Head (music)
Encyclopedia
In its broadest sense, the head of a piece of music
is its main theme
, particularly in jazz
, where the term takes on a more specific set of connotations. In other types of music, "head" may refer to the first or most prominent section of a song. The term may, though obtusely, be applied to classical music
, insofar as classical pieces generally bear similar thematic elements, but the preferred term in this instance is generally subject. The term "head" is most often used in jazz or jazz-related contexts, and may refer to the thematic melody
, an instance of it in a performance of the song, or a more abstract compilation of ideas as to what the song is. It may also, though uncommonly, refer to the first section of the melody, or the theme riff
in the melody.
There is a slightly related musical direction, D.C. or da capo (Italian, from head), which means to go back to the very beginning of the sheet music and play to the end, typically ignoring all repeat signs.
as well as more general information such as
The form is an even more general and abstract concept dealing with the theoretical context in which the actual music is being played: the chord progression, its sections and other miscellaneous events such as kicks or time changes are all important information that the musician, or musicians, must keep track of and usually repeat many times (commonly eight to fifteen or more). The "form" does not include the melody to the piece, and as such there is a difference between knowing the head and merely knowing the form. Two important standard forms over which hundreds of heads have been written are the 12-bar blues
and rhythm changes
. There are also heads written based on the forms of other tunes, such as Charlie Parker
's Ornithology
, based on Morgan Lewis
's chord changes in How High the Moon
. So often on the bandstand at a jam session, though it is frowned upon, musicians can get away with knowing the form if they don't know the head.
Many fake book
s, some of which are considered standard literature among jazz musicians, exist containing anywhere from a handful to hundreds of charts like these, occasionally stretching into two pages and on rare occasions going further and requiring page turns. A song can be played in any number of ways from the head on any one of these charts for any length of time; all the music contains is enough information for the musician to understand the head (and extrapolate from it).
There are many, many heads which are considered part of standard jazz repertoire, and professional players are expected to know these tunes by memory and be able to perform them in a variety of ways on the spot. In this regard, the information associated with a head can be very wide-ranging and the information presented on the chart is really only the tip of the iceberg. Invoking the name of Sonnymoon for Two is invoking a history of performances, arrangements, tricks and variations upon what is really only (in this instance) a four-bar phrase
, all of which constitute knowledge about what is ultimately called the head.
recordings characteristically feature a short piano intro, the head, several choruses
of solos and a recapitulation of the head followed by an outro coda
. Although it most commonly is, the head does not need to be played at both the beginning and the end of a performance, and is occasionally played in the middle, for instance between solos.
Jazz musicians often give each other the "head" or "top" cue by patting their hand on top of their head, which is usually meant to make sure everybody "goes back to the head," or starts playing the head again the next time the "top of the form" comes around. On the unfortunate occasion this may be due to confusion about "where" the top of the form actually is if the musicians get off-sync with one another, or a frantic attempt to regain composure and finish the performance, as playing the head to end a piece is default jam session
protocol.
is a very basic, common and versatile and blues heads come in all shapes and sizes. Here are some tunes with various blues forms:
Rhythm changes
are an important form for jazz musicians to know, based loosely on the chord changes to the Gershwin brothers' I've Got Rhythm:
s or impromptu gigs. Therefore it is important for professionals to know as wide a variety of tunes as possible and be able to play them proficiently. Most of the time this means memorizing the melody, chords and anything else important about playing the song with a band. Many musicians stipulate that one does not know a head until one knows the lyrics (assuming it has), and it's generally accepted that one should be exposed to recordings of a tune to properly know it. Sometimes there will be fake books available at jam sessions, and sometimes it is easy to recall a tune while playing it or learn it on the spot, but for the most part it is expected that professional jazz musicians have a very large vocabulary of tunes available by memory. In truth, there are hundreds of tunes jazz players ought to be prepared for, but this is a lofty goal. A common mantra is that if one knows one tune, one should know five, and that if one knows five tunes, one should know twenty five, et cetera.
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
is its main theme
Theme (music)
In music, a theme is the material, usually a recognizable melody, upon which part or all of a composition is based.-Characteristics:A theme may be perceivable as a complete musical expression in itself, separate from the work in which it is found . In contrast to an idea or motif, a theme is...
