Jazz Chord Progression Chart Calculator
Map a jazz progression in concert, Bb, or Eb view, compare cadence density, and build a clean lead-sheet style chart without losing the form.
Presets
Chart Inputs
Generated Chart
| Bar | Roman | Chord | Function |
|---|
Common Progressions
| Family | Bars | Main move | Common use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major ii-V-I | 4-8 | ii to V to I | Standards |
| Minor ii-V-i | 4-8 | iiø to V to i | Minor heads |
| Jazz blues | 12 | Blues with color | Blues charts |
| Rhythm changes | 32 | AABA cycle | Bebop forms |
Chord Function Map
| Role | Major | Minor | Sound |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tonic | Imaj7 | i mMaj7 | Home |
| Pre-dom | ii7 | iiø7 | Setup |
| Dominant | V7 | V7alt | Pull |
| Color move | bVIImaj7 | bII7 | Backdoor |
View Transposition
| View | Shift | Concert C becomes | Common reader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concert | 0 st | C | Rhythm section |
| Bb | +2 st | D | Trumpet, tenor |
| Eb | +9 st | A | Alto, bari |
| Bass clef | 0 st | C | Low concert reading |
Form Length Guide
| Form | Bars | Typical shape | Use case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short loop | 8 | Turnaround cycle | Vamps |
| Blues form | 12 | Three phrases | Heads |
| Standard A | 16 | Two sections | Ballads |
| AABA chorus | 32 | Four blocks | Bebop |
Quick Spec Grid
Tips
Use this jazz chord progression chart calculator to map ii-V motion, blues changes, and turnarounds across concert, Bb, or Eb views for faster lead-sheet planning.
Jazz chord progressions is used by musicians to provide a map for the musicians in the band. Jazz chord progressions will help all member of the band to remain synchronized with each other when they are performing solos or playing together. One of the most common jazz chord progressions are the ii-V-I chord progression, where a musician plays a minor chord (ii), followed by a dominant chord (V), followed by a major chord (I). These chord progressions can be played in any key.
In the key of C major, the chords for this progression will be Dm7, G7, and Cmaj7. However, if the song is in a minor key, then the chord progression will change to account for that key, using a half-diminished chord in place of the ii chord and an altered chord in place of the V chord to create a differnet type of tension within the chord progression. Different musical forms requires different chord progressions within the song, and there are different chord progressions within different sections of a song.
How Jazz Chord Progressions Work
Blues keys contains ii-V chords within the IV chord, as well as a bVII chord. Rhythm changes utilize a 32-bar AABA chord progression, where the I-vi-ii-V chord progression is played throughout the song. Jazz musicians should think in four bar phrases for their chord progressions, as the human ear typically listens to musical information in four bar sections of music.
Turnarounds can be used at the end of a section within a song, utilizing a vi-ii-V-I chord progression to signal to the musicians the end of that section. Additionally, musicians can use tritone substitutions, where a dominant chord is replace by a chord of the bII7 type to create a different resolution of the I chord in the song. Transposition can be used to change a musical piece from one key to another.
Transposition is necessary for different musical instruments to play the same song, as the piano plays in concert pitch, but instruments like trumpets and tenor saxophones plays in Bb. Therefore, the trumpet and tenor saxophone players must read the music in a different key from the piano player. Similarly, the alto and baritone saxophones play in the key of Eb, so the saxophone players must read the music in a different key from the piano player.
Should the musicians not transpose the music correctly, the musicians will play the incorrect note for the song, and the band will not be in tune with one another. Musical voicings refer to the different ways in which the musicians plays the notes in a chord progression. Different voicings will produce different sounds for the same chord.
Shell voicings includes only the root and third of a chord, limiting the complexity of the chord. Rootless voicings do not include the root of the chord, which allows the pianist to play more complex chords without interfering with the bass players. Altered voicings include additional notes to the chord, such as b9 or #9 chords, which increase the tension created by a dominant V chord in the progression.
Finally, the type of groove that is to be used in a song also has an impact on the chord progressions for that song. For instance, swing groove utilize a triplet pulse for the beat, while Latin music utilizes a syncopated musical rhythm. Digital tools can be utilized to assist musicians with the mathematical element of music.
For instance, a musical analysis tool can analyze a song and provide information about the chords and keys for that song, as well as provide information about the harmonic load of the song. Harmonic load refers to the number of chord changes that are utilized within a short period of time in the song. For instance, if there is a high harmonic load to the song, the musicians will need to utilize simpler voicings for each chord, since they will have to play the chords at a faster tempo.
Before playing a song for musicians or listeners, there are a few step that may be utilized to prepare. First, the musicians should listen to the song to become familiar with its structure. Additionally, it is necessary to determine whether the song use a cycle of chords or a modal vamp.
It is also important to determine the number of chord changes per bar, and to aim for one chord change per beat for each bar of music at medium tempos. If the musicians include different musical instruments in the band that play in different keys, then there will be multiple musical charts for the musicians to print. Additionally, each musical chart will contain the chord progressions for each musician in the band.
Finally, each musician should test each chord progression on the piano to ensure that the musicians can play each chord at the same tempo as the others in the band.
