The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    Hello -

    I would like to find a not-too-advanced, hopefully somewhat bluesy, Rhythm Changes solo on guitar to transcribe. One chorus would be fine ... it'll take me a long time. Any recommendations?

    I'm an intermediate player, and I can't really transcribe super fast bebop stuff, so hence my qualifier of "not-too-advanced".

    I was getting ready to start on Charlie Christian's "I Got Rhythm", but I thought I'd check if anyone had any other recommendations or suggestions.

    Thank you!!!

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  3. #2

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    Well, if you're open to other instruments, Miles Davis on Oleo, from the Bags Groove album, is great.

    Provided you have slowdown software, because even Miles is pretty quick on that, in spots. It's actually very cool how he uses space on that track (likewise Horace Silver and Sonny Rollins).

  4. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by JazzinNY
    Well, if you're open to other instruments, Miles Davis on Oleo, from the Bags Groove album, is great.

    Provided you have slowdown software, because even Miles is pretty quick on that, in spots. It's actually very cool how he uses space on that track (likewise Horace Silver and Sonny Rollins).
    Thanks! I’m focused more on guitar versions but I’ll check it out. I do have software to slow stuff down but even so, I’m not the best transcriber. The Oleo versions I’ve heard have been pretty quick! Cheers!

  5. #4

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    Scofield have a couple

    Grace under Pressure
    Flat Out
    Wee
    There's also a remarkable version of Steeplechase on one of his DVDs
    Last edited by Average Joe; 05-25-2021 at 02:29 AM.

  6. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by Average Joe
    Scofield have a couple

    Grace under Pressure
    Flat Out
    Wee
    There's also a remarkable version of Steeplechase on one of his DVDs
    Thanks! I have some listening to do today. :-)

  7. #6

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    Kenny Burrell - Kenny's Sound: lots of blue language over rhythm changes.

    Joe Pass - Oleo: off the duo record with NHOP. Lots of Blues on the first chorus and throughout. Its a little quick, so slowing it down could help

    Mike Stern - Lumpy. Lots of Blues at a slow tempo. Bending strings too, who said thats not allowed in jazz. He does play some fast double time licks mixed in as well, but lofs of good slower 8th note stuff to grab.

    If you aren't familiar, YouTube has an option to play things back at 75% and 50% speed. Definitely my friend when transcribing some fast parts.

  8. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by Paulie2
    Kenny Burrell - Kenny's Sound: lots of blue language over rhythm changes.

    Joe Pass - Oleo: off the duo record with NHOP. Lots of Blues on the first chorus and throughout. Its a little quick, so slowing it down could help

    Mike Stern - Lumpy. Lots of Blues at a slow tempo. Bending strings too, who said thats not allowed in jazz. He does play some fast double time licks mixed in as well, but lofs of good slower 8th note stuff to grab.

    If you aren't familiar, YouTube has an option to play things back at 75% and 50% speed. Definitely my friend when transcribing some fast parts.
    Awesome, thank you! I'm excited to check out the Kenny Burrell - his playing and tone always knocks me out.

    Everyone here is so helpful, it's really wonderful.

  9. #8

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    Thanks for the input everyone. After listening, the Kenny Burrell solo is the one most up my alley - straight ahead sound, very bluesy, and man, he swings! It'll be a challenge for me to play at his tempo, but if I can lift a chorus, I can use that as a basis for my own exploration at a slower tempo. :-) I may explore some line from the other suggestions at a future date, so thanks again for the terrific suggestion. I've enjoyed the listening. :-)

    Now to check the changes and key ...

    Cheers!

  10. #9

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    Second Balcony Jump, Dexter Gordon

  11. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by djg
    This is fantastic, thank you!

  12. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by djg
    here's more:

    This is an embarrassment of riches - thank you! I have enough to keep me busy, at my slow pace, for 3-4 years!

  13. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by GuitarJay
    This is an embarrassment of riches - thank you! I have enough to keep me busy, at my slow pace, for 3-4 years!
    Keep doing it and you'll get a whole lot faster. Nice one.

  14. #13

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    Miles Davis Oleo with Sonny Rollins.

  15. #14

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    Don’t sleep on bop heads as a goldmine of language and ideas as well.

  16. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by christianm77
    Don’t sleep on bop heads as a goldmine of language and ideas as well.
    I've come across this advice many times, but I think my ear is not yet attuned to a lot of bop. I’m getting there and listening will help.

    My immediate goals are the bluesy side of the jazz language and soul jazz and being able to take a couple choruses without sounding too amateurish.

    Boogaloo Joe Jones, the bluesy Grant Green, a lot of Kenny Burrell, that’s where my ear is, currently. I love Martino but aside from some ideas from Linear Expressions, I don’t think his influence shows up in my playing.
    It’s a journey and a process!