, particularly in jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, where the term takes on a more specific set of connotations. In other types of music, "head" may refer to the first or most prominent section of a song. The term may, though obtusely, be applied to classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
, insofar as classical pieces generally bear similar thematic elements, but the preferred term in this instance is generally subject. The term "head" is most often used in jazz or jazz-related contexts, and may refer to the thematic melody
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
, an instance of it in a performance of the song, or a more abstract compilation of ideas as to what the song is. It may also, though uncommonly, refer to the first section of the melody, or the theme riff
RIFF
The Resource Interchange File Format is a generic file container format for storing data in tagged chunks. It is primarily used to store multimedia such as sound and video, though it may also be used to store any arbitrary data....
in the melody.
There is a slightly related musical direction, D.C. or da capo (Italian, from head), which means to go back to the very beginning of the sheet music and play to the end, typically ignoring all repeat signs.
What's in a head
The idea a head represents comprises a combination of elements. No one piece of written music defines what the "head" of many jazz tunes really is, but a boiler-plate jazz chart, which is often only a page long in large print, will tell you- a key and time signatureTime signatureThe time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
- a melody
- a set of chord changes (referred to simply as "the changes")
- sometimes, but rarely, lyricsLyricsLyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
as well as more general information such as
- the title and author of the piece
- indications of styleMusic genreA music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other types of music...
, tempoTempoIn musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
, dynamicsDynamics (music)In music, dynamics normally refers to the volume of a sound or note, but can also refer to every aspect of the execution of a given piece, either stylistic or functional . The term is also applied to the written or printed musical notation used to indicate dynamics...
and form.
The form is an even more general and abstract concept dealing with the theoretical context in which the actual music is being played: the chord progression, its sections and other miscellaneous events such as kicks or time changes are all important information that the musician, or musicians, must keep track of and usually repeat many times (commonly eight to fifteen or more). The "form" does not include the melody to the piece, and as such there is a difference between knowing the head and merely knowing the form. Two important standard forms over which hundreds of heads have been written are the 12-bar blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
and rhythm changes
Rhythm changes
In jazz and jazz harmony, "rhythm changes" refers to the chord progression occurring in George Gershwin's song "I Got Rhythm". This pattern, which forms the basis of countless jazz compositions, was popular with swing-era musicians: It is found in "Shoeshine Boy" and "Cotton Tail" written by...
. There are also heads written based on the forms of other tunes, such as Charlie Parker
Charlie Parker
Charles Parker, Jr. , famously called Bird or Yardbird, was an American jazz saxophonist and composer....
's Ornithology
Ornithology (composition)
"Ornithology" is a jazz standard by bebop alto saxophonist Charlie Parker and trumpeter Benny Harris.Its title is a reference to Parker's nickname, "Bird"...
, based on Morgan Lewis
Morgan Lewis
Morgan Lewis may refer to:*Morgan Lewis , Governor of New York State, U.S.A.*Morgan Lewis *Morganics, hip hop artist Morgan Lewis-See also:*Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, law firm*Lewis Morgan...
's chord changes in How High the Moon
How High the Moon
"How High the Moon" is a jazz standard with lyrics by Nancy Hamilton and music by Morgan Lewis. It was first featured in the 1940 Broadway revue Two for the Show, where it was sung by Alfred Drake and Frances Comstock....
. So often on the bandstand at a jam session, though it is frowned upon, musicians can get away with knowing the form if they don't know the head.
Many fake book
Fake book
A fake book is a collection of musical lead sheets intended to help a performer quickly learn new songs. Each song in a fake book contains the melody line, basic chords, and lyrics - the minimal information needed by a musician to make an impromptu arrangement of a song, or "fake it."The fake book...
s, some of which are considered standard literature among jazz musicians, exist containing anywhere from a handful to hundreds of charts like these, occasionally stretching into two pages and on rare occasions going further and requiring page turns. A song can be played in any number of ways from the head on any one of these charts for any length of time; all the music contains is enough information for the musician to understand the head (and extrapolate from it).
