"Hearin' the changes" summary
Jos Groot
I made a summary that is attached below. From an advertisement (for the book,
that is):
"This is the definitive study of chord progressions of hundreds of carefully
chosen tunes from the jazz musician's repertoire, comparing them, linking them
together by commonalities, and codifying harmonic traits that will clarify the
reader's understanding of how progressions work!"
Despite the title the book is more about "changes" than "hearing". It
is not a course in solfege. The examples in the book are accompanied by
lots of song title, I included only some (between (...) ).
The layout is still pretty bad compared to the orginal (with italics etc.)
despite some manual editing. Nevertheless it may be helpful to people that
own the book or are thinking about purchasing it.
Jos Groot
---
Chapter 1 - The II-V-I progression and its variations
The next three II-V-I progressions account for 63-95 % of
the time:
# | IIm7 | V7 | Imaj7 | (I fall in love too easily m.1)
# | IIm7b5 | V7alt | Immaj7 | (What is this thing called love m.1).
Minor tunes form 25 % of the jazz repertoire.
# | IIm7b5 | V7alt | Imaj7 | (What is this thing called love m.5)
Two variations of above | IIm7 | V7 | Imaj7 | (note these
are similar because of the b3 distance):
# | IIm7 | #IIdim | IIIm7 (or Imaj7/V) | (Don't get around much anymore m.1)
# | IV(maj7)(7) | #IVdim | Imaj7/V | (major blues m.5)
| IIm7 | V7 | Imaj7 | to | IIm7 | bII7 | Imaj7 | =
tritone substitution (The girl from Ipanema m.5)
| IIm7 | V7 | Imaj7 | to | IIm7 | bVIm7 bII7 | Imaj7 | =
tritone substitution with subdominant
Back door progression: | (IVm7) bVII7 | Imaj7 | Three
most frequent uses:
# substitute for II-V-I
# after modulation to IV: | IVmaj7 | (IVm7) bVII7 |
Imaj7 | (Misty m. 4)
# freestanding, e.g., | Imaj7 | bVII7 | Imaj7 |
Coltrane matrix: | Cmaj7 | Eb7 Abmaj7 | B7 Emaj7 | G7 Cmaj7 |
(Have you met miss Jones bridge)
In order of decreasing occurrence: (Imaj7, IIm7, V7), VI7, IIIm7, VIm7.
Two often used cycles:
# | C | F | Bb | Eb | Ab | ... = cycle of fourths or fifths
# | I | (#)IV | VII | III | VI | II | V | I | = diatonic cycle
(Autumn leaves m.1-7 IV to I)
Often occurring II-V-I extensions:
# | VIm7 IIm7 | V7 Imaj7 | (All the things you
are m.1) Part of diatonic cycle.
# | IIIm7 VI7 | IIm7 V7 | I | (All of me, end) Often in ending; first
two chords are a II-V for IIm7; part of
diatonic cycle.
# | IIIm7 bIIIdim | IIm7 V7 | I | (Someday my prince will come m.9, without tonic;
All the things you are, near the end) Variation
of above; bIIIdim is dominant for V7.
# | VIm7 II7 | IIm7 V7 | Imaj7 | (Body and soul, All of me, both at
end of A section) Often in ending;
first two chords are a II-V for V7.
| I | VIIm7b5 | III7 | VIm7 | II7 | Vm7 | I7 | IV(7) | =
Confirmation sequence. It is also a diatonic cycle I +
VII to IV (Bluesette m.1)
| Imaj7 (IIIm7) | bIII(maj7)(7) | bVI(maj7)(7) |
bII(maj7)(7) | = bebop turnaround (Lady bird m.15)
Chapter 2 - II-V-I in transient modulation
Most often occurring transient (i.e., short) and
symmetrical (i.e., repeated) modulation is down(b)2. An
example of a down2 modulation twice in a row:
| Bbmaj7 | Bbm7 Eb7 | Abmaj7 | Abm7 Db7 | Gbmaj7 |
(Recorda me, Solar, Joy spring). Note the X7 chords
directly followed by Xm7 chords which is characteristic
for this modulation.
An example of a downb2 modulation twice:
| Bmaj7 Cm7b5 F7alt | Bbmaj7 | Bm7 E7 | Amaj7 | (Peace
m.3). Characteristic is the upb2 step from the tonic to
the minor chords.
down3: Giant steps, Have you met miss Jones bridge
Chapter 3 - General modulations
These are longer modulations occurring only once. The
most frequent modulation is to IV (Misty m.4). The second
most frequent one is to the relative minor (Autumn
leaves, Bb to Gm). Other common modulations:
upb2 Blue Bossa (Cm to Db)
down2 Wave (bridge F to Eb)
upb3 Wave (D to bridge F)
downb3 All the things you are (in bridge G to E)
up3 All the things you are (m.6 Ab to C and m.14 Eb to G)
down3 Ladybird (m.7 C to Ab)
Chapter 4 - Beginnings
A high percentage of songs starts with the I or IIm7.
