Summer of Rhythm … Changes?

[pamosmusic]

The rhythm changes thread has me wanting to play more rhythm changes. I tend to rotate stuff through keys so I work things in 12 day cycles. So I’ve got probably 5.5 of those left before all my school year work kicks up again.

I think I’m going to work on different moves through the rhythm changes in that time rather than trying to tackle a bunch of new tunes.

I’ll try to pick one move that I like for the first four bars and one for the second four in each pass through the cycle of fifths.

I’ll pick sounds I like, so that I can refine them rather than getting weird.

I refuse to play two chords in a bar, so this is what I have (all in Bb).

Six ways of tackling the first four:

1 (half the circle) Bb7, blues for all four measures.
2. Bb major tonal center, a la Lester leaps, for all four measures.
3. Bb - F7 - Bb - F7
4. Bb - Cb7 - Bb - Cb7
5. Gm - D7 - Gm - D7
6. Dm - A7 - Dm - A7

Six ways of tackling the second four:

1 (half the circle) Bb7 - Eb7 - Bb - F7
2. Bb7 - Ebm - Bb - F7
3. Bb7 - Edim - Bb - F7
4. Db7 - Eb7 - Bb - F7
5. Bb7 - A7 - Bb - F7
6. Gb7 - Gb7 - F7 - F7

The A7 and the Edim are a little redundant, but I like that half step resolution enough to work on it I think.

If anyone else has any other moves they like, then let me know.

(I’m joking with Jeff’s thread title but this will not be as exhaustive or helpful. Just thought it would be fun for me.)

EDIT: anyone can post any old thing about their own rhythm changes journey here. Videos or whatever too. Not just me.

[pamosmusic]

Some things I like doing with this stuff:

Root structure triads
Triads from the 3, 5, 7
7th chords
7ths chords from the 3

All those, usually voiceleading in half notes, then with some simple rhythms at an up tempo. Then maybe with simple chromatic approach notes.

Some favorite licks, transposed accordingly. Maybe in this case some stuff derived from rhythm changes bebop tunes.

Some cells and patterns I like.

Scales through the changes in various ways.

Some guide tone things

line building

Focusing on single octave ranges, or on two-string sets a lot of the time.

anyway —- we shall see

[AllanAllen]

I don’t understand why there are six bullet points for four bars.

[pamosmusic]

I don’t understand why there are six bullet points for four bars.

Six variations on each four bar segment

[AllanAllen]

Oh, I thought it was how you navigate each bar. It seemed really, REALLY, complicated.

[pamosmusic]

Oh, I thought it was how you navigate each bar. It seemed really, REALLY, complicated.

Nah, baby. One chord per bar or I’m going home.

So for the first iteration of bars 1-4, I’m doing Bb blues through the whole thing.

[mr. beaumont]

I'm playing Bb blues or I and V on the A no matter what

This is great though...could definitely do a BUNCH of Rhythm videos on RC.

[Cunamara]

I refuse to play two chords in a bar...

Ummmm. What?

[ragman1]

I've got one:

C - G7 - C - G7
C - F - C/G7 - C

That end bit's a bit tricky.

[pamosmusic]

Ummmm. What?

Two chords to a bar at a rhythm changes tempo is a pass from me.

Bb and Gm7 don’t need to be two chords. Cm7 and F7 don’t need to be two chords. Fm7 and Bb7 don’t need to be two chords. Ebm and Ab7 don’t need to be two chords. Etc.

[Bobby Timmons]

No Mo mofos.

[Christian Miller]

Hi everyone. Here's a fun one I'm slowly working through

Good practice for polyrhythms. The A section is 5 on 2 with rhythmic displacements, the bridge 4 over 3. Not bad for the 1950s lol.

Blowing is on the Monk changes (although I think Tatum played them first)

F#7 B7 | E7 A7 | D7 G7 | C7 F7
Bb Bb/D | Eb Eo7 | Bb G-7 | C-7 F7

Chart here
http://www.peterbouffard.com/researc...Evans_Five.pdf

Sorry did I say fun? I meant to spell that absolute pig.

[Christian Miller]

I didn't see this variant, which I call the monte/fonte but normal people might call the 'up and down'

Bb Bo7 | C-7 C#o7 | D-7 G7 | C-7 F7 |

It does require two chords a bar I'm afraid. It simplifies to
Bb | C- | D- | C- |

There's the pure ascending (monte) form
Bb | C- | D- | Eb |

Commonly rendered as
Bb Bo7 | C-7 C#o7 | D-7 D7+ | Eb Eb-6

Bud Powell's Celia is for the first four
Bb^7 | C-7b5 | D- | Eb- |

And you could easily turn that into a Barry Harris maj6 scale pattern (coinkydink? I think not!)

In both cases we have a turnaround for the second four
D-7 G7 | C-7 F7 | Bb | C-7 F7 |
or some variant

Here's what Dick Hyman thinks are the changes to I Got Rhythm. I imagine these are probably based on the original song sheet, but I haven't checked. The B section is complicated lol.



Note - NO FLIPPING G7. Also C-7b5 is an interesting one.

[Christian Miller]

This is less of a 'soloing option' because people don't tend to move to a more standard RC changes when it comes to soloing (people being Nat Cole et al) but the T'aint What You Do/Straighten Up and Fly Right always appealed to me because of that long scale bass.

| Bb Bb7/Ab | Eb/G Bb/F | Eb Bb/D | Cm7 F7 |

(next four bars as normal)

I feel I should say this, but not all RC needs to be at ludicrous speed. Medium bounce rhythm changes is one of life's great pleasures.

[Christian Miller]

Oh I forgot, the modern jazz changes

F7alt for 8 bars.

[Bobby Timmons]

I'd like to note that the backing to rhythm changes necessitates 2 chords per bar. While soloing over it necessitates not always outlining 2 chords per bar.

That Bill tune is great. I was thinking about it the other day. Now I might have to go work on it.

[PMB]

I didn't see this variant, which I call the monte/fonte but normal people might call the 'up and down'

Bb Bo7 | C-7 C#o7 | D-7 G7 | C-7 F7 |

It does require two chords a bar I'm afraid. It simplifies to
Bb | C- | D- | C- |

There's the pure ascending (monte) form
Bb | C- | D- | Eb |

Commonly rendered as
Bb Bo7 | C-7 C#o7 | D-7 D7+ | Eb Eb-6

Bud Powell's Celia is for the first four
Bb^7 | C-7b5 | D- | Eb- |

And you could easily turn that into a Barry Harris maj6 scale pattern (coinkydink? I think not!)

In both cases we have a turnaround for the second four
D-7 G7 | C-7 F7 | Bb | C-7 F7 |
or some variant

Here's what Dick Hyman thinks are the changes to I Got Rhythm. I imagine these are probably based on the original song sheet, but I haven't checked. The B section is complicated lol.



Note - NO FLIPPING G7. Also C-7b5 is an interesting one.

That Dbo7 is in Gershwin's version - actually Eo7 as the tune was originally in Db major. Love that borrowed C natural in the melody on Dbo7 that hangs over from the D-7. Interesting that passing diminished chords occur regularly on the ascent (Bb6 Bo7 C-7 C#o7) but rarely descending. BH remarked on how the biiio7 has all but disappeared.

If we're including two chords per bar, how about Jimmy Heath's 'C.T.A' changes?
Bb7 Ab7 | Gb7 F7 | Bb7 Ab7 | Gb7 F7 |

[mr. beaumont]

Note - NO FLIPPING G7. Also C-7b5 is an interesting one.

C-7b5 just another Ebm6 though, right?

I like the up and down variant. Or at least the Bdim as the second chord.

I think my go to has become

Bb6 Bdim | Cm7 F7 |Dm7 Dbm7 |Cm7 F7 |

Now granted, I wouldn't try playing all these chords if I was comping for someone...or outlining them in a solo...but if I'm playing RHYTHM guitar...

[Christian Miller]

C-7b5 just another Ebm6 though, right?

The bass is funky

I like the up and down variant. Or at least the Bdim as the second chord.

I think my go to has become

Bb6 Bdim | Cm7 F7 |Dm7 Dbm7 |Cm7 F7 |

Now granted, I wouldn't try playing all these chords if I was comping for someone...or outlining them in a solo...but if I'm playing RHYTHM guitar...

Why not the C#o7 as well? That sounds cool esp as a variation.

Soloing wise…

according to Barry bird didn’t play a B in bar 1 which is interesting.

I think one thing I like to avoid these days is making RC sound like two two bar turnarounds. Imo it sounds more elegant to make a complete four bar phrase. Withholding the G7 in bar 1 seems to help with this. This seems more like the way the Bird and Bud did it.

If you are playing the up/down move that seems to make for a longer gesture.


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[mr. beaumont]

I definitely like the C#dim too.

[Christian Miller]

That Dbo7 is in Gershwin's version - actually Eo7 as the tune was originally in Db major. Love that borrowed C natural in the melody on Dbo7 that hangs over from the D-7.

Do you have a link to a scan of the sheet music? It’s difficult to hunt down.

A lot of showy and early versions seem to have 1-6-2-5 in the bass in bars 5-6 interestingly, Ethel Merman, Ethel Waters, Ruthie Henshall etc

Interesting that passing diminished chords occur regularly on the ascent (Bb6 Bo7 C-7 C#o7) but rarely descending. BH remarked on how the biiio7 has all but disappeared.

If we're including two chords per bar, how about Jimmy Heath's 'C.T.A' changes?
Bb7 Ab7 | Gb7 F7 | Bb7 Ab7 | Gb7 F7 |

That’s a cool tune!


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[Bop Head]

Do you have a link to a scan of the sheet music? It’s difficult to hunt down.

A lot of showy and early versions seem to have 1-6-2-5 in the bass in bars 5-6 interestingly, Ethel Merman, Ethel Waters, Ruthie Henshall etc


That’s a cool tune!


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You're all welcome (or should I say "Here ya go mofos"?) ...I Got Rhythm.pdf

EDIT: I posted this already in the other thread(but didn't have the time to analyze myself yet): meet george gershwin at the keyboard : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

[Bop Head]

You're all welcome (or should I say "Here ya go mofos"?) ...I Got Rhythm.pdf

EDIT: I posted this already in the other thread(but didn't have the time to analyze myself yet): meet george gershwin at the keyboard : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

The one I attached seems to be almost exactly the same as the one rpjazzguitar posted in the other thread (apart from a few details like the indented first line).

The movie "An American In Paris" is from 1951, but the typeface used in the tune's title is not from the 50ies and shows that they used the original hand-engraving and only changed the title page -- a typical proceeding for selling vocal/piano scores, I have several examples in my collection with exactly the same engraving for the music but different title pages.

So this should be the same music as the one sold in 1930, at least regarding the piano score.

[AllanAllen]

I like this Barney Kessel Bb6 walk up riff.

[Christian Miller]

You're all welcome (or should I say "Here ya go mofos"?) ...I Got Rhythm.pdf

EDIT: I posted this already in the other thread(but didn't have the time to analyze myself yet): meet george gershwin at the keyboard : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Thanks!


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