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JAZZADVICE RECOMMENDS

DECEMBER 17TH, 2010

Learn techniques to improve 10x

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By Eric

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for Jazz Improvisation

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A reader recently wrote:

We are Forrest and Eric. Weve learned from a ton of
great musicians (Mulgrew Miller, Rich Perry and
many more). We are sharing anything that continues
to inspire us as musicians and creative individuals
alike. Enjoy.

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I was reading your 6 mistakes article and was intrigued by the first rule. I
would be more than happy to toss my lousy sixth edition real book, but have
some questions about learning tunes by ear. When Im blowing through
changes or learning licks, it all comes down to the chords. So I depend on
the changes in the book. On recordings, a lot of the time all I can hear is the
linear solo, and cant hear the changes in the rhythm section. So when I
learn a standard by ear, how should I approach figuring out the changes?
This is a great question and one that Ive often struggled with myself. Sure, its simple
enough to get the melody from a record without looking at a book, but deciphering all
the chord changes can be another story. Whether its because of a poorly recorded
track, a fast tempo, or just flat-out inexperience, taking the time to figure out each
chord to a standard can be frustrating.

So why not look up the changes in a real book?

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A chart in the real book represents just one version of a tune taken from one recording.
That chart may have been based on substituted chord changes, a different key, or
even an embellished melody. You have no way of knowing unless you check out the
record for yourself. Many times, I have learned a tune from a book only to realize too
late that its normally played in a different key. Before you learn a tune, make sure you
are getting the definitive progression by checking out numerous recordings.
Its also important to note that just because the melody and chord progression are
printed in the real book, doesnt mean that theyre correct. I remember Mulgrew
Mulgrew giving an example about his own experience in learning tunes from a book.
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As a young musician, Mulgrew said that he had learned the tune Four from his real
book. Some time later he was playing the tune again, this time as a sideman to a well
know saxophonist.
After the set, the leader brought him aside and informed him that he was consistently
playing an incorrect chord throughout the tune. Surprised, he went back to the
recording and found that sure enough, he had learned that wrong chord from the real
book. By actually hearing the progression instead of reading it, the correct chord
became painfully obvious. Mulgrew stressed that the answers are all there in the
recording, you just have to have the drive to get them.

Start to improve your ears

Aside from a lack of variety and errors, the main reason to toss the real book is to
develop the ability to figure out chord progressions by ear. Having this skill is
necessary to actually navigating chord progressions in a logical and creative way. As
you improve, youll be able to hear chord progressions go by and know the quality and
function of each chord aurally.
Conversely, by memorizing the changes from a real book, youre visually inputting
each chord. As you go to improvise youll be restricted to thinking only of chord names
(C, Ab7, D-9, G7, etc.) rather than the unique sound of each chord. Essentially,
turning improvising from an intuitive musical activity into a limited mental exercise.
Remember that your focus should always be on the sound of the chords, not on
memorizing chord symbols.
Here are a few techniques that have helped me to figure out chord progressions:

Find as many versions of a standard as you can

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The great thing about being a jazz musician in the information age, is having access to
nearly every standard at your fingertips. Go to youtube and type in the name of a
standard and see how many versions come up. This is a invaluable resource in
learning standards. Not only do you have access to hundreds of tunes, but also
multiple versions and instrumentation of each tune. To make sure you are getting the
correct progression, compare as many versions as you can.
When you are learning a tune for the first time though, be sure to look for the clearest
and simplest version. Getting a Brad Mehldau record, where the standard you are
trying to learn is reharmonized and in 7 is not going to help you here. Instead, look for
a version where the rhythm section is clearly defining the chord progressions; a
recording with a vocalist is usually a good bet.

Focus on root movement

The most direct way to figure out a chord progression is to focus on the roots of all the
chords. In other words, listening to what the bass player is doing. Often, for horn
players like myself, when we listen to chord progressions, our ears go straight to the
upper structures because that is what were accustomed to playing. By making
yourself focus on the root of each chord, it will be much easier to identify the
movement between chords.
If you are having some difficulty hearing or singing the roots of the chords, this is a
sign that you need to concentrate on some ear training exercises during your practice.
One exercise is to play a triad or chord at the piano and try to sing the root of each
chord. Focus on how the root sounds in relation to the other pitches and how it feels to
sing that pitch. Every chord tone has a unique characteristic and the root is no
exception.

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TOPICS

Listen for chord quality and ii-Vs

At the same time that you are listening for the root movement, focus on the quality of
each chord. Is it major, minor, half-diminished, dominant, diminished, etc.?
Determining the quality will give you a big clue to the function of the chord and where
the progression is headed.
The majority of every standard that you learn will have a ii-V progression at some point.
Recognizing the sound of this common progression will speed up the process of
figuring out the changes. Especially before major resolutions and arrivals at new key
centers, keep your ears open for ii-V7s and turnarounds.

Advice For Everyone (69)

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Chords (43)

When in doubt, check out the solos

Composition (3)

If you find yourself stuck on a progression or baffled trying to figure out the quality of a
chord, fast forward to the solo section. The bass player may not be playing the root
and the pianist may not be comping clearly, but it is likely that the soloist will be
outlining the changes in their lines.

Concepts (65)
Ear (44)
Inspiration (52)
Jazz Education (35)

For instance, I was recently learning Youre My Everything, from the Freddie Hubbard
record Hub Tones. This particular cut is a reharmonization of the original standard. As
I started, I could hear that the first chord was A minor and it went to D minor in the fifth
bar, but I had trouble hearing the chords in between.

Jazz Language (33)

Myth (9)
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Rhythm (11)
Scales (16)

Still stumped as to what the chords were, I went to the solos and checked out what
they were doing to navigate these changes. Heres how Herbie Hancock plays over the
opening five bars:

Time (10)
Tips (132)
Transcribing (45)
Tunes (26)
Uncategorized (5)
Videos (4)

After finally getting Herbies line, I could say for sure that the fourth bar was a ii-V to D
minor, but the measures before it were still elusive, although they sounded like ii-Vs
as well. Looking closely at his lines in the second and third bars, hes clearly
arpeggiating seventh chords.

Visualization (11)

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By going back and listening, its apparent that hes arpeggiating from the third of the
chord up to the ninth in the second measure and vice versa in the third bar. This
means that the first chord in bar two is a G-7 chord and that the first chord in bar three
is an F#-7.
After taking one more listen, both measures are definitely ii-Vs, so by plugging in
those missing V7 chords, I was able to complete the progression:

Method

Dont worry, youll hear itright??

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After interval recognition and hearing melodies, developing the ability to hear chord
progressions is the next logical step in ear training for jazz musicians. This is a skill
that is not only beneficial, but necessary in everyday scenarios. We often find
ourselves in situations where we are asked to play tunes that we dont know, whether
its a private lesson or an impromptu jam session. After you admit that you dont know
the tune, people frequently say Dont worry, youll hear it.
In these situations, I used to assume that eventually I would one day be able to just
magically hear progressions that I didnt know. I couldnt have been more wrong.
Hearing progressions is not like having perfect pitch, where you either have it or you
dont. This is a skill that must be developed in the practice room; if you dont work on
it, you arent going to be able to do it. When you are on the bandstand and someone
calls a tune that you dont know, you need to be able to figure out the changes
quickly. Learning directly from recordings will help develop this skill and give you
confidence when you find yourself in these situations.
Learning chord progressions by ear is frustrating and time consuming at first. It will be
tempting to just get out the real book, but remember that you are developing a new
skill that will be invaluable to you as a jazz musician. What is difficult at first, will soon
become easier through repetition. By hearing (not reading) the changes, you will
immediately start to internalize the progression and eventually youll get faster at
figuring out progressions.

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rapidly improve, thats why the list is so small.
The Ear Training Method - Get the ears you've always imagined
Jazz visualization eBook with bonus audio - Learn everything 10x faster
Transcribe! - Amazing software to slow down and learn the songs you love
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