My 3 essential chord pattern exercises

**Jimmy Smith** · 03-31-2024, 10:15 PM

There are lots of friggin exercises, but I've narrowed it down to 3 chord patterns for getting your chops up with working through chords in time. Cuz you gotta be able to flow through chords in time to play jazz.

1. A single chord.
2. 4 bar pattern of 2 / 5 / 1 / 3 6.
3. Jazz blues changes.

I find this makes for perfect stepping stones of easy, medium, full. Keeps it simple while being effective.

Can work anything over these chord patterns: melody, comping, basslines. Can work theory over them such as scales, arps, intervals, or patterns. Work them in all major and minor keys.

A single chord is essential because how can you say you have your chops up if you can't run material well over 1 chord? Lol! Helps for beginning to work up difficult material that you don't have under your fingers yet.

The 4 bar loop is the most logical and basic chord pattern I could come up with which flows well on itself and gets all the basic chords in there except for the 4.

Then jump to the most common song form in jazz, the bluez. Gotta have your bluez down to play jazz well. (Well some greats aren't very bluesy, but it helps.) Jazz blues changes I use are, in the key of C as an example, and extensions or subs can be added:

C7 / F7 / C7 / G-7 C7
F7 / F#o7 / C7 / E-7 A7
D-7 / G7 / C7 A7 / D-7 G7

**AllanAllen** · 04-01-2024, 09:41 AM

You don't play bar 6 as F#diminished? That chord is my favorite part. Or maybe you simplified for the post.

**pamosmusic** · 04-01-2024, 09:55 AM

Originally Posted by AllanAllen

You don't play bar 6 as F#diminished? That chord is my favorite part. Or maybe you simplified for the post.

I like just leaving it as the IV chord because it’s a jumping off point for lots of common subs. Like the #ivdim or the iv etc.

Its easier for me to use the simpler version to get to the others.

As an aside … watch Christians diminished stuff video for an idea of what the bebop dudes would be playing over that diminished chord anyway

**Jimmy Smith** · 04-01-2024, 10:21 AM

Originally Posted by AllanAllen

You don't play bar 6 as F#diminished? That chord is my favorite part. Or maybe you simplified for the post.

Yes, what panasonic said.

**Reg** · 04-01-2024, 12:12 PM

Yea Dim.. suck...LOL

all Dim have or imply two tritones which opens door for 4 Dom7th chords, which all have subs and then there are the related II-s and subs....

**Reg** · 04-01-2024, 12:34 PM

Great idea for thread.. Jimmy

Does seems like your using the standard Chord Pattern of ... I VI II V. Which has a million variations and the best part... any of the chords can become the Tonal Target.

And as you introduced the II- V7 of II- or as you notated the III VI .... which would imply your still using the tonal reference of I or C as in your example.

So when you make or imply an analysis ... your implying extensions, which gets a little more complicated.

But if you make a choice as to how your going to organize what the extensions are... the Harmonic rhythm will work much better, have a better feel. I'm not getting technical LOL Also you can Frame or imply Blue Notes.... which kind of is the point when playing a blues... Right? At least somewhat up the list of importance.

I do agree with you totally about the Blues influence and having to get them DOWN. It's the best door to open for most audiences ... even stuck up Jazz aficionados... will usually give it up... LOL

**Jimmy Smith** · 04-01-2024, 01:09 PM

Thx Reg. Yes, I try to work with what you were talking about how to treat the 2 5s, or 2 5s elsewhere in the key such as 3 6s. I have 3 main approaches, a major 2 5 and a minor 2 5. The major 2 5 my most basic approach is minor 7 to dom 7 b9 and play dorian to diminished over it. The minor 2 5 I'll play half diminished to some sort of altered 7 and usually play locrian or locrian natural 2 to whole tone, diminished, or diminished whole tone. I experiment with doing major or minor 2 5s over 3 6s. Beyond those 2 approaches, I just try to experiment with altering the tonality with the extensions and associated scales to create some sort of rational tonality that fits in the song. If you have any methods for choosing a tonality besides the ones I mentioned, I'd be interested.

**rpjazzguitar** · 04-01-2024, 02:37 PM

If you're playing a basic pattern and you want to select extensions, apparently there's a way to do this with harmonic organization if I understand Reg. I would greatly appreciate an example with an explanation of the organization.

My approach, to the degree that I have one, is to start with the melody line I want the comping to create. Not the melody of the tune, but the countermelody (if that's the right term) created by the top note of the comped chords.

