Wynton Marsalis - Lecture on Music - Vol 1

- Why Toes Tap: Marsalis on Rhythm - At the Tanglewood Music Center - 1995
1) Wynton introduces the concepts of melody, rhythm and meter. He establishes the fact that without rhythm, there can be no music.
He contrasts the odd meter feel of Tschaikovsky’s “Waltz of the Flowers” to the even meter feel of the Duke Ellington/Billy Strayhorn arrangement of the same piece.
Throughout the DVD, pieces from Tschaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suite” and the Ellington/Strayhorn’s modern jazz arrangement of “The Nutcracker” are used illustratively.
2) Wynton introduces the organizing concepts in music; bars, rests and measures. He also establishes that there can be a range of motions in music and has the viewer visualize the motion of the notes on the page of a score. The Classical and Jazz versions of “The Nutcracker March” are performed to illustrate motion.
3) Wynton introduces tempo and its importance in imparting energy and feeling to music.
The “Russian Dance” is performed at proper tempo and at a slower speed to illustrate this principle.
4) Wynton talks about the great importance ground rhythms have in influencing how we hear a piece of music. He also touches on the importance of beat and pulse - the 1, 3 classical pulse as opposed to the jazz backbeat of 2, 4.
“Sugar Plum Dance” is performed to illustrate how the changing ground rhythm affects how we hear the music.
5) Wynton talks about the contrasting use of drums and percussion in the orchestra and the jazz band. He develops the concept of the rhythm section in the jazz band being the motor of the band. Drums, bass and piano are the swinging foundation that the jazz band works on top of.
6) Wynton emphasizes the importance of playing with intensity and exuberance no matter what the tempo of the piece. To illustrate this, they perform both the classical and jazz versions of “Dance of Reeds”.
7) Wynton touches for the first time on the importance of syncopation (he will re-address and expand on this in Sousa to Satchmo). He emphasizes the need in music to purposely go against the meter, to do something unexpected from time to time to keep the listener’s ear and make the music interesting.
8) Wynton summarizes the principles learned in the show:
I) If there’s no rhythm, there’s no melody and no music.
II) There can be odd and even feel meters.
III) The meter is defined in measures.
IV) Tempos can be fast, slow or anything in between.
V) Varying accents and rhythms enhance music.
VI) The ground rhythm establishes the music’s vitality.
VII) In jazz, the rhythm section swings.
VII) You have to always play with intensity and soul.
IX) Syncopation keeps music interesting by doing the unexpected.
To wrap up, “The Nutcracker Overture” is performed in both the classical and jazz versions.
* * * *
From the Norbert Susemihl Jazz Archive
www.susemihl.eu - www.jazzrecording.eu

[@dba_winchester7670]

Rest in Peace to Seiji Ozawa. Seeing you here leading a large orchestra to music with Wynton, looking so absolutely pleased with the process is a joy.

[@sammikinsderp]

To any music students complaining about this, THIS IS LITERALLY THE COOLEST THING TO WATCH FOR MUSIC EDUCATION! You're so lucky to have such a great music teacher.

[@kanikahlemon4449]

yes, yEs. YES, YESSSSSS WynTon, "My NOLA HOMIE!!!!".......

[@Derwin.viz3]

disagree some people don't wanna watch this

[@jamesmoncrieff7685]

Nah this shits dumb

[@amu.s.an_]

@@Derwin.viz3 good point but also...3:58 shit goes hard

[@gordoncameron2457]

Thanks for posting this. I've loved 'Marsalis on Music' since was first aired.

[@neilwalsh3977]

Bernstein and this - what wonderful stuff

[@jbmaggs]

This series is excellent. Dated in look, but not in what it teaches. I used it for years in the classroom to help teach fundamentals of music appreciation.

[@sumabatman]

This is an incredible video. There is so much valuable wisdom that Wynton drops here

[@luchomolinari]

i love this guys. Wynton is my favorite human! god bless the manufacturers!

[@A.ChristopherJohnson]

Peace & Blessings to Brother Wynton, one of our last great Bop Jazz heroes !!!

[@SirGecko]

Anyone else supposed to watch this for music class?

