32 bar aabc form

please note that the melody is Autumn Leaves mark@jazzpiano.co.nz

written in a simplified form, and

is a guide only, embellishments
& syncopation are expected this indicates that the feel is swung not straight 8ths

medium
B !maj7 E !maj7
major ii v i in b flat
Cm7 F7
A1
b bc Œœœœ w > œ œ ˙ ˙ œ
& Ó — . —j œ œ Ó —. —
j
œœœ
comping rhythm 1 >
for A sections c dorian f mixolydian b flat major e flat lydian

Am7( ! 5) D7( # 5 # 9 ) Gm (maj7 )

minor ii v i in g

b w
only

& b j œ wÓ j Œ œ œ œ
6
Ó
a locrian #2
—. —
> œ nœ #œ —. —
>
d superlocrian g jazz minor

Cm7 F7 B !maj7 E !maj7

major ii v i in b flat

b b w œ ˙ ˙ œ
œ œ œ
A2
& Ó —. —
j
Ó —. —
j
œ œ œ
10 > >

Am7( ! 5) D7( # 5 # 9 )
minor ii v i in g

Gm(maj7 )
b
& b wÓ —. —
j œ œ œ œ wÓ —. —
j Ó #œ œ
14 > >

Am7( ! 5) D7( # 5 # 9 )
minor ii v i in g

Gm(maj7 )
B
b b œ ˙ œ œ œ œ w œ œ œ œ
& œ
18

B !maj7 E !maj7
major ii v i in b flat

b b w Cm7 F7
œ œ œ. œ w ˙ #œ œ
& J
22

Am7( ! 5) D7( # 5 # 9 ) B !7
minor ii v i in g major ii v in F major ii v in e flat
Gm7 C7 Fm7
C
b b œ œ œ œ ˙. œ ˙ ˙ ˙
& ˙
26
g dorian e.g. f dorian e.g.

Am7( ! 5) D7( # 5 # 9 )
minor ii v i in g

Gm (maj7 )
b b ˙. œ œ
& ˙ œ w œ ( œ œ œ)
30
Modes for Autumn Leaves
scales & modes are a group of notes, a pool if you like from which you can draw your ideas
mark@jazzpiano.co.nz

Cm7
& bb œ œ œ œ œ
34 œ œ œ
c dorian mode (2nd mode of B flat major scale, or c major scale with lowered 3rd and 7th)

F7 œ
& bb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
36
f mixolydian mode (5th mode of B flat major scale, or f major scale with lowered 7th)

B !maj7
& bb œ œ œ œ
38 œ œ œ œ
b flat major scale

E !‹
& bb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
40
œ
e flat lydian mode (4th mode of B flat major scale, or E flat major scale with raised 4th)

Am7( ! 5)
& bb œ œ œ
nœ œ œ œ
42 œ
D7( # 5 # 9 )
a locrian #2 mode (6th mode of c jazz minor scale, or natural minor scale with lowered 5th)

& bb œ bœ bœ œ œ œ
44
œ œ
d superlocrian mode (7th mode of E flat jazz minor, also called altered and half whole scale)

Gm (maj7 ) #œ œ
& bb œ œ œ œ œ nœ
46
g jazz minor scale (melodic minor ascending)

Gm7 œ œ C7
& bb œ œ œ œ œ n œ
œ œ œ œ œ
48
g dorian mode, or c mixolydian mode (same notes)
œ œ nœ

b Fm7œ œ B !7
b œ œ œ œ
& œ œ bœ œ œ œ b œ
50
f dorian mode, or b flat mixolydian mode (same notes)
œ œ œ
Jazz Swing Quavers
mark@jazzpiano.co.nz

play this scale and articulation

b b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 12
& œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 8
52 œ œ w

j j j
now play this in 12/8 time

b b 12 j j œ
jœ œ œ œ œ J œ œ œ œœ œ œ j c
& 8
55 œ œ œ w.

Now add an accent to the off-beat note

b bc œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
& œ œ
58 œ >œ œ >œ > > > > >œ œ >œ w

Now play the slurred notes at full value (don't shorten) but with less emphasis

&b
b
} œ }
œ œ }œ œ }œ œ }œ
61 œ >œ }
œk >œ k > k > k > k > k >œ }œk œ
œ
> w

This is an exaggerated rough guide to jazz swing feel and phrasing

note length, weight of accent etc are all open to personal interpretation
the shape of the melody and use of different rhythms will also determine the articulation used

The only real way to get an idea of jazz swing is by listening to recordings made by great players
Voicings For Autumn Leaves
mark@jazzpiano.co.nz

Cm7 F7
b b
& www www
64 w w

B !maj7 E !maj7
b b
& www www
66 w w

Am7( ! 5) D7( # 5 # 9 ) Gm(maj7 )

b b
& n#n wwww
68 n wwww www
# w note: you may want to play
this chord using f natural

Gm7 C7
instead of f sharp, try it out!

b b
& ˙˙˙ ˙˙˙
71
˙ n˙
Fm7 B !7
b b
&
72 b ˙˙˙˙ ˙˙˙
˙
Chords can be divided into 3 groups, major, minor, and dominant
Learn to recognise a major ii v i progression & the qualities of the chords involved (m7, 7, Maj7)
Learn to recognise a minor ii v i progression & the qualities of the chords involved (m7b5, 7(alt), Min7
Your chord must contain at least the 3rd and 7th (guide tones)
Build your chord from either the 3rd or the 7th upwards (there are usually 2 voicings per chord)
Avoid playing the root in your voicings
Keep movement between chords to a minimum (just like J.S. Bach!!)
Extend the m7 and maj7 chord to the 9th with the 5th
Extend the dominant chord to the 13th using the 9th (omit 5th)
Use alterations on the dominant chord especially in a minor ii v i
Nomenclature of jazz chords
mark@jazzpiano.co.nz

There are 3 types of chord group, major, minor, and dominant. When you are reading chord charts you will need to
be able to recognise which symbol belongs to which group. Often beginning improvisers get confused between a
dominant chord and a major chord, whilst only a semitone different, the function of the chord is ENTIRELY different.

b
Here are common ways major chords are written

& b B! B !maj7 B !J B !M7

73

b
Here are common ways minor chords are written

& b C- Cmin7 C-7 Cm7

77

b
Here are common ways dominant 7 chords are written

&b F7 F9 F13
81

b
Here are the 2 ways a half diminished chord is written

& b Am7( ! 5) Aº
84

Please note that jazz use extensions such as 9th, and 13th rather than 2nd and 6th to imply that the interval is
ADDED to the existing chord and doesnt replace a note. e.g. C9 means a C7 plus a 2nd, Csus2 would imply that the
3rd is replaced by the 2. A C6 chord is just a c triad with the 6 added, however a C13 is a dominant chord.
Jazz musicians will usually play a C7 with either a 9th or 13th anyway, so C7, C9, & C13 are the same practically.

Blues scales for Autumn Leaves

œ ˙
bb œ œ #œ œ
G blues - This is a good blanket scale to use when your brain aches from thinking too much!

& œ
86

b
&b bœ ˙
B flat blues - you may wish to try this scale over autumn leaves, see what you think!

œ b œ œ n œ œ
88
Change running exercises
mark@jazzpiano.co.nz

Cm7
b œ œ œ œ œœœœœ
&b œ œ œ
œ >œ œ >œ > > etc. œ œ œ œ œ œœœ
90

F7
bb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœœœ
œœœ
& œœœ œ œ œ
94

B !maj7
b œ œ œ œœœœœ
&b œ œ œ œ œ œ
98 œœœœ œ œ œ œœœ

Digital pattern exercises

Cm7 F7 B !maj7
1
b b œ œ œœœœ
& œ œ œ œ
102 œœ œ œ œ œ œ œœœ œœœ œ
E !maj7 Am7( ! 5) D7( # 5 # 9 )
1 2 3 5 3 2 1 1 2 3 5 3 2 1 etc.

b b œ œ œ n œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
& œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ
105

Gm (maj7 )
b
&b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ∑
108

Cm F7
b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
&b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
2

110

B !maj7 E !maj7
3 4 5 7 5 4 3 etc.

b
& b
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
112
Jazz lines (ideas)
mark@jazzpiano.co.nz

Cm7
œ F7 B !maj7
b b œ œ nœ bœ œ œ œ œ bœ bœ œ œ Ó
& œ œ œ ˙
B !maj7
114

Cm7 F7
b b œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ bœ Ó
3

& œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ bœ ˙
117

What makes a solo interesting?

Repetition, Sequence, Dynamics, Range (high, low etc), Accents, Rest and Silence, Rhythmic Variation
Variety (but not too much), Blues scale, Tension and Release, Motifs
Knowing where the guide tones are (3 and 7)
Trills, Glissandos, Swoops, Staccato etc
Emphasise pretty sounding notes, 7ths, 9ths, #4ths
Always try to buiid your solo, tell a story and make it go somewhere

Above all of this, the main thing you need to do is LISTEN, it helps swing feel, improvisation, style
and generally helps you build a solid jazz vocabulary!

What do I do now?
Practise Swing rhythms over familiar scales
Practice major 251 in both hands through cycle of 4ths, best choice
Practice major 251 in left hands through cycle of 4ths, play 251 exercise in right
hand practising swing rhythms
Seperate Chords types and practise through cycle, chromatically and randomly until
you know the chords quickly
Practise minor 251 in left hand , best choice
Practise minor 251 in left hand, play 251 exercise using Locrian #2, Superlocrian, and Jazz Minor scales

Buy a real book and play chords from any tune making yourself fluent with your new jazz voicings
Buy Jamey Aebersold backing tracks and play along either with chords & tune or try soloing
over the changes too!
Just play, be creative, listen and have fun playing jazz!
There is a huge recourse of jazz tutorial material available to buy and study, or book a series of private
lessons from a tutor, study at one of the jazz courses available in both Auckland based universities.