A2 AQA Music - Jazz 1910-1950

Hi all -
I am here to ask for some help with this section of the A2 music course. Does anyone have any notes or resources available for any pieces which they have studied?
I am in the unfortunate position where I am the only person in the class, and I have had 4 different music teachers for this side of the course this year, which has meant that it has been quite irregular.
Any help would be much appreciated!

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Reply 1

Fingersmith

Original post by piette

Do you have specific pieces to study? I might be able to point you to some resources. I have notes for the Edexcel Popular Music and Jazz module but might not be any use to you.

Reply 2

Ravondo666

I also need help with this :/ crapping myself for the exam!

Reply 3

Fingersmith

I don't know what's on your syllabus! Tell me and I might be able to help.

Reply 4

chocolate123098

Im ****ting myself about the essay part in the exam. I know nothing about jazz or Vaughan williams. I'm having to write out all these notes for jazz now, and its 6 weeks till the exam! Argh, like you, I'm the only one doing music as well.

Reply 5

Miller693

I would start by listening to a few different artists, here's a list that our class is doing:
1910s:
Scott Joplin -- Maple Leaf Rag/Entertainer
WC Handy -- (Can't remember specific piece; some kind of bluesy thing though. Just google one.)
Bessie Smith -- Same as above.
1920s:
Louis Armstrong and Hot Five -- West End Blues
1930s:
Benny Goodman -- Sing Sing Sing / Stompin' at the Savoy
1930s/1940s:
Charlie Parker-- Yardbird Suite
Duke Ellington--Take The A Train ( Think that may have been 30s)
Glenn Miller-- In The Mood/American Patrol

Ok, so you might want to check some of those dates, make sure you get it in the range. Then I would try and find out about each of the different time periods and styles of jazz which correspond to that (so like Bebop, Swing, Big Band, Country/City Blues etc.). Then it would be a good idea to find out some stylistic features of each and find solid examples of these in some of your listened to songs above. Then I think you're pretty much sorted :smile:

Let me know if you want something else.

Reply 6

Fingersmith

Original post by Miller693

Let me know if you want something else.

W C Handy - St. Louis Blues (sung by Bessie Smith with Louis Armstrong) Memphis Blues, Beale St. Blues

Bessie Smith - Nobody Knows you When Your Down And Out, Down Hearted Blues

'Take The A Train' was Ellington's signature tune so he recorded many versions of it right through to the 70s

Good list tho'

Reply 7

BethTippins98

As a continuation of this thread, my entire A level class is in emergency. We're in dire need of as many resources as we can get out hands on. My tutor has came out and said he has done nothing in preparation for teaching us this module and he knows nothing about Jazz music at all. All we have to go by is our AQA specification, we're struggling to work out what we need to look for, we know the composers and the genres but we've been given nothing about what works to learn about and analyse. We need all the help we can get and I am speaking on behalf of the 5 people in my A level class. We are screwed because one tutor couldn't be bothered to teach us. He's cancelled four 2 hour lessons in the space of a month. Please anything anyone can say or do or send to help would be massively appreciated. We have no idea what we're doing.

Reply 8

spagboll

Nice to know i'm not the only one screwed for this exam. Because of only having a few a lessons a week on A level music (thanks Gove + Nicky Moron) but my teacher used our lessons for composition because he said its only like 30% of the written exam. But still i'm freaking out about it + it's in 2 weeks time. My teacher has told me to revise:

- Overview of history
- History of New Orleans/ formation of Jazz
- 3 precursors of Jazz - marching bands, ragtime, blues
- New Orleans/Dixieland
- Chimes Blues
- Chicago (1920s)
- Louis Armstrong
- West End Blues
- Hotter than That
- Swing
- Duke Ellington
- Take the A Train

In past paper questions
New Orleans Jazz - has been referred as Dixieland / Traditional Jazz / Early Jazz / Early small combo (small group)
Can use Louis Armstrong for New Orleans + Swing era = if i remember correctly

But a definite must learn is = Chimes Blues, West End Blues, Hotter than That, Take the A Train = for examples to back up

spagboll x

Reply 9

ellaweedon10

Hi, are you doing edexcel music or AQA?

I'm doing AQA and the questions seem very different to the ones i've been using.

Thanks

Reply 10

spagboll

I'm doing AQA, what do you mean by they are different?
If you are referring to what i said about New Orleans style is because last year it came up but as "trad jazz" + apparently one year it came up as early small combo.
From looking at questions it has always been either:
1) influential/significant person or style towards development of Jazz
2) a specific time period of jazz e.g New Orleans, Swing
3) compare 2 pieces of music

Reply 11

ellaweedon10

Original post by spagboll

Ah yes, I see what you mean! Its possible that something can come up about improvisation over the years or how has it changed over the years.

How much have you covered and are you focusing on specific eras or people as there are options for when questions like that come up?

