Chorus (jazz)

In jazz , chorus is the first term used to describe the verse ( refrain ) of a song. More generally, this also means the form on which the thematic material of a song is based ( song form , blues scheme ), the repetition of which results in the overall form of the piece being performed. Often the chorus is 32 bars (or 16 or 12 bars in the case of the blues). The chorus is differentiated from the so-called verse , the introductory part of a popular song (which today in pop music and jazz is often not performed anyway or is mostly not written at all; in this respect, a chorus often corresponds to a verse).

Jazz or rock musicians usually improvise an entire chorus or several choruses (the exception is a chase chorus ). The expression “play a chorus” (or play so many choruses) describes the extent of a musician's improvisation .

literature

• Ekkehard Jost : Sachlexikon. In: Wolf Kampmann (Ed.), With the assistance of Ekkehard Jost: Reclams Jazzlexikon . Reclam, Stuttgart 2003, ISBN 3-15-010528-5 .
• Jürgen Wölfer , Lexikon des Jazz Wien, Hannibal 1999 ISBN 3-85445-164-4 (2nd edition)