One of the best ear training exercises you can do to learn jazz standards and improvisation is Target Notes. Imagine this melodic line over the progression: We could use our classification method to classify each note against their respective chord. But this would be a futile effort, since this line’s main purpose is to land on the b7 of the G7... Continue Reading →
We wish you a merry Christmas Jazz Version Tutorial using Mapping Tonal Harmony Pro
If you want to adapt popular music to jazz, the best approach is to think of the harmonic functions (rather than just the chords) and then use techniques of tonal harmony. In the following video we show how to turn a very basic piano version of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" into a jazz... Continue Reading →
Lush Life – Full Harmonic Analysis
Here's a song by Billy Strayhorn that I've always loved and never fully analyzed until writing The Jazz Standards Progressions Book. I've been fascinated by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn compositions since the first time I heard an Ellington album, about thirty years ago. Since then I greatly enjoyed their rich harmonies, rhythmic vocabulary and... Continue Reading →
Can We Have a IVmaj7 Chord With an Ionian Chord-Scale?
Here's a musical concept nobody taught me at school. While analyzing 1000+ jazz tunes for The Jazz Standards Progressions Book, I noticed a great number of songs in major keys tonicize the IV degree at the beginning of the bridge. It's usually preceded by the V/IV, landing on the IV at the beginning of the... Continue Reading →
A New Symbol in Harmonic Analysis
In the process of writing The Jazz Standards Progressions Book Series I realized the need to express a very common harmonic event with a new symbol. So far we had solid and dotted arrows and brackets to express II-V relationships and their resolutions. However there isn't any symbol to show a Major 7th chord that... Continue Reading →
100 Essential Jazz Standards
Since the release of The Jazz Standards Progressions Book where I analyzed 1000+ songs I have been asked many times for a list of essential jazz standards. I do not want to promote uniformity in repertoire nor do I believe in programatic lists. Jazz is a personal intuitive journey. What I do believe in is finding... Continue Reading →
How to Analyze a Jazz Standard: ALWAYS
Key: F major Form: 32 Bars - A (8), B(8), A'(16) Full Harmonic Analysis with functions, chord-scales and arrows & brackets: Source: The Jazz Standards Progressions Book Volume 1