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Common Jazz Chord Progressions

Introduction

If you have been working your way through these modules, by now you have learned about Jazz Chords and Voicings, as well as Jazz Scales and Improvisation. So now it’s time to talk about some Common Jazz Chord Progressions.

Common Jazz Chord Progressions

Jazz, like every music genre, has its overused clichés and standard repertoire. Sometimes a song becomes so well known and widely played that it becomes a Jazz Standard. And these Jazz Standards often become or are built from commonly used chord progressions. Below is a list of common Jazz chord progressions that you will find in a LOT of a Jazz songs. All of them are widely used and worth memorising. Keep an eye out for them next time you’re learning a song. The most important progressions will be covered in greater detail in future lessons.

Bluesy

C7C7C7C7
F7F7C7C7
G7F7C7C7
Am7G7F7E7

Circle of Fifths

Minor Key
Am7Dm7G7CMaj7
FMaj7Bø7E7Am7
Major Key
CMaj7FMaj7Bø7Em7
Am7Dm7G7CMaj7
Dm7G7CMaj7CMaj7
Em7 - A7Dm7 - G7CMaj7CMaj7

Classics

Em/EEmMaj7/D#Em7/DEm6/C#C7 or CMaj7B7
EmEmMaj7Em6Em♭6C7 or CMaj7B7
CMaj7Am7 or A7Dm7G7

Pop

CAmFG
CGAmF

Another II-V-I

Dm7♭5G7♭9CmMaj7 or Cm6CmMaj7 or Cm6

Major to relative minor

CMaj7E7Am7Dm7 or FMaj7

OR

CMaj7Bm7♭5 - E7Am7Dm7 or FMaj7

‘A’ Train

CMaj7CMaj7D7D7
Dm7G7CMaj7CMaj7

Parallel minor

D7D7Dm7G7
FMaj7Fm7Em7A7
Dm7G7CMaj7CMaj7
CMaj7CMaj7Cm7Cm7

Circle of Fifths

CMaj7Gm7 - C7FMaj7FMaj7
E7A7D7G7
CMaj7CMaj7Cm7FMaj7
B♭Maj7B♭Maj7B♭m7E♭7...etc.

Chromatic

Em7 - A7Am7 - D7Dm7G7
Em7 - A7E♭m7 - A♭7Dm7G7
Em7 - A7Am7 - D7A♭m7 - D♭7CMaj7

Parallel Half-Steps

CMaj7CMaj7D♭Maj7D♭Maj7

Diminished Passing Chords

CMaj7 - D♭o7Dm7 - E♭o7Em7 - A7Dm7 - G7

Coltrane Changes

BMaj7 - D7GMaj7 - B♭7E♭Maj7 - F#7BMaj7

To hear what the above chord progressions sound like, check out the below videos.

Part I

Part II

Part III

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