11. Jazz Standards and Forms

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1 11. Jazz Standards and Forms A typical performance of a jazz standard might take the following structure: o An introduction o The head (main melody) o Open-ended repetition of the form with improvisation instead of melody o An ending consisting of all or some of the head 12 Bar Blues a particular structure e.g. Blue Monk, C Jam Blues, Freddie Freeloader, All Blues, Billie s Bounce In its most basic form, the 12BB uses only three chords, all of which are dom 7 th s. I I I I IV IV I I V IV I V Roman Numerals (each chord dom 7 th ) F7 F7 F7 F7 Bb7 Bb7 F7 F7 C7 Bb7 F7 C7 12 bar blues in the key of F There are many alternative ways of harmonising the 12 bar blues form, but they are all based around this simple version. Other common jazz forms 32 Bar AABA (Bye Bye Blackbird, Take The A Train, Satin Doll, Body and Soul) o The 32 bar form is divided into four 8 bar sections o The A sections may differ slightly each time, making the form A 1 A 2 B A 3 o The B section is also known as the bridge or middle eight Rhythm Changes (I Got Rhythm, Oleo, Anthropology, Cottontail) o This is a 32 bar AABA form, with chords from Gershwin s I Got Rhythm. o Notice the use of the cycle of fourths in the middle eight Other forms o AABC (Autumn Leaves) o ABAC (Four, Green Dolphin Street, Someday My Prince Will Come) o ABC (Mercy Mercy Mercy) Modal jazz (So What, Impressions, Maiden Voyage) o Modal tunes typically use many fewer chords that might be sustained for long periods of time maybe for four, eight or sixteen bars.

2 12. The Cycle of Fourths The cycle of fourths is an arrangement of all twelve notes, each a fourth higher than the previous one. It is a great way to understand how chords resolve. Play two major chords in sequence going clockwise (e.g. C F) ). See if you can hear the resolution in going from one to the other. The same effect happens at any point in the cycle, as long as you move clockwise. The cycle is sometimes written the other way round (a mirror image of above) and can be called the cycle of fifths because a fifth down is the same as a fourth up. Using the Cycle as a Practice Tool The cycle represents one of the systematic chord practices moving a chord type around by ascending fourths. You can use the same idea with patterns of chords think of each note around the cycle as representing the key you re going to practice the pattern in next. Many pieces of music contain patterns that follow the cycle of fourths, so using the cycle to practice means your practice relates to real music. Practice 12a) Revisit any systematic chord practice that moves a chord or sequence of chords around by ascending fourths. 2

3 13. Modes, Chords and Keys We can use the notes of a major scale to create different modes. We take the seven notes of any major scale, and build a mode by starting on any one of them. o e.g. D E F G A B C D is the second mode of C major because it uses the notes of the C major scale, starting on the second note. (D dorian) o e.g. B C D E F# G A B is the third mode of G major because it uses the notes of the G major scale, starting on the third note. (B phrygian) Each mode has a particular name, no matter which major scale you use: Note you start on Name of the mode you get by starting on that note from the major scale 1 Ionian (this is just the original major scale) 2 Dorian 3 Phrygian 4 Lydian 5 Mixolydian 6 Aeolian 7 Lochrian You can find any mode you like by working out which major scale it comes from. o e.g. F mixolydian. Mixolydian modes start on the fifth note of their original major scale. Bb major has F as its fifth note, so F mixolydian must use the notes of the Bb major scale starting on F. Chords We can use a similar idea to build different chords from a single major scale. Take any major scale, start on any note from it, and use the notes of that scale to build a chord from your starting note. o e.g. Use the notes of the C major scale, start on D and we get Dm7. o e.g. Use the notes of the Eb major scale, start on Ab and we get Ab 7. We number each chord based on which note of the scale it started on, and indicate its relation to the major scale. o e.g. Dm7 is chord II from the key of C (since it came from C major) o e.g. Ab 7 is chord IV from the key of Eb (since it came from Eb major) Practice 13a) Pick any major scale, start on each note in turn and work out what type of seventh chord we make each time. Is it the same for every key?

