Table of Contents

How to Use This eBook

Harmonic Analysis

Improvisation Level 1

Improvisation Level 2

Improvisation Level 3

Etudes

Comping

Beyond Rhythm Changes

Substitutions

Blank TAB

Blank Manuscript

About the Author

 How to Use This Course

Welcome to Rhythm Changes Guide.

Glad to have you here.

Rhythm changes is one of the most popular jazz chord progressions.

The term rhythm changes refers to a generic set of chord changes based on
George Gershwin’s composition I Got Rhythm.

Countless jazz standards are based on this form which are known as rhythm
changes.

Rhythm changes form the basis of tunes such as Anthropology, The Flintstones
Theme and Lester Leaps In to name just a few.

This guide aims to help you:

➢ Give you methodical approaches for improvisation

➢ Enable you to comp using different techniques
➢ Use and hear advanced scales and concepts
➢ Teach you how to use Rhythm Changes on other tunes

By studying this guide, you’ll begin to feel confident with what can seem like a
daunting set of changes.

Rhythm Changes is an intermediate / advanced study.

So, if you are new to jazz then you might want to learn a few easier tunes
before tackling rhythm changes.

I hope that you enjoy this course and I wish you the best of luck!
 Harmonic Analysis

The rhythm changes is a generic set of chords that comes from George
Gershwin’s popular standard I Got Rhythm.

The chords for both the entire song and specific sections have since become
the basis for countless songs.

Rhythm changes are 32 bars in length and follow the AABA form structure.

Note the frequency of which I VI ii V and iii Vi ii V’s occur throughout the A’s.
Memorise the full chord progression using the Roman Numeral chord system as
shown on the A section shown below.

One common variation that you will hear and see occurs within bar 1.

Sometimes a Bdim7 is used instead of G7b9:

The benefit to using a Bdim7 is a chromatically ascending bass line.

👂Audio Example 1

The Rhythm Changes A section can be harmonically stripped down to a simple

three chord song.

The example below shows how the chord progression at heart is just a I, IV, V
progression:
 Improvisation Level 1

The first way you are going to improvise over rhythm changes is by using the
hybrid blues scale shown below:

👂Audio Example 2

Practice playing over the rhythm changes A section using this scale as well as
lines like the one below. .

Here is a phrase that uses the scale in a higher octave as a basis.

👂Audio Example 3
This phrase uses chromatic notes within the hybrid scale:

👂Audio Example 4

Here is another phrase that uses the tonic triad as a basis.

👂Audio Example 5

Try creating your own phrases using the Hybrid Blues Scale.

A great example of a rhythm changes solo that uses this approach is Seven
Come Eleven by Charlie Christian.

The last way that you can improvise without focusing on the changes is by
using non harmonic patterns.

In short, a non harmonic pattern does not address the harmony, but has a
strong intervallic pattern that occurs within the phrase.
Check out Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns by Nicolas Slonimsky for
more examples of non harmonic patterns.

The non-harmonic pattern used in this line is: fourth up – whole step down —
fourth down – half step down.

👂Audio Example 6

Here is a short solo over the first eight bars that only uses Bb major sounds.

👂Audio Example 7
Let’s now address one change; the ii-V-I to the IV in bars 5 and 6.

A descending guide tone used to address this harmony is highlighted in bars

5-7 which as follows: Bb - Ab - G - Gb - F

Bb is used over Fm7, Ab over Bb7, G over Ebmaj7, Gb over Ab7 and finally F
over Cm7.

👂Audio Example 8
 Improvisation Level 2

Now that you can play over the changes using sounds from the key, let’s look at
addressing the changes on a chord-by-chord basis.

Addressing each chord is not easy and takes some work.

But, you will get the results you want if you follow the specific exercises in this
section.

The goal here is to create long lines that outline each chord.

Jazz musicians use a mix of level 1 and 2 approaches on the bandstand.

The best way to begin outlining each chord is to use shorter harmonic devices
such as guide tones and triads.

Rhythm Changes tunes are typically played at fast tempos of at least 180bpm.

So, you do not really have time to play full scales, like you would on a modal
piece, such as So What or Impressions.

Let’s begin by looking at the I VI ii V and addressing the root of each chord.

This technique generally works better using the walk up variation of the I VI ii V
looked at earlier to produce a chromatically ascending guide tone.
You can use this guide tone as a basis to then add one other or two other notes
from the triad of each chord and form a line:

👂Audio Example 9

Here is a quick comping etude with the triads on strings 234 for reference.

👂Audio Example 10
Even though a triad is three notes, linear eighth note lines can still be created
as shown below.

Note that diminished triads (1, b3, b5) are used over the second chord in each
bar which results in a 7b9 sound used to resolve to the Im7.

👂Audio Example 11

The diminished concept can be taken further by extending triads to full

diminished arpeggios.