Less frequent occurring openings are:
| (bIIIm7) bVI7 | Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum
Idim Stella by starlight (original version)
II7 ?
IV Just friends
| I IV7 | Willow weep for me
VIIm7b5 Peace
Chapter 5 - Classic bridges
| III7 | VI7 | II7 | V7 | (Rhythm changes)
|| F: IIm7 | V7 | Imaj7 | Imaj7 | C: II7 | II7 | IIm7 |
V7 || Imaj7 | (~Satin doll) Characteristics of
bridge: modulation to IV, followed by II7, then IIm7.
|| VIm7b5 | I7b9 | IVm7 | IVm7 | IVm7b5 | bVII7b9 | IIm7
| IIm7b5 V7b9 || Im | (Alone together, Night in
Tunisia) Characterised by short modulation to IVm7 and
IIm7 of original key.
Chapter 6 - Chords in symmetry
# Chords in parallel motion seem to be a new trend.
# Chromatic descending dominants usually alternate
between altered and unaltered.
# Dominants descending around cycle of fifths (There
is no greater love, Rhythm changes bridge, Yesterdays)
# Dominant descending chromatically (Body and soul end
of bridge, Well you needn't)
# Turnarounds | I VI7 | bVI7 V7 || I | and | I VII7 |
bVII7 VI7 | || IIm7 |
# Chords ascending or descending in b3's (Inner urge)
Chapter 7 - Other progression cells
CESH= Contrapunctal Elaboration of Static Harmony. Four
variations: root or 5th in motion, minor or major chord.
Used over static I(m) and major II-V.
# minor 1-7-b7-6 (My funny Valentine, In a sentimental mood m.1)
# minor 5-#5-6-#5 (Israel)
# major 1-7-b7-6 (If)
# major 5-#5-6-#5 ?
| Cm Cm/Bb | Am7b5 | (I fall in love too easily m.6,
On green dolphin street end)
| I(m) | (bIIIm7) bVI7 | (Out of nowhere m.3, Cantaloupe island,
Just friends m.6). Possibly popular because I blues
fits bVI7 quite well.
Chapter 8 - More recent traits
Polychord X/Y= (usually) triad X on top of chord Y.
Advantages: every combination of extensions and
alterations is possible, they sound well (even previously
unthinkable ones like B/Cmaj7), and are easy to read.
Examples:
# Bb/C C9sus
# B/Cmaj7 Popular as ending; used for half of the
endings on Birth of the cool.
# A/C7 C13b9. Called diminished scale dominant,
popular from the 40's.
# D/C7 C13#11
Slash chord X/Y= chord X on top of bass note Y. Examples:
# Am7/D (D9sus, Maiden voyage)
# E/C (Cmaj7#5)
# Ebm6/Bb (A child is born m.2). Often appears as |
Bbmaj7 | Ebm6/Bb | Bbmaj7 | (pedal point)
# Dm7b5/G(G13susb9; Naima; minor key counterpart of Dm7/G in C.
Cmaj7#11 chords are currently often given long duration
or used in parallel motion (Black narcissus, Ralph's
piano waltz).
| Fmaj7 E7alt | (Recorda me end)
Repetition of two chords a « or whole step away:
| I(m)(7)(maj7) | bII(7)(maj7) | ?
| bII(maj7)(7) | I(m)(maj7) | (A night in Tunisia, Little sunflower)
| Imaj7 | bVIImaj7 | (Dindi intro)
| I7 | bVII7 | (Killer Joe, West coast blues)
| Gm7/C (C7sus9) | Gmmaj7/C (C7#11) | ?
The popularity of chords changes with time:
# ~1900 diminshed chords, augmented triads,
whole tone scale
# 1950-1970 diminshed scales
# 1960-1970 augmented scale and major 7#5 chord (e.g.,
A melodic minor + Cmaj7#5= Cmaj7 with #4 and #5).
# ~1970 sus4 chord
# recent polychords, slash chords.
Tendencies:
# less or no tonic-dominant relationships
# contrasting chords ("if it works, use it!")
# more repetition (two-chord vamps)
Jim Kangas
misleading (why would you buy a book on solfege?). In contrast to the
many books that contain material on "II-V-I", this contains harmony
for *real tunes* that you encounter every day on the bandstand (or at
least in the Real Book).
If you're comfortable with "Autumn Leaves" and "Tune Up" but don't
know how to make the leap to everything else, I think this book is
indispensable (well, it helped me). Also helpful to get a better
handle on variations of the II-V (e.g., "back door" progressions) - I
think his explanations are among the clearest that I've seen. This
isn't exotic or esoteric material, but it's one of the few books I've
found on "applied harmony".
-Jim
Jos Groot <gr...@fel.tno.nl> wrote in message news:<3E439C74...@fel.tno.nl>...
> "Hearin the changes'" is a book by Jerry Coker, Bob Knapp and Larry Vincent.
> I made a summary that is attached below. From an advertisement (for the book,
> that is):
>
> "This is the definitive study of chord progressions of hundreds of carefully
> chosen tunes from the jazz musician's repertoire, comparing them, linking them
> together by commonalities, and codifying harmonic traits that will clarify the
> reader's understanding of how progressions work!"
>
> Despite the title the book is more about "changes" than "hearing". It
> is not a course in solfege. The examples in the book are accompanied by
> lots of song title, I included only some (between (...) ).
>
<snip>
Jurupari
approach the outlined topics. Interestingly, though, my personal catalog of
changes and how they work mirrors that summary pretty well, regardless.
With a little work on looping those progressions and getting familiar with
them, a person would be rightside up in most material pretty quickly.
Clif Kuplen
Keith Freeman
> misleading (why would you buy a book on solfege?)
common pieces of progression (back door etc.) and play them, then
substitute the various alternatives - I think it can help you to "hear" the
changes.
-Keith
David Kotschessa
probably be purchasing this book based on what I've seen. Would you
recommend buying it at any place in particular? (Seems widely
available.)
"Hearing" is the right idea. Jimmy Bruno, said in another thread,
that basically there are about 10 chord progressions and everything
else is really just an elaboration on these. (not his exact words but
something like that, which I am too lazy to look for right now).
Learning to identify these progressions is the key to being able to
play tunes by ear as well as transpose them.
I'm anticipating a book on Jimmy about the subject as well, which he
said he was working on. If he demystifies changes as well as he's
demystified everything else, then we are out of excuses for not
understanding it.
-Dave
Bob Agnew
could take several years to work through if you really play all the changes
until you can identify them on the fly.
"Jos Groot" <gr...@fel.tno.nl> wrote in message
news:3E439C74...@fel.tno.nl...
David Kotschessa
> I bought it over Christmas and haven't got much past Chapter I. This book
> could take several years to work through if you really play all the changes
> until you can identify them on the fly.
>
Years I got...
Dan Adler
> could take several years to work through if you really play all the changes
> until you can identify them on the fly.
>
I don't think that's the intent. The book just summarises the most
commonly used progressions and the songs they appear in. I think
that's incredibly useful. By the time I got this book I already had
figured this out myself, but it would have saved me a lot of time to
have it organized this way.
The book has no meaning unless you do it in conjunction with learning
the tunes, but if you do use it as intended, as a guideline for
identifying commonalities among the standard tunes, you will soon see
why some people can easily memorize hundreds of tunes in any key, and
others can't remember 10.
Bob Agnew
preface. I quote:
"Instead this book focuses on solving a problem that has plauged students of
improvisation since the historical beginnings of jazz, namely learning to
recognize chord progressions instantly, through the ear alone!"
Please note that in the book, the phrase "through the ear alone" is in
boldface type. Now perhaps I misinterpreted that, but I don't think so!
"Dan Adler" <d...@danadler.com> wrote in message
news:820e87.03021...@posting.google.com...
Jos Groot
>
> Thanks for this summary. You may have just sold a copy! I will
> probably be purchasing this book based on what I've seen.
A good decision, I think.
> Would you recommend buying it at any place in particular? (Seems widely
> available.)
I bought it in a local shop. You can order it via the
publisher's website, www.advancemusic.com. The only advantage
I can think of is that ordering there is that they earn
some more money (but your local store does not...).
Jos Groot
Dan Adler
> Well I do beleive that it's the intent because it says so right in the
> preface. I quote:
>
> "Instead this book focuses on solving a problem that has plauged students of
> improvisation since the historical beginnings of jazz, namely learning to
> recognize chord progressions instantly, through the ear alone!"
>
> Please note that in the book, the phrase "through the ear alone" is in
> boldface type. Now perhaps I misinterpreted that, but I don't think so!
Yes, of course that's the goal. Jimmy Bruno had a posting about this
not too long ago, where he said why memorize, just learn to hear it.
Well, the recipe in that book goes something like this: categorize the
progressions, learn the tunes with those progressions, and then learn
recognize (hear) those progressions instantly. But, I was talking
about the process. Don't make it jusr about ear training. Make it
about learning the tunes with your new found understanding of the
progressions. Once you learn the tunes this way you will never be able
to forget them even if you try to...
