DrawingitsnamefromtheclassicGeorgeGershwintuneIGotRhythm,rhythmchanges

havebecomeoneofthemostusedchordprogressionsandimprovisationalformsinjazz
throughoutitshistory.
Alongsidemajorandminorbluesforms,rhythmchangesisoneofthemostoftencalledprogressions
onjazzjamsessionsandgigs.Becauseofitspopularity,havingastrongunderstandingofthese
changes,andbeingabletocompthroughthemwithconfidence,areessentialskillsforanyjazz
guitaristtopossess.
Thislessonwillbreakdownthestandardrhythmchangesprogression,lookatafewcommon
variationstothesechords,aswellasprovideasoloingandcompingexamplethatyoucanusefor
furtherstudy.

RhythmChangesBasicsandLeadSheet
Foranyonethathasstudiedorplayedrhythmchangestunesbefore,youwillknowthattherearemany
variationstothiscommonform,justliketherearemanyvariationstothejazzblues,thatyoucanuse
whenjamminginagrouporsolosettingonthisform.
Tokeepthingssimple,herearethecharacteristicsofabasicorfundamentalrhythmchangesform.
32barAABA(ormorespecificallyAABA)form.
Beginsandendsinthetonickey.
MovestotheIVchordinbars5and6.
BridgebasedonadominantcycleprogressionIIIVIIIV.

Now,therearemanyalterationsandexceptionstotheserules,butatypicalrhythmchangestunewill
containmostifnotalloftheseelements.
Togetyoustarted,beforewedigdeepintoeachsectionoftheprogression,hereisatypicalrhythm
changesleadsheetinBbwithananalysisofthechordsthatyoucanuseasareference.Forthoseof
youthathaveworkedonrhythmchangesbefore,grabyourguitarandcompthroughthesechanges,
orsolooverthemwithabackingtrack,togetgoingonbringingthesechordstothefretboard.
Ifthetheanalysisdoesntmakesensequiteyet,nottoworry,wellbedissectingeachofthese8bar
sectionsfurtherlateroninthislesson.

Listen&Play
00:00/00:00

RhythmChangesTunes
Here'sanexampleofarhythmchanges,calledOleoandplayedbyJoePassandNielsHenning
OrstedPedersen:

Tohelpyougetyourearsaroundsomeclassicrhythmchangesplayer,hereisalistofrhythm
changestunesthatyoucancheckoutinyourlisteningtimeinordertoprepareyourearsforstudying
thesechangeslateronwithyourguitar.
Anthropology
CottonTail
Dexterity

IGotRhythm
LesterLeapsIn
MoosetheMooche
Steeplechase
StraightenUpandFlyRight

Nowthatyouhavecheckedoutsomeofyourfavoriteplayersjammingonrhythmchanges,letsbeginto
breakthiscommonjazzprogressionapartandapplythesechangestothefretboardintheprocess.

KeysandVariations
Justlikethejazzbluesprogression,youwillencounterrhythmchangesinvariouskeysthroughout
yourjammingandgiggingexperiences.Whileplayersandtuneswillcallforrhythmchangesindifferent
keys,byfarthemostcommonlyusedkeytoplayinisBbmajor,whichisthekeywearefocussingon
inthislesson.

ThemostcommonlyusedkeytoplayrhythmchangesisBbmajor.
Becauseitissuchapopularkeyforrhythmchanges,itwouldbebeneficialtoworkmostlyinthekey
ofBbmajorwhenstudyingrhythmchanges,andfromtimetotimeventureoffintootherkeyssuchasF
andCifyoufeellikeaddinganewchallengetoyourpracticing.
Aswell,youwillexploreanumberofvariationstotheAandBsectionchordsinthislesson,sohow
doyouknowwhenandwheretousethesechords?
Whenjammingonarhythmchangestune,youcanuseany/allofthesevariationsinyourcomping
andsoloingthroughoutthecourseofthetune,oryoucanpickasetofvariationsyoulikeandstickto
them.Eachchorus,oreveneachsection,couldcontainslightlydifferentchordsasyouexplorethe
variousharmonicpossibilitiesofthistuneinyourcompingandblowing.
Atthesametime,youcouldpickasetofchangesthatyouenjoyandsticktothose,aslongastherest
ofthebandisawareofwhatyouaredoing,eitherbyearorbydiscussingitwiththem.
Allthattosaythatyoucanbeasrigidorasflexibleasyouwantwiththesechordswhenapplyingthem
toapractical,musicalsituation.Aswell,havingthesevariationsunderyourfingersandinyourears
willallowyoutoreacttowhatothersaroundyouaredoingasfarastheirharmonicchoiceswhen
jammingonrhythmchanges.

TheASections
Tobeginourstudyofthechordsusedinrhythmchanges,wewillbetakingalookattheAsectionsof
theform,whichmakeup3/4softhetunesoverallprogression.
ThoughyoucantalkaboutandthinkaboutthesechangesasallbeingpartofanASection,to
differentiatebetweenthefirstA,whichusesaturnaroundattheend,andthe2ndand3rdAs,which
useacadenceattheend,bylabellingthemasAandAsoyoucanseetheslightdifferencein
progressionandfunctionofthesesections.
Tobegin,andformostofthissection,wellbelookingatthefirstAsection(bars18),asyoustudythe
basicchanges,aswellascommonvariationstothesechangesthatyoucanapplytobothyourblowing
andcopingideasoverrhythmchanges.

ASection(Bars18)
Thefirstexampleinthissectionoutlinesfairlystandardchangestothefirst8barsofrhythmchanges
inthekeyofBb.
NoticethatthefirstfourbarsarestatingthetonickeyofBbmajor,whichbars5and6moveintotheIV
key(Ebmajor),beforeusingthelasttwobarsasaturnaroundbacktothetopoftheform.Evenwhen
webegintoalterthesechordsinfurtherexamples,thoseharmonicpillarswillremainthesameas
theyarecharacteristicofAsectionrhythmchangeschords.

Listen&Play
00:00/00:00

Now,youcanbegintoalterthesechangesbymakingthevim7chord,Gm7inthiskey,aVI7b9chord,
G7b9inthiskey.
Dependingontheleadsheet,andyourpreferences,youmightwanttoplaythischordasG7oras
G7b9,andsothroughoutthislessonyoullseebothwrittenasyouwillseebothwhenreadinglead
sheetsandjammingoverrhythmchangeswithinabandcontext.

Listen&Play
00:00/00:00

ThenextexamplereplacestheBbmaj7chord,Imaj7,inbar3withaDm7chord,iiim7,tocreateaiiiVI
iiVprogressioninbars3and4oftheAsection.
Replacingthetonicchordwithaiiim7chordisacommonsubinanyjazztune,anditsagreatwayto
addvarietybetweenbars12andbars34ofanyrhythmchangestuneyouareplaying.

Listen&Play
00:00/00:00

YoucannowreplacetheImaj7chord,Bbmaj7,inbar5withanFm7chord,iim7ofIVmaj7,tocreateaii
VIprogressioninthatpartofthetune.
AsjazzerslovetocompandblowoveriiVIchanges,thisversionoftheAsectionisoneofthemost
popularwhenplayingarhythmchangestuneonajamsessionorgiggingsituation.

Listen&Play
00:00/00:00

ASectionsBars916and2532
TofinishupourstudyoftheAsection,letslookattheAsections,the2ndand3rdAsectionsinany
32barform.
YoucanuseanyofthesamevariationsthatyousawovertheAsectioninthepreviousexamplesover
anyAsection,theonlydifferenceisthatthelasttwobarsofthe2ndand3rdAsectionsisaiiVIback

tothetonicchord,inthiscaseBbmaj7.
Soyoudonthavetodomuchstudyonthesechords,excepttoworkonmovingfromtheEbm7chord
totheCm7chordinbars6and7,whichleadsyoubacktothetonicchordinbar8.
Again,forbars16ofthesetwoAsections,youcanuseany/allofthesamechordvariationsyou
studiedovertheAsectioninthepreviousexamples.

Listen&Play
00:00/00:00

TheBridgeSection
MovingontotheBridgesectionofrhythmchanges(bars1724),youwillnoticethattheharmonic
movementismuchlessbusyinthispartofthetune,asyouhaveswitchedfromtwochordsperbarto
twowholebarsperchordduringthese8measures.
Inthefirstexample,youwillseethemostcommonlyusedBridgechordstorhythmchanges,using
theIII7VI7II7V7progression.Youcanthinkofthesechordsintwoways,oneistheIIIVIIIVnumerals
mentionedalready,andthesecondisthateachchordistheV7ofthenextchordintheprogression,
creatingadominantcycle.
Thismightbehelpfulforyourunderstandingandsoloingapproach,asyoucanleadeachchordinto
thenextasD7istheV7ofG7,G7istheV7ofC7,andC7istheV7ofF7,whichthenresolvesbackto
theBbmaj7chordatthetopofthelastAsection.

Listen&Play

00:00/00:00

BecauseeachchordintheBridgeisadominant7thchord,thefirstcommonvariationforthese8barsis
toaddafewtritonesubstothesechanges,suchasexchangingG7forDb7andF7forB7asyoucan
seeinthefollowingexample.

Listen&Play
00:00/00:00

YoucanalsoaddtritonesubstothefirstandthirdchordsofthissectionbyexchangingAb7forD7,
andGb7forC7,asyouexpandthissubideafurtherinyourcompingandsoloinglinesandphrases.


Listen&Play
00:00/00:00

Thelastgroupoftritonesubsthatwelllookatinvolvesplayingatritonesubovereverychordinthe
Bridgesection,whichcanbeatensebutcoolwaytobuildenergyduringtheBsectionofanyrhythm
changestuneyourarecompingorblowingover.

Listen&Play
00:00/00:00

BecauseeachchordintheBridgeisa7thchord,youcanalsoaddinaiim7chordbeforeanychordin
thissection,creatingaseriesofiiVsoverthis8barprogression.
Noticethattheoriginalchangesareallinbars2,4,6and8,whiletheirrelatediim7chordsallfallin
bars1,3,5and7oftheBridgesection.

Listen&Play
00:00/00:00

TofinishupourstudyoftheBsectionvariationstorhythmchanges,hereisafunsetofchangesthat
comefromthetuneEternalTriangle,whichasyoucanseearemuchdifferentthanwhatyouveseen
sofar.
Becausethesechords,whichareaseriesofdescendingiiVsmovingdowninhalfsteps,are
highlychromaticandoutsidetheusualBridgechanges,youwouldwanttomakesuretherestofthe
groupknewyouweregoingtoplaythesechangesbeforeusingtheminyourplaying.
Thoughtheyareverydifferent,thesechordsaregreattousewhenyouwanttospiceupthebridge
sectiontoanyrhythmchangestune,especiallyduringtheblowingoronatunelikeOleowherethe
Bridgeofthemelodyissimplyimprovised,astheyaddabitofsurpriseandachallengetobothlistener
andperformerduringthissectionofthetune.

Listen&Play
00:00/00:00

RhythmChangesChordStudy
Nowthatyouhavelearnedabouttheconstructionofrhythmchanges,letstakealookatacomping
studythatyoucanusetopracticethiscommonforminyourstudies,andexpandyourchord
vocabularyatthesametime.
Thestudyiswrittentooutlineallfoursectionsofthetune,andsofeelfreetobreakthisstudydown
into4or8barsectionsatfirstinordertomakeiteasiertolearninthewoodshed.Also,goingslowand
workingwithametronomewillallowyoutogetthemostoutofthisstudy,astherhythmsusedinthe
chorusarejustasbeneficialtodigestasthechordsthemselves.

Listen&Play
00:00/00:00

RhythmChangesSoloingStudy
Tofinishupourintroductiontorhythmchanges,hereisaonechorussoloingstudythatyoucanlearn
inordertogetanideaofhowtosolooverthesechordchanges.
Asthisisaneducationalstudy,Iveusedanumberofclassicrhythmchangeslicksandpatterns
throughoutthesolotohelpyoubuildyourvocabularyasyoulearnthesoloinyourstudies.Because

ofthis,feelfreetoextractanysmallphrase,evenpullingout2or4beatphrases,andstudythem
furtherasyouusetheseideastobuildyourjazzsoloingvocabulary.

Listen&Play
00:00/00:00