There are many, many heads which are considered part of standard jazz repertoire, and professional players are expected to know these tunes by memory and be able to perform them in a variety of ways on the spot. In this regard, the information associated with a head can be very wide-ranging and the information presented on the chart is really only the tip of the iceberg. Invoking the name of Sonnymoon for Two is invoking a history of performances, arrangements, tricks and variations upon what is really only (in this instance) a four-bar phrase
Phrase (music)
In music and music theory, phrase and phrasing are concepts and practices related to grouping consecutive melodic notes, both in their composition and performance...
, all of which constitute knowledge about what is ultimately called the head.
Use
In playing the actual music, the head refers to any time the band or musician plays the theme to the song. Usually this happens once or twice at the beginning and the end of a performance. For example, many Clifford BrownClifford Brown
Clifford Brown , aka "Brownie," was an influential and highly rated American jazz trumpeter. He died aged 25, leaving behind only four years' worth of recordings...
recordings characteristically feature a short piano intro, the head, several choruses
Strophic form
Strophic form is the simplest and most durable of musical forms, elaborating a piece of music by repetition of a single formal section. This may be analyzed as "A A A..."...
of solos and a recapitulation of the head followed by an outro coda
Coda (music)
Coda is a term used in music in a number of different senses, primarily to designate a passage that brings a piece to an end. Technically, it is an expanded cadence...
. Although it most commonly is, the head does not need to be played at both the beginning and the end of a performance, and is occasionally played in the middle, for instance between solos.
Jazz musicians often give each other the "head" or "top" cue by patting their hand on top of their head, which is usually meant to make sure everybody "goes back to the head," or starts playing the head again the next time the "top of the form" comes around. On the unfortunate occasion this may be due to confusion about "where" the top of the form actually is if the musicians get off-sync with one another, or a frantic attempt to regain composure and finish the performance, as playing the head to end a piece is default jam session
Jam session
Jam sessions are often used by musicians to develop new material, find suitable arrangements, or simply as a social gathering and communal practice session. Jam sessions may be based upon existing songs or forms, may be loosely based on an agreed chord progression or chart suggested by one...
protocol.
Examples
The jazz bluesBlues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
is a very basic, common and versatile and blues heads come in all shapes and sizes. Here are some tunes with various blues forms:
- Billie's BounceBillie's Bounce"Billie's Bounce" also known as "Bill's Bounce", is a jazz composition written in 1945 by Charlie Parker in the form of an 12 bar F blues. It was dedicated to Billy Shaw by the Yardbird. The original recording by Charlie Parker and His Re-Boppers was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002.....
(Charlie ParkerCharlie ParkerCharles Parker, Jr. , famously called Bird or Yardbird, was an American jazz saxophonist and composer....
) - Blues for AliceBlues for Alice"Blues for Alice" is a 1956 jazz standard, composed by Charlie Parker. The standard is noted for its rapid bebop blues-style chord voicings and complex harmonic scheme which is a fine example of what is known as "Bird Blues"...
(Parker) - C Jam BluesC Jam Blues"C Jam Blues" is a jazz standard composed in 1942 by Duke Ellington and performed by countless other musicians, such as Dave Grusin and Django Reinhardt. As the title suggests, the piece follows a twelve-bar blues form in the key of C major....
(Duke EllingtonDuke EllingtonEdward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
) - Cousin Mary (John ColtraneJohn ColtraneJohn William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz...
) - Footprints (Wayne ShorterWayne ShorterWayne Shorter is an American jazz saxophonist and composer.He is generally acknowledged to be jazz's greatest living composer, and many of his compositions have become standards...
) - Mambo Influenciado (Chucho ValdèsChucho ValdésChucho Valdés is a Cuban pianist, bandleader, composer and arranger. In 1972 he founded the group Irakere, one of Cuba's best-known Latin jazz bands. Together with pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Valdés is revered as one of Cuba's greatest jazz pianists...
) - Mr. P.C. (Coltrane)
- Sonnymoon for Two (Sonny RollinsSonny RollinsTheodore Walter "Sonny" Rollins is a Grammy-winning American jazz tenor saxophonist. Rollins is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. A number of his compositions, including "St...
) - Tenor MadnessTenor MadnessTenor Madness is a jazz album by Sonny Rollins. It is most notable for its title track, the only known recording featuring both Rollins and John Coltrane.-History:...
(Rollins)
Rhythm changes
Rhythm changes
In jazz and jazz harmony, "rhythm changes" refers to the chord progression occurring in George Gershwin's song "I Got Rhythm". This pattern, which forms the basis of countless jazz compositions, was popular with swing-era musicians: It is found in "Shoeshine Boy" and "Cotton Tail" written by...
are an important form for jazz musicians to know, based loosely on the chord changes to the Gershwin brothers' I've Got Rhythm:
- AnthropologyAnthropologyAnthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
(Parker) - Bouncing With Bud (Bud PowellBud PowellEarl Rudolph "Bud" Powell was an American Jazz pianist. Powell has been described as one of "the two most significant pianists of the style of modern jazz that came to be known as bop", the other being his friend and contemporary Thelonious Monk...
) - Cottontail (Ellington)
- Dexterity (Parker)
- Lester Leaps In (Lester YoungLester YoungLester Willis Young , nicknamed "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and clarinetist. He also played trumpet, violin, and drums....
) - Moose the MoocheMoose the Mooche"Moose the Mooche" is a bebop composition written by Charlie Parker in 1946. It was written shortly after his friend and longtime musical companion Dizzy Gillespie left him in Los Angeles to return to New York City. Charlie Parker had been a long time heroin addict and had been using since he was...
(Parker) - OleoOleoOleo is a term for oils. It is commonly used to refer to a variety of things:* Margarine* Oleic acid* Oleo , A type of shock absorbers on airplane landing gear* Oleo , a bebop composition by Sonny Rollins...
(Rollins) - Red Cross (Parker)
- Rhythm-a-ningRhythm-A-NingRhythm-A-Ning is a jazz composition by pianist Thelonious Monk. First appearing on the 1957 collaboration between Monk and saxophonist Gerry Mulligan entitled Mulligan Meets Monk, the song has since appeared on dozens of Monk's releases, as well as being covered by musicians such as Dexter Gordon,...
(Thelonious MonkThelonious MonkThelonious Sphere Monk was an American jazz pianist and composer considered "one of the giants of American music". Monk had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including "Epistrophy", "'Round Midnight", "Blue Monk", "Straight, No Chaser"...
) - Salt PeanutsSalt Peanuts"Salt Peanuts" is a bebop tune reportedly composed by Dizzy Gillespie in 1942, credited "with the collaboration of" bebop drummer Kenny Clarke...
(Dizzy GillespieDizzy GillespieJohn Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie was an American jazz trumpet player, bandleader, singer, and composer dubbed "the sound of surprise".Together with Charlie Parker, he was a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz...
) - Tiny Capers (Clifford BrownClifford BrownClifford Brown , aka "Brownie," was an influential and highly rated American jazz trumpeter. He died aged 25, leaving behind only four years' worth of recordings...
) - Wee/Allen's Alley (Denzil BestDenzil BestDenzil DaCosta Best was an American jazz percussionist and composer born in New York City. He was a prominent bebop drummer in the 1950s and early '60s....
)
Knowing heads
Jazz musicians are frequently called upon to play a series of songs in short order with no planning, either at jam sessionJam session
Jam sessions are often used by musicians to develop new material, find suitable arrangements, or simply as a social gathering and communal practice session. Jam sessions may be based upon existing songs or forms, may be loosely based on an agreed chord progression or chart suggested by one...
s or impromptu gigs. Therefore it is important for professionals to know as wide a variety of tunes as possible and be able to play them proficiently. Most of the time this means memorizing the melody, chords and anything else important about playing the song with a band. Many musicians stipulate that one does not know a head until one knows the lyrics (assuming it has), and it's generally accepted that one should be exposed to recordings of a tune to properly know it. Sometimes there will be fake books available at jam sessions, and sometimes it is easy to recall a tune while playing it or learn it on the spot, but for the most part it is expected that professional jazz musicians have a very large vocabulary of tunes available by memory. In truth, there are hundreds of tunes jazz players ought to be prepared for, but this is a lofty goal. A common mantra is that if one knows one tune, one should know five, and that if one knows five tunes, one should know twenty five, et cetera.