Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum why do I hate jazz?

Yes. I hasten to add though, the picture of Charlie Brown showed him turning green which is a sure sign of being unwell.

I know this for absolute certainty because this happened to my sister on the "Pepsi-Max" Rollercoaster at Blackpool (UK).
My sister had eaten her usual dinnertime sustanence of Two halibuts and an average sized bag of chips. She was still holding her half eaten candy floss whilst on the rollercoaster.

I say "still holding" but technically it was stuck all over her face and hair owing in part to the forward motion of the rollercoaster, and to be fair also in part to her somewhat unorthodox eating habits.
In a nutshell, she went that exact same shade of green that Charlie seems to be, Immediately prior to showering the folk on the ground with her partially digested halibut.

I believe Charlie to not be on a rollercoaster in the video, neither do I understand him to be eating candy floss or Halibut.
I can only conlude that the reason for his turning an unearthly shade of deathly green be solely down to that particular piece of music.
It may be all those repeated high notes (possibly suggestive of a rollercoaster?) played on a piano that sounds much too "bright"
My Digital Piano once sounded too "bright" I was extremly worried about it because it cost £500 including the stand.

( It should have cost £580 and the stand should have cost £35. but the man in the music shop enjoyed talking to me about Mott The Hoople for ages and did me a good deal)

Anyways, getting back to the brightness issue on my piano, I was very worried, and then I saw a sliding control that said "brightness + or -"
well, can you imagine how happy that made me?
I toyed with the Idea of turning the brightness right up for devilment, but lacked the improvisational skills neccesary in this form of tomfoolery.

Needless to say, I turned it down, and have kept it that way since. I really like that control,it doesn't mess me about, (like my shoelaces do sometimes and cligfilm does allways)
and stays in the exact position I left it in, I feel this most satisfying for modern technology.

I like the sustain pedal on my piano as well, I dont use it all the time because there are laws about when to use it and when not too.
As an aside to mentioning that in the charlie brown piece the player may not have had access to a sustain pedal, did you know that folk sometimes think if you play motzart you should not use the sustain pedal?
Thats because in the past folk could not see the sustain pedal on motzarts pianos, they only looked in the obvious place.
Motzart was very clever though, he had a sneaky pedal operated by his knee!
That way, if one tried to copy what he was playing everyone would say " how awfull, nothing like motzart,all the notes are so stunted"

Back to the present, I know everyone will be happy and relieved to know by sister is feeling better.

I enclose a picture of charlie brown not listening to jazz.
I trust you agree he looks much better too, I fully understand he looks a bit cold, but it was winter and snowing.
There is no need to worry, he has what looks like an adequate coat on, and it's "character building" to play out in the snow. My Gran told me, my Gran makes lovely biscuits and I value her advise as much as she values her recipe , which she sticks to without improvising upon it ever.

Well, what a return to the forum after a little break. What an entertaining thread. I can't believe I got through all 5 pages.

Oh, Hi Rostosky!

Now, here's a thought Sir, something that might be moderately entertaining for the rest of us now.

1) Setup a Web Cam. Find some place to stream it over the intardweb so we can all have a look
2) Find/buy a copy of Miles Davis' "Bitches Brew". Don't open it, don't play it....yet
3) Turn on Web Cam, start streaming so we can all watch
4) Listen to newly acquired Bitches Brew album.
5) Wait and watch with Much hilarity as Rostosky's head explodes. Should take about 2 to 3 minutes I think.

*Notes - If you can, get a few web cam's at different angles and see if someone can do some action replays for us!

OK, this is in jest as well. As you could have probably guessed, I like Jazz. I agree, there is quite a bit of Jazz not to like, but there is a lot to love. (BTW, I love Bitches Brew. It has an hypnotic rhythm that I just can't put my finger on!)

Do keep up the good work!

Hya Hoffy, thanks.
To show my immediate gratitude, I have capitalised your user name, I know technically this is improvisation, but I will edit it back down to a lower case h if you prefer.

