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Jazz-ManSecondary Resource Pack – by Richard Knight

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Overview 10

Learning abOut the Music To many people, not just children, learning about the theory and technicalities of music can seem a rather

arcane practice. It can be easy to think that music is for playing and singing, or for listening to, and that the academic stuff is optional and, frankly, only for geeks.

This, however, is to opt out of a much richer experience that music has to offer. If we understand something of how a particular song or piece is put together, why the composer has chosen certain patterns of notes, and what it is that makes the music have its intrinsic character, then we will be much more aware of the multi-dimensional aspects of the piece we are playing, singing or listening to, and its emotional impact on us will be greater.

It is possible to learn the theory of music as a separate, discrete discipline; most find that dull. Far better is to use the music that we know, the pieces that we are currently learning to play and sing, as the basis for our theoretical study. That way the theory that we are told is reinforced each subsequent time we play, sing or listen to the music.

The Friday Afternoons songs contain many ‘jumping off’ points for a teacher who is alive to this way of delivering the practical and the theoretical in tandem. The ‘Learning about the music’ pages of this resource contains some suggestions for such links covering melodic, rhythmic, harmonic, textural and structural topics. Feel free to invent more of your own!

Topics covered for ‘Jazz-Man’ are: •Dissonance•Tonalscheme•Recapitulation

cOMpOsing prOJects There is a widespread assumption that composition happens in some mystical way in which the primary

force is inspiration. Inspiration does play a part, but there is a huge amount of technique that is only learned through study and mental perspiration.

The aspiring composer can gain much from looking at the works of great composers and asking him, or herself: ‘how does that work?’. Britten’s music lends itself to this approach, because his is so clearly a creative approach to composition, and each of the Friday Afternoons songs provides excellent examples of specific techniques used skilfully and to good effect.

The ‘Composing projects’ pages of this resource has a number of projects that are designed to increase the range of skills that a young composer has in their composer’s kit bag. Most of the suggested projects target some aspect of compositional technique. Exploring these ideas should broaden the reach of a young composer and give their work greater variety and conviction.

For each song, the final composing project is a more ‘inspiration’ based idea, using the song as a jumping off point for a more artistic kind of composition work. Inevitably, different pupils respond better to alternative approaches.

Composing projects covered for ‘Jazz-Man’ are: •Chromaticauxiliarynotes•Vampingchords•Percussionpiece

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Learning abOut the Music Topics to consider for this song: •Dissonance•Tonalscheme•Recapitulation

DissOnance ‘Crash and Clang! Bash and Bang!’ – the start of this song is all about making noise: the brash noise of

the one-man band jazz player. The poet captures this with words that are very much onomatopoeic and Britten clearly wanted to mirror this with the opening music to the song.

It is no surprise, therefore that the introduction in the piano is marked F and all the chords have accents too; but there is another telling factor as well.

The song is in AH major (hence the four flats in the key signature) and the opening piano chords have the tonic AH in the bass. However, these chords are not standard AH major triads. Instead of AH, C and EH, these chords are formed of AH, BH and EH. The combination of AH and BH is a very blatant dissonance that Britten is in no hurry to resolve (it is H.7 before we hear a standard tonic chord). Coupled with the percussive quality of the piano (which is more apparent in a high register – which is also used for the first chord), this makes a very noticeable clash of pitch: a clash which matches the ‘crash’ and ‘bash’ in the lyrics.

Dissonance(literally‘againstsounding’)ismostobviouslyachievedbytwoadjacentnotes.Theoppositekind of sound – which we call consonance (‘with sounding’) – is best represented by a major 3rd.

Your pupils might like to choose a dissonant sound (probably to be played F with lots of attack) and a consonant sound (probably to be played mp and in a sustained manner) and then you can invite them to ‘musicify’ the following mini-story by interjecting the appropriate sound at the end of each line when another pupil reads it out aloud:

‘Boo!’ said the girl; ‘Aagh!Aagh! Aagh!’ said her brother... ... ‘I was sleeping’ ‘I’m bored,’ said the girl. ‘Just chill out,’ said the boy. His sister slumped in a chair; Quiet descended on the room. The boy waited for his sister’s eyes to close... ‘Spider!’ he yelled.

Your pupils might like to take this example as a starting point and then write their own short story using consonant and dissonant sounds to musically embellish their tale.

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And up in the road the Jazz Man- sprang! The One Man- Jazz- Band- play ing- in the street,

Drums with his el bows,- Cym bals- with his Feet, Pipes with his Mouth, Ac -

cor dion- with his Hand, Play ing- all his In stru- ments- to Beat the Band!

A major

B major C major

D major

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tOnaL scheMe The home key for this song is Ab major. Although the introduction is dissonant, the two bars of a trilled EH

(H.5–6) work as a dominant that resolves emphatically onto the tonic chord in H.7 as the voice enters for the second time.

