Bird changes

The Blues for Alice changes, Bird changes, Bird Blues, or New York Blues changes, is a chord progression. It is named after Charlie Parker ("Bird"). Bird changes are a type of twelve-bar blues.

The progression uses many ii–V or secondary ii–V progressions. This progression has been used in many songs. It has been used in Parker's "Blues for Alice". Toots Thielemans's "Bluesette",^[1] Freight Trane written by pianist Tommy Flanagan, and Parker's "Confirmation".^[2] also have similar progressions.

Structure

This is a normal twelve bar blues progression. It is in the key of C.

${ \new ChordNames \with { \override BarLine #'bar-extent = #'(-2 . 2) \consists "Bar_engraver" } \chordmode { \override Score.BarNumber.break-visibility = ##(#f #f #f) \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo 1 = 60 c1:7 | c:7 | c:7 | c:7 | \break f:7 | f:7 | c:7 | c:7 | \break g:7 | f:7 | c:7 | c:7 \bar "||" } }$

A blues progression in jazz looks like this. It is written in they key of C.^[3]

${ \new ChordNames \with { \override BarLine #'bar-extent = #'(-2 . 2) \consists "Bar_engraver" } \chordmode { \override Score.BarNumber.break-visibility = ##(#f #f #f) \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo 1 = 60 c1:7 | f:7 | c:7 | c:7 | \break f:7 | f:7 | c:7 | e2:m7 a:7 | \break d1:m7 | g:7 | c2:7 a:7 | d:m7 g:7 \bar "||" } }$

The Bird Blues progression, in C, looks like this:^[4]

${ \new ChordNames \with { \override BarLine #'bar-extent = #'(-2 . 2) \consists "Bar_engraver" } \chordmode { \override Score.BarNumber.break-visibility = ##(#f #f #f) \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo 2 = 60 c1:maj7 | b2:m7.5- e:7 | a:m7 d:7 | g:m7 c:7 | \break f1:7 | f2:m7 bes:7 | e:m7 a:7 | es2:m7 aes:7 | \break d1:m7 | g:7 | c2:maj7 a:7 | d:m7 g:7 \bar "||" } }$

Using roman numeral analysis, it looks like this:

I^M7	vii^ø⁷ III⁷	vi⁷ II⁷	v⁷ I⁷
IV⁷	iv⁷ ♭VII⁷	iii⁷ VI⁷	♭iii⁷ ♭VI⁷
ii⁷	V⁷	I^M7 VI⁷	ii⁷ V⁷

This chord progression uses many ii–V progressions to the IV chord in the fifth measure. It then uses three tritone substitutions of dominant chords. This leads to the V chord (G⁷ in C) using half-steps.^[4]

C:	Am:	G(m):	F:
I^M7	ii^ø⁷ V⁷	ii⁷ V⁷	ii⁷ V⁷
F:	E♭:	D:	D♭(m):
I⁷	^subii⁷ ^subV⁷	^subii⁷ ^subV⁷	^subii⁷ ^subV⁷
C:
ii⁷	V⁷	I^M7 VI⁷	ii⁷ V⁷

Sources

↑ Hatfield, Ken (2005). Jazz and the Classical Guitar Theory and Applications, p.182. ISBN 0-7866-7236-6.
↑ Umble, Jay (2011). Mbgu Jazz Curriculum: Payin Your Dues with the Blues, p. 62. ISBN 9781610653145.
↑ Jacobs, Sid (2011). The Changes, p. 12. ISBN 9781610651684.
1 2 Baerman, Noah (1998). Complete Jazz Keyboard Method: Intermediate Jazz Keyboard, p. 63. ISBN 0-88284-911-5.

[1] Hatfield, Ken (2005). Jazz and the Classical Guitar Theory and Applications, p.182. ISBN 0-7866-7236-6.

[2] Umble, Jay (2011). Mbgu Jazz Curriculum: Payin Your Dues with the Blues, p. 62. ISBN 9781610653145.

[3] Jacobs, Sid (2011). The Changes, p. 12. ISBN 9781610651684.

[Keyboard-4] 1 2 Baerman, Noah (1998). Complete Jazz Keyboard Method: Intermediate Jazz Keyboard, p. 63. ISBN 0-88284-911-5.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]