Jazz has existed since the early twentieth century and originated from New Orleans in America. Jazz has been played in many venues such as cafes and restaurants to set the scene as well as numerous concerts and live performances.

Jazz is a varied form of music that is suited to live venues. To help you learn more about a typical live jazz performance (if such a thing exists) we have prepared a brief guide.

Jazz as a musical genre is often a cause for debate between key figures in music. Just as the music is hard to define so are many of the performances. This is as a large amount of jazz production is improvised leading to some equally improvised performances.

The majority of early jazz compositions were created using a style of writing known as call and response. This would involve musicians playing a main melody of a song while collaborators would improvise additional complimentary melodies.

As jazz started to develop further some musicians started to play using sheet music. Some musicians would stick to sheet music and also involve improvisation for supportive solos. Around this time descriptive phrases such as trad jazz were starting to be used which helped followers to distinguish between the different styles.

In live performances the key elements of the sound come from the rhythm and the horn section.

The rhythm section is the name given to the musicians and instruments which form the rhythm of a piece. Rhythm sections exist not just in jazz bands but also pop and rock bands where they also provide an important role.

Unlike other forms of music (such as orchestras) that are clearly defined in terms of instruments used rhythm sections don't have a set collection of instruments. Instead a set of instruments are used to play riffs and solos in a complimentary formation.

Despite the loose structure of rhythm sections there are combinations which have been used repeatedly to great effect. The double bass (which is often identified as one of the key sounds of jazz) or bass guitar is used to create a bass line which is accompanied by drums to make a driving rhythm. Rhythm guitar and keyboards can be used for chord sequences to add more texture as well as additional percussion.

Horn sections are also prominent in jazz as well as other kinds of live music. The horn section uses wind instruments to create a light sound that contrasts the rhythm section.

Similar to a rhythm section the horn section doesn't have a fixed structure but varies depending on the sound the performers are trying to achieve. Typical instruments include saxophones, trumpets and clarinets used to create textured melodies.