Jazz Piano Chords
Believe it or not, jazz piano chords
are easy to master and enhance your chord repertoire. Whether you want
to become the next jazz legend or simply sit in on a jam, you can learn
what you need to hold your own.
Jazz owes its roots to the
music of African American laborers in the South, particularly New
Orleans. If you’ve been to New Orleans as many times as I have, you’ll
discover that it’s as much a part of the city’s culture now as it ever
was.
You’ll also find that jazz is interpreted in a variety of
ways. While jazz standards are well recognized and have been performed
and repeated by countless musicians, jazz remains one of America’s
improvisational genres. A song may be played differently each time it is
performed depending on the musician’s mood, style, or even the venue.
Imagine not having to remember exactly how you played a song the last
time you played it!
To play jazz, it is important to know the
types of jazz piano chords used in the music. Jazz usually goes beyond
simple major and minor chords, so you will need to understand chords
that add a note or two.
One common chord is the sixth.
On a chord chart, this can be represented as C6 or Cadd6. The C6 chord
is formed by simultaneously playing the notes C-E-G-A, the A being the
sixth. A Cadd6 means you replace the fifth with the sixth, or C-E-A.
Another very popular chord in jazz music is the seventh. In
musical notation, a seventh in the key of C appears as C7. To
play a seventh, add the seventh note
of the scale, lowered a half step. In this case, B flat. The notes of
this chord are C-E-G-B flat.
Equally popular is the
major seventh, notated Cmaj7
in the case of the C chord. This chord adds the seventh note of the
scale to your chord. A Cmaj7 is played using the notes C-E-G-B. The
major seventh may look similar to the seventh chord, but as you will
hear when you play them, they are distinctly different.
You may
be familiar with one of the most popular chord progressions, commonly
referred to as 1-4-5. In the case of the key of C, that progression
consists of the C, F and G chords. But that progression is not as common
in jazz. Most often, you will find a 1-4-2-5 progression. In the key of
C, that would be C, F, D, G. They may not be all major chords; the D,
for example, could be a minor.
With a good amount of practice,
you will
learn jazz piano
chords with ease. Remember, jazz isn’t “perfect.” Improvise, let
loose, and have fun!
Back to the top of Jazz Piano Chords |