So, for example, if the chord sequence is A7 D7 G7, I could conceivably start with C in the soprano (top note of the chord). That give me a #9 sound and I have to pick, typically, if I'm going with an F or an F# as the next lower note. I hear the F# as more jagged, or something, so it's which sound I want. I think that I tend to use the F if the next chord is a tonic D and I tend to use the F# if the next chord is a Dominant, but I'm not really sure how I do it on the fly.

The next note, still on the A7, might be Bb. That give a #9 to b9 movement, which usually sounds good.

Then the chord changes. If I continue my descending line, I put an A on top of the D9. My pinkie is free to add the B, or I could lower the A to Ab. I think others will think of this as going to melodic minor or blue note, but I just think of it as getting the #11 sound.

Then, moving to G, I could use Ab (probably as E/G or G13b9) and then G13 with the root on top. To get to C from there, I'd probably think of an Eb on top of the Gdominant, i.e. G7b13. That would put a D on top of the C (C69) and out of habit, I might move that around in stacks of fourths (that is, run C69 through the Cmajor scale).

So, to the extent that this might reflect a kind of harmonic organization it's the result of the melody line and awareness of what these chords sound like.

If I'm missing a theoretical process that results in something different, I hope somebody will be kind enough to explain it -- preferably in baby talk.

**Reg** · 04-01-2024, 06:36 PM

hey Rick... yes there is much more. Not that what your doing is wrong. It's just that there are many other ways which basically mechanically imply what extensions work together in different contexts.

So you need a tonal reference from which to base your Harmonic organization on.

Do you know the basic Dom. terminology

Dom. Resolution and Dom Cadence... Dom Cadence usually implies the Tonic and resolution implies just that... all the other Dom harmonic movement.

Types of labels... Secondary, Extended, Cycles or Sequential dominants

and then Subs.

Also the relative and parallel references.... and the expanded versions using Modal Interchange

You have the Key with implied Tonic and then there are keys of the moment still with relationships to the Tonic. Many Doms. have duel types of function which also gives you options for extensions.

And the Chord Patterns can become like a single reference.... function like one chord.

Anyway pick a simple tune and I'll make a few analysis which can represent different choices for extensions.

**Reg** · 04-01-2024, 06:45 PM

Hey Jimmy... sorry, don't want to mess up your thread. You just opened a really cool door.

It's not really that technical or theory related.... more of Plug and Play options.

**ragman1** · 04-01-2024, 07:00 PM

Originally Posted by Jimmy Smith

The 4 bar loop is the most logical and basic chord pattern I could come up with which flows well on itself and gets all the basic chords in there except for the 4.

It does. You can alter the 6 before the two, that's more fun. I don't know why the 4's a problem. Play it m6 or #o, both are right. Or use the backdoor.

Jazz blues changes I use are, in the key of C as an example, and extensions or subs can be added

Except that most jazz blues are in Bb, F or G... Incidentally, the same extensions don't necessarily work over every key. At least not on the guitar. What sounds good as a #9 in one key may sound better as a #5 in another.

**pamosmusic** · 04-01-2024, 07:08 PM

Originally Posted by ragman1

Except that most jazz blues are in Bb, F or G... Incidentally, the same extensions don't necessarily work over every key. At least not on the guitar. What sounds good as a #9 in one key may sound better as a #5 in another.

C Jam Blues and Cheryl come to mind immediately in C.

Not sure what you’re on about with the latter part. You mean that a #9 might sound good over a I chord but not over a IV chord, or you mean literally that G7 in a G blues will sound good with a #9, but C7 won’t? Or something?

**rpjazzguitar** · 04-01-2024, 07:22 PM

Originally Posted by Reg

hey Rick... yes there is much more. Not that what your doing is wrong. It's just that there are many other ways which basically mechanically imply what extensions work together in different contexts.

So you need a tonal reference from which to base your Harmonic organization on.

Do you know the basic Dom. terminology

Dom. Resolution and Dom Cadence... Dom Cadence usually implies the Tonic and resolution implies just that... all the other Dom harmonic movement.

Types of labels... Secondary, Extended, Cycles or Sequential dominants

and then Subs.

Also the relative and parallel references.... and the expanded versions using Modal Interchange

You have the Key with implied Tonic and then there are keys of the moment still with relationships to the Tonic. Many Doms. have duel types of function which also gives you options for extensions.

And the Chord Patterns can become like a single reference.... function like one chord.

Anyway pick a simple tune and I'll make a few analysis which can represent different choices for extensions.

Great! How about All Of Me? Simple tune to get some of the basic concepts clear.

