JazzMusicArchives.com Homepage
Forum Home Forum Home >Jazz Music Lounges >Jazz Music Lounge
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Hard bop or hardly bop?
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Register Register  Login Login

Hard bop or hardly bop?

 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <1 234
Author
Message
liontime View Drop Down
JMA Special Collaborator
JMA Special Collaborator
Avatar

Joined: 22 Jan 2016
Location: Albuquerque
Status: Offline
Points: 124
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote liontime Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Apr 2017 at 5:31pm
My understanding has been that bop and hard bop are somewhat like timestamps but isn't there a big musical difference?
Back to Top
js View Drop Down
Forum Admin Group
Forum Admin Group
Avatar
Site admin

Joined: 22 Dec 2010
Location: Memphis
Status: Offline
Points: 34042
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote js Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Apr 2017 at 5:49pm
I don't know how much music theory you know, but bebop uses 'functional' harmony based around the ii V7 I chord change. Its the same harmonic progressions we hear in classical music (Mozart, Haydn on up to Chopin) as well as sophisticated pop music of the pre-WW II era and a few years after that.
Hard bop is more modal, often based around minor blues chord changes.

In bebop the harmonies move and change faster, while in hard bop they are more apt to stay on chords where the harmony stays the same.
In other words a bop player is having to change the scales he is playing faster than the hard bop player.

Also, early bebop tends to use faster tempos than hard bop, but not always.

Its that functional harmony that makes bop sound 'old fashioned' to modern ears. Todays music, from metal to hip hop and almost everything else is based around the sound of minor blues, Chicago blues actually.
To that I would add that some bebop was based around minor blues changes as well.


Edited by js - 24 Apr 2017 at 7:21pm
Back to Top
liontime View Drop Down
JMA Special Collaborator
JMA Special Collaborator
Avatar

Joined: 22 Jan 2016
Location: Albuquerque
Status: Offline
Points: 124
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote liontime Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Apr 2017 at 8:50pm
That's very interesting, thank you for going through that for me. Didn't realize there was a tonal explanation for why old pop music sounds the way it does. Embarrassed

I took Music Theory I (for majors) in college, but I'm no expert. I try to keep up with chord progressions when they seem important but I'm more than happy to just listen passively haha. That said, I mainly try to rely on instinct when it comes to identifying interesting chords/harmonies/etc.
Back to Top
js View Drop Down
Forum Admin Group
Forum Admin Group
Avatar
Site admin

Joined: 22 Dec 2010
Location: Memphis
Status: Offline
Points: 34042
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote js Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Apr 2017 at 8:53pm
Instinct is the best. I hear things by instinct first, and then try to figure out why later.
It does not take any knowledge of music theory to hear the difference between bop and post or hard bop, they just sound obviously different.
Back to Top
liontime View Drop Down
JMA Special Collaborator
JMA Special Collaborator
Avatar

Joined: 22 Jan 2016
Location: Albuquerque
Status: Offline
Points: 124
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote liontime Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Apr 2017 at 8:56pm
I appreciate your time and knowledge in this forum! The question of Hard Bop or Hardly Bop persists haha.

Here's an album that is in line with the original intent of this thread: Sound of Sonny // Sonny Rollins. That's an interesting album, but I don't know that I would have called it Post Bop myself. The unaccompanied track is off beat, but is it that far out there?
Back to Top
js View Drop Down
Forum Admin Group
Forum Admin Group
Avatar
Site admin

Joined: 22 Dec 2010
Location: Memphis
Status: Offline
Points: 34042
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote js Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Apr 2017 at 7:05am
I changed "Sound of Sonny" to hard bop. Calling it post bop was understandable because there is very little blues on there, but just the general directness of the music seemed closer to hard bop. Its another example of how more than one tag can fit.
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <1 234
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 10.16
Copyright ©2001-2013 Web Wiz Ltd.

This page was generated in 0.236 seconds.