The pattern on this line is to ascend up the diatonic arpeggio then down the
diminished arpeggio.

👂Audio Example 12
Here is a similar idea that ascends up a 3-9 arpeggio instead.

Another point to note when working on the A sections is that bars 1-2 are
interchangeable with bars 3-4.

Dm7 is a substitute for Bbmaj7, therefore the lines can be interchanged.

For example, this line uses a major 3-9 arpeggio over the I chord.

The major 3-9 arpeggio of Bbmaj contains the same notes as a Dm7 arppegio.

👂Audio Example 13

Tetrachords or Coltrane patterns (1235) are also used to outline chords.

👂Audio Example 14
Here are a few shorter harmonic techniques that are used to join each of the
chords together.

Try creating your own lines using these:

➢ Major tetrachords (1 2 3 5)
➢ Minor tetrachords (1 2 b3 5)
➢ Diminished arpeggios
➢ 3-9 arpeggios
➢ Triads

I recommend using eighth notes as a basis for your lines to cover the totality of
the fingerboard.

You can always take notes away and add syncopation for rhythmic variety.

The aim of the game here is to create lines through the changes.

To conclude this section, here is a short example of how to combine the

techniques from the two levels of improvisation covered so far.

👂Audio Example 15
 The Bridge

The final part of the improvisation deals with the bridge of Rhythm Changes.

The cycling dominant bridge is used either directly or slightly adapted in other
standards such as Scrapple From the Apple, Topsy and Sweet Georgia Brown.

So, like the A section, the bridge will prepare you for improvisation over more
than just the rhythm changes.

Here is a summary of approaches you can use to improvise over the bridge:

➢ Mixolydian Scales
➢ Lydian Dominant Scales
➢ Whole-Tone Scales
➢ Companion Minor
➢ Blues Scales

If you are tackling rhythm changes then you are most likely comfortable playing
over dominant chords using arpeggios and mixolydian scales.

Sp, the first thing you can do is use any companion minor sound.

In short, the companion minor is the ii that would occur before the V in a ii V I
situation,

Here is an example of the companion minor over bars 1-4 of the bridge.

👂Audio Example 16
Let’s now look at using the Whole-Tone scale over the bridge.

You only need to know two whole tone scales to play over any dominant chord
because of the scale’s construction.

So, you can use two whole-tone scales which are a semi-tone apart to solo over
each chord in the bridge as shown below:

Here is a popular phrase that uses the Whole-Tone scale.

👂Audio Example 17
Let’s adapt this phrase to fit a cycling progression.

👂Audio Example 18

This phrase is demonstrated in a full solo in the next section.

The final concept you can use is the Lydian Dominant scale.

The Lydian Dominant scale is the fourth mode of the Melodic Minor Scale.

Using the Lydian Dominant will give you a slightly altered sound as it contains
the b5 as well as the dominant 7th chord tones.

You can use this scale in one of two ways:

1. Think of the scale over each chord, e.g. G Lydian Dominant over G7
2. Think of the Melodic Minor Scale, e.g. D Melodic Minor over G7

The line below demonstrates a conventional dominant 7th sound in bars 1-2
and a Lydian Dominant sound in bars 3-4.

👂Audio Example 19
 Etude

Composing your own or studying someone else's etudes help build dexterity
over challenging chord sequences.

Both of these studies focus more on the second improvisation approach which
is addressing each of the changes.

The first etude uses non stop eighth notes throughout the study to help you
fluidly connect each of the chords.

The second etude uses the same harmonic techniques, but with rests and
syncopation resulting in a more of a solo.

Each of the following techniques are used to connect the chords together:

● Coltrane Patterns
● Arpeggios
● Bebop Language
● Chromatic Approach Notes
● Enclosures
● Whole Tone Scales

Once you can play each of these, try composing your own etudes which you
can then convert to solos.

I recommend composing your own solos out of time using the concepts from
the previous chapters.

Connect each of the chords in the A sections together slowly using smaller
harmonic devices listed above.

Joe Pass and Emily Remler have both used this practice technique in their
instructional material which is worth seeking out.

Both of these studies contain some techniques you haven’t learnt yet which are
taught in the later sections of the book.
👂Audio Example 20
 Solo

Now that you can outline all the chords without stopping, let’s look at making
musical phrases.

This etude demonstrates how you can combine both steps of the improvisation
approaches discussed earlier.

Like in the first etude, altered sounds are used in the bridge.

The ideas over the first two chords show how you can use the Lydian Dominant
scale.

There is a rising whole-tone pattern over the following two chords which builds
up and resolves with a quirky series of tritone intervals.

Like the first A section, the final A section combines bebop and blues lines.

Once you can play these etudes, try composing your own phrases using similar
rhythmic and harmonic ideas.
👂Audio Example 21
 Comping

In this section you are going to learn how to comp rhythm changes using a
variety of techniques.