[@1kseeker]

ya

[@Jouzu52964]

@Ocean The Raptoroo fr im tryna watch anime in class now i gotta watch this T_T

[@jetpacksforall4857]

Heck ya me

[@jetpacksforall4857]

My music teacher assigned this!!!!!

[@SirGecko]

@Aubrey Drerup I have a pet gecko named Tango. I also can relate to a gecko myself, being solitary and silent.

[@steinhummer]

Making education pure fun. Wynton Marsalis is such an amazing, wonderful guy.

[@prodstunnuhman]

this was my favorite thing to watch in music class during elementary

[@MrAjpalkow]

Wow- How cool was that! Thanks for posting this video! 👍🎶

[@llav3]

Almost ten yers I've been waiting to watch this again. Most of the things that I aplied to my music and in my class (as a teacher) came from this awsome and direct way to talk about rhythm. Thanks for upload and share it! I hope to enjoy the other three parts as this.

[@ianboard544]

A national treasure.

[@chazmartin5725]

I remember this great series. WOW Wynton looks so young! lol man he was blazing that trail and representing our generation of musicians.

[@jetpacksforall4857]

OMG!! My music teacher at school and I luv it!!!!!

[@fiffanatic17]

I used to watch this when I was 10 years old when it came out. This is wild

[@cunite9263]

As a musician myself i couldn't help but giggle and nod my head..Marsalis is Jazzing up Great music! When i taught Electronic Keyboard music in the UAE for years most of the pieces like Entry of the Gladiators was set to a Technopop version or Peer Gynt Suite to Trance. This was pioneered by the Trinity College London for examination purposes and students love it!

[@vivids45]

2:53 rhythm and music 3:30 what is music? 5:30 rhythm, accent and rest 40:10 Syncopation

[@Allen2saint]

If my music teachers would’ve taught me this as a kid, I’d be an accomplished musician today.

[@bryangarcia327]

Only real musicians were able to find this Gem

[@princessemiofwonderland9207]

Dance of the sugar plum fairy is my favorite

[@losezen]

If you are here for a music class and were not paying attention so you have to rewatch it yourself by choice well, me too.

[@julianolovato6657]

Thnak you so much !

[@papanino4415]

If Wynton didn't exist, someone would have to invent him.

[@jackpassons1398]

Wow, 17,196 students and only 72 comments?

[@rubenvila3972]

Increibleeee😮

[@chefcalebify]

Does anyone know of a more HD version of this exist? This is amazing and every new music learner should watch this.

[@oceanic5031]

TO ALL THE POOR SOULS SIMILAR TO MYSELF HAVING TO DO THIS FOR BAND, ANSWERS ARE IN THE DESCRIPTION

[@carys7998]

no

[@carys7998]

why

[@carys7998]

why did I just find ur comment lol

[@carys7998]

stop giving random kids free As >:(

[@carys7998]

they need to work

[@melaniamonicacraciun9900]

Happy Summer holidays of love for cute tips of a kind & a lot of good vibes, let only music rule the world fans & let it sound just this good ❤

[@wolfchapz7669]

Kids now wouldn’t give this talk a chance without disrespecting him

[@Troiler]

44:24

[@ColtonPoorman]

thats what it looks like when you enter an alternate dimension

[@jackpassons1398]

Any classmates watching? This is Jack P!

[@rhyleeridley7704]

Me

[@cunite9263]

American jazz is mostly focused on brass instruments and syncopated rhythms using blue notes..

[@georgehiggins1320]

That's one aspect of it for sure.

[@elizabethcrawford3133]

28:28 sounds as if a ballerina was drunk LOL

[@dragoderp_gaming46]

What was the instrument at the beginning of the video.

[@_paastelz_]

6:12

[@neilwalsh3977]

''Always play with passion'' - Beethoven - Ich fühle schon im Geist kzbin.info/www/bejne/oaDIpZqKYrJofpY

[@pokhanpat9046]

E

[@cunite9263]

Wirhout being hypocritical i consider myself as both a classicist and pop inclined musician/teacher. Just not much into American traditional jazz.

[@chazmartin5725]

If you're pop inclined, then your roots are jazz.