  17. #16

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    Quote Originally Posted by GuitarJay
    I've come across this advice many times, but I think my ear is not yet attuned to a lot of bop. I’m getting there and listening will help.

    My immediate goals are the bluesy side of the jazz language and soul jazz and being able to take a couple choruses without sounding too amateurish.

    Boogaloo Joe Jones, the bluesy Grant Green, a lot of Kenny Burrell, that’s where my ear is, currently. I love Martino but aside from some ideas from Linear Expressions, I don’t think his influence shows up in my playing.
    It’s a journey and a process!
    Learning bop heads by ear is an excellent way to attune your ear to bop.

  18. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by djg
    try to learn the head of "serpent's tooth". shouldn't take too long and teaches you more about rhythm changes that say moose the mooche, anthropology or oleo. also the rollins solo on newks fadeaway has been study material for generations.



    Well a lot of what I learn from Anthropology, MTM, Oleo (and for that matter Dexter) was ‘it’s in Bb doofus!’ Not a bad thing to learn. Not only that though.

    A lot more rhythmic imagination in those heads than in the Miles composition.

    Rhythmic freedom as a trade off against more generalised harmony?

  19. #18

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    Quote Originally Posted by djg
    i agree that anthropology or moose the mooche teach you a lot about jazz rhythms. otoh serpent's tooth (a jimmy heath composition iirc) or donna lee teach you more about navigating changes than the above tunes.
    I learned a lot about navigating changes from the other heads too; how to be economical. ST is more like a study, though, it’s true, and it does have this in common with DL and Little Willie Leaps. Maybe a good starting point.

    the more the merrier!

  20. #19

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    TBH I’m in two minds about teaching learners on things like Rhythm changes to take a generalised/simple approach and building up complexity or work straight away at learning to express every chord and only simplifying later.

  21. #20

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    I do realize there is a lot to explore re: rhythm changes. I'll be very happy if I can improvise simple, bluesy type lines without sounding like I'm simply playing Bb blues lines. That's my incremental goal.

    I appreciate all the suggestions and discussion - thank you all!

  22. #21

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    In terms of solos that have a relatively simple melodic/harmonic/rhythmic profile, check out Dexter Gordon's on Second Balcony Jump. Here's a completely diatonic line from his solo that's easy to play and perfectly outlines the changes (@ 1'36"):

    Recommendations for Rhythm Changes to Transcribe?-sbj-jpeg



    Edit: Just noticed that Christian's already suggested this track.
    Last edited by PMB; 05-27-2021 at 08:23 PM.

  23. #22

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    As far as guitar versions go, this solo by Billy Bean contains some great ideas:


  24. #23

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    Date: Thu, 12 Feb 1998 21:54:55 -0500 (EST)
    From: Kimberly Stephans <kstephan@indiana.edu>
    Subject: Re: Rhythm ChangesTim,
    Well, you asked for it, here it is: a Very Incomplete Yet Still Very Long List of Tunes Based on Rhythm Changes.
    [ahem...]
    Allen's Alley (AKA Wee) Denzil Best
    Almost David Baker
    Anthropology (AKA Thrivin' From a Riff) Parker/Gillespie
    Apple Honey Woody Herman
    Bop Kick Nat Cole
    Boppin' a Riff Sonny Stitt
    Brown Gold Art Pepper
    Bud's Bubble Bud Powell
    Call the Police Nat Cole (?)
    Calling Dr. Jazz Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis
    Celerity Charlie Parker
    Chant of the Groove Coleman Hawkins (?)
    Chasin' the Bird Charlie Parker
    Cheers "" ""
    Constellation "" ""
    Coolie Rini Howard McGhee
    Coppin' the Bop J.J. Johnson
    Cottontail Duke Ellington
    Delerium Tadd Dameron
    Dexter's Deck Dexter Gordon
    Dexterity Charlie Parker
    Don't Be That Way Edgar Sampson
    Dorothy Howard McGhee
    The Duel Dexter Gordon
    Eb Pob Fats Navarro/Leo Parker
    Fat Girl Fats Navarro
    Father Steps In Dixon/Randall/Hines/Fox
    Fifty Second Street Theme Thelonius Monk
    The Flintstones Hoyt Curtain
    Fox Hunt J.J. Johnson
    Goin' To Minton's Fats Navarro
    Good Queen Bess Duke Ellington
    The Goof and I Al Cohn
    Hamp's Paws Hampton Hawes
    Harlem Swing Nat Cole (?)
    Hollerin' and Screamin' Eddie Davis
    I'm an Errand Boy for Rhythm Nat Cole (?)
    In Walked Horace J.J. Johnson
    Jay Jay "" ""
    Jaybird "" ""
    The Jeep is Jumpin' Duke Ellington
    Jug Handle Gene Ammons
    Juggernaut "" ""
    Juggin' Around Frank Foster
    Jumpin' at the Woodside Count Basie
    Lemon Drop George Wallington
    Lester Leaps In Lester Young
    Lila Mae Nat Cole (?)
    The Little Man on the White Keys " "
    Miss Thing Count Basie
    Moody Speaks (original version) James Moody/Dave Burns
    Moody's Got Rhythm James Moody
    Moose the Mooche Charlie Parker
    Mop, Mop Gaillard/Stewert/Tatum
    Newk's Fadeway Sonny Rollins
    No Moe " "
    Northwest Passage Herman/Jackson/Burns
    O Go Mo Sonny Rollins
    Oleo " "
    On the Scene Gillespie/Fuller/Roberts
    One Bass Hit Dizzy Gillespie
    Opp-Bop-Sha-Bam " "
    An Oscar for Treadwell " "
    Ow Charlie Greenlea
    Passport Charlie Parker
    Pogo Stick Bounce Eden Ahbez
    Raid the Joint Erskine Hawkins (?)
    Red Cross Charlie Parker
    Rhythm in a Riff Billy Eckstine
    Rhythm Sam Nat Cole (?)
    Rhythm-a-ning Thelonius Monk
    Salt Peanuts Dizzy Gillespie
    Seven Come Eleven Charlie Christian
    Shag Sidney Bechet
    Shaw Nuff Dizzy Gillespie
    Shoo Shoo Baby Phil Moore
    Solid Potato Salad DePaul/Prince/Raye
    Sonnyside Sonny Stitt
    Squatty Roo Johnny Hodges
    Stay On It Tadd Dameron
    Steeplechase Charlie Parker
    Straighten Up and Fly Right Nat Cole
    The Street Beat C. Thompson/ Robert Mellin
    Strictly Confidential Bud Powell
    Swedish Schnapps Charlie Shavers
    Swing Spring J.J. Johnson
    Swingin' With Diane Art Pepper
    Syntax J.J. Johnson
    Ta-de-ah Nat Cole (?)
    The Theme Miles Davis
    Tiptoe Thad Jones
    Turnpike J.J. Johnson
    Wail Bud Powell
    Webb City " "
    Wee (AKA Allen's Alley) Dizzy Gillespie
    Who's Who Art Farmer
    Wire Brush Stomp Gene Krupa (?)
    XYZ Budd Johnson
    Yeah Man J. Russel Robinson

    And then of course there are a bunch of Aebersold tunes over Rhythm changes:
    Ah! A Bossa
    Almost Like...
    Bebop O'Rooney
    Blue Top Expresso
    Climbing Up
    Flat Tire! Flat Tire!
    Groovin'
    Homecourt Advantage
    Is This Blues?
    Oh, Yell!
    Put On Your Thinking Cap
    Slidin' Home
    Weaving Thru Changes


    AND, there are plenty of tunes that use Rhythm changes, but alter the A section or use a different bridge. But I think that's another post
    altogether....
    Hope that's enough to get you started! All of the tunes above were taken from a list in David Baker's book "How to Learn Tunes" (Volume 76), which is published by Jamey Aebersold Jazz, Inc.
    And yes, the class with David Baker was absolutely incredible! I've never felt so overwhelmed in my life -- on the other hand, I've also never had so much fun in a class (although this semester's jazz combo course with Pat Harbison is pretty awesome too).
    Kimberly
    kstephan@indiana.edu

    Rhythm Changes

    That's where I got most of my rhythm changes from...

    I almost have 300 songs on my itunes Rhythm Changes playlist.

    Anymore I should add? Love CTA, not sure why it ain't on the list.

  25. #24

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    Quote Originally Posted by djg
    you learned how to be economical through moose the mooche? probably in a do-the-opposite way?
    j/k, but tbh there are heads that drive me nuts with their small variations like anthropology and MtM

    somehow i always preferred sonny stitt's almost lazy heads over RC.





    Well it often boils down to one or two important notes the harmony. A Gb here, a B natural there.

  26. #25

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    Quote Originally Posted by GuitarJay
    I do realize there is a lot to explore re: rhythm changes. I'll be very happy if I can improvise simple, bluesy type lines without sounding like I'm simply playing Bb blues lines. That's my incremental goal.

    I appreciate all the suggestions and discussion - thank you all!
    If that's your goal, may I recommend leaning into the blues in bar 6; play an Eb7/Bb minor blues scale there.

    You can play blues over the whole thing, but obviously then you would be playing Bb blues lines:-)

    Also - the Bb major blues scale.