How did spirituals and hymns influence the music that became jazz?

Spirituals and hymns were foundational elements in the "composite matrix" that evolved into jazz. Their influence on the genre occurred through several key musical and structural contributions:1

• Harmonic Development: Harmony was one of the final European elements absorbed by Black musicians. Once acquired, it was applied to religious texts, facilitating the development of spirituals and providing a harmonic framework that would later underpin jazz.2
• Call-and-Response: This pattern, prevalent in both African musical traditions and the "lining out" style of folk hymns, became a core feature of jazz. It functions as a musical conversation, a technique also central to the blues.324
• Improvisation and Ornamentation: The practice of embellishing melodies—common in the singing of folk hymns and spirituals—provided a template for jazz musicians. As musicians began to "loosen up" syncopated tunes, this ornamentation naturally evolved into the improvisation that defines jazz.31
• Melodic Foundations: Spirituals and hymns, alongside other vernacular forms like field hollers and work songs, contributed to the mixture of vocal materials that shaped early jazz melodies.214

These religious forms helped bridge the gap between African rhythmic sensibilities and European harmonic structures, creating the unique musical language of jazz.2