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How To Make Your Jazz Song Endings Sound Cooler

"osted on b# $ree%azzlessons

&n toda#s lesson 'ere going to learn a tec!ni(ue #ou can use to make the endings to your jazz arrangements and songs much more interesting. ost %azz songs tend to end 'it! t!e t#pical &&)*)& c!ord progression +,)-)./0 1ere going to mess 'it! t!is2 ( ideo !iano lesson" ti!s" and music notation #elow$. 3o'4 & love t!is c!ord progression %ust as muc! as an#bod#4 but i$ 'e 'ant to add some interest and uni(ueness to our pla#ing we%ll de&initely want to &ind a way to create some 'ariations on this standard ending.

My (ns!iration )or This Song Ending *esson

# Sunda# nig!t gig !ad been cancelled and as a result & !ad a rare Sunda# nig!t $ree0 5ortunatel# $or me Barr# Harris 'as pla#ing at T!e Jazz S!o'case in C!icago0 Sometimes mis&ortune can turn into &ortune+ So4 & immediatel# !eaded do'n to Barr#s gig0

&ts kind o$ $unn# t!at & !ad literally s!ent hundreds and hundreds o& hours o& my li&e transcri#ing and listening to ,arry #ut ( had ne'er seen him li'e #e&ore Sunday night. *et me tell you it was a treat+ 3ot onl# 'as !is pla#ing $antastic but !e made sure t!e audience !ad a lot o$ $un too0 -t ./ years old he is still !laying great+ 6ne o$ t!e t!ings & noticed '!ile 'atc!ing 'as t!at Barr# AL1A7S !ad a uni(ue or interesting 'a# o$ ending !is songs0 7ou t!oug!t t!e#d go one 'a# but !e al'a#s took t!em to an une8pected place0 ( lo'ed it and had a lot o& &un hearing his creati'ity+ So4 in !onor o$ Barr#4 in toda#s lesson 'ere going to learn a way to make your jazz tune endings more interesting. *et%s get to learning+ ( recommend you watch this short 'ideo &irst and then scroll down &or more ti!s and the notation &or the chords

0ormal Ending )or (t Could Ha!!en To You

+click to e8pand/

1eharmonized Ending )or (t Could Ha!!en To You

+click to e8pand/

2 Ti!s To Hel! You Create Your 3wn 4ni5ue 3utros

6. )ind - Common 0ote
&n t!is lesson above & re!armonize t!e 9b melod# note 'it! a :bma%; c!ord0 T!e reason t!is 'orks is because 9b is t!e <t! o$ :bma%;0 ( could ha'e used any chord ( wanted there as long as E# (my melody note$ was inside the chord. This is one o& the most &undamental conce!ts o& reharmonization. )ind other chords that &eature that note. Then change the chord to one that you like. Sim!le right7

/. -ll 1oads E'entually *ead To The ( Chord

9ven t!oug! & c!anged t!e last c!ord o$ t!e song to :bma%; & still eventuall# broug!t it back to t!e normal ending +9bma%;/0 Since t!e & c!ord is =t!e real ending c!ord> it is t!e c!ord t!at creates t!e most sense o$ release or $inalit#0

So4 & eventuall# come back to it at t!e end to !elp t!e listener ac!ieve t!e sense o$ !armonic resolution0 ( just take a #it o& a detour #e&ore ( get there+

8. You 9on%t Ha'e To 1ein'ent The :heel Each Time

6nce #ou $ind a c!ord substitution #ou like make sure #ou understand t!e t!eor# be!ind it so #ou can use it again in ot!er %azz songs0 )or e;am!le" ( really like the sound o& the # (( major <th and ( know it will always work as a su#stitution &or the ( chord. So4 &ve practiced to make it instantl# available in m# =musical toolbo8> i$ and '!en & 'ant to use it again0

=. ,e *ike ,arry Harris

6n Sunda# nig!t Barr# pla#ed t!e $amous %azz standard C!erokee0 & !eard !im use a ver# cool re!armonization $or !is outro0 &nstead o$ !im doing t!e t#pical &&)*)& ending +Cmin; ? 5; ? Bbma%;