Avant-Garde Music Essay Example

Characteristics of the avant-garde music

According to Burger and Jochen avant-garde refers to a form of music that people consider to be experimental and innovative. The term avant-garde simply describes the denial of existing state of affairs and aesthetic agreements in approval of distinctive components. Various elements define this form of music.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

In this context, the feature of interaction in the music instruments set can be well explained in the song titled free. The song starts with a saxophone which plays repeated notes and other simple concepts. The drums play in the background in a coloristic style depicting that several sounds were made by drums and cymbals. At some point, there is the development of guitar plucking which makes all these sounds rhythmical.

The wide use of timbres; sound qualities such as loud, soft, eerie, piercing or melodious that differentiates a song from another, is another characteristic of avant-garde music. The song luyah by Chris Taylor reveals the above-named feature. The song begins with repetitive piano motives followed by drums and a vibraphone (Burger and Jochen). At some part, Taylor plays the discordant beneath the vibraphone solo. After a short period of silence in the soundtrack, Taylor plays the piano unaccompanied by any other instruments bringing out exclusive sounds.

Another outstanding component in avant-garde music is the regression of standard forms when one fails to follow the music chords. The scords mp3 illustrates the named element since the song does not have any set form. With the key shift ups of piano, the song displays the initial stages of song structuring.

Criticisms in John McDonough's article

John states that jazz retrogressed into freedom instead of progressing into it. He further indicated that freedom leads to the viewing of jazz as a sensitive state of nature that did not play a role in the development of music laws. Another reproach evident in McDonough's article is that "the existence of free jazz systems would be insubstantial to sustain critical mass."

Items of acclaim in Charlie Haden and John Litweiler's articles

Ornette wanted an album with specific sound qualities and these specifications required the double quartet to improvise the song. Improvising the song appeared to be a difficult task for the band and this forced Ornette to ask them to listen to the song and allow it to bring out their different roles. Charlie and Ornette's view of creating and playing music in a new way altogether illustrated an aspect of praise.

According to Johns article Thank you Ornette, John shows gratitude to Ornette for allowing jazz to receive its suitable admiration as a fine skill. On the other hand, John appreciated Ornette for steering novel approaches in jazz music.

McDonough's view of jazz not being part of developing music laws sounds vague. It is worth noting that in the current generation certain individuals seem to be appealed to the jazz genre. Jazz is played in concerts, radios, and televisions just like any other music. Through Ornette's revolutionary mindset concerning music, he allowed people to have a new experience of something they had never heard before in the music industry. Ornette's view of playing and creating music differently generated a new music genre that is still enjoyed till date.

Comparison between Cecil Taylor's Jitney and Don Pullen's Jana's Delight

Taylor's piano solo is pleasing as compared to Pullen's because he tries to bring up the vibraphone sound through the piano keys by creating intellectual motives over the walking bass. The piano solo brings out the aspect of the wide use of different sound qualities in a song making it unique. Pullen's song employs the side-slipping approach which allows it to quickly change into the correct style again. The side-sipping style describes the rhythm and phrasing characteristic that makes the song less grounded on the swing and bebop and in turn making it free.

Work cited

Burger, Peter, and Jochen Schulte-Sasse. Theory of the Avant-garde. University of Minnesota Press, 2006.