The first half of the song does not stay put in AH major for long. In b.11, Britten moves up a tone to BH major. This is not too surprising, because BH major could be seen as the dominant of the dominant, i.e. a secondary 7th. However, the two-bar phrase in BH major is then repeated (sequentially) in C major in b.13, andthen–inalteredfashion–inDmajorinb.15:

This is a very unusual and rapidly-changing tonal scheme. The most common way composers rapidly change key is to follow the order in the circle of 5ths, moving step by step in an anti-clockwise direction so that each new key is progressively one degree more flat than the previous key:

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And up in the road the Jazz Man- sprang!

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Britten’s sequence of key changes goes in the opposite direction and in a leap-frogging fashion, so that each new key is two degrees more sharp than the previous key.

As well as making the music rapidly become sharper in key, these leaps around the Circle of Fifths also make the music go up by a tone every two bars. The result is a very fast build up of excitement: all because the Jazz-Man is in town!

By the time we reach the short interlude between the two verses, the song – which began in AH major –hasreachedDmajor.ThisisemphasisedbythemarchingD–Apatterninthebassregister.Thisisadifference of exactly half an octave: a very unusual key relationship.

Britten finds an even quicker way to get back to the home key: a glissando in b.18 on white notes that ends in a return to the opening tonality – a wash of sound that assertively wrenches the music back to AH major.

Mindful that he would like the song to end in the same key as it started in, Britten avoids any changes of key in the second half. It is probably not possible to be that excited twice in such a short space of time!

recapituLatiOn Recapitulationisalongwordthatweusuallyassociatewithlarge-scaleinstrumentalmovements.Itis

not inappropriate though to use the term to describe a moment towards the end of any piece where the opening tune reappears, however short the piece might be. By such use the word becomes less daunting when students first grapple with the challenges of understanding sonata form.

In this short song there is a curious sense that the main tune is the one heard in conjunction with the second line of the poem (‘And up in the road the Jazz-Man sprang!’). This is because the music up to this point sounds like an introduction: dissonant chords, the first line of the poem sung to the dominant note, and the emphatic arrival of the tonic key at b.7.

By the same token, there is a sense of a moment of recapitulation in the second verse of the song. The first verse took the music far away from its home key, and we are awaiting its return. The moment we feel this happen is on the downbeat of b.25. The singers might be aware of that sense of the tonic returning, but they do not have the same ‘main tune’ at this point; however, it is present: in the right hand of the piano part.

Pointingthisouttoyoursingerswillincreasetheirawarenessofthewholetextureofthemusicatthispoint. You may even like to reinforce the reappearance of this main theme by getting an instrumentalist to play the two-bar phrase at this point; it would go well on the trumpet (suitably transposed for a BH instrument, or, given the lyric is ‘what a clatter!’, maybe on a xylophone...)

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And up in the road the Jazz Man- sprang!

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cOMpOsing prOJects There are three projects for this song: •Chromaticauxiliarynotes•Vampingchords•Percussionpiece

chrOMatic auxiLiary nOtes We have seen how Britten, after a dissonant introduction, finally affirms the key (AH major) at b.7. Given

how tonally assertive this moment is, it may seem perplexing that, almost immediately, he seems to contradictthekeybyusingaDnaturalinthevocalmelodyinthesamebar:

In fact, this moment does not undermine the key at all. This is due both to the solidity with which AH major is established on the downbeat of b.7 (the result of two bars of trilling on the dominant) and also thecontextoftheDnaturalquaverinthevocalline.Approachedfromanotethatfitsthechordandliesjust a semitone higher, and almost immediately returning to the EH, this is merely a brief moment of melodicdecoration,andtheDnaturalmakesnoharmonic(stilllesstonal)impact.Itschromaticflavour,however, is heard and it makes for a dash of sophistication in the music.

Moving by step away from a harmony note and then back to it makes the intervening note (which does not fit the underlying chord) an auxiliary note. If the auxiliary note is also inflected by an accidental, as is the case here, it is known as a chromatic auxiliary note.

Auxiliary notes can be above or below the harmony note either side. In the latter case we have a lower chromatic auxiliary note.

Ask your pupils to write a tune to complete the following piano piece. The melody should make frequent useofauxiliarynotes.Pointstobearinmindare:

•Auxiliarynotescandecoratetheroot,3rdor5thofanychord

•Theauxiliarynotecanbehigherorlowerthanthenoteitdecorates

•Lookforopportunitiestouseaccidentalsthatnarrowthegapbetweentheauxiliarynoteanditsmainharmony note to a semitone

•Thereshouldbesomevarietyofnotevalueinthemelody

•Beawareofphrasestructure

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Start melody here:

x' y x' x' y x

x' y' x' x' y' y7

x' y x' yy'11

X = lower auxiliary; x' = chromatic lower auxiliary; y = upper auxiliary; y' = chromatic upper auxiliary

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The given left hand part:

Here is one possible solution:

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VaMping chOrDs It can be challenging for a young composer, especially if they are not a proficient pianist, to know how to

organise chords on the piano. There are, of course, many successful textures that can be created through careful control of how the notes of the chord are apportioned.

