Rhythm changes
Encyclopedia
In jazz
and jazz harmony
, "rhythm changes" refers to the chord progression
occurring in George Gershwin
's song "I Got Rhythm
". This pattern, which forms the basis of countless (usually uptempo) jazz compositions
, was popular with swing-era musicians: It is found in "Shoeshine Boy" (Lester Young
's 1936 breakout recording with Count Basie
) and "Cotton Tail
" written by Duke Ellington
in 1940, as well as Charlie Christian
's "Seven Come Eleven", "Charlie Parker
's 'Salt Peanuts
'," and Thelonious Monk
's "Rhythm-a-Ning", for instance. The earliest known use of rhythm changes was by Sidney Bechet
in his September 15, 1932 recording of "Shag" with his "New Orleans Feetwarmers" group.
This progression's endurance in popularity is largely due to its extensive use by early bebop
musicians. The chord changes began to be used in the 1930s, became extremely common in the '40s and '50s, and are now ubiquitous. First, "I Got Rhythm" was by then already a popular jazz standard
, and by listening to the song and writing a new melody over its chord changes (a type of composition known as a contrafact), a jazz musician could claim copyright
to the new melody rather than acknowledge Gershwin's inspiration and pay royalties
to his estate.
In popular music
, "rhythm changes" refers to the first four-chord section of the full progression that the term denotes in the jazz context. This "sub-progression" forms the entire harmonic structure of an enormous number of popular hits released during the 1950s and 1960s (as well as of a significant number since then), in part because Gershwin's song is not the only source of this portion of the progression: Because the chord changes in question form part of a circle progression
, they have been readily amenable to independent discovery by other artists both before and after Gershwin, with the effect that less creative musicians have been able to "borrow" the progression from songs other than "I Got Rhythm" whether or not those songs themselves borrowed from Gershwin.
Today, mastery of the blues and rhythm changes are "critical elements for building a jazz repertoire
".
David Yaffe argues that the use by African-American musicians and groups of a chord structure written by a Jewish musician is a highly visible example of the collaboration between the groups that took place in song more than in written literature due to racial segregation.
AABA form
containing four eight measure sections. In roman numeral shorthand, the actual chords used in the "A" section are
| I vi | ii V |
(tonic-submediant-supertonic-dominant
) played twice, then
| I I7 | IV #ivdim7 | I V | I | (or
| I I7 | IV iv | which is what Gershwin originally wrote)
In C major, for example, these chords would be
| C Am7 | Dm G | C Am7 | Dm G |
| C C7 | F F#dim | C G | C | (or
| C C7 | F Fm | )
The "bridge" consists of a series of dominant sevenths that follow the circle of fifths
, sustained for two bars each and thus conveying the sense of a shifting key center:
| III7 | + | VI7 | + |
| II7 | + | V7 | + |
In our example, we begin with an E7, followed by an A7, then D7 and finally G7, bringing us back to the original key for a final reprise of the A section. A two-bar "tag" at the end of the Gershwin tune is generally omitted. While rhythm changes can be played in any key, they are most commonly played in concert B-flat and sometimes E-flat.
Variant versions of the A section changes are legion: often the beboppers, for instance, would superimpose series of "two-fives" (passing sequences of minor-7th and dominant-7th chords) on the A section in order to make things interesting for themselves (and in order to discourage lesser musicians from sitting in on the bandstand).
Frank Vignola provides the following variants, for example:
| C Am7 | Dm7 G7 |
| C C#dim | Dm7 G7b9 |
The component A and B sections of rhythm changes were also sometimes used for other tunes: for instance, Charlie Parker
's "Scrapple from the Apple
" uses the chord changes of "Honeysuckle Rose
" for the A section, but replaces the B section with "Rhythm"'s | III7 | VI7 | II7 | V7 | bridge. Other tunes, such as Sonny Stitt
's "The Eternal Triangle
" and the theme from "The Muppet Show
", use the A section of "Rhythm" but have a different bridge. Often in rhythm changes tunes, the B section is left free for improvisation even during the head (e.g. in Sonny Rollins
' "Oleo").
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and jazz harmony
Jazz harmony
Jazz harmony is the theory and practice of how chords are used in jazz music. Jazz bears certain similarities to other practices in the tradition of Western harmony, such as many chord progressions, and the incorporation of the major and minor scales as a basis for chordal construction, but...
, "rhythm changes" refers to the chord progression
Chord progression
A chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...
occurring in George Gershwin
George Gershwin
George Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...
's song "I Got Rhythm
I Got Rhythm
"I Got Rhythm" is a song composed by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin and published in 1930, which became a jazz standard. Its chord progression, known as the "rhythm changes", is the foundation for many other popular jazz tunes such as Charlie Parker's and Dizzy Gillespie's Bebop...
