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Basic Jazz chords 5

D b M7 D b7 C # m7 C #ø C # dim
b ## nnnn##
& b bbb œ œ œ
œ œ bœ nnnnn # # œ œ œ œ nœ œ nœ #œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ

? b b wwww b www
I7 Im7 Im7b5
w n wwww
IM7 Idim

w nn n n # # # # www n # wwww nnnn##


bbb n

##
D M7 D7 D m7 Dø D dim

& œ œ œ œ œ nœ n œ œ nœ n œ bœ nœ bœ œ
œ œ œ œ œ nœ
I7 Im7 Im7b5
w n ww nw b n n wwww
IM7 Idim

? # # www ww n www n b wwww

Do it in all keys.

Arpeggios and chords in march rhythm:

Play ascending and descending arpeggios with right hand, and chords with left
in a march pattern.

3 œ œ œ b œ œ5 œ œ
œ œ œ
C M7 C7
1 œ œœ œ 1 œ œ œ œ
4 5

œ œ
4

&œ œœ 4œ œœ œ œ œ b œ œ œ
2

3
2
1 1

?œ œœœ œœœ b œœœ œœœ


œ œ œ

Fingering:
Beginning in white key: 1 2 3 4_1 2 3 4 5
Beginning in black key: Same fingering, but putting 4 in wide part of the white key and
passing thumb over to next black key

In classical fingering begin with finger 2 in black key and put finger 1 in next white key.
If you have mastered classical fingering, go ahead and don't forget it.
Practical fingering is most easy... same for all tonalities.
Basic Jazz chords 6

C m7
œ b œ œ œ œ

b œ bœ œ œ œ
b œ œ b œ œ œ œ
5

& bœ œ bœ œ œœœ
œ œ bœ b œ b œ œ œ œ
1

œ 4
1

bœ œœ b b b œœœ œœ
?œ b œœ œ œ œ œ œ

D b M7 œ
C dim
b œ œ œ œ œ 1 œ œ œ 5
œœœ
b œ œ b b œœ œœœ
4

& œ bœ bœ œ œ œœœ
œ bbb œœœ œ
1
Practical fingering: Begin 1 in black key
œœ œœ
?œ b b œœœ œ
œœœ
bbbbb œ œ œ œ

Classical fingering: Put 2 in black key and 1 in next white key.


D b7 œ C # m7
œ b œ œ œ # œ œ œœœ
bb œ œ œ #
œ œ œ nnnn # # œœœ œœœ
& b b b œ œ œ bœ œ n œœ œ œœ

b œœ œœ # œœœ œœœ
? bb b œ œ œ œ nnnnn## # œ œ
bb

C #m7b5 C # dim
œ #œ œ œ œ œ
# # ## œœ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œœœ œ œ n œ œœœ
& œ œ nœ œ œ œ nœ #œ œ

? # # ## œ n œœœ œ
œœœ
œ n # œœœ œ œœœ

Follow this exercise in all keys.


Practise it a lot in order to save it in subconscious. So you will master all sixty
basic Jazz chords, you will get a great ear training, your fingers will learn their
job in harmony, and you will develop a great rhythmic sense.
Basic Jazz chords 7

Chord Families:
Each one of chord qualities is a family.
We may substitute a chord by other into a family.

MAJOR: CM7,
C6, CM9, C6,9, CM9#11, CM13#11, CM7+5, Csus.

SEVENTH: C7,
C7-5, C7sus
C9, C7+9, C7-9, C9+5, C9-5,
C11, C9#11,
C13, C9-13,
C7alt,
C7+5, Caug

MINOR: Cm7,
Cm6, Cm(maj7), Cm6,9, Cm11, Cm13,

HALF-DIMINISHED: Cm7b5, Cφ,


Cφ9

DIMINISHED: Cdim, Co,


Co9

So if You find C9#11 you may substitute it by C7 into same family in


order to simplify harmony.
Also you may change C7 by C9#11 in order to enrich harmony.
You must master all sixty basic jazz chords as a first condition to
perform Jazz lead sheets at sight and to begin improvising.

Good luck and enjoy sixty basic Jazz chords.

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