Carnegie Hall

In music, form is the road map for any piece, providing the overall layout or structure and defining how one section connects to the next. The form helps the musicians stay together and know where they are in the music. Some musical forms are specific to certain styles or periods of music; other forms span many styles and eras. In jazz, as the form repeats and the rhythm section maintains the beat, the other musicians can play the melody and have the chance to play improvised solos.

• What are some examples of how form is used in your life (e.g., following a recipe, map, or schedule)?

Exploring A-A-B-A Form in “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)”

• A-A-B-A form is a common form used in many styles of music. In many songs and jazz tunes, each of the four sections has eight measures, adding up to 32 measures of music. The A sections are the same or slightly different, and the B section (often referred to as the bridge) is contrasting.
• Learn the melody for “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing).”
• As you sing, use the Melodic and Lyric Patterns chart (PDF) to follow the form.
  • Note when the melody repeats and when the melodic pattern is different.
  • Note similarities and differences in the lyrics for each line.

Taking a Chorus

In jazz, the A-A-B-A form is repeated multiple times; one time through the full form is called a chorus. When a jazz musician “takes a chorus,” it means that they improvise a solo over the form of the piece. For example, when you and your students have sung through the entire basic part of “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” you have taken a chorus. In the final concert, we will hear and perform this chorus several times.

Play “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” (Washburne). You will hear the singer take a full chorus at the beginning, followed by the piano, saxophone, trumpet, and drums each taking a half chorus (the A-A or B-A sections, respectively). To end the song, the singer takes it from the second half of the chorus and “tags” (or “takes us out”) by singing the “doo wah” lyrics three times.

• Ask students to sing the A section of “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” and create a movement for that section. Do the same with the B section, eliciting a contrasting movement.
• Split the class into two groups and have the first group sing the A section while the second group moves, and have the second group sing the B section while the first group moves, switching parts for each chorus.
• Play “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” (play-along).
  • Let’s try it out with the music. Sing along and perform your corresponding A and B movements.

• Play “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” (Armstrong complete), as performed by Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington. For more information about Armstrong and Ellington, see Jazz Artists at Carnegie Hall (PDF).
  • Follow the melody in the “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” Sheet Music (PDF) while you listen to how the musicians play with the A-A-B-A form in this version of “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” featuring Armstrong on vocals. (You will hear an introduction before the A-A-B-A pattern, or chorus, begins.)
  • How is the melody different from what you see on the page?
  • Does knowing the form of the piece change how you listen to the music?

Go Deeper

Explore A-A-B-A form in Gershwin’s “I Got Rhythm.”

Duke Ellington’s “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)”

“It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” was one of the first compositions to include the word “swing” in its title. Duke Ellington composed the piece during an intermission at a big band dance performance in Chicago. Legend has it that no one was dancing until he enlivened the mood by introducing this song. “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” (Armstrong complete), features Ellington’s big band along with famous trumpeter and singer Louis Armstrong.

• Play “Duke’s Place” (Armstrong excerpt).
• With your students, count out loud the 12-measure form while listening to the piece, modeling for them where each measure starts.
  • The 12-bar blues form consists of three sections of four measures each, totaling 12 measures of music.

Go Deeper

An additional lesson on the blues, “We’ve Got the Blues,” is available in the Music Educators Toolbox.

Duke Ellington’s “Duke’s Place” (“C Jam Blues”)

Composer and bandleader Duke Ellington loved to write music that featured his orchestra members soloing, and “C Jam Blues” is one of those compositions. With the lyrics added, the work is known as “Duke’s Place.” Many famous jazz musicians sang this song, including Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald.

Exploring Harmonic Form in “Duke’s Place”

• Play “Duke’s Place” (harmonic changes).
• Direct the students to identify when they hear a harmonic change by raising their hands.
  • Throughout all of these harmonic changes, the melody stays the same.
  • What else do you notice about the music? What about the music is changing?
• Using the “Duke’s Place” Harmonic Form Chart (PDF), introduce the students to the chords that are found in this song.
  • We identified changes in the harmony, or changes in the chords, when we raised our hands just now.
  • Chords are built from a single note, called the root.
  • In “Duke’s Place,” we will hear four different chords, based on the root notes C (I), D (ii), F (IV), and G (V).
  • These chords are played in a repeating pattern called a harmonic progression, or harmonic changes.
• Play “Duke’s Place” (harmonic changes). Have the students follow the “Duke’s Place” Harmonic Form Chart (PDF).
• Play the track again. This time, sing or play the root of each chord for one whole note per measure as you follow the “Duke’s Place” Harmonic Form Chart (PDF).

Go Deeper

Split the class into two groups. The first group can sing or play the “Duke’s Place” melody, while the second group sings the roots of the chords, similar to what the bass would play as part of the rhythm section.

Go Deeper

Discover great blues artists by searching for recordings online and sharing examples with your students. A few suggestions: Bessie Smith, Buddy Guy, Robert Johnson, B. B. King, Muddy Waters, and Ray Charles. Learn about the origin of blues music and listen to early recordings in the Timeline of African American Music.

Composer Florence Price used a musical form called a rondo in “Juba,” the third movement of her First Symphony. A rondo form alternates between musical themes that return and contrasting music.

Play “Juba” from Symphony No. 1 and follow the musical form using the “Juba” Listening Map (PDF) or the animated listening map. The nine sections of the rondo form are indicated on the sidewalk segments with arrows leading to each section.