Types of Jazz Progressions

[SBassman]

A jazz guitar and bass instructor once told me that there were really only about "6 or 7" chord progressions among most jazz tunes.

I know with minor variations this turns into an infinite variety, but, was he correct that most jazz tunes fall into one of "6 or 7" chord progressions?

If so, care to list them? [using Roman numeral notation]

[BassChuck]

Perhaps a bit of a careless comment, but there are a few progressions that do pop up. But before we think of this as a low moment of jazz, think of how many rock songs from the 50's are I IV V I or some variation or I vi IV V I or some variation with bridges starting on the IV.

Anyway, a list of common jazz progressions might include:

Blues...

I | IV |I |I7 |IV |IV |I |I |V |IV |I |I | or

I |IV |I |I7 |IV |IV |I |VI |ii |V7 |iii iv|ii V7 |

or many other variations and additions.

Rhythm Changes (songs based on the Gershwin song, "I've Got Rhythm). There are many, the most famous might be "The Flintsones" theme song.



Various songs that are collections of chords that have a ii V7 I relationship (especially ones where the 'I' chord becomes the 'ii' of the next set.

For further and more detailed information get your hands on the Levine Jazz Book, or any of the excellent books and writting of Jamie Aebersold.

http://www.aebersold.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc

[Aaron Saunders]

Among the blues, you'll also find minor blues and blues waltzes as well.

Learn your ii-V-I (major and minor) inside and out in all the keys, and you have the capability to figure out most standards by ear. A ii-V-I is a chord progression of, in C major, Dm7 - G7 - Cmaj7. In C minor, it would be Dm7b5 - G7b9 (or G7#9) - Cm.

As a general note, chords notated as a Dm7 would mean D dorian, while if they're simply called Dm, then they refer to tonic minor (or D aeolian.)

A fairly easy jazz progression is from Fly Me To The Moon, and is very typical of the ii-V-I thing:

Am / Dm7 / G7 / Cmaj7 C7/
Fmaj7(#11)/ Bm7(b5) / E7(b9) / Am A7 /

That's the 1st 8 bars of Fly Me To The Moon. Dm7-G7-C7 is a ii-V-I in C, followed by Bm7(b5) - E7(b9) - Am, a ii-v-i in A minor. Also, the Fmaj7(#11) is a chord that could also be notated as Fmaj7(#4) and suggests you play a lydian over that -- FGABCDEF, the note in bold is the #11 or #4th.

You'll also encounter chords that alter the 6th (G7b13) and the 2nd (G7b9.) Don't worry about those yet, though.

EDIT: Also, anything in parenthesis is completely optional. If you want to play the Bm7 as a dorian and the E7 as a mixolydian, go right ahead. It still makes sense as a modulating ii-V-I resolving to a tonic minor.