4 14. II-V-I Sequences In a major key, chord II is always min 7 th, chord V dom 7 th, and chord I maj 7 th. The most important sequence of chords in jazz is II-V-I. o e.g. in the key of C the sequence is Dm7 G7 C 7. Remember that these three chords all come from the same key. Practice 14a) Play the sequence of chords that make up a II-V-I in each key. Take the time to work out what the chords will be first. If we play a II-V-I sequence with just the root, third and seventh notes, then we see exactly what is going on when the chords change. Practices 14b) Play any II-V-I sequence using just the root, third and seventh for each chord. 14c) Choose your placement of third and seventh notes so that your hand moves as little as possible. You should be able to play the sequence moving just one note at a time. In moving between the chords, the old seventh drops down a semitone and becomes the new third. Application Identify the II-V-I sequences in any tune you ve learnt, and use your understanding of the sequence (and the movement between the chords) to help. The following tunes are especially useful for practicing II-V-I sequences: Misty All The Things You Are Have You Met Miss Jones Tune-Up Alice in Wonderland Joy Spring

5 15. II-V-I and II-V patterns II-V-I and II-V sequences occur all over jazz, so it s good to practice systematic patterns based on them. Plenty of these patterns will occur in real jazz tunes. Remember the cycle of fourths and the resolution from II to V and V to I. II-V-I patterns 15a) II-V-Is with the key moving round the cycle Dm7 G7 Cmaj7 Gm7 C7 Fmaj7 Cm7 F7 Bbmaj7... etc. This often occurs in ballads, so practice it at a slow tempo as well 15b) II-V-Is with the key moving down in tones Dm7 G7 Cmaj7 Cm7 F7 Bbmaj7... etc. 15c) II-V-Is with the key moving in any interval relationship e.g. the key moving in ascending minor thirds II-V patterns Dm7 G7 Cmaj7 Fm7 Bb7 Ebmaj7 Abm7 Db7 F#maj7... etc. 15d) II-Vs with the key moving round the cycle e.g. Dm7 G7 Gm7 C7 Cm7 F7 Fm7 Bb7... etc. 15e) II-Vs with the key descending in tones e.g. Dm7 G7 Cm7 F7 Bbm7 Eb7 Abm7 Db7... etc. 15f) II-Vs with the key moving in any interval relationships (harder) e.g. the key moving in ascending major thirds Dm7 G7 F#m7 B7 Bbm7 Eb7... etc. Advice Think of the name of the next chord before you play it Also keep in mind the key you are in as you go Applying the ideas of comping to any sequences or tunes you play Application Identify sections of tunes that consist of II-V and II-V-I patterns like these. Most patterns will loop without reaching all keys. e.g. The first part of How High The Moon (after the initial G major chord) consists of a II-V-I in F, then a II-V-I in Eb the key descends by a tone.

6 16. Minor Chords and Minor Keys There is a difference between minor and minor 7 th o Minor 7 th chords can be thought of as the II chord from a major key. o Minor chords can be thought of as the I chord from a minor key. The chords from a minor key (e.g. II, V) are slightly different to those from a major key. Chord I in a minor key (i.e. just a normal minor chord) A minor chord s only crucial note is the minor 3 rd. Other notes that work very strongly are 5, 6 and 9. Other notes that work well are m7, 7 and 11. Strong voicings are given by m6 and m6/9 chords. An alternative is m( 7). Chord II in a minor key Chord II in a minor key requires the b5, making the chord m7b5. It is hard to find strong-sounding extensions for m7b5 the 1357 voicing will do. Chord V in a minor key Chord V is still dominant, but with particular extensions that make the sound of the chord relate better to a minor key. G7(b9), G+7(b9) and G+7(#9) are all good examples. Practices Notice how the b5 of the II chord relates to the b9 of the V chord. 16a) Explore and find examples of II and V chords in any minor key. 16b) Find a II-V-I pattern in any minor key, varying the exact voicings for each chord. 16c) Try any II-V-I or II-V pattern we did for major keys, in various minor keys. Application Play chords along to Blue Trane, Recordame, Blue Bossa or Alone Together, voicing the chords that come from minor keys in the ways described. Minor Scales There are four (main) different types of minor scale. Their 6 th and 7 th notes differ: o Melodic minor uses the natural 6 and natural 7 o Harmonic minor uses the b6 and the natural 7 o Natural minor uses the b6 and b7 (same as the key signature) o The dorian mode (the scale related to a m7 chord) uses the natural 6 and b7 Notice how our II and V chords (above) can be built from the harmonic minor scale.

ii-v-i ? 4 4 Dm7 G7 CMaj7 Gm7 C7 FMaj7 Cm7 F7 B Maj7 Fm7 B 7 E Maj7 B m7 E 7 A Maj7 E m7 A 7 D Maj7 A m7 D 7 G Maj7 C # m7 F # 7 BMaj7 F # m7 B7 EMaj7

ii-v-i ? 4 4 Dm7 G7 CMaj7 Gm7 C7 FMaj7 Cm7 F7 B Maj7 Fm7 B 7 E Maj7 B m7 E 7 A Maj7 E m7 A 7 D Maj7 A m7 D 7 G Maj7 C # m7 F # 7 BMaj7 F # m7 B7 EMaj7 The most common chord progression found in jazz music is the ii-v-i (2-5-1), and the source of the minor ii, dominant V, and major I chords is the modes of the major scale. For example, the C major scale