Therearesomebarsearlyin‘Jazz-Man’(b.7–10)thatuseasimple‘vamping’patterninthepiano.Pupilsmay like to mimic this and adapt it to their own use. Best suited to a fast tempo, it creates an ‘oom-pah’ character which gives music a sense of energy and sparkle. This can be particularly useful to complement a legato melody which is moving mostly in long note values as the accompaniment can then animate the texture and prevent the overall effect from becoming too static.

Suggest to your pupils that they might like to continue the following opening to a piece of music that is built on an ‘oom-pah’ vamping piano part:

percussiOn piece

There are some splendid onomatopoeic words in the lyrics of ‘Jazz-Man’:

•Crashandclang

•BashandBang

•Tootandtingle

•Hootandjingle

If you have a diverse range of classroom percussion instruments, you might challenge your pupils to find the unpitched sounds that most closely relate to these words. Encourage them to listen very carefully to each sound, assessing qualities such as:

•Material:wood,metalorskin

•Resonance:dryorsustained

•Frequency:repetitiveorsinglenoise

Once pupils have developed a good ear for, and understanding of, the different timbres, challenge them to compose an unpitched sound collage that gains a sense of structure from its contrast of timbre. For instance, a piece called ‘Crash, bang, jingle’ might have sections for cymbals, followed by drums, and ending with triangle and tambourines.

More advanced work might explore ways of developing a sense of dialogue between contrasting timbres. Control of rhythm is also important in this project.

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IMPORTANT NOTICE: The unauthorised copying of the whole or any part of this publication is illegal

ISMN 979-0-060-12516-4© Copyright 1936 by Boosey & Co LtdPurchased and downloaded from a Boosey & Hawkes digital partner© Copyright 1936 by Boosey & Co Ltd

Quick, with fire

10 – Jazz-ManMusic by

BENJAMIN BRITTEN

Words by

ELEANOR FARJEON

IMPORTANT NOTICE: The unauthorised copying of the whole or any part of this publication is illegal

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Crash

f

and Clang! Bash and Bang!

And

fup in the road the Jazz Man- sprang! The One Man- Jazz- Band-

play ing- in the street, Drums

mf

with his El bows,- Cym bals- with his Feet,

Pipes

più f

with his Mouth, Ac cord- ion- with his Hand, Play

f

ing- all his In stru- ments- to

Beat the Band!

Toot

ff

and Tin gle!-

Hoot and Jin gle!-

Oh,

mf

What a Clat ter!- How

f

the tunes

all min gle!-

più f

Twen ty- child ren- could n’t- make as much Noise as

f

The

Howl

ff

ing- Pan de- mo- nium- of the One Man- Jazz!-

IMPORTANT NOTICE: The unauthorised copying of the whole or any part of this publication is illegal

ISMN 979-0-060-12516-4© Copyright 1936 by Boosey & Co LtdPurchased and downloaded from a Boosey & Hawkes digital partner© Copyright 1936 by Boosey & Co Ltd

Quick, with fire

10 – Jazz-ManMusic by

BENJAMIN BRITTEN

Words by

ELEANOR FARJEON

IMPORTANT NOTICE: The unauthorised copying of the whole or any part of this publication is illegal

6

10

13

16

22

28

31

Crash

f

and Clang! Bash and Bang!

And

fup in the road the Jazz Man- sprang! The One Man- Jazz- Band-

play ing- in the street, Drums

mf

with his El bows,- Cym bals- with his Feet,

Pipes

più f

with his Mouth, Ac cord- ion- with his Hand, Play

f

ing- all his In stru- ments- to

Beat the Band!

Toot

ff

and Tin gle!-

Hoot and Jin gle!-

Oh,

mf

What a Clat ter!- How

f

the tunes

all min gle!-

più f

Twen ty- child ren- could n’t- make as much Noise as

f

The

Howl

ff

ing- Pan de- mo- nium- of the One Man- Jazz!-

IMPORTANT NOTICE: The unauthorised copying of the whole or any part of this publication is illegal

ISMN 979-0-060-12516-4© Copyright 1936 by Boosey & Co LtdPurchased and downloaded from a Boosey & Hawkes digital partner© Copyright 1936 by Boosey & Co Ltd

Quick, with fire

10 – Jazz-ManMusic by

BENJAMIN BRITTEN

Words by

ELEANOR FARJEON

IMPORTANT NOTICE: The unauthorised copying of the whole or any part of this publication is illegal

6

10

13

16

22

28

31

Crash

f

and Clang! Bash and Bang!

And

fup in the road the Jazz Man- sprang! The One Man- Jazz- Band-

play ing- in the street, Drums

mf

with his El bows,- Cym bals- with his Feet,

Pipes

più f

with his Mouth, Ac cord- ion- with his Hand, Play

f

ing- all his In stru- ments- to

Beat the Band!

Toot

ff

and Tin gle!-

Hoot and Jin gle!-

Oh,

mf

What a Clat ter!- How

f

the tunes

all min gle!-

più f

Twen ty- child ren- could n’t- make as much Noise as

f

The

Howl

ff

ing- Pan de- mo- nium- of the One Man- Jazz!-

score 10

Jazz-Man