I took your suggestion on board and enquired of "the keeper of the financial accounts on sensible husband spending"

If an allowance could be made for a series or multitude of webcams.
Unfortunately, on this occasion the answer was rather negative. It would appear that paying this months water bill, and the imminent need for hoover bags has taken priority.Also the kitchen flourescent tube has gone, and it's not just the "starter" either and using a chip pan has become seriously hazardous, you only get to see the boiling oil for a milli-second once every 7 seconds, I feel confident that you will understnd this has become one of those things that "we better sort out soonish"
Also, I was reminded by the keeper of said accounts that there are no immediate available funds for "girl-toys" either, which I understood to mean shoes.

I did try, but didn't push as hard as usual because of the trouble you caused me with Angelica Housten.
I know it wasn't intentional, and may have been partly my fault.

What happened was this;
I navigated away from this forum with the unfortunate quote "Bitches brew" in my head.
By the time I got to youtube I inadvertantly improvised this to "witches brew" and then to "witches" and "Brew" and then obviously I had a brew and a cigerette.

Whilst I was thinking of "brew" I noticed a strange taste in my brew, with hindsight I should have washed the cup that I had used for washing my hair the night before, suffice to say that was the cause.

So back to youtube to follow up your excellent suggestion,and naturally I searched "strange brew" and found the wonderfull song you must have originally meant by Cream.
I am not the worlds biggest fan of eric clapton ( and didn't even bother to capitalise his name)
but I do like this song, and am immpressed that ginger baker has always looked the same for centuries.

Obviously I was listening to this whilst I went and looked up the "witches" part, I soon found "The Witches" film by roald dahl that you was refering to, and I must admit I totally agree that Angelica Housten does look fantastic in that movie.

Herin lies part of the problem, I think I may have got a little overexcited and too engrossed, because I asked the keeper of the houshold accounts on sensible husband spending, if she would dress up like Angelica Housten for fun Before asking about spare funds for webcams.

With hindsight I can now see the mistake in this.
I have actually made this mistake on a few previous occasions,
once I asked the keeper of the houshold accounts on sensible husband spending "will you dress up like Milla Jovovich for fun"
She immediately answered "only If I can chop off your head like Milla does to zombies in the films"

As you may imagine , this was not the anticipated outcome that I had in mind, so I was forced into saying "okay then shall we have some tea and biscuits instead?"

I did take some satisfaction in consuming one of the biscuits all to myself in the kitchen and then claiming there was only four left to share.
Just to recap on "strange brew" by Cream, I fully understand that some folk may believe this was an attempt to emulate the Beatles, but this was England in the 1960's and some folk were confused.
As an aside eric clpton went on to make one more good song it was called "layla" a lot of folk liked this song.
Unfortunately, later on in life eric decided to make another version of "layla" which was awfull, so unless one is familier with the first version, it's probably best to assume that eric didn't actually go on to make "one more good song" at all.

Simple answer: you haven't listened to enough Oscar Peterson

Also, you like it more when you study and learn the structure of the music.

So, here's something that will give you a little of both:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ec-FrnaU0rs&feature=youtube_gdata_player


Jazz is a tough style to dismiss entirely. Like any style, there' bad and good. Trust me though: there's some really good jazz once you find the genre(s) that appeal to you.

S'more Oscar:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swLnc_KSm4Y&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Watch with care though or your head might explode.

Guys, I really don't want to be pedantic, or be seen to be "Nit-picking" but I have every reason to fear my head exploding again, especially after the last infamous time it happened.
That fact that folk keep telling me to watch or listen with "care" does not allay my fears.
I like my head, yes it is not perfect, yes it has "blemishes" and goes to a slightly "pointy" crest on top, but it is my
head and I like it. (mostly) The doctors warned me most severly against suffereing future explosions even minor ones.

At the moment I am slightly more worried about judgement day and the implications this may have for me personally owing to some dubious lifestyle choices.

I am at present trying to decide if the "rapture" will happen all at once all over the world, or if it will go on a "time zone" basis, or indeed if it will happen like some sort of "Holy mexican wave" sweeping accross the world in a visually stunning but macabre display of the dead rising.

I am toying with the idea of rubbing muddy earth all over my face and body so as to appear allready dead and judged.

My doctor once warned me of the possible negative affects of constantly running these fears through my mind.

