5 Things Every Jazz Composer Should Know
Author: Andy Farber, Guest Contributor
Music is a life long pursuit, and every musician, from the student, the professional, or the hobbyist, is engaged in a quest to learn. To acquire the skills to become better than you were yesterday. Not every saxophonist will be as great of a player as Coleman Hawkins, Charlie Parker, or John Coltrane, but can be the best version of themselves, with command over their instrument, and a “voice” of their own that has something to say through music. It is the same for the composer as for the instrumentalist. Duke Ellington, who was one of the greatest American composers to have lived, was always evolving as an artist. Throughout Ellington’s 50+ year career in music, he was always looking to hear his musical “dreams” realized by his band. That is one of the major things that almost every composer wishes for; to hear their compositions played for them (and hopefully an audience) by great musicians.
Just like the great jazz instrumentalists, jazz composers often begin by imitating their musical ancestors. Student saxophonists listen to, and imitate, the sounds and musical language of the pioneers of their instrument, Likewise, composer/arrangers will study the recordings and scores of the great jazz composers of the past like Fletcher Henderson, Don Redmon, Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, Mary Lou Williams, and up through the next generation of modernists like Gil Evans, Thelonious Monk, Bob Brookmeyer, Horace Silver, Dave Brubeck, Oliver Nelson, Manny Albam, Gigi Gryce, Thad Jones, Tad Dameron, Billy Byers, Benny Golson, Ernie Wilkins, Quincy Jones, Neal Hefti, and so on. Eventually a composition student has acquired enough musical language and theoretical knowledge that they can fully understand and grok all of the exciting new works by contemporary artists.
So here are 5 things that every beginning jazz composer should know. (In my opinion. Your own mileage may vary.) In no particular order.
DEVELOP AN IDEA - A good composition is generally a development of a musical idea. A motif, or short phrase can be developed in many ways. Extended, shortened, modified, played backwards (retrograde), or upside-down (inverted), or any combination of these techniques and more. Just choose a few things to develop. Don’t write everything you know in each piece you write. In most cases, good compositions have two or three ideas that can compliment each other. Many times these ideas can have opposite qualities. A legato, singing phrase can be contrasted by a very rhythmic or syncopated phrase. Or, something romantic and lyrical plays against an angular melody. They say that “opposites attract”. This is true in music. Opposite elements compliment each other. Loud/soft, consonance/dissonance, rest/motion, fast/slow, and the like.
WRITE FOR YOUR PLAYERS - This assumes you may be writing for a specific ensemble. As jazz musicians, we work with instrumentalists and vocalists who have a unique quality. Everyone has their strengths, and things they do which stand out. Figure out a way to exploit your colleagues’ musical gifts in your composition when possible.
BE MUSICALLY TRUTHFUL WITH YOURSELF - As composers, we don’t have editors in the way that book authors or journalists have. We must create, and edit our own works, and it’s difficult to get honest feedback or criticism from our musicians because they don’t want to risk offense. (*Actually, we all know a few musicians who have no problem offending). If, in the course of proofreading or analyzing your original composition, you discover a section, or phrase, or orchestration, that doesn’t fit, you must delete it. It may be brilliant unto itself, but you cannot be married to everything you create. If your creation is that brilliant, save it and use it in another piece, or write a new piece around it. Also, write for yourself. Don’t worry about impressing the critics or fellow musicians. write what you hear in your own head without regard for what’s in vogue. A certain amount of experimentation is cool. After all, pushing your own musical boundaries can be a path to artistic growth. Obviously, if you’re writing a film/TV score, or commercial, or some other work-for-hire, you may be required to write in a specific style, or do things that go against your personal musical aesthetic.
USE COMMON PRACTICE NOTATION - It is very important to use tried-and-true, common practice notation. It makes it easier for musicians to read your music. If standard figures are written in an un-standard way, musicians are more likely to make a mistake, even if said figure is technically correct.
THE LINE IS EVERYTHING - The late, great composer, and valve trombonist, Bob Brookmeyer once said that “the line is everything”. Harmony and rhythm are important elements of music, but they are usually subordinate to a melody line. Sure, there are types of music in the world where the rhythm is most important or even the only element, but in the case of modern jazz, we are largely dealing with melodic instruments and some percussion. Avoid writing harmony before a melody. In some cases this may work, or you may be composing a new melody on a standard set of chord changes, but for a completely new composition, it’s best to begin with a melody. This way, you avoid the “shoe-horning” of a perfunctory melody over chord changes. One can almost always tell.
Implementing these concepts will further enhance your ability to author and narrate your composition in a variety of ways. It’s your story to tell, so let your imagination and knowledge create!
About The Author
Award-winning jazz composer, arranger, and saxophonist Andy Farber has worked extensively with legendary jazz singer Jon Hendricks and with Juilliard Jazz Director Wynton Marsalis. He has written arrangements for numerous artists and ensembles including Joe Lovano, Lee Konitz, Willie Nelson, Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, B.B. King, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, Fantasia Barrino, Vanessa Williams, the Boston Pops Orchestra and numerous others.Farber has toured with Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra where he has also served as guest conductor. He continues to lead the Andy Farber Orchestra, which recently backed Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga for their PBS special Cheek to Cheek Live. Farber has been on the faculty at Juilliard since 2010 teaching jazz composition and arranging. In 2015 was named music director of the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop.