1

JAZZ PIANO ENDINGS

MAJOR ENDINGS in C MAJOR by Julian Bradley

Major Endings Explained But for the final 'one chord' (C major 7), I like to use
notes from the Lydian scale to create my ending:
Most major songs end with a final 2-5-1 back in the home key:

D‹7 G7 CŒ„Š7
4 œ œ œ œ œ
&4
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ
œ
Piano C major scale is the 'standard' scale played over the ii & V chords C lydian scale: C D E F# G A B
? 4 ˙˙˙˙ ˙˙˙˙ w
w
{ 4

Here are some ending ideas for the final 'one chord' - C major 7:
w
w

Major Ending 1. Open Voicing (1 5 3 7 - 3 7 - 3 7 - 3 7)

“” U
3 CŒ„Š7 œ œ ˙™
Œ œ œ œ
& œ
œ
Root + 5th at bottom
œ
?
{ °
œ
œœ ˙˙ ™™ w
w
ø
Major Ending 2. Rootless Voicing (3 5 7 9 - 3 5 7 9 - 3 5 7 9)
U
#w
œ œ œ
5 CŒ„Š7
œ œ #œj w
& Œ™ j œ œ
œ œ œ
Root + 5th at bottom œ œ
? ˙˙ ™™
{ °
œ
œ œ ˙™
w
w
w
w
w
w
ø
Major Ending 3. D Pentatonic scale over C maj 7

CŒ„Š7(#4) œ # œ œ w
Œ™ œ
& j œ œ #œ œ œ
œ #œ œ œ
? ˙˙ ™™
{ °
œ
œ œ ˙™
w
w
w
w
w
w
ø
Major Ending 4. Kenny Barron voicing (1 5 9 / 3 7 #4)
U
11 CŒ„Š7 œ #œ œ w
& Œ™ j #œ œ #œ œ œ
œ œ œ
œ
? ˙˙ ™™
{ °
œ
œœ
˙™
w
w
w
w
w
w
ø
This resource is from the Jazz Piano Styles course at:
www.JazzTutorial.com
 MINOR ENDINGS in C minor 2
Minor Endings Explained For the final 'one chord' (some type of minor chord), I like to use
Most minor songs will end with a minor 2-5-1 in the home key: notes from the Melodic Minor scale to create my ending:

14 D‹7(b5) G7(b9) C‹6

& b ˙˙ ˙˙ œ œ nœ nœ
˙ ˙ œ œ bœ
C melodic minor scale: C D Eb F G A B
? ˙ b ww
{ ˙ w
w

Here are some ending ideas for the final 'one chord' - C minor:
Minor Ending 1. Minor 6 Chord (1 3 5 6 - 1 3 5 6 - 1 3 5 6)
16
U
w
C‹6 œ œ
& Ó ?œ bœ œ œ & œ œ b œ
œ bœ œ
?
{ ° œ bœ œ œ ˙ w w
ø
Minor Ending 2. Minor 6 Chord into Melodic Minor Scale U
Ϫ
19 C‹6 œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ
Œ™ œ œ b œ J
& j bœ œ œ
Root + 5th + 9th b œ œ œ œ If you want to run up the scale in step,
do this in the higher range
? at bottom ˙ ™
{ °
œ œœ ˙˙ ™
™ w
w
w
w
w
w
ø
Minor Ending 3. Minor 7 Chord Ending If you end on a C minor 7 chord, use notes from
C natural minor scale: C D Eb F G Ab Bb (but avoid using the Ab)
U
22 C‹7 b œ œ œ w
œ œ
& Œ™ j œ œ œ bœ œ
b œ
Root + 5th + 9th
at bottom
bœ œ
? ˙˙ ™™
{ °
œ œ ˙™
œ
w
w
w
w
w
w
ø
Minor Ending 4. Kenny Barron Voicing (1 5 9 / 3 7 11) U
25 b œ œ œ w
C‹7 œ
Œ™ bœ œ bœ
& j œ œ bœ
b œ
bœ
? ˙˙ ™™
{ °
œ
œ œ ˙™
w
w
w
w
w
w
ø
Minor Ending 5. Film Noir Ending (1 3 5 6 9 7 - 1 3 5 6 9 7 - 1 3 5 6 9 7)
U
œ œ œ œ ˙
28 C‹6 C Melodic Minor scale

Œ™ œ œ œ œ bœ
& j œ
œ œ œ bœ
bœ œ œ
? ˙˙ ™™
{ °
œ
œ œ ˙™
w
w
w
w
w
w
ø
This resource is from the Jazz Piano Styles course at:
www.JazzTutorial.com