Traditional New Orleans jazz
is a cooperative music. In its classic form, a jazz band is
divided into two sections, the Front Line
and the Rhythm Section, something like the
foreground and background of a picture. The Front
Line would be composed of melodic instruments such as trumpet
or cornet, clarinet, saxophone, trombone, and so on.
The Rhythm Section provides both the harmony and the
infectious beat of jazz, with instruments such as string bass
or bass horn, drums, guitar or banjo. A piano was
not uncommon, especially since a skilled pianist can fill the
role of two or more rhythm instruments.
Within the Front line, each of
the individual instruments would have its own role to play.
Typically, the trumpet or cornet would feature the main
melody of the song being played, presenting it in
straightforward form. The clarinet, pitched higher than the
trumpet, would add delicate and elaborate filigrees of
ornamentation. At the lower end, the trombone supports the
main melody from below, and adds its own commentary.
In a good New Orleans jazz
band, all of this will be happening at once, which can be
confusing to those new to the music. Also, a particular
instrument may take on differing roles, depending on the type
of piece being played.
To familiarize yourself with
the instruments of a jazz band, their sounds, and the roles
they can play, you can select an example of each chosen from
the Jazz Collection of the Louisiana State Museum, by
clicking on the following links.