TBH, I don't know what most of those terms refer to, at least not exactly. Often, though, when I finally figure out some terminology, it closely parallels something I think of using different terms.

**ragman1** · 04-01-2024, 11:26 PM

Originally Posted by pamosmusic

C Jam Blues and Cheryl come to mind immediately in C.

I didn't say there weren't any.

Not sure what you’re on about with the latter part. You mean that a #9 might sound good over a I chord but not over a IV chord, or you mean literally that G7 in a G blues will sound good with a #9, but C7 won’t? Or something?

I meant 7#9 and 7#5. Sorry, not clear.

I said it because the way I play a 3-6-2-5-1 often depends on whether I start on a 5th string root, like Em7, or a sixth string root, like Bm7. It's a fingering thing.

Let's say I played Em7 - Eb7b5 - Dm7 - G13 - C69. But I wouldn't play Bm7 - Bb7b5 - Am7 - D13 - G69 because it's awkward. I'd play Bm7 - Bbo - Am7 - Ab7b5 - G6. Does that make sense?

I thought, maybe wrongly, that Jimmy was inferring that the same extensions and subs could simply be interchanged whatever the key. But I was talking about the guitar rather than the keyboard. Maybe on the keyboard you can just swap, I wouldn't know. You probably can.

**pamosmusic** · 04-01-2024, 11:51 PM

Originally Posted by ragman1

I didn't say there weren't any.

I meant 7#9 and 7#5. Sorry, not clear.

I said it because the way I play a 3-6-2-5-1 often depends on whether I start on a 5th string root, like Em7, or a sixth string root, like Bm7. It's a fingering thing.

Let's say I played Em7 - Eb7b5 - Dm7 - G13 - C69. But I wouldn't play Bm7 - Bb7b5 - Am7 - D13 - G69 because it's awkward. I'd play Bm7 - Bbo - Am7 - Ab7b5 - G6. Does that make sense?

I thought, maybe wrongly, that Jimmy was inferring that the same extensions and subs could simply be interchanged whatever the key. But I was talking about the guitar rather than the keyboard. Maybe on the keyboard you can just swap, I wouldn't know. You probably can.

You definitely should be able to play the same assortment of extensions regardless of the key.

**Jimmy Smith** · 04-02-2024, 01:27 AM

Originally Posted by Reg

Hey Jimmy... sorry, don't want to mess up your thread. You just opened a really cool door.

It's not really that technical or theory related.... more of Plug and Play options.

All good. Tangents don't bother me on my threads.

**Jimmy Smith** · 04-02-2024, 01:47 AM

Originally Posted by ragman1

Except that most jazz blues are in Bb, F or G.

Bro, like I've explained before, I just wrote the chord pattern in C as an example. It's meant to be transferable to any key. Do you think I only play blues in C? I practice and play in all 24 keys and am fluent in them. I just spent several days in Gb. Blue Monk in Gb, cookin some Autumn Leavz in F# minor. Better watch it!

Incidentally, the same extensions don't necessarily work over every key. At least not on the guitar. What sounds good as a #9 in one key may sound better as a #5 in another.

...I thought, maybe wrongly, that Jimmy was inferring that the same extensions and subs could simply be interchanged whatever the key. But I was talking about the guitar rather than the keyboard. Maybe on the keyboard you can just swap, I wouldn't know. You probably can.

Yes, on keys you can more or less interchange parts whatever the key. It gets muddy earlier on organ so you run into that constraint, but there's enough room overall to play parts identically regardless of the key.

**ragman1** · 04-02-2024, 07:45 AM

Originally Posted by pamosmusic

You definitely should be able to play the same assortment of extensions regardless of the key.

That's a theoretical answer. Of course I can, or one can, but they don't all necessarily sound the same, nor are they particularly guitar-friendly. Or, rather, player-friendly. I'm not sure you're getting this!

There's an absolutely valid point to this. It's largely a matter of voicings.

**pamosmusic** · 04-02-2024, 07:59 AM

Originally Posted by ragman1

That's a theoretical answer. Of course I can, or one can, but they don't all necessarily sound the same, nor are they particularly guitar-friendly. Or, rather, player-friendly. I'm not sure you're getting this!

There's an absolutely valid point to this. It's largely a matter of voicings.

Lol. Okay.

Obviously not all voicings sound the same, but that doesn’t mean a #5 sounds good in one key and bad on the same chord in another key. There are a gazillion voicings for any particular chord, most of which give you the extension you need above the low interval limit.