50 Jazz Standards - The Songs You Need To Know

[@JensLarsen]

7 Easy Jazz Standards In Minor You Need To Know : @ Minor songs are a great place to learn several things that you need in Major as well, so it is a great idea to really dig into studying some minor songs.

[@jz4901]

Thank you Jens! Easy * Autumn Leaves (Gm) * Pent Up House (G) * Blue Bossa (Cm) * Lady Bird (C) * Take the A Train (C) * Perdido (Bb) * Satin Doll (C) * Cantaloupe Island (Fm) * Summertime (Dm) * All of Me (C) Intermediate * There Will Never Be Another You (Eb) * There Is No Greater Love (Bb) * It Could Happen To You (Eb) * Have You Met Miss Jones (F) * All The Things You Are (Ab) * How High The Moon (G) * Just Friends (F) * Out Of Nowhere (G) Difficult * Stella By Starlight (Bb) * Cherokee (Bb) * Giant Steps (Eb) Ballads * Polka Dots and Moonbeams (F) * Body And Soul (Db) * In A Sentimental Mood (F) Samba and Bossanova * Girl From Ipanema (F) * One Note Samba (Bb) * Corcovado (C) * Triste (Bb) * So Danco Samba (C) Jazz Latin * I'll Remember April (G) * Recorda Me (Am) * Green Dolphin Street (Eb) * Night And Day (C) * Love For Sale (Bbm) Blues * Billie's Bounce (F) * Au Privave (F) * Turnaround (C) * Tenor Madness (Bb) * Straight No Chaser (F) * Mr PC (Cm) Waltz * Bluesette (Bb) * Someday My Prince Will Come (Bb) * Footprints (Cm) Standards in Minor Key * Softly As In A Morning Sunrise (Cm) * Yesterdays (Dm) * Alone Together (Dm) * Solar (Cm) Bebop * Scrapple From The Apple (F) * Anthropology (Bb) * Oleo (Bb) Jen's Favourites (Uncommon) * I'll Be Seeing You * Very Early * I Heard You Cried Last Night * Milestones * Ugly Beauty

[@PannenbergMusic]

Summertime is Aminor ! Thx for the list ^_^

[@DeezeTheMACMAN]

Thank you so much brotha.!!

[@ozzie-sk9dh]

Our Hero

[@NickC1975]

“The reason why I can be considered an expert in some of these things is that I’ve made pretty much all the mistakes” That literally sums up the learning journey!

[@JensLarsen]

Yes indeed!

[@JensLarsen]

What songs would you like on the list? Content: 0:00 Intro 0:57 Easy Standards 2:03 Intermediate Standards 2:23 Don't be like AC/DC! 2:37 And it goes for Jazz as well... 3:23 Difficult Standards 3:47 Ballads 4:05 Don't be like Dutch Audiences 4:18 Samba & Bossanova 4:45 Jazz Latin (and a little modal) 5:14 Blues 5:45 Waltzes 6:27 Jazz Standards in a minor key 6:56 Bebop Themes 7:27 Is your favorite missing? 7:42 My favorites (that I couldn't put on the list) 9:08 Like the video? Check out my Patreon page!

[@freddyjukka3666]

Thank you so much!

[@Lihue.musica]

Some bill evans, like Nardis, Time Remembered, Blue in green

[@zozovaca]

@@Lihue.musica , great way to escape from well known patterns and progressions, and to step into little different mood. My band plays just Nardis, but i would love to play all from your list. :)

[@jazzerson7087]

No Chick Corea? Spain, 500 miles high, Windows etc. I think of How High the Moon as a simpler one rather than intermediate. Good list overall though.

[@zozovaca]

Night in Tunisia is a must (imho)! No list without it! :D "I'll be seeing you" is underrated, i am glad to see that it is on your favorites list, it is great composition, AND these lyrics are great (shame that people sometimes overlook impact of the lyrics on people). "How insensitive" in bossa section.... this is, simple, masterpiece, so we all must know it! :D "Beatrice", no one knows it, but it is haunting little piece, because of its modal/tonal progression (something different from the rest of the set), my favorite version is this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d5W3d6KBbLONo7c AND, most important, since we are in 21. century, we need NEW standards. Christian Scott and Bred Mehldau understand it... :)

[@JHS56247]

Your teaching and direction to learn Jazz standards is the best on the internet. For instance, within the first two minutes you provide a list of ten Jazz standards in their original key. To play in the original key is sacred for professional Jazz Musicians. Thank you for your help.

[@arielle2745]

Wonderful advice! I really needed to hear about standards to learn as a beginner. Thank you! And I especially appreciated about learning pieces in different keys. I still love AC/DC even though they are frequently criticized for playing everything in one chord. (Last year when I decided to seriously start learning music again - raised around it and learned some in childhood - I narrowed down my music interests to two possibilities, heavy metal or jazz. Jazz won. ) You have quite a few of my fav’s on your list. Autumn Leaves has been one of my very favorites since I was a teen. So I am thrilled that it will be one of the firsts I will learn.

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you, Arielle 🙂

[@reneperrin1628]

Every time I want to learn a new tune, I come back to your list. It has great suggestions. The one I find missing... Caravan. Other than that... Very much a list of must have. Another 100 years of practice and I'll have most of them under my fingers. Thanks for the great suggestions, Jens.

[@sannaxjcjf2956]

Stella by Starlight was the very first jazz standard I learned thanks to my maestro, and it made me love jazz. Stella will always be my favorite

[@JensLarsen]

It is a beautiful song 🙂

[@Lcschleich]

Crazy, I was just doing some looking yesterday on which standards I should start with. It was overwhelming, but it looks like you were one step ahead. Thank you!

[@RC32Smiths01]

Definitely an important lesson I'd say. Knowing the most fundamental songs of the genre is pivotal to understanding it

[@JensLarsen]

Thanks RC! :)

[@RC32Smiths01]

@@JensLarsen Cheers man!

[@MrJazzohjazz]

Wonderful video. Thank you. I always like Willow Weep for me and That’s All.

[@dendijohn]

Good advice. I liked it when you mentioned that it's best to have a definitive recording of these to call to mind. Hear the great versions in your head, and then bust out away from them, which can be unbelievably hard to do LOL. So many times I saw KZbin artists that have a whole new approach to something and they are so beautiful to hear.

[@tunahanbulutu]

Tears, Nuages, Estate, Desafinado, My Foolish Heart, Autumn Leaves, Cantaloupe Island, Little Person (Michael Wollny version) on my list. Now i'm working on "Stolen Moments".

[@JensLarsen]

Good stuff!

[@kbkesq]

Such a great list. I used to play in NYC and this is a great approach and list. Also good to divide by tempo. All too often people play way to many medium up tunes. Another tip learn how to play very slow blues! This is entirely skipped by today’s players and you can’t fake it. Don’t play a slow head and then just go to double time 😂. If you want to hear how masters play slow blues check out Sonny stitt After Hours on the Dizzy Gillespie album with Sonny Rollins. Wes Montgomery has more than a few slow blues recordings. It’s one of the hardest things to learn to do right and best learned playing with veterans who’ve mastered the blues idiom.

[@landervast]

I play alot of those, but also enjoy playin' "I thought about you", "invitation", "Alice in wonderland", "How deep is the ocean", "A Foggy day", etc...

[@leonsangala]

min 1:26 - 1:36

[@nlmal4]

Thank you Jens🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like it 🙂

[@Tracks777]

lovely stuff

[@daviddangerous9365]

Great Video. Like the cutting as well as your humourous presentation! Thanks for the lesson. Have a good day!

[@vickiignaszak5041]

This video made me really want to get back into playing jazz. I was making decent progress when I was a teenager and studying with a teacher and playing with a band and combo but once I went off the college and wasn't studying music I guess I kinda fell out of practice. I still play guitar, but I really should get back into jazz. I still have a few of the melodies for standards memorized but I should really find my real book and review it all. Sidenote, I love that 2 of 3 bebop standards you listed were just Charlie Parker songs. I mean, I get why, scrapple from the apple and anthropology were two of the first bebop tunes I learned, but it's interesting how his music has become the standard for introducing bebop.

[@domukaz]

The KZbin convention of using a black-and-white shot of the speaker to indicate that they're speaking as a skeptical viewer always makes me laugh. Good video!

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you :) Glad you appreciate it !

[@Alfalfa_Male]

I think the convention comes from infomercials.

[@gamerluigi]

Thank you for this great video!

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like it Ludwig!

[@ekdguitar123]

Thank you very much for this. This is exactly what I need to reconnect with jazz. I hope to play in small (maybe big) combos and groups around town but I can't do anything without knowing these songs. What a great place to start. Your first 10 list was fantastic but too short, and all the other lists are too long - I don't have a plan. You are a great teacher and I am looking forward to learning from all your videos and lesson plans, but this is where it all starts. Very well thought out; well presented, no wasted time, and I just can't express how grateful I am that you are teaching and I found you. I'm sure many other students feel the same. Thank you thank you thank you! Eric Davis, Savannah Georgia (not the head of guitar at University; just a student!). Cheers

[@tamistone2632]

Great video, nice song little sunflower

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you! That is a nice song 🙂

[@crothman42]

Great video. Very jazzy list indeed

[@gamzer]

Great list. I might add How Insensitive and one I love to play is Nica's Dream.

[@richardsorice4509]

That's a great list and I do have many of those committed to memory. I also often play Birks Works, Old Folks, Wave, Beatrice, Misty, Four On Six, Summertime, Black Orpheus, All Blues, Things Ain't What They Used To Be

[@antoniosalinas4206]

thanks for posting

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like it!

[@leviaWNG]

Great sense of humor as well

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you! :)

[@b-sideplank]

Wow! This is great. Man, if you make a course teaching these 50 songs step by step that would be one of the best courses to purchase.

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you! A course like that might be the best but it would also be the longest course on the internet (and maybe the most expensive :D )

[@b-sideplank]

@@JensLarsen It would be a huge investment on your part, and that's tough. Also there are copyright issues I think. But could be awesome really if a course like that existed.

[@JensLarsen]

@@b-sideplank I think it is more useful to make a course on how to learn songs and how to improvise on them? :)

[@rieske2000]

Ha, ha I started with Stella by Starlight ... I just love the chords ... I play for myself and I love the ballads. I just love all these chords and chord progressions!

[@Khamomil]

I think the must-know standards are different depending on where you are. I have scratched my head many times trying to make a song list for a hypothetical live show and was ridiculed because I wanted a good balance on exactly all the points you made; varying the keys, the tempo, the rhythm. In New York hardly a show happens without Green Dolphin Street and Nica's Dream 'and a few others being played).

[@PIANOSTYLE100]

Jens..I am a woodworker..All self taught. I built many thing in my youth..They all were bad. So I didn't do any more woodworking until 50??.But like you..somewhat.(.I don't consider myself an expert) Just bought the.kreg310 jig. It actually worked. Always learning. I got good. Musically because I know what doesn't work and (years of music lessons). Even jazz piano and jazz guitar. Even today I learn what.my teachers where talking about..AC6 in a Amin7..At the time that didn't make sense. Even though I played Bass guitar..I never knew what rootless voicing were. Along came You tube and I learned about altered scales etc.. I let my. Grandchildren sit beside me and play..they just hit the blackest.They carry already learning the altered scales. Real altered. The best.

[@kevinchen1339]

This is really useful especially for noobs like me! Thank you!

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like it Kevin! :)

[@mostafadarwish9585]

It might take me a year or maybe more to play those 50 , I'm a vocalist that plays guitar and sing a long learning harmony is my priority, I have on my list already autumn leaves , fly me to the moon , all of me , black orpheus, all the things you are , summer time , blue bossa , girl from ipanema it took me so much time to get these done but its worth it my playing has completely changed after introducing jazz harmony I only can play the melody in soloing an applying some chromatisim in a bluesy way like "eric Clapton's solo in autumn leaves" I like to keep it that way as it gives the songs a different flavour, thanks Jens for the recommendations hope to finish these 50 by the end of 2020

[@JensLarsen]

You don't need to know them by next week :) Take them one at the time

[@justinjones8252]

Wow I still have so much to learn and that's cool you mentioned the one you learned by ear I haven't been able to to that yet maybe I haven't heard some of the songs enough but I did hear out the first 2 chords of all of me but that's a movement thats in alot of other styles besides jazz

[@tinajackel]

Yes! You left it out😭😭😂😂Donna Lee!

[@JensLarsen]

haha! What?

[@tinajackel]

Jens Larsen my favorite tune 🤪

[@allengoyne]

I was gonna say Donna Lee too but for the hard song section, and that could get pretty long if you wanted to. Too hard for me at this point.

[@mjj3tube]

Just wow ! Simply wow.🙂

[@simonfivez2947]

Awesome lesson! Will check them all out :) btw, your evolving personnal style is very nice and professional at the same time!

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you Simon! :)

[@blainelilly2971]

Thanks for this list, Jens, it's very helpful. It also helps a lot that you broke the list down into categories. I was a bit surprised that only one Monk tune made it onto the top fifty, though. Here in Columbus Ohio USA he's still very popular with the jazz cats. I hardly ever go out that I don't hear a Monk tune at some point.

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like it! I don't know, there are not that many very common Monk tunes around here, I think In Walked Bud, Well You Needn't and Straight No Chaser are the most common ones :)

[@blainelilly2971]

@@JensLarsen around here a lot of beginners like to play Blue Monk. And the singers like Round Midnight, of course. My favorite is Bright Mississippi, but NO one ever plays that.

[@paulmoore7964]

my go to jazz book -> the jazz standards by Ted Gioia. Highly recommended

[@christwag]

Great stuff here!

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you Chris!

[@jamescopeland5358]

Great information

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you liked it

[@damienciel-musicienvibraph7395]

I love your list :)

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you Damien!

[@robinbalean958]

Donna Lee, Groovin High, Ornithology, Stablemates, Whisper Not, Invitation, Ceora, Days Of Wine And Roses, What Is This Thing Called Love?, Joy Spring, Song For My Father

[@Solomon.Y_Music]

Very nice 👍 thanks for the videos 👌😊👍 please upload more videos ...

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like it! I will do my best to make more videos!

[@azharaz4140]

Thxs for the wonderful list mr Jensen..for me as to go into fusion music in mind.. i would like to learn n play Miles Davies, Coltrane n maybe some improvisation in Indian n Middle eastern or Ethno music cultures...

[@JakubDiegoTokaj]

Thank you for the list! But is it just me or the volume goes up and down suddenly throughout the video?

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you! No it seems something went wrong with the final rendering of the video so the volume is acting strange. Never had that before, sorry

[@JakubDiegoTokaj]

@@JensLarsen not a big problem, still can hear everything and learn stuff so that's what ultimately counts :) was just affraid that my audio setup is falling apart

[@JensLarsen]

@@JakubDiegoTokaj Thanks for understanding Jakub :)

[@uwebritfeld4369]

Hi Jens, I've always liked the Miles Davis tunes from Kind of Blue, So What and All Blues. The hardest thing about So What is trying to keep track of where you are in the tune. Do you have any suggestions for how to keep the tune in your head when you're soloing?

[@JensLarsen]

I think a lot of that is about learning to play phrases of 4 and 8 bars clearly. Try to listen to different recordings of it then you will also start to hear that in peoples playing.

[@kevindavidquinn3571]

I think it's important to think about what city you're playing at, here in New York almost everyone is calling Donna Lee, If I Were a Bell, Confirmation, I Love You and Inner Urge on jam sessions. All great tunes by the way.

[@JensLarsen]

True, it depends on the crowd, some places here in The Hague we call much less common tunes a lot but in general the list is more "middle of the road"

[@henrysolis8996]

Nice video Jens--- One tune that may be worthy of your list is "In a Mellow Tone" by Duke Ellington. Mellow Tone was recorded by the Duke in approximately 1939. Based on his 1932 recording of another standard Rose Room.

[@rafaelortsespadero4870]

Muchas Gracias de Nuevo ! Un Saludo !

[@klisher]

Baden Powell's version of Triste is one of my favourites

[@cacophonyguitar]

What you did with Stella by Starlight, is what I'm doing with Nardis for the last 4 months. I can't really say that I'm frustrated because I'm enjoying the process. It's one of the 2 tunes I "know". I recently felt that I need to know more tunes and common forms. So thanks for this list, I'll work these out. I was planning on doing Blue Monk next. But maybe I'll start with these blues heads A question I have is - When do you move to learn a new tune? Especially with the improvisational stuff, there's always more concepts I can learn and apply on the same tune.

[@JensLarsen]

I wasn't frustrated either, I just kept on going until I could play the songs. In the end it is up to you when you want to move on, there are no rules!

[@cacophonyguitar]

@@JensLarsen thanks Jens. I wish there were some rules though. I can't figure out when I'm done with the tune. 😁 thanks for the list, again

[@johnnicholas7420]

I spent four months on Confirmation off of a Dexter Gordon record, (Charlie Parker's recording was too fast for me). One reason for spending so much time on it was I was learning the melody by ear and not writing anything down. The melody is complicated enough and has slight alterations in the A sections.

[@cacophonyguitar]

@@johnnicholas7420 hope you had fun

[@RejsMedOs]

Great list. Thanks

[@ВоваРадченко-т3т]

Thank you so much!

[@Tracks777]

nice content

[@JudeJackson210657]

Great suggestions Jens, but I’d like to add:- My Favourite Things Cry Me A River Pennies From Heaven Lover Man My Funny Valentine (I’m a huge Billie Holiday and Coltrane fan, as well as Rodgers & Hart so would include most of their material!)

[@funkyhelpermonk]

Thanks for the list! This is very helpful. I wish you leveled the audio a bit. the volume is going in and out.

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like it! With the volume: My editing software let me down this time, not sure why, but sorry about that

[@errortonin]

Dark Eyes, Minor Swing. Lime House Blues, Gloria Steps. Witch Hunt, Tears. Four on Six, Epistrophy. Nuages, Brick Top. St. Louis Blues, Bach Fuges.

[@윤혁진-m1n]

I've encountered these times at gigs (some many times, some a few times): Easy - Bye bye Blackbird, You and the Night and the Music, What is this thing called love Medium - How Deep Is The Ocean, Four, Well You Needn't, Rhythm a Ning, Star Eyes Difficult - Con Alma, Joy Spring Bossa - How Insensitive Latin - Caravan, A Night In Tunisia, 500 Miles High, Spain Bebop - Confirmation, Donna Lee, Hot House Personal Favorites that nobody plays: Along Came Betty Peggy's Blue Skylight Isotope

[@JensLarsen]

Certainly common tunes around here as well :)

[@boogiejed5485]

'it's much better to learn 1 song a hundred different ways, than 100 different songs each only 1 way.' Bill Evans. There is something powerful in this idea, I am discovering.

[@JensLarsen]

Actually the quote is that it is better to spend 20 hours on one tune than one hour on 20 tunes or not? I am not really sure about the number he used, but it is in a radio interview :)

[@boogiejed5485]

@@JensLarsen I'm not sure exactly, but it's a thing I've heard about, even Charlie Parker used Cherokee as a springboard for honing his ideas, I think.

[@HalloikbenJim]

Can someone make a playlist with these songs ;D

[@JensLarsen]

Thanks Jim! Just post it here when you are done!

[@charlesnorris9506]

this would be awesome

[@stevebadachmusic]

if you can't even be bothered to make your own playlist, good luck learning jazz!

[@HalloikbenJim]

@@JensLarsen open.spotify.com/playlist/4CFu7FHTAVlPccGrxqTnee?si=WRHuNhgUTJy-gIg5-GlQzA

[@HalloikbenJim]

I just picked some of the most famous versions and tried to have some variety among the artists, didn't pay any attention to the keys if they are the same as in this vid though.

[@barkeater9606]

i agree that you should start with the easier songs first. My first two jazz songs that I learned were All the Things You Are and Moonlight in Vermont. Those two songs took me over six months to right. They are still my favorite.

[@eternalrainbow-cj3iu]

The list comes close with my favorite 50, I would have placed extra maybe : Stablemates, Wave, Moment's Notice, How deep is the Ocean

[@davidjordan5175]

Got to get at least one Cole Porter! Night and Day and I get a Kick out of you.. most of his songs are difficult but well worth the effort. Also Who Can I Turn to? I recommend Sammy Davis Jr. Live version with Basie and their version of My Shining Hour. I always look for the shortest vocal version .allows me to listen to ten songs in less than 30min. Thanks

[@RobTeeJr]

6 tunes that are not on your list but I enjoy playing are: Darn That Dream The Nearness of You Tenderly My Foolish Heart My Funny Valentine What Are You Doing rhe Rest of Your Life

[@underwoodvoice9077]

Darn That Dream is outstanding for chord melody on guitar.

[@JensLarsen]

All great songs :)

[@underwoodvoice9077]

@Neal Murfitt Can't say I have, and don't see a video for it. Do you have a source?

[@soulubilityofficial6635]

I’m a little late to the party, but I think one that would be good to learn also if you play guitar would be minor swing. Classic standard right there and relatively easy to understand while being hard to master.

[@infinite-guitar]

Hi Jens. I've been playing for over 50 years and teaching for 27 but new to jazz. I'm loving your videos even the ones I don't understand yet. But everytime I watch one I get an aha moment so thank you for the great lessons and the amazing theory insights. I notice you use left hand fingers 1,2,3 and 4 almost exclusively and avoid thumb in bass. Is this personal preference of is the a more practical reason ? For me, I'm not a fan of the thumb in bass style but see it used frequently by others

[@JensLarsen]

Thanks Ken! I actually use my thumb to play bass notes quite often, but only if that makes sense for what is happening in the context.

[@infinite-guitar]

@@JensLarsen thank you Jens, I'll keep an eye out

[@jazzed2b]

I really like Joy Spring and How High the Moon. Also, maybe you can do a top 10/20 on bossa tunes?

[@mwicks1968]

Nice list Jens! My first port of call is of course the "Real Book", and 20 of the 55 tunes you mentioned aren't in it - I shall have to dig deeper!!! FYI these are the songs I'm working on in my Duo: All of me, Autumn leaves, Bewitched (, bothered and bewildered), Dream a little dream of me, Fly me to the moon, Misty, Night in Tunisia, One Note Samba, Summertime, Lullaby of Bird Land, Have You Met Miss Jones?, How High The Moon, Isn't It Romantic?, Desafinado, The Girl From Ipanema These ones are on a list of "possibles": All The Things You Are, But Beautiful, Cherokee (Indian Love Song), Joy Spring, Long Ago (And Far Away), Mood Indigo, Satin Doll, Take The A Train, There Will Never Be Another You We'll see!

[@JensLarsen]

That's true, the Real Book doesn't have that many standards, which is actually pretty weird :)

[@mwicks1968]

Jens Larsen so where is the best place to find your suggestions then ... ?

[@mwicks1968]

Jens Larsen I think the thing I’m learning the most on my journey in jazz/music, is how to become a good “editor” of the sources of information that I need!

[@JensLarsen]

@@mwicks1968 I think that is how it is to learn anything right now? at least I feel the same about stuff I am trying to learn

[@lesmorton7662]

Just for their interesting harmonic approach I’d like to offer for everyone’s consideration..... Lush Life and Chelsea Bridge, both Billy Strayhorn tunes which “stretch” our ears.

[@Tracks777]

lovely content

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you!

[@edwardv4546]

Thank you so much

[@eternalrainbow-cj3iu]

Nice advice: don't play Ballads in Holland! LOl, I remember a concert in Station Oost in Amersfoort, where the ambiance was that good, that it wasn't necessary to tell the audience to "shut up." I'll never forget: Saskia Groenendijk has sung just three songs so beautifully that it was like her performance went directly to meaning of the Lyrics...Everybody was listening very intensively! Two Tunes, I recall were: Round Midnight, Angel Eyes. I remember enough gigs etc where the crowd was just talking mostly...then we start to play a little bit louder, to make them listen!

[@eternalrainbow-cj3iu]

I'll be seeing you and a few other standards I learned thanks to looking to your channel...I am always eager to learn new standards...I just looked up the "Very Early" seems a nice Tune not that common progression, it is doable I guess

[@michaelandersson1904]

Thank you!

[@ChrisSmithSaxophone]

Thanks for sharing this Jens. At the moment, as a beginner/intermediate player I am enjoying learning Full House, and Caravan. I like Full House because it has a nice "island of chords" like a groove, to help you build on motifs and patterns, and then a more complicated bridge to grab your attention. Caravan is another with "islands of chords", but this time your attention is grabbed as it switches between latin and swing. Great fun.

[@JensLarsen]

Great! Go for it 🙂

[@sannaxjcjf2956]

Hey Jens, do you have any tip on how to not forget the repertoire?

[@JensLarsen]

Keep playing it and learn it by ear instead of from sheet music

[@iainctduncan]

Another good addition would be asymmetrical or non-32 forms: Alone Together, Star Eyes are two I love to play.

[@nickbirkby2521]

Hi Jens, thanks for the great list. I was wondering if you might do a shorter list of standards you consider particularly strong choices for a solo jazz guitar set? Of course you can make most standards work solo but some seem to work better than others. :) Thanks again!

[@JensLarsen]

That's very specific, but I will keep it in mind :)

[@nickbirkby2521]

@@JensLarsen Thanks so much. :)

[@danielsaunders2892]

Hi Jens. I have been following your channel for a few months now and I have learnt so much. I'm very interested in this video! Which is the best transcription for Autumn Leaves? I have been a rock player for years, but I feel I'm starting over in some ways with Jazz.

[@JensLarsen]

I am not sure what you are asking? 🙂

[@danielsaunders2892]

@@JensLarsen oh sorry! A transcription of Autumn Leaves that isnt too difficult, but has some slightly challenging parts.

[@JensLarsen]

@@danielsaunders2892 Why don't you look up an easy version and transcribe it yourself? That will be a much better exercise. Next to that try to learn the basic song by heart as well (you might already have done that :) )

[@danielsaunders2892]

Ah, yes thank you! I haven't tried transcribing for a while. I need more practice with scoring standard notation anyway.

[@kbkesq]

Another comment- look for songs that leverage existing knowledge. So Weaver of Dreams is same chords as There will never be another you but typically in key of C. Great to have that as a ballad. And to learn giant steps, learn Tune Up then learn some giant steps patterns and then play them over Countdown. Once you’ve done that you’ll have an easier time with giant steps. Also learn Have You Met Miss Jones which partly inspired Coltrane to write giant steps.

[@algonte]

Great compilation, thanks. The video sound goes up and down...

[@JensLarsen]

Yes, something went wrong with the audio. Sorry about that :)

[@lucasgabriel-if3yp]

❤ great!

[@jeremyversusjazz]

great list and commentary jens! thnx. fyi--the audio is wonky...unless it's my mac. anyhow, thnx!

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you! No it seems something went wrong with the final rendering of the video so the volume is acting strange. Never had that before, sorry

[@eternalrainbow-cj3iu]

Milestones was one of the last Tunes that I learned...The really last was Joy Spring that one was really also nice on a top 75 or 100...Because it is for me new I would like it on the list Top 50, Also I learned Sub-Conscious lee and o course Hot House very recently the Themes need some more time..to really sit tight!

[@RobKandell]

For 7/4, would “Space Is the Place” by Sun Ra count as a standard? 😊

[@JensLarsen]

Probably not 🙂 We usually just play 4/4 standards in other meters.

[@RobKandell]

@@JensLarsen - Disappointing. 😎

[@NeoSoulquarian]

You need to come out with an album man! 😎🤘 I want to hear a series of Jens Larsens sound.

[@JensLarsen]

My band has 3 albums out, look up Traeben or the discography page on my website :)

[@KYDY]

Helpful list, thank you! Just FYI, your voice goes up and down in volume quite a bit throughout the video.

[@JensLarsen]

Yes, I had some issues with the audio in the final render, I am still trying to figure out why :)

[@juancrespi6903]

muy bueno! I ´Did a list in Spotify of the 50 songs

[@elpatasculichi]

Could you share with us? 😃

[@juancrespi6903]

@@elpatasculichi yes, but dont know how to do it,,,,jajaj

[@rjones197]

"The reason I'm an expert, is because I have made all the mistakes." It's paraphrased, changed a bit, but boy, that is one of the most humble and real explanations of professional growth I have heard. It reminds me why I take you seriously, while most others I quickly tire of because their bombast or apparent ease of their method (aka. hacks and tricks) turn me away. You always give it strait, all the way down to comments like " If you don't understand the video, you need to do more study" (which I have received). When I find a local teacher, I will be very happy, but until then, I have Jens Larsen, in my opinion one of the best Online Jazz instructors available.

[@Duderino1978]

I play bass but I’m still working on my first one 😅 “Take the A-Train”. I just find walking bass lines to be exhausting to learn by ear.

[@JensLarsen]

Stick with it, you will get there 🙂

[@hiaf212]

amazing

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you think so!

[@johng2463]

Hi jens, really enjoy your channel. I’ve decided to take a rather serious attempt at learning jazz guitar. I’ve been playing for about 30 years, delved into most genres, except for jazz. What is the most fundamental element of jazz guitar?

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you, John. I guess learning the vocabulary to learn phrasing and the feel is important? Not sure it makes sense to reduce a genre like that 🙂

[@eternalrainbow-cj3iu]

Of course I forgot Pannonica!! great Monk Piece!

[@knightishraq]

Could you make a proper solo guitar arrangement for very early by bill evans

[@JensLarsen]

I usually only do chord melody arrangements like that for the high tiers on Patreon. Sorry :)

[@knightishraq]

@@JensLarsen i am also a patreon sir :3 your monthly chord melody arrangements really help a lot

[@JensLarsen]

@@knightishraq Ah, well in that case then maybe I should just write it down as a request there :) The problem with very early is the huge range.

[@knightishraq]

@@JensLarsen please do solo guitar lessons. They are great

[@JensLarsen]

@@knightishraq IT's coming up :)

[@jorgeagustincastrosuarez3048]

Great jens

[@JensLarsen]

Thanks Jorge!

[@Xenouvious]

I don't know if you have watched the video Nathaniel Smith did on the subject, but I am also of the opinion that some more modern tunes should be considered to be included into the standard lore, like Kurt Rosenwinkel's Zhivago, or some Mark Turner tunes. That being said, I quite enjoy some of the "harder" and somewhat modern repertoire like Coltrane's "Countdown", Henderson's "Inner Urge", Sam Rivers' "Beatrice", and so on. I also enjoy some fusion (trying to nail the intro to Holdsworth's Non Brewed Condiment, a total pain in the ass), and of course Tigran Hamasyan rules as well. Cheers, Jens. Good video! Just giving my two cents.

[@JensLarsen]

I saw some of it (as you can see in the comments to the video) I would not consider those songs jazz standards personally, not yet. Give it another 10-20 years and then we will see :) Time will tell.

[@Xenouvious]

Jens Larsen I don’t know. I think we need some new blood, that’s my impression. But oh well, give time to time.

[@JensLarsen]

@@Xenouvious just because it is not a standard doesn't mean you can't play it? 😂

[@Xenouvious]

Jens Larsen I play a ton of tunes which are not even standards, ya know. My entry point to music was extreme metal, hahaha.

[@JensLarsen]

@@Xenouvious So really there is no problem..

[@elianmusic7452]

Hello Jens! I'm new to learning standards and so i have very little context as to why you may have done this, but is there any reason Misty isn't on here? To me its a very special sound, very melancholic, captures an emotion that i feel few other standards do in the same way. Anyone else please feel free to tell me if there is a reason as well :) Cheers!

[@JensLarsen]

Tastr is a factor as well I guess, and Misty is just not one of my favorites 🙂

[@elianmusic7452]

@@JensLarsen Oh alright then! Was just wondering if there was any reason other than taste. Thank you for all you do, eternally grateful - cheers from cairo