Ending chords and progressions

**jazzninja** · 02-07-2011, 06:22 PM

I wanted to get some more ideas for the endings of tunes. Here are the ones I know and use regularly:

1) maj7 13
2) maj6 9
3) maj7 #11
4) bIImaj7 Imaj7
5) bIIImaj7 bVImaj7 bIImaj7 bVmaj7 I
6) The A train ending
7) The Basie ending
8) bII13 I13
9) Im69
10) bVmaj#11
11) The james bond chord

It would be great to hear if you have any more.
Thanks

**AZanshin** · 02-07-2011, 08:14 PM

Can some actually explain the a train ending? I hear guys making reference to it but i actually don't know what it is.

**bako** · 02-07-2011, 08:56 PM

c---e---f----f#---//g----a--b--c-------c9#11
1---2---3---4----//1----+--2--+--3---4

The notes and rhythm of the A Train Ending

(For some reason this post wouldn't retain Capital letters, something that I've done many times here)

**ksjazzguitar** · 02-08-2011, 01:22 AM

I do a different rhythm for the A-Train ending:

.1..&..2..&..3..&..4..&..1..&..2..&..3...
.|.....|.....|.....|.....|.....|.....|
--------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
-3--------------------------0--2--3---
----0--------1-----2-----3------------

It usually played down low, often by the bass, when you land on the tonic for the last time. It's also called the Ellington Ending. There are also things you can play above it, but this is the basic. Often there is a big, fermata-ed chord on beat 4 there of the second measure, usually either a IMaj7 or I7, often with a #11.

Another ending I like, is the what I call the "tritone walkdown," but maybe there is a better name for it. The melody pedals on the tonic, and the bass walks down chromatically from the b5, with the chord harmonizied to those. It is a great way to end a ballad. In C, it might look like this (for solo guitar):

-8---8---8---8---8---8---2---
-10--9---8---6---7---6---3---
-9---8---7---6---7---6---2---
-10--10--6---5---7---5---2---
-9---8---7---6---5---4---3---
-----------------------------

They are usually half notes. There are other harmonizations, but these are the ones that I usually use. The chords, in this key, are F#m7b5-Fm7-E7#5#9-Eb13-D7-DbMaj7#11-C6/9#11. You can also keep the tonic in the top voice for the last chord, but I prefer this.

This chord progression shows up in a lot of songs too, like the end of the A-section in "Night and Day." It sometimes also works as a reharm sometimes, like I often reharm the last A section of "They Can't Take That Away from Me" with it. I sometimes do the same on "Over the Rainbow" and "I'm Beginning to See the Light" with some slight adjustment.

Peace,
Kevin

**Silence** · 02-08-2011, 01:40 PM

I had no idea I was playing "The A-train" ending this whole time! I just knew it sounded great.

**Stackabones** · 02-08-2011, 02:02 PM

Originally Posted by jazzninja

5) bIIImaj7 bVImaj7 bIImaj7 bVmaj7 I

aka the Tadd Dameron turnaround!

I usually don't hit the bVmaj7, but instead go back to the I.

bIIImaj7 bVImaj7 bIImaj7 I

And that I can be any flavor though I usually favor Imaj7, Imaj9, I6/9 -- you could use any of those on the list you provided.

*

Sometimes I'll just tag the first bar or two bars of the A sections -- gives certain tunes an open-ended feel. Like at the end of All Of Me, I'll just quote the melody on the notes "All of me" and hit a final chord.

**ksjazzguitar** · 02-08-2011, 02:46 PM

I guess we could add to that:

I-I7-IV-iv-I

or even just:

I-iv6-I

or:

I-I7/3-IV-#IVdim7-I

In minor, sometimes I prefer to end it on a IV7 too.

Peace,
Kevin

**Stackabones** · 02-08-2011, 02:54 PM

Originally Posted by ksjazzguitar

I guess we could add to that:

I-I7-IV-iv-I

IIRC I've heard the gypsy jazzers call that the Christophe turnaround or something like that. I know it's in L'Esprit Manouche by Romane. See if I can dig it out of a pile of books to check. Probably goes by other names, too.