Interesting thread. I'm just as puzzled why I like improvisational music with no discernible melody. Maybe it has to do with positive associations: my father taking me to hear Willie Bobo and Mongo Santamaria at Echo Park when I was a child, listening to Sarah Vaughn scat with the LA Philharmonic when I young and in love, a soundtrack to some of my most wonderful experiences.

Then again, I also have wonderful memories of "Uncle" Milton Babbitt. I worked at the library where he put music on reserve for his students. He was a sweet, kind man, but I found much of his music unlistenable, all the while full aware of his genius.

Is it tonality? I worked at Schoenberg Hall, and I liked his music too. I like twelve tone, whole tone, atonal, no-tonal music. Like Charles Ives, I delight in dissonance.

Is it the seeming arbitrary quality of the music? I like the chance compositions of John Cage -- It was always a treat cataloging his scores. And reportedly, Keith Jarrett doesn't know what he's going to play until it leaves his fingers.

Is it the lyric nature of melody? I like Beethoven and Sondheim when they are the least hummable, although most folks like an identifiable tune. I remember hearing Henri Lazarof complain about Zubin Mehta not putting contemporary composers (like him) on the program. I think I know why.

In short, different strokes for different folks. This may have more to do with my own personal psychology, the nature of preference, than any logical rule.

So maybe I'll give Philomel another listen.

Don't use "whilst," it's pretentious.

Overall your little narrative/commentary appeared a little ostentatious and pedantic.

However aside from that it was definitely creative and enjoyable.

No, what is pretentious is either (a.) Jazz. OR (b.) correcting folks grammar / spelling/ choice of words to suit how one thinks the narrative should have been written, assuming of course that one could have written it oneself in the first place . ( but didnt probably due to a jazz related retardation malady)

This is a music forum, not an English language examination.

Wow, I expected to see an exotic way-out-there Ornette Coleman video, not this MJQ piece with gorgeous harmony and melodic quality as your example of crap. I really think that musical taste comes down to a sense of rhythm. If you can't feel the rhythm in your musical soul, all other efforts of discovering melody and musical meaning will fail. If the groove that MJQ sets out in that piece does not set a flicker in your heart you have 0.0% chance of ever appreciating that music. The same is true for Rap or Polka or Nocturnes. For instance, all of us who love Rock can hum for you the note-for- note the improvised guitar solo to Reeling-in-the-Years by Steely Dan. All of us who love Jazz can hum for you note-for-note the improvised solos from All Blues by Miles Davis. Nobody who is drawn to the rhythm is deterred by collaborative instrumentation. The vast majority of humans can now no longer stomach the gorgeous melodies of classical music, why?: the rhythm.
I would bet a small fortune that those that can only abide classical melodies would find a completely improvised string quartet quite delightful. I would say, if you want to understand why you hate jazz (you are not alone!) understand your sense of rhythm. Jazz AND Classical are two of the most ubiquitously despised forms of music on the planet, and the reason is the same: The rhythm is not not talking to people today...

Can't believe I just read this whole thread. Not sure why it was revived, but I find it oddly fascinating. Personally, I have loved jazz since since I could count my age on my fingers especially the improvisation. It was never an acquired taste, simply love at first listen. (I can't play it yet, but that is a new project in my life.) I believe Rotosky genuinely doesn't like the music (not just certain genres) since it is the improvisation that he despises. His post of MJQ has convinced me. What I can't understand is why the music doesn't thrill some people the way it does me, but I certainly don't thing people should force themselves to acquire a taste or appreciation for an art form that doesn't speak to them. I must confess there is almost nothing on my wife's iPod that I would go out of my way to listen to, and most of it I frankly cant stand. Mostly 80s pop but also some newer stuff. She genuinely loves it though and has a hard time understanding when I don't love some new tune she discovered on the radio. To me, there are no surprises in any of that music. Simple harmonies, repetitive rhythm, same thing over and over again. To me, a good improvised solo is like a good dish at a Michelin rated restaurant which combines favors in a new and delightful way. I also love the complex harmonies used in jazz by some of the best musicians. My ears just need to be surprised. By the way, I also get bored by a lot of the classical music played by our commercial classical station, but put on a good Chopin Nocturne or Étude and the thrill is back.

This thread seems to come and go, and is certainly on the go this week.

