Very
often in jazz composition you see sequences where there are two
chords to each measure. If the tune is particularly fast this will
allow a maximum of only 4 notes per chord to solo with. It will
be helpful for you to learn a string of 2, 5 resolutions for these
situations. If you look at standards like "Joy Spring",
"I Got Rhythm" "How High The Moon" and many
others, you will notice this harmonic movement. You will see it
mostly as a turnaround for the last four bars of the song to take
the tune back to the top of the sequence. It is also a very good
substitution for a 2, 5, 1 progression where there is only one chord
per measure:
The following examples show some very typical be-bop phrases
for this back-cycling progression. They are all b9 resolutions
with a diminished line on each of the two dominant chords. Have
fun with them...
About the author
Chris Standring is a contemporary jazz recording artist who performs
throughout the USA and Europe regularly. He has enjoyed much radio
airplay with several albums, opening up a busy touring schedule.
His music appears on many compilation CDs also. For more info
on Chris' popular home study jazz guitar course go to www.PlayJazzGuitar.com
Visit him on the web at www.chrisstandring.com