**ksjazzguitar** · 02-08-2011, 03:06 PM

Could be. But it's very common in country music and can even be found in classical. Sometimes people give things weird names. Like people who call the iv chord the "Beatle's chord."

Personally, I find the "I-I7-IV-iv-I" a little corny, but if I'm doing a standard with kind of a "country" or "down home" flavor, I might throw it on.

Peace,
Kevin

**mr. beaumont** · 02-08-2011, 03:27 PM

Originally Posted by ksjazzguitar

Sometimes people give things weird names. Like people who call the iv chord the "Beatle's chord."

Yes.

Especially when we all know the Beatles chord is a 6/9.

**Stackabones** · 02-08-2011, 03:32 PM

Originally Posted by ksjazzguitar

Could be. But it's very common in country music and can even be found in classical. Sometimes people give things weird names. Like people who call the iv chord the "Beatle's chord."

I bit surprised that you're seemingly uninterested in nomenclature. Your succinct response has unsettled me.

**ksjazzguitar** · 02-08-2011, 03:46 PM

Originally Posted by Stackabones

I bit surprised that you're seemingly uninterested in nomenclature. Your succinct response has unsettled me.

Maybe it's an impostor!

No, nomenclature is great. But what a bunch a gypsy players call a certain ending really isn't relevant to me, since I don't play gypsy. Not every chord change has a cute name.

If I said "Christophe turnaround" on a gig, I think that I'd get a lot of blank stares. It's interesting info I guess, I'm just not sure how useful it is.

Peace,
Kevin

**Stackabones** · 02-08-2011, 04:00 PM

Originally Posted by ksjazzguitar

Not every chord change has a cute name.

With a little effort, that can be changed! To arms!!!

**ksjazzguitar** · 02-08-2011, 04:47 PM

OK, for my "tritone walkdown" I propose "fluffy bunny tickle cookie."

Peace,
Kevin

**Stackabones** · 02-08-2011, 08:15 PM

Originally Posted by ksjazzguitar

OK, for my "tritone walkdown" I propose "fluffy bunny tickle cookie."

Peace,
Kevin

Call it at the next gig!

"It's just a rhythm changes thing in Bb and we'll tag the ending with a fluffy bunny tickle cookie ... ah 1 ah 2 ... "

**ksjazzguitar** · 02-08-2011, 10:51 PM

I one wrote a tune called "Big Tomato." It had a really cool chord progression. I dreamed that one day it would catch on. Somewhere on a band stand, some band leader would call out some tune. The bass player would say that he didn't know the song. The bandleader would coolly reply, "It's easy, 'Tomato' changes in Gm. ... ah 1 ah 2 ..."

Peace,
Kevin

**Jazz Maniac** · 02-16-2011, 12:47 PM

How should I end progression if tune is in key of E major, style is bossa nova? I end it simplest possible with B7, Emaj7

I have some more ideas, but they don't fit in bossa nova style.

**klezmando** · 03-10-2011, 02:41 PM

What is the James Bond Chord?

**wolflen** · 03-10-2011, 03:17 PM

Originally Posted by klezmando

What is the James Bond Chord?

its the chord that makes the bad guys car blow up.....

G B D# F# may be called Eminor with a major 7 (no root) often seen as EmiMA7 .... needs a bit of reverb/trem to feel "bondie"

**youns** · 03-10-2011, 04:27 PM

Hi everyone, I don't understand it but I love this one :

Waltz for Debby ending :
V7 - instead of Imaj7 : bVImaj7 - bIImaj7 - IIImaj7 - IImaj7 - V7#9 - Imaj7

**klezmando** · 03-12-2011, 01:15 AM

Thanks. Isn't it a #5 with the D#?

**RunningBeagle** · 03-12-2011, 03:52 AM

Originally Posted by klezmando

Thanks. Isn't it a #5 with the D#?

Yes. The way he's written it is as an Aug maj7. If you put it over an E in the bass you get the Eminmaj9.

I don't know where I got this, but I believe that the "James Bond" chord is a specific voicing with two open E strings:

0 10 9 8 7 0

Those middle four notes have already been given. I just seem to recall there were some open Es in there too.