". This pattern, which forms the basis of countless (usually uptempo) jazz compositions
Musical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
, was popular with swing-era musicians: It is found in "Shoeshine Boy" (Lester Young
Lester Young
Lester Willis Young , nicknamed "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and clarinetist. He also played trumpet, violin, and drums....
's 1936 breakout recording with Count Basie
Count Basie
William "Count" Basie was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. Basie led his jazz orchestra almost continuously for nearly 50 years...
) and "Cotton Tail
Cotton Tail
"Cotton Tail" is a 1940 composition by Duke Ellington. It is based on the rhythm changes from George Gershwin's "I Got Rhythm". The first Ellington recording is notable for the driving tenor saxophone solo by Ben Webster. Originally an instrumental, "Cotton Tail" later had lyrics written for it by...
" written by Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
in 1940, as well as Charlie Christian
Charlie Christian
Charles Henry "Charlie" Christian was an American swing and jazz guitarist.Christian was an important early performer on the electric guitar, and is cited as a key figure in the development of bebop and cool jazz. He gained national exposure as a member of the Benny Goodman Sextet and Orchestra...
's "Seven Come Eleven", "Charlie Parker
Charlie Parker
Charles Parker, Jr. , famously called Bird or Yardbird, was an American jazz saxophonist and composer....
's 'Salt Peanuts
Salt Peanuts
"Salt Peanuts" is a bebop tune reportedly composed by Dizzy Gillespie in 1942, credited "with the collaboration of" bebop drummer Kenny Clarke...
'," and Thelonious Monk
Thelonious Monk
Thelonious Sphere Monk was an American jazz pianist and composer considered "one of the giants of American music". Monk had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including "Epistrophy", "'Round Midnight", "Blue Monk", "Straight, No Chaser"...
's "Rhythm-a-Ning", for instance. The earliest known use of rhythm changes was by Sidney Bechet
Sidney Bechet
Sidney Bechet was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer.He was one of the first important soloists in jazz , and was perhaps the first notable jazz saxophonist...
in his September 15, 1932 recording of "Shag" with his "New Orleans Feetwarmers" group.
This progression's endurance in popularity is largely due to its extensive use by early bebop
Bebop
Bebop differed drastically from the straightforward compositions of the swing era, and was instead characterized by fast tempos, asymmetrical phrasing, intricate melodies, and rhythm sections that expanded on their role as tempo-keepers...
musicians. The chord changes began to be used in the 1930s, became extremely common in the '40s and '50s, and are now ubiquitous. First, "I Got Rhythm" was by then already a popular jazz standard
Jazz standard
Jazz standards are musical compositions which are an important part of the musical repertoire of jazz musicians, in that they are widely known, performed, and recorded by jazz musicians, and widely known by listeners. There is no definitive list of jazz standards, and the list of songs deemed to be...
, and by listening to the song and writing a new melody over its chord changes (a type of composition known as a contrafact), a jazz musician could claim copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
to the new melody rather than acknowledge Gershwin's inspiration and pay royalties
Royalties
Royalties are usage-based payments made by one party to another for the right to ongoing use of an asset, sometimes an intellectual property...
to his estate.
In popular music
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
, "rhythm changes" refers to the first four-chord section of the full progression that the term denotes in the jazz context. This "sub-progression" forms the entire harmonic structure of an enormous number of popular hits released during the 1950s and 1960s (as well as of a significant number since then), in part because Gershwin's song is not the only source of this portion of the progression: Because the chord changes in question form part of a circle progression
Circle progression
In music, the circle progression is a chord progression named for the circle of fifths, along which it travels. It is "undoubtedly the most common and the strongest of all harmonic progressions" and consists of "adjacent roots in ascending fourth or descending fifth relationship", with movement by...
, they have been readily amenable to independent discovery by other artists both before and after Gershwin, with the effect that less creative musicians have been able to "borrow" the progression from songs other than "I Got Rhythm" whether or not those songs themselves borrowed from Gershwin.
Today, mastery of the blues and rhythm changes are "critical elements for building a jazz repertoire
Repertoire
Repertoire may mean repertory, a system of theatrical production and performance scheduling, but may also refer to:* Musical repertoire* Repertoire Records, a German record label specialising in 1960s and 1970s pop and rock reissues...
".
David Yaffe argues that the use by African-American musicians and groups of a chord structure written by a Jewish musician is a highly visible example of the collaboration between the groups that took place in song more than in written literature due to racial segregation.
Structure
The "rhythm changes" is a thirty-two-barThirty-two-bar form
The thirty-two-bar form, often called AABA from the musical form or order in which its melodies occur, is common in Tin Pan Alley songs and later popular music including rock, pop and jazz...
