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Bird blues (Parker changes)

Imaj7 – viiø7 – III7 – vi7 – II7 – v7 – I7 – IV7 – iv7 – ♭VII7 – iii7 – VI7 – ii7 – ♭III7 – ii7 – V7 — Charlie Parker's reharmonised blues: a cascade of ii–V moves.

Chord shapes in G major (standard tuning)

Using a different tuning? Open it in the Looper — it finds playable shapes for whatever tuning you choose.

How the chords work

Written in Roman numerals, this progression is Imaj7 – viiø7 – III7 – vi7 – II7 – v7 – I7 – IV7 – iv7 – ♭VII7 – iii7 – VI7 – ii7 – ♭III7 – ii7 – V7 — in C major that is Cmaj7 – Bm7b5 – E7 – Am7 – D7 – Gm7 – C7 – F7 – Fm7 – Bb7 – Em7 – A7 – Dm7 – Eb7 – Dm7 – G7. Each numeral is a step of the scale; upper case is a major chord, lower case minor.

• Imaj7 — the home chord — the progression feels finished when it lands here.
• III7 — a major chord where you expect minor: points strongly to vi.
• vi7 — the relative minor — the "sad" chord of a major key.
• II7 — a major II — the "V of V", brightening the way to V.
• v7 — a minor five: a softer, folkier pull back to the home chord.
• IV7 — a bright, open chord a fourth above home — the "amen" chord.
• iv7 — the minor four chord: darker and more emotional.
• ♭VII7 — a major chord a whole step below home, borrowed from the minor key — classic rock swagger.
• iii7 — a gentle minor chord that shares two notes with I.
• VI7 — a major VI — the "V of ii".
• ii7 — a soft minor chord that leads towards V (a "pre-dominant").
• ♭III7 — a major chord borrowed from the minor key (the relative major in a minor key).
• V7 — the tension chord that wants to resolve home.

Bird blues (Parker changes) in all 12 keys

Practice ideas

• Beginners: play one strum per chord and say the chord names out loud, then two strums, then a steady down-down-up-up-down-up pattern.
• Change keys with a capo: keep the G major shapes and move a capo up — the capo calculator shows which fret gives the key you want.
• Solo over it: loop it in the Looper and improvise with the G major pentatonic or G major scale or G Mixolydian — the scale pages show every position and play a backing track.
• Train your ear: the progression ear trainer mixes this with similar progressions until you can tell them apart.

Similar progressions

• "Fly Me to the Moon" cycle vi7 – ii7 – V7 – Imaj7 – IVmaj7 – viiø7 – III7 – vi7
• Rhythm changes A section Imaj7 – vi7 – ii7 – V7 – iii7 – VI7 – ii7 – V7
• Jazz blues I7 – IV7 – I7 – I7 – IV7 – ♯iv°7 – I7 – VI7 – ii7 – V7 – I7 – V7
• Jazz circle iii–vi–ii–V–I iii7 – vi7 – ii7 – V7 – Imaj7
• City pop loop IVmaj7 – V7 – iii7 – vi7 – ii7 – V7 – Imaj7 – Imaj7
• Extended Canon turnaround I – V – vi – iii – IV – I – ii – V

← Tadd Dameron turnaround · Imaj7–IVmaj7–iv6–Imaj7 →

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