I had a look at my reply way back in May 2011, and felt I could come back and just add that my perspectives are shifting.

I said before that I found some jazz irritatingly repetitive or irritatingly unrepetitive.

What I now realize is that it isn't particularly JAZZ I dislike, it is ANY music that is repetitive or unpredictable. It doesn't have to be "jazz"!

Three times over the past weekend I found that we had the radio on (to pop stations) and I was thinking "wow, this is a boring song, it is just the same thing over and over and over"...

But then I also tend not to enjoy music by Einaudi or Einaudi-type music either (sorry Einaudi lovers I can appreciate the effort and skill that goes into playing them, but they aren't my cup of tea ) But neither are the Monk pieces I've been hearing in the ABF recitals lately....

That got me to thinking about "classical" pieces - to use the term broadly. I tend not to like dissonance, especially if it is a "surprise".

However, my exposure to so much more music over the past three years, mostly suggestions from people here in PW, and the fact that I seem to listen differently, really does seem to be encouraging me to relax, and rather than get cranky and tense I'm more inclined to keep listening. There are times when I realize..ok, that's enough, this grates on my ear...and other times when I feel like I'm getting glimmer of something rather enjoyable.

My horizons are expanding.

I think I can compare this to the art world too. I'm pretty conservative. I like pictures to look like pictures. Abstract art can be a colourful presentation of ..whatever, but it doesn't speak to me in the way a painted depiction of something real does.

Saying "I don't like jazz" is too broad a statement for me. Just like people who say "I don't like classical music".

Anyway, to each her own. I'm not trying to convince anyone, just updating my own musical journey and how I perceive things.

???
Such as?

heh. Your reply prompted me to go back and read *my* reply from way back in May 2011:



My opinion hasn't changed

My teacher assigned me a piano arrangement of "Night Train.". I tried for two weeks before I relented and gave up. I couldn't make it sound right.....probably because I wanted to gouge my eyeballs out every time I tried to practice it. And this is a piece that I actually don't terribly mind listening to, if it's played well. Turns out, I hate *playing* jazz even worse than listening to it.

No offense, jazz afficionados! I appreciate what you're doing musically, I appreciate your talent and your skill, and I fully acknowledge that my dislike of jazz may very well be rooted in my own shortcomings in being unable to wrap my brain around it. But...it just ain't my cup of tea.

[quote=gahdzila Turns out, I hate *playing* jazz even worse than listening to it.
[/quote]

That's interesting because I've got a few beginners books for Jazz and blues and I find I actually get a huge kick out of playing it! (at my limited level!!!)

if you dont like jazz, wait until you meet a jazz musician, they seem friendly at first but if things isn't going their way they will probably kill you

Are you saying that if I learned to count my age on my fingers I would suddenly love jazz?

Classic quote: gahdzilla... "My opinion hasnt changed" lol, neither has mine, actually it has a bit, before, I just hated jazz because it makes me feel ill when I hear it, but since the "supermarket incident" I now feel that there should be high visibility written warnings whilst it is being played even at negligable decibel levels.

( If you noticed I said "whilst" again, that is because it is a legitimate word in the Oxford dictionary and is not an "improvisation" on the english language in the way the words "sidewalk" "fender" and "muffler" are.")

The supermarket incident of 4th january 1979.

I had to do a weeks shopping at Morrisons ( slightly dearer than tescos and Asda but better quality halibut and turnips)

Armed with a trolley and enough money I started about my business..I started in the vegatable isle, but then the shopping jazz started to come out of the supermarkets loudspeakers.

This made me so physically ill and mentally tormented that I just filled my trolley to the top with Butternut squashes.

When I got to the checkout, not only had I inadvertently deprived every other shopper of their chance to purchase a butternut squash, but also I had made myself look like some kind of pervert.

Jazz did this to me, I will not forget or forgive.

I find it very hard to believe that Morrisons sold fancy-pants southerners' vegetables like butternut squashes in 1979...

Are you suggesting that the "jazz incident" actually happened in 1989, and that it is worse than at first thought, vis a vis such a small amount of jazz stole ten years of my life from me?

hey no big deal, I love jazz but hate classical, country, rap. So to each their own.