4 Secrets To Improvising Over Rhythm Changes

Rhythm changes can seriously screw you up. Once you attempted and failed, you probably don't want to try again. BUT...with these 4 secrets that will allow you to easily improvise over rhythm changes, you'll be loving this form and itching to play it as much as possible! Here we go!
If you have questions or suggestions for a podcast lesson you would like us to do, please leave them in the comments down below.
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[@argyle6674]

Excellent!

[@J3unG]

4 concepts for playing over riddim changez (American pop style from the 30's). 1.) Know the key of the tune and PLAY MELODICALLY IN THAT KEY NO MATTER WHAT 2.) Basically, these tunes ("standards") are based on a 1-4-5 progression. (Ignore the 1- min6 - min2 - 5dominant pattern; play a solo in 1-4-5 and you will be just fine). 3.) These riddim change tunes are always in TWO SECTIONS with three distinct tonal centerz. Section 1 (aka the A section where you play 1-4-5 or blues) is ALWAYS 1 dominant tonal center, Section 2 is the BRIDGE section of the changes and ALWAYS starts up a maj3rd from the 1 dominant for 1 bar, 6 dominant for 1 bar; Section 3 is the 2nd part of the BRIDGE and is ALWAYS 2 dominant into 5 dominant before going back to Section 1 again. If you look at the bridge section, each two bar section is a differnt key and so you play something in that key for each of those two bar pairs. Easy. Always works. 4.) You can play accidentals chromatically on the flat 2(or flat 9th), flat 3, flat 5 (or flat 11th). You can play chromatically THROUGH those notes on your way towards developing a MELODIC statement in the key of the song in question. Your solo will develop with increasingly more complexity as you embrace this chromatic approach and the shit starts to sound 'normal' to your own ear. Try it. BONUS TIP: play fucking blues on Section 1 and you will be fine. Ultimately minor blues or major blues on the dominant section. In the end, it won't matter especially on fast tempi. It's THAT SIMPLE guys. Nothing hard about it. All the other exploration-masturbation makes the shit too complicated if you just want to sound good on riddim changes. Think I'm bullshitting? Listen to the early cats and you will hear a lot of blues in their 'be-bop' because...see...blues came before bebop and is the undercurrent upon which bebop solos are based. If you like you can ALWAYS copy what they do and play it on your own solo. Doing what I wrote up there makes it EASIER for you to figure out your own patterns. Mabruk. Good luck! BTW...I just reacted to the title. I didn't actually watch the vid because I have a very good idea about how to do this shit already.

[@andreas196404]

Thank you for sharing this. It really gives me more freedom while playing

[@jazzpianoschool]

Andreas Larl: Awesome! Glad to hear that and thank you for the comment!

[@gufra9835]

Sir, even for a guitarplayer, such a good and comprehensible explanation, very seldom heard! Thank you so much! Guenther, Austria

[@lukillav10]

Thanks for such good videos!

[@jazzpianoschool]

Thank you for watching!

[@sumithramachandranwatchyou5045]

Thanks 🙏.

[@jazzpianoschool]

Thank you for watching!

[@anthonysilva5312]

Wow. You really blow through that diminished scale!

[@jazzpianoschool]

anthony silva: haha - it’s a powerful scale for sure! Thanks for the comment, Anthony!

[@Jack-fs2im]

I have learnt to do most of the improv and chords but keep stumbling and having to stop and think where I am.Love yr vids v much

[@jazzpianoschool]

Can totally relate, thanks for sharing Jack!

[@musiccenterchannel4940]

u are the best piano player ever !

[@jazzpianoschool]

Thanks Albert!

[@zacharyhadley2156]

I really appreciate and enjoy this, but am wondering if there will be an installment featuring ways to navigate the bridge...Thanks!

[@jazzpianoschool]

Zach Hadley: thanks for the comment! Check out the latest podcast from this week is about navigating the bridge of rhythm changes!

[@afxmnstr]

You understand the A but not the bridge ?

[@infinitypiano9170]

Can you tell us the bass line you were using at the beginning of the video please?

[@jazzpianoschool]

Infinity Piano: if you’re asking about 2:28 that would be - Bb, Bdim, C, C#dim, Dmin7, G7, Cmin7, F7, Fmin7, Bb7, Ebmin7, Ab7, Dmin7, G7, Cmin7, F7. Hope this clarifies things!

[@fcpx8564]

have enrolled , is the site down right now? I really appreciate your work to provide this resource,but there are some site maintenance tasks to keep up with your site,the link to the textbook seems to not work.so why not try sharing files in Dropbox

[@jazzpianoschool]

Hi fcp: thanks for the comment. Send an email to our support team at [e-mail]

[@adamdiaz3681]

Wow thats all church there...Your a beast...Thnk you very much

[@jazzpianoschool]

Appreciate the comment, Adam!

[@lorenzomorgoni524]

Interesting video, it helps a lot! In your opinion, how important is to transpose Rhythm changes - harmony and improv - in all keys? Is it enough to transpose in the most common keys perhaps? 'cause I don't see the point to learn it in, let's say, G flat or E... (oc other thing is for example II-V-I in general, which for sure MUST be practised in all keys for obvious reasons). Thanks!

[@jazzpianoschool]

Very important! Is it something you have to do all this week, right now? Not necessarily, you can take your time with it. Focus on 1 key of rhythm changes per month for example. But it is important - not only 1) practically, Rhythm Changes itself is played in several keys (even Gb and E). But 2) By working on Rhythm Changes in the keys you are working on those essential smaller progressions (like the 2-5 to the 4, like the 1-6-2-5, like the 3-6-2-5 in the bridge with all dom7's). These smaller progressions show up in other tunes and working on Rhythm Changes is essentially working on your "keys" if that makes sense. Hope this helps!

[@richardhecht2881]

what blues scale are you playing in the beginning?

[@JudyK1]

B flat

[@DaddySantaClaus]

Yep just play blues 😂

[@jazzpianoschool]

That's one of several great strategies to play over Rhythm Changes ;)