I'm having to aim really really high this year in order to get the grade I want for uni so I'm really nervous and scared!

Which other set work are you doing?

Reply 12

spagboll

Same, i'm really nervous + hoping to study music at Uni.
Set work is Elgar
improvisation could come up but i don't think they will do a specific question on a musical features more on either a person or a period style. I have rarely covered anything tbh I've only studied it for under a month with my teacher before i left for study leave, because composition was more of priority and there was technical difficulties through recording but it was all sorted + sent off in time.
I'm focusing on all the early jazz, not going to do revise be-bop, Charlie Parker, Dizzie Gillespie + Shaw Naff.
My main revision which is a must do are:
- the precursors - blues, ragtime, marching bands
- New Orleans/Dixieland Jazz
- Louis Armstrong

Then the analysis songs
- Chimes Blues
- Dixieland One Step
- West End Blues
- Hotter Than That

and then if i have time to revise Swing music, Duke Ellington, analysis Take the A Train

Reply 13

ellaweedon10

Original post by spagboll

Same here, I'm doing music at uni and doing Elgar!

Ah right- I was going to focus on blues, big band and swing, then Duke Ellington, Count Basie (maybe), and Glenn Miller, so I'm guessing similar to you?

For pieces, I'm doing:
Blues
-Jelly Roll Blues
-West End Blues (comparison)

Big Bands/ 20s+30s
-Mood Indigo
-Creole Love Call
-Black and Tan Fantasy
(both the last two you can relate to the Jazz and Classical music influence question as both have features of classical influence)

Swing (mostly Benny Goodman stuff but arranged by other people)
-Dark Town Strutters Ball (so much to remember to will only pick out a few key points)
-The Glory of Love (same again)

Then, to be fair, in terms of Benny Goodman and Duke Ellington- if a composer question came up- you could use the same as Big Band and Swing.

Are you using the ZigZag resource pack? And same, me and my teacher only did a few lessons on it because of the composition and thoroughly doing Elgar- got any predictions for Elgar?

How you feeing for the listening?

Reply 14

spagboll

Listening, although i've done loads of practice on it, it's my worst part of the exam. I hate doing it. I hope there isn't a variation question but there probs be one.

Elgar is the best on my knowledge for the exam paper. I'm not using the zig zag for jazz, as i wasn't given it + it's really expensive resource. But i have the zig zag for Elgar.

My teacher gave, i don't know where the resource is from though, but it's probably likely he asked for it to be down by printworks, which is our stationary shop at school, which probably did not binding of the it. From this resource it created his own sort of booklet which was very similar. I had a heart attack when you said big bands, because as like i have no clue what you are on about then i flipped through the booklet and there was a section on it and then i relaxed. Haha.

Elgar predictions - there has always been melody + harmony, there hasn't been a question specifically on 3rd symphony or 4th. I'm hoping rhythmic augmentation and use all 4 movements but probably won't be. I'm quite happy for any question for this area tbh.

Reply 15

ellaweedon10

Original post by spagboll

Yeah, the listening can be awful! I'm a string player so sometimes pieces come up that I've heard of before but I've never analysed them so it makes me feel so stupid haha! I hate the score questions- having to pick out the notes and writing them on the score. The variation questions I don't feel are too bad, it's just knowing what to write- if it asked about the harmony, you can just talk about how it's modulated and what not, quite east marks when you talk about it throughout the whole music course.

I have a feeling either a comparison question of the 2nd and 3rd movement, or melody/harmony question on the 3rd or 4th. A question on how it relates to earlier classical movement would be quite hard I feel, but if i'm right, something like that has already come up? I think Elgar is easier in a sense that you can talk about thematic material and how changes throughout and giving examples. Comparison questions are quite cool because you can fit the links in that you can hear throughout. But yeah, I'm hoping it's not too bad (fingers crossed)- having to aim so high to get the grade I want so hoping the listening isn't tooooooo difficult but AQA love to f*** us over sometimes haha!

If you need, I can send pictures of the zig zag pages you need for the Jazz? I'd say it's worth having 2/3 pieces to compare and talk about throughout each era and Zig Zag provides great analysis for that. Let me know and I can message you or something.

Reply 16

spagboll

That would be really great if you could send some zig zag stuff and yes I know how aqa love to do that. I don't mind a score listening, I just know that when I'm answering for variation I'm not getting the marks that they want which is really annoying.

If you need any help on anything give me a shout x

Reply 17

ellaweedon10

Original post by spagboll

No worries! Where would you like me to message you?

Reply 18

spagboll

could u email it to me = [email protected]

Reply 19

sophar11

Original post by ellaweedon10

No worries! Where would you like me to message you?

Sorry to be so cheeky... is it possible that you could email across some of the Zigzag notes to me?😁 Just Stompin at the Savoy, West End Blues and Jelly Roll Blues... No worries if not - thanks anyway!