Bird changes

The Blues for Alice changes, Bird changes, Bird Blues, or New York Blues changes, is a chord progression, often named after Charlie Parker ("Bird"), which is a variation of the twelve-bar blues.

The progression uses a series of sequential ii–V or secondary ii–V progressions, and has been used in pieces such as Parker's "Blues for Alice". Toots Thielemans's "Bluesette",[1] Freight Trane written by pianist Tommy Flanagan, and Parker's "Confirmation"[2] also have similar progressions.

Structure

A simple blues progression, in C, is as follows:

{ \new ChordNames \with { \override BarLine #'bar-extent = #'(-2 . 2) \consists "Bar_engraver" } \chordmode { \override Score.BarNumber.break-visibility = ##(#f #f #f) \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo 1 = 60 c1:7 | c:7 | c:7 | c:7 | \break f:7 | f:7 | c:7 | c:7 | \break g:7 | f:7 | c:7 | c:7 \bar "||" } }

A typical blues progression in jazz, in C, is as follows:[3]

{ \new ChordNames \with { \override BarLine #'bar-extent = #'(-2 . 2) \consists "Bar_engraver" } \chordmode { \override Score.BarNumber.break-visibility = ##(#f #f #f) \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo 1 = 60 c1:7 | f:7 | c:7 | c:7 | \break f:7 | f:7 | c:7 | e2:m7 a:7 | \break d1:m7 | g:7 | c2:7 a:7 | d:m7 g:7 \bar "||" } }

The Bird Blues progression, in C, is as follows:[4]

{ \new ChordNames \with { \override BarLine #'bar-extent = #'(-2 . 2) \consists "Bar_engraver" } \chordmode { \override Score.BarNumber.break-visibility = ##(#f #f #f) \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo 2 = 60 c1:maj7 | b2:m7.5- e:7 | a:m7 d:7 | g:m7 c:7 | \break f1:7 | f2:m7 bes:7 | e:m7 a:7 | es2:m7 aes:7 | \break d1:m7 | g:7 | c2:maj7 a:7 | d:m7 g:7 \bar "||" } }

In roman numeral analysis, this is represented by

IM7 viiø7   III7 vi7    II7 v7     I7
IV7 iv7    ♭VII7 iii7    VI7 ♭iii7  ♭VI7
ii7 V7 IM7   VI7 ii7     V7

This can be viewed as a cycle of ii–V progressions leading to the IV chord (F7 in the key of C major), and the tritone substitution of the dominant chords leading by half-step to the V chord (G7 in C).[4]

C: Am: G(m): F:
IM7iiø7     V7ii7      V7ii7      V7
F:E♭:D:D♭(m):
I7subii7 subV7subii7 subV7subii7 subV7
C:
ii7V7IM7    VI7ii7     V7

Sources
  1. Hatfield, Ken (2005). Jazz and the Classical Guitar Theory and Applications, p.182. ISBN 0-7866-7236-6.
  2. Umble, Jay (2011). Mbgu Jazz Curriculum: Payin Your Dues with the Blues, p. 62. ISBN 9781610653145.
  3. Jacobs, Sid (2011). The Changes, p. 12. ISBN 9781610651684.
  4. Baerman, Noah (1998). Complete Jazz Keyboard Method: Intermediate Jazz Keyboard, p. 63. ISBN 0-88284-911-5.
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