jazz chord progressions

[mbengs1]

I'd like to pursue my own jazz record. i'm quite happy with my lead jazz licks and think i can make a record with it. now i need jazz chord progressions i can learn to make my own chord progressions too. can you share the typical jazz chord progressions out there so i can make my own thing outta it?

[Delmont]

These tunes will show you some of the basic basics:

 

"I Got Rhythm"

"Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens"

"You Rascal, You"

"My Window Faces the South"

"Fever"

"Choo Choo Ch'boogie"

 

This is a good question to post on a theory page. I don't know if Harmony Central has one, but there are plenty around if you Google for it.

 

Del

 

[onelife]

The ii, V, I progression is fundamental in jazz.

 

In the key of C for example, the ii V I would be Dm7, G7, CMaj7 or, in the key of G it would be Am7, D7, GMaj7.

 

"Fly Me To The Moon" is a good set of changes to play over and it presents several examples of the ii, V, I progression in context.

 

 

I recommend this book which is also available as a download.

 

 

http://www.fundamental-changes.com/book/fundamental-changes-in-jazz-guitar-an-in-depth-study-of-major-ii-v-i-soloing-in-bebop/

 

 

[1001gear]

I'm of the belief that licks should fit the changes and not the other way around although, doing it the other way around is a very worthwhile pursuit. Regardless, just applying licks do not an album make. The sophistication is in juggling the color tones ie 9ths, 11ths, and 13ths into good melodies

 

But wait! That's not all!

There's nevermind just correct chord grammar which entails among other things, the way you stack the chords and how those stacks voice lead through the progressions. Which of course by this time come together in good tunes. lol

 

Naturally your swing is impeccable and your musical forms feature exquisite timing.

 

Right?

 

Granted you can go about it a la carte and simply do what you like. Just don't call it Jazz.

[LCK]

For classic jazz, check out some of the chord progressions of songs by George Gershwin, Hoagy Carmichael, Jerome Kern, Cole Porter, Harry Warren, and Richard Rodgers. Also, check out some of Brian Wilson's chord progressions, songs like "Please Let Me Wonder," "Kiss Me, Baby," "God Only Knows," "Caroline, No." "Surfer Girl," and "Let Him Run Wild."

 

Then listen to Bill Evans.

[mbfrancis]

The ii, V, I progression is fundamental in jazz.

 

In the key of C for example, the ii V I would be Dm7, G7, CMaj7 or, in the key of G it would be Am7, D7, GMaj7.

 

"Fly Me To The Moon" is a good set of changes to play over and it presents several examples of the ii, V, I progression in context.

 

^ This. Almost all jazz is rooted in ii-V-I. Sometimes though this means ii-V-I of a different chord in the scale. So in C ii-V-I is Dm7-G7-C, but you could also go Bmy-E7-Am, which would ii-V-I going to the vi. On top of that where jazz gets gnarly is all the substitutions, like all the b5 chords.

 

As an option, you may want to write your basic songs and then have a jazz player literally 'jazz them up' with chord substitutions. WOuld be easier than trying to master jazz theory from scratch.

[1001gear]

OK jazz is dead. What you really wanna do is rappy hop ii V i vamps for nasty prono. You can even leave out the i. Even the V. Check your local listings for times and places.

[WRGKMC]

Jazz guitar consists of voicing harmonies, Melody and bass within the chords themselves. Jazz leads are an extension of that.

I took a few finger picking lessons from an excellent teacher when I was a kid and learned some rag time tubes and learned some tunes that had a basic progression that was fairly simple, but had chords that scaled the entire neck. There was bass going on with walkup chords, turn around and all manors of riffs within the chords. I never sat down and analyzed some of the chords till much later in life.

 

There are allot of types of Jazz too, from primitive, classic, big band, Small combo, to all the modern variances of jazz mixed with other types of music. During the 40's there was a huge explosion of big band leaders that combined Jazz and Blues into the music. it was in fact the roots of Modern rock we have to day. Big bands went to Be Bop to your 50's bands which were small groups emulating horn sections with their voices.

 

 

When it comes down to composing Jazz and its chords there is allot that can be learned by copying standard tunes but you're never going to fully understand those chords unless you understand the fundamentals in back of them. I have some formal education in music. I learned to read at an early age playing violin but I'm not and expert when it comes to Jazz.

 

I have composed a few tunes which I'm very proud of but the category is so broad and can be so sophisticated I feel its barely a scratch on the surface of what I could have continued my education in depth. I have family members who went farther then I did and they have many friends who received degrees in music who even have a hard time understanding the higher forms of Jazz. The thing is Jazz is a combination of things. It can be as complex as anything the great masters wrote and it is also a freeform of musical expression written as its played. The players may use a classic tune as a foundation or home base for their parts then go off and jam around trading solos to highlight their abilities to go beyond what's been written.

 

You can take two or three chords like you do in blues tunes and improvise all kinds of jazz chords around those simple progressions. In fact many Blues tunes can be converted to full Jazz tunes given the right arrangements added.

 

For guitar only, I can only suggest what's helped me the most. Get some educational DVD's done by some of the best jazz players who show you how to play Jazz. People like George Benson, Mel Bay, Larry Coryell, Jimmy Bruno and dozens of others have DVD's that can show you how chords are approached. You'll quickly discover its much different then your typical rock tunes which have very simple arrangements and chords are no more then a simple bass accompaniment.

 

Jazz chords are a little bit of everything within a complete arrangement. You may have Bass, Tenor, Alto and Soprano voices all going on at the same time, moving from one Bass to Rhythm to Harmony to Melody parts within that arrangement. You not only have to understand and visualize all those parts clearly but you have to know how to jump from one to the other at a splits seconds notice Of course you don't get there overnight. It takes a tremendous amount of self education and also a good ear for jazz music itself. you have to listen to it all the time to develop an ear for it. The rest comes allot easier if you can hear a song through in your mind like you can with a popular pop or rock tune.

[Delmont]

OP Mbengs1 is speechless.

[Delmont]

 

^ This. Almost all jazz is rooted in ii-V-I. Sometimes though this means ii-V-I of a different chord in the scale. So in C ii-V-I is Dm7-G7-C, but you could also go Bmy-E7-Am, which would ii-V-I going to the vi. On top of that where jazz gets gnarly is all the substitutions, like all the b5 chords. . . .

 

My jazz chords are all B9.

[mbengs1]

2-5-1 doesn't sound that jazzy to me considering its the 'most generic' jazz chord progression.

[1001gear]

Yeah if you use triads or plain seventh chords. What ends up happening is alterations and upper extensions and strange voice leading that aren't immediately obvious as ii V i.

[LCK]

Or you can take a very simple two-chord progression and see how far you can take the harmonics and the melody line from where you started...

 

[video=youtube;ONMdHbtgcNM]

[LCK]

Or this...

 

[video=youtube;g61l27gdXYQ]

[evets618]

It's totally fine if you're B9, but you also need to B#. Stay in tune, don't Bb, but most importantly, be on time.

[Delmont]

2-5-1 doesn't sound that jazzy to me considering its the 'most generic' jazz chord progression.

 

You're right. They're just saying it's a progression jazz artists often like to build from. You're asking for "typical jazz progressions," right? That's probably as typical as you can get.