The chord chart on the next page shows rudimentary voicings with the root on
the 6th and 5th strings to get you started.

If you feel confident with all the voicings in that study, then check out the
example on this page.

This chart uses many of the same chords, but each voicing has a root note on
the 6th string to add a fuller sound.
The rhythm changes A sections lend themselves well to walking bass lines due
to the fast moving chord changes in the A section.

This is because each bar already has two bass notes.

👂Audio Example 22

Here are chromatically ascending and descending voicings on strings 1234.

👂Audio Example 23
Unlike the A sections, the rhythm changes bridge is much more sparse, only
having one chord per bar.

To create more movement you can always comp using the ii before each chord
as discussed earlier.

You can also use inversions for each chord to create movement as shown in the
example below.

👂Audio Example 24
 Beyond Rhythm Changes

Now that you have acquired this new language from studying rhythm changes,
let’s look at applying it over jazz blues.

Bar 12 of a jazz blues contains a I VI II V, so you can apply any of the lines from
the earlier sections there.

Beyond this, you can actually suggest I VI II V harmony elsewhere in the

progression, even if other musicians are playing the standard changes.

One example is bars 1 and 2 of the progression.

The job of the quick change IV chord in a Jazz Blues is to take us back to the I
chord; another way that you can get to the I chord is by using the I VI ii V.

This example demonstrates using a "walk up" to get the I chord in bar 3.

The rest of the chord progression is the same.

Original Jazz Blues Changes

With Rhythm Changes

 Substitutions

Let’s now go back to Rhythm Changes and look at common variations.

Any or all of the following techniques can be used over the I VI II V.

● Chord quality substitutes

● Tritone substitution
● Coltrane Changes

The next few pages aim to give you an example of some of these techniques.

This line uses chord quality substitution as the iim7 is now a ii7.

👂Audio Example 25

This line uses tritone and chord quality substitutions.

👂Audio Example 32
The next substitution you are going to learn about is used by Sonny Stitt and
Don Byas.

Rhythm changes is a destination oriented progression.

Therefore, you can use different harmonic pathways to get to the same
destination.

Let’s look at the first four bars of rhythm changes.

The cycle in bars 3 and 4 can be extended to start earlier in bars 1 and 2.

A chord quality substitution is used making each chord type dominant.

Cycling dominants, like the ones used here, are a particular favourite amongst
bebop musicians and can be heard in tunes such as Jordu (Clifford Brown), Fat
Feet (Billy Bean), and C.E.D. (Joe Pass).

The rhythm changes substitution you have just learnt works because it ends up
in the same place as the original changes.

Here are both the original first four bars shown alongside the substitution
chords.

You can sometimes play the subsitions when the rhythm section is playing the
normal chords, especially at fast tempos.
Here is a line that reflects the Sonny Stitt changes.

Notice how the harmony changes back to the standard changes.

👂Audio Example 27
The final part of the substitution section demonstrates how you can apply
Coltrane Changes over Rhythm Changes.

Upon first glance, the two progressions might seem completely unrelated.

But they are not as far apart as you might think!

Let’s use the Coltrane Changes over bars 1-2 of a standard rhythm changes
chord progression shown below.

Coltrane Changes can also be used to navigate to our destination key, which is
in this example, D minor in bar 3.

Giant Steps uses Coltrane Changes to modulate to major chords.

But, Coltrane Changes can also be used to get to minor chords as shown here.

The Coltrane Changes work against the original chords because b5 substitution
is used over chords VI and II as shown below.

If you make A7 into A7b9 then it is the same chord as the original.
This substitute is almost exactly the same as the Tadd Dameron / Wes
Montgomery Turnaround which is all tritone based: Bbmaj Db7 / Gb7 B7

Here is a line that reflects Coltrane Changes.

You can hear examples of Coltrane Changes used in the etudes section.

👂Audio Example 28
 Epilogue

Well done on completing the Rhythm Changes Guide!

I hope that you enjoyed working through this course and that you feel
confident improvising and comping rhythm changes.

For copyright reasons, rhythm changes themes are not included in this book,
but I recommend learning the following:

● Ready and Able

● The Flintstones Theme
● Lester Leaps In
● Anthropology
● I Got Rhythm
● Rhythm-a-ning

Please find your certificate of recognition on the next page.

Do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any comments, questions, or

suggestions.

If you enjoyed this course, please consider emailing me a review.

Thank you for your support.

 About The Author

Jamie Holroyd is a guitarist, educator, and author, based in the North of

England.

As a performer, Jamie has performed across the UK and USA at jazz festivals,
clubs, and on radio stations.

Jamie holds a BA and National Diploma in Jazz Studies from the Leeds College
of Music.

As a teacher, Jamie has a 100% pass rate in preparing international students for
jazz guitar diplomas and graded exams.

Guitar Player, Guitar Tutor, and Just Jazz Guitar Magazine have featured Jamie's
teaching and playing.