effects maybe another requirement you are looking for. This can range from a overdrive channel to a reverb channel.

Effect Pedals


A hint of reverb is all you need if you are one who does not want to meddle with effects. However, many modern jazz guitar players today includes an arsenal of effect pedals in their effects chain ranging from chorus, overdrive, distortion and even wah-wah pedal. A word of advice. When using effects, ensure they compliment your playing style and that you retain that “clarity” in your tone. Many guitar players often make the mistake of cluttering their guitar tone with too many effects which results in a poor quality muddy sound.

In summary, listen, listen, listen. Listen to recordings by all the jazz guitarists. Listen closely to their sounds and try to emulate them. When done enough, you’ll be able to find that unique tone in your guitar sound which you have crafted. Congratulations! You have found your very own signature sound!

By: Andy Ng

Posted in Jazz Festivals
« Older Entries

Powered by WordPress | Log in | Entries (RSS) | Comments (RSS) | seo service