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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