Memorising Chord Changes

As a saxophonist I can often be lazy when it comes to learning chord changes – after all with a Real Book, the iRealB App or just the fact that I don’t HAVE to play the chords can allow me to ‘ignore the changes’.

But if I want to be a confident improviser that is ‘speaking’ the language of music – I need to obey the rules of musical ‘grammar’ so that I am able to interact and express my true feelings to the listener.

In this course I am going to take your through several innovative ideas that should allow you to start learning the chord changes to Blues progressions, Rhythm Changes and a whole host of standards.

At the end of the course you will be solos will be sounding more musical, increasingly confident and with a much greater fluency than they had at the start.

Lessons

What Bleeding Gums Murphy Taught Me About Learning The Blues

‘Bleeding Gums Murphy’ (RIP) said that playin’ the Blues isn’t about feeling better, it’s about making ‘other people feel worse!’

Tenor Madness – How a Blues Melody can outline the changes

Tenor Madness is the only known recording of two of the greatest ever saxophonists, Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane playing together.

Identifying ii V Progressions on a 12 Bar Blues

The ‘Jazz Blues’ progression that we have studied over the past two weeks deploys a new chord to each bar in order to keep a the Harmonic pulse of the music moving forward.

Memorising a Parker / Bird Blues

Charlie Parker is to jazz and the saxophone what Mozart was to the piano and classical music.

Memorising Rhythm Changes – Part 1

Rhythm Changes is the name given to any tune that follows the chord progression, (or variants of the chord progression) from George Gershwin’s ‘I Got Rhythm’

Memorising Rhythm Changes – Part 2, (The Bridge)

As Rhythm Changes is in an AABA form it makes sense to learn about the bridge in a separate lesson.

‘Saints’

‘When the Saints Go Marching In’ is often THE New Orleans tune that most people recognise and request.

All The Things You Are

All The Things You Are is a well played standard composed by Jerome Kern in 1939.

Over The Rainbow – Part One

‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ is one of those songs that nearly everyone knows. The pub bore fact about ‘Over The Rainbow is it was left on the cutting room floor and only put back into the wizard of oz at the last minute!

Over the Rainbow – Part Two

Our final lesson on this ‘Memorising Chord Changes’ course is probably the easiest.

Lecturer

Dan Forshaw

I'm passionate about creating inspirational experiences through music and other arts. A life changing experience under the influence of the music of John Coltrane lead to study in New York and London. My thesis was on the Theology of John Coltrane as expressed through A Love Supreme. I perform across Europe with various jazz groups and teach through my innovative website, www.cambridgesaxophone.com. I'm a total Apple Geek, Cricket, Rugby, F1 and Football fan and I'm learning to listen opinions before giving my own!

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Memorising Chord Changes

As a saxophonist I can often be lazy when it comes to learning chord changes – after all with a Real Book, the iRealB App or just the fact that I don’t HAVE to play the chords can allow me to ‘ignore the changes’.

Lessons

Lecturer

Dan Forshaw

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