AABA form
Musical form
The term musical form refers to the overall structure or plan of a piece of music, and it describes the layout of a composition as divided into sections...
containing four eight measure sections. In roman numeral shorthand, the actual chords used in the "A" section are
| I vi | ii V |
(tonic-submediant-supertonic-dominant
I−vi−ii−V
I−vi−ii−V is a very common "chord pattern" in jazz and popular styles of music. It is often used as a turnaround, occurring as the last to two bars of a chorus or section. I−vi−ii−V typically occurs as a two bar pattern in the A section of the rhythm changes....
) played twice, then
| I I7 | IV #ivdim7 | I V | I | (or
| I I7 | IV iv | which is what Gershwin originally wrote)
In C major, for example, these chords would be
| C Am7 | Dm G | C Am7 | Dm G |
| C C7 | F F#dim | C G | C | (or
| C C7 | F Fm | )
The "bridge" consists of a series of dominant sevenths that follow the circle of fifths
Circle of fifths
In music theory, the circle of fifths shows the relationships among the 12 tones of the chromatic scale, their corresponding key signatures, and the associated major and minor keys...
, sustained for two bars each and thus conveying the sense of a shifting key center:
| III7 | + | VI7 | + |
| II7 | + | V7 | + |
In our example, we begin with an E7, followed by an A7, then D7 and finally G7, bringing us back to the original key for a final reprise of the A section. A two-bar "tag" at the end of the Gershwin tune is generally omitted. While rhythm changes can be played in any key, they are most commonly played in concert B-flat and sometimes E-flat.
Variant versions of the A section changes are legion: often the beboppers, for instance, would superimpose series of "two-fives" (passing sequences of minor-7th and dominant-7th chords) on the A section in order to make things interesting for themselves (and in order to discourage lesser musicians from sitting in on the bandstand).
Frank Vignola provides the following variants, for example:
| C Am7 | Dm7 G7 |
| C C#dim | Dm7 G7b9 |
The component A and B sections of rhythm changes were also sometimes used for other tunes: for instance, Charlie Parker
Charlie Parker
Charles Parker, Jr. , famously called Bird or Yardbird, was an American jazz saxophonist and composer....
's "Scrapple from the Apple
Scrapple from the Apple
"Scrapple from the Apple" is a bebop composition by Charlie Parker written in 1947, commonly regonized today as a jazz standard, written in F major...
" uses the chord changes of "Honeysuckle Rose
Honeysuckle Rose (song)
"Honeysuckle Rose" is a 1928 song composed by Fats Waller, whose lyrics were written by Andy Razaf. Fats Waller's 1934 recording was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999....
" for the A section, but replaces the B section with "Rhythm"'s | III7 | VI7 | II7 | V7 | bridge. Other tunes, such as Sonny Stitt
Sonny Stitt
Edward "Sonny" Stitt was an American jazz saxophonist of the bebop/hard bop idiom. He was also one of the best-documented saxophonists of his generation, recording over 100 albums in his lifetime...
's "The Eternal Triangle
The Eternal Triangle
The Eternal Triangle is an album by trumpeters Freddie Hubbard and Woody Shaw recorded in June 1987 and released on the Blue Note label. It features performances by Hubbard, Ray Drummond, Carl Allen, Mulgrew Miller and Kenny Garrett...
" and the theme from "The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show is a British television programme produced by American puppeteer Jim Henson and featuring Muppets. After two pilot episodes were produced in 1974 and 1975, the show premiered on 5 September 1976 and five series were produced until 15 March 1981, lasting 120 episodes...
", use the A section of "Rhythm" but have a different bridge. Often in rhythm changes tunes, the B section is left free for improvisation even during the head (e.g. in Sonny Rollins
Sonny Rollins
Theodore Walter "Sonny" Rollins is a Grammy-winning American jazz tenor saxophonist. Rollins is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. A number of his compositions, including "St...
' "Oleo").
Examples
The following is a partial list of songs based on Rhythm Changes.- "AnthropologyAnthropology (composition)"Anthropology" is a bebop-style jazz composition written by saxophonist Charlie Parker and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie from 1945. Like many other jazz compositions, it uses the chords known as "rhythm changes".-See also:...
" (Charlie ParkerCharlie ParkerCharles Parker, Jr. , famously called Bird or Yardbird, was an American jazz saxophonist and composer....
/Dizzy GillespieDizzy GillespieJohn Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie was an American jazz trumpet player, bandleader, singer, and composer dubbed "the sound of surprise".Together with Charlie Parker, he was a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz...
) - "Cotton TailCotton Tail"Cotton Tail" is a 1940 composition by Duke Ellington. It is based on the rhythm changes from George Gershwin's "I Got Rhythm". The first Ellington recording is notable for the driving tenor saxophone solo by Ben Webster. Originally an instrumental, "Cotton Tail" later had lyrics written for it by...
" (Duke EllingtonDuke EllingtonEdward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
) - "Dexterity" (Charlie ParkerCharlie ParkerCharles Parker, Jr. , famously called Bird or Yardbird, was an American jazz saxophonist and composer....
) - "Fingers" (Thad JonesThad JonesThaddeus Joseph Jones was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader.-Biography:Thad Jones was born in Pontiac, Michigan to a musical family of ten . Thad Jones was a self taught musician, performing professionally by the age of sixteen...
) - "Five Guys Named Mo" (Louis JordanLouis JordanLouis Thomas Jordan was a pioneering American jazz, blues and rhythm & blues musician, songwriter and bandleader who enjoyed his greatest popularity from the late 1930s to the early 1950s. Known as "The King of the Jukebox", Jordan was highly popular with both black and white audiences in the...
and His Tympany FiveTympany FiveTympany Five was a successful rhythm and blues and jazz dance band founded by Louis Jordan in 1938. The group was composed of a horn section of three to five different pieces and also drums, double bass, guitar and piano. After playing in Chicago at the Capitol Lounge in 1941, Jordan and his band...
) - "Lester Leaps In" (Lester YoungLester YoungLester Willis Young , nicknamed "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and clarinetist. He also played trumpet, violin, and drums....
) - "Little Pixie II" (Thad Jones)
- "Meet the Flintstones" (Hoyt CurtinHoyt CurtinHoyt Stoddard Curtin was an American composer and music producer, the primary musical director for the Hanna-Barbera animation studio from its beginnings with The Ruff & Reddy Show in 1957 until his retirement in 1986, except from 1963-1973, when the primary music director was Ted Nichols...
) - "Moose the MoocheMoose the Mooche"Moose the Mooche" is a bebop composition written by Charlie Parker in 1946. It was written shortly after his friend and longtime musical companion Dizzy Gillespie left him in Los Angeles to return to New York City. Charlie Parker had been a long time heroin addict and had been using since he was...
" (Charlie ParkerCharlie ParkerCharles Parker, Jr. , famously called Bird or Yardbird, was an American jazz saxophonist and composer....
) - "Oleo" (Sonny RollinsSonny RollinsTheodore Walter "Sonny" Rollins is a Grammy-winning American jazz tenor saxophonist. Rollins is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. A number of his compositions, including "St...
) - "Rhythm-A-NingRhythm-A-NingRhythm-A-Ning is a jazz composition by pianist Thelonious Monk. First appearing on the 1957 collaboration between Monk and saxophonist Gerry Mulligan entitled Mulligan Meets Monk, the song has since appeared on dozens of Monk's releases, as well as being covered by musicians such as Dexter Gordon,...
" (Thelonious MonkThelonious MonkThelonious Sphere Monk was an American jazz pianist and composer considered "one of the giants of American music". Monk had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including "Epistrophy", "'Round Midnight", "Blue Monk", "Straight, No Chaser"...
) - "The Sheriff" (John LewisJohn Lewis (pianist)John Aaron Lewis was an American jazz pianist and composer best known as the musical director of the Modern Jazz Quartet.- Early life:...
) - "Steeplechase" (Charlie ParkerCharlie ParkerCharles Parker, Jr. , famously called Bird or Yardbird, was an American jazz saxophonist and composer....
) - "Straighten Up and Fly RightStraighten Up and Fly Right"Straighten Up and Fly Right" is a 1944 song written by Nat King Cole and Irving Mills and performed by The King Cole Trio. The single became the trio's most popular single reaching number one on the Harlem Hit Parade for ten non consecutive weeks. The single also peaked at number nine on the...
" (Nat King ColeNat King ColeNathaniel Adams Coles , known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular musical fame to his soft baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres...
) - "Tip Toe" (Thad JonesThad JonesThaddeus Joseph Jones was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader.-Biography:Thad Jones was born in Pontiac, Michigan to a musical family of ten . Thad Jones was a self taught musician, performing professionally by the age of sixteen...
) - "You, Me, and the Bottle Makes Three Tonight (Baby)" (Big Bad Voodoo DaddyBig Bad Voodoo DaddyBig Bad Voodoo Daddy is a contemporary swing revival band from southern California. Their notable singles include "Go Daddy-O", "You & Me & the Bottle Makes 3 Tonight ", and "Mr. Pinstripe Suit". The band played the Super Bowl XXXIII half-time show in 1999.The band was originally formed in Ventura,...
)