A common myth regarding the earliest jazz musicians is that they were illiterate. While the myth is not proven it is used to describe the lack of formality and literature surrounding jazz’s inception. There is a lacking catalogue of sheet music from the earliest jazz songs because they were not written as sheet music, but passed along orally. New musicians had to learn with their own ears.

The earliest form of jazz education is self teaching. Prior to the publishing of the first jazz record, students had to hear the music live and in person. The best route for students to take was to form a mentorship with a local jazz musician, who was willing to teach. A good mentor would provide a young musician with training in jazz styles that were unavailable anywhere else. “Jam Sessions” were another way for musicians to practice their craft. These sessions were informal gatherings of musicians, where they would play, discuss, and learn about jazz.

Jazz education revolutionized with the release of the first record in 1917. Records revolutionized the way jazz was learned. Now students were able to teach themselves using their ear by playing along with the recordings. New musicians were provided with an opportunity to play alongside a professional band in the comfort of their own homes.

“Recordings allowed for analysis in a way that had not previously been possible, in that recordings of improvised passages could be repeated an infinite number of times (or at least until the record wore out), and that a musician with relatively sensitive ears could now break down silos into smaller segments.
 

During the 1920’s there was an increase in the number of jazz method books. These books provided students with sheet music and advice for performing them, which allowed students to now learn with their eyes along with the ears. However, the lack of a formalized jazz music theory made it difficult to mass produce lessons of jazz. Early trade magazines, like Downbeat, were established to spread jazz music and culture. The issues typically included various exercises for the readers to practice and hone their skills.

An important milestone was reached in the 1955 when George Russell published The Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization. The pamphlet was regarded as the “first major contribution to the field of music theory from the field of jazz.” The Lydian scale associates a tonal identity to jazz improvisation. Russell also presented the idea of  “chord-scale” theory in jazz. He was able to associate each harmonic structure within a piece of music to a related melodic structure as a means of improvisation. Russell’s work helped formalize jazz education by providing a common language for jazz education.

Once jazz was given a universal language and lessons were formalized by universities, it became easier for students to learn jazz at home. Consistent terminology can make the biggest difference in the eyes of a newcomer. In modern times self teaching is more prevalent with the abundance of teaching materials on the internet. Self teaching will remain the most common form of jazz education considering how easy it is for today’s youth to access the materials.

-zk