2 PLAY-A-LONG #2

RC #2 – Medium Swing, 4 Choruses

A: Piano, Bass, & Drums B: Piano & Bass

C: Bass & Drums D: Piano & Drums

It can be helpful to isolate the two different sections of Rhythm Changes, the ‘A’ section and the ‘B’ section. Let’s look more closely at some of the most common variations.

When performing the harmonic progression, there are a few common approaches both improvisers and chordal accompaniment instruments conceive of:

The ‘B’ section, commonly referred to as ‘the Bridge’, often is harmonically embellished in a few different ways.

Most famously is the so-called “Eternal Triangle” Bridge – in reference to the famous recording on the album “Sunny Side Up” and written by saxophonist Sonny Stitt.

Two other common Bridge variations may look familiar to those who already using chord substitutions while improvising or composing:

Here is a very small list of popular melodies (and perhaps a few of these have slightly different harmonic progressions) that might be useful to learn:

“Anthropology” (Charlie Parker/Dizzy Gillespie)”Cotton Tail” (Duke Ellington)

“The Eternal Triangle” (Sonny Stitt)”Fungi Mama” (Blue Mitchell) “Lester Leaps In” (Lester Young)”Moose the Mooche” (Charlie Parker)

“Oleo” (Sonny Rollins)”Rhythm-A-Ning” (Thelonious Monk)

“Straighten Up and Fly Right” (Nat King Cole)”Tiptoe” (Thad Jones)

What other versions this 32-bar form might you find in a Real Book or other places? There are seemingly infinite ways to alter this popular harmonic progression. Here are two interesting charts showing variations:

Homework Assignments

• Apply your new understanding of a common Rhythm Changes 32-bar AABA harmonic progression
• Choose and learn a melody
• Outline triads and 7th chords using the supplied play-a-longs or other sources
• Improvise on Rhythm Changes using methods shared in this course
• Compose an original Rhythm Changes melody in AABA form.
• What harmonic progression did you choose and why?
• What about the melody is interesting and/or applies information you learned in this course?
• Write out a two-to-three-chorus solo on a chosen Rhythm Changes progression.
• Record yourself playing the solo
• Provide what ideas and concepts you applied to these choruses.
• Transcribe an improvised Rhythm Changes solo from the MTC 130 Spotify Playlist.
• Choose someone who plays your instrument. Or not.