Jazz Theory and Improvisation Techniques

爵士樂理及即興技巧

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前言 Introduction：

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爵士音樂（Jazz）作為現代音樂的根基，一直影響著由20世紀初至今的音樂，且演化出多種大家熟知的流行音樂風格。除了傳統的Swing Feel爵士樂，你還可以在更近代的Soul，Funk，R&B，Hip Hop等音樂中聽到大量又型又chill的爵士和弦，也可以在Rock、Country等音樂中聽到優雅的爵士味solo。技術層面上，爵士是現代音樂的金字塔尖，無論在音階、和弦還是節奏等音樂要素上，都追求使用最高的結構、最豐富的變化、及最多樣的組合可能，絕對的包容度，讓爵士可以是任何表現形式，且任何地域及民族的音樂元素也都可以是爵士的一部分，融合成全新的音樂聽感，為音樂的創作、編曲、演奏帶來更多可能性。

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爵士不單止是一種音樂風格，更是指玩音樂的思考方式，爵士最大的特徵就在於「即興」，你所聽到爵士音樂家們流暢的演奏或演唱其實大部分都是在特定音樂框架下臨場根據情緒即興「創作」出來的音符和節奏，這也極深影響了當今其他流行音樂的創作及表演思維以及方法，如現場的流行樂隊使用和弦譜取代將所有音符標出的五線譜、Soul Funk R&B音樂中臨場加入華麗的即興轉音、鍵盤手吉他手隨手就來的即興演奏、將即興玩音符改為即興玩文字的Rapper等，這些皆是源於巧妙的即興文化，令現代流行音樂擁有靈動多變的屬性，這就要求表演者或創作者在平時練習和聽音樂時大量積累音樂語彙，形成自己的「音樂語言庫」，才能「出口成章」，做到在表演時用0.001秒創作並演奏下一個音符和節拍，且持續不斷，如同我們日常說話一樣。

 

好多人還會問「點解我做嘅歌彈嘅嘢咁單薄咁兒歌feel？」、「點可以彈嘢彈得成熟啲？」、「點可以超越依家啲流行歌？」…學爵士和聲可能係唯一的答案，這也是每個頂級嘅音樂家都希望追求同掌握的。業內有這樣的說法：學咗Jazz嘢之後，玩其他風格都食生菜。也有人說「我玩Folk嘅唔需要學Jazz」，也許最終沒有全身心玩Jazz，但作為音樂人唔可以唔識Jazz，因它可以令我們的音樂素養去到前所未有的全面完整，而增進自己的音樂質素，支持擴展自己的音樂風格及可能性。

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本課程致力做最全面系統的爵士課程，將帶領學員由淺入深，啟發學員思考、建立音樂語彙及大膽應用，一步步體驗爵士帶來的樂趣。全程有鍵盤直觀示範，亦會不定時請到本港音樂家一同授課及合奏，讓學員在爵士理論、創作、表演等方面皆有真實的收穫。

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*恆常接受咨詢及報名！Constantly accept consultation and registration!

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​Introduction:

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As the foundation of contemporary music, jazz has been influencing music from the early 20th century to the present, and has evolved into a variety of well-known popular music styles. In addition to the traditional Swing Feel jazz, you can also hear a large number of stylish and chill jazz chords in more modern Soul, Funk, R&B, Hip Hop, as well as elegant jazz solo in Rock, Country, and other music. Technically, jazz is "the top of the pyramid" of contemporary music. No matter in musical elements such as scales, chords, or rhythm, it pursues the use of the highest structure, the richest changes, and the most diverse combinations possible. The absolute tolerance makes what we call jazz. It can be in any form of expression, the musical elements of any region and nation can also be a part of jazz, which can be integrated into a new sense of music listening, bringing more possibilities for music composition, arrangement, and performance.

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Jazz is not only a musical style but also a way of thinking about playing music. The biggest feature of jazz is "improvisation". Most of the smooth playings or singings from jazz musicians are on the spot under a specific musical framework. The notes and rhythms that are "created" according to emotional improvisation have also profoundly influenced the thinking and methods of other pop music composing and performing today, such as the use of chord charts in live pop concerts to replace the music staff that marks all the notes, the gorgeous improvisational progression and phrase in Soul Funk R&B, the solo section of the keyboardist and guitarists, and the Rappers who played improvisational lyrics in the beats, etc. These are all derived from the ingenious improvisation culture, which makes modern pop music have flexible and changeable attributes, which require performers or composers to accumulate a large amount of musical vocabulary when practicing and listening to music and form their own "music language library" in order to "export into chapters" so that they can compose and play the next note and beat in 0.001 seconds during the performance, and it goes on and on, like how we speak every day.

 

Many people will also ask, "Why does my music always sound so weak like children's rhyme feel?", "How to play those sounds like a pro?", "How to make my song different from current pop songs even beyond their musicality?"...Learning jazz may be the only answer, and this is what every top musician hopes to pursue and master. There is a saying in the industry: After learning jazz, you can rule other different styles. Some people also say "I don't need to learn jazz when I play folk or rock", maybe we didn't play jazz wholeheartedly in the end, but as a musician, it's necessary to know Jazz, because it can make our music literacy more comprehensive and complete than ever before, this improvement would support and expands own musical styles and possibilities.

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This course is committed to becoming the most comprehensive and systematic jazz course, which will lead students from shallow to deep, inspire students to think, build musical vocabulary, and bold application, and experience the joy of jazz step by step. There are obvious keyboard demonstrations throughout the course, and local/international experienced musicians will be invited to teach an ensemble together from time to time, so that students can have real gains in jazz theory, composition, performance, etc.