Jazz

[Coleman]

i am a jazz beginner, i hoping that know more about jazz, it chord progrossion so strange for me!
can anyone help me the basic theory about jazz and explain the progrossion ?
THX

[stephanie]

Hi there. Well, first you might want to check out this thread. It contains lots of links that might help you with learning theory and Jazz.

A chord progression is a series of connected chords. You will understand this more when you learn about harmony.

For example II V I is a common progression in Jazz. This means the 2 chord, the 5 chord, and the 1 chord. So if we're in the Key of C Major the chord progression is D, G, and C. These are the chords that you will play your bassline under. This can go further in depth, but I'd say you should check out those links first.

Hope this helps.
Stephanie

[jazzbo]

Originally posted by stephanie
For example II V I is a common progression in Jazz. This means the 2 chord, the 5 chord, and the 1 chord. So if we're in the Key of C Major the chord progression is D, G, and C. These are the chords that you will play your bassline under. This can go further in depth, but I'd say you should check out those links first.

I would like to elaborate on this, but the bed calls to me. I just want to state not to forget the color and function of those chords in a common progression like ii-V7-I.

Don't forget that in the example you give, the key of Cmajor, the chords are Dmin7, G7, Cmaj7. Important stuff.

[stephanie]

Originally posted by jazzbo


I would like to elaborate on this, but the bed calls to me. I just want to state not to forget the color and function of those chords in a common progression like ii-V7-I.

Don't forget that in the example you give, the key of Cmajor, the chords are Dmin7, G7, Cmaj7. Important stuff.

Oops. I posted that late at night myself.

...yeah, what he said.

While I'm at it I'll harmonize the C Major scale to show you what we are talking about (I'll use 7ths in the chords b/c Jazz uses 7ths much of the time):

I (Tonic) - Cmaj7
ii (Supertonic) - Dm7
iii (Mediant) - Em7
IV (SubDominant) - Fmaj7
V (Dominant) - G7
vi (Submediant) - Am7
viiº (Leadingtone) - Bm7b5

A note here: the viiº chord, Bm7b5, is also a half-diminished chord, so it can be Bø (well, it looks something like that, can't find a good way to show that on the keyboard LOL)

[Bruce Lindfield]

Originally posted by Coleman
i am a jazz beginner, i hoping that know more about jazz, it chord progrossion so strange for me!
can anyone help me the basic theory about jazz and explain the progrossion ?
THX

This is a huge subject and not something you can deal with in a few lines here. I would recommend you get the "Jazz Theory Book" by Mark Levine - you can get it mail order off the net from several places.

Go through this slowly and it will explain most things - although to apply this you really need a teacher and to be playing this stuff with other people.

This is a five-year question, rather than five minutes!!