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Chapter 45
Duke Ellington
Chapter at a Glance
Listen to This First
Harmony: Rhythm Changes
Contrasting Textures
Swing Rhythms
32-Bar Standard Song Form
Connect Your Playlist: Close-Voiced Harmony
Listening Guide
Historical Context: The Swing Revival
Chapter Objectives
After reading this chapter and listening to the work, students should be able to:
45.1 Listen for the call-and-
Key Concepts
big-band instrumentation, swing rhythms, standard song form choruses
Chapter Highlight: Big Band Swing
Dance orchestras of the 1920s evolved into jazz bands that used swing rhythms and
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Chapter Summary
of the swing era that is often described as beginning at the start of the Great Depression and
continuing through World War II. The rhythm is not played exactly as notated but rather
Animated Notation example).
specific harmonic progression those for Georg Girl
Crazy. These changes move around the circle of fifths. The roots of the chords are all five notes
below the previous chord. The other aspects of rhythm changes are a bass line that descends
chromatically, and sequences in melodic parts. The Audio Glossary
demonstrates this progression as played by jazz pianist Ed Paolantonio.
Improvisation is a part of every performance, giving performers unique opportunity for
Listening Guide
the Form, Harmony, Texture, and Rhythm columns. Although the Listening Guide looks long,
each line is only a few seconds long; students may need to be warned that these items go by
rather quickly. Texture may be the first item students grasp, and understanding the form (and
timings) will help with the other columns.
MyMusicLab Resources
Automated Listening Guide
Chapter Audio: Chapter 45
Animated Notation: Swing Rhythms
Read
Watch
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Discussion Topics and Critical Thinking Questions
1. Why is one performance of Cotton Tail
ones?
Activities and Exercises
1. Compare different song forms studied in class. These can include AAB, 12-bar blues, 32-
2. Listen to the rhythm changes and chords in 12-bar blues. Have students compare these two,
focusing on the performers used in the examples. (Suggestions can be found in Expand Your
Playlists in Chapters 44 and 45.)
Journaling Prompt
Duke Ellington is one artist associated with the Harlem Renaissance. What was the
Harlem Renaissance, and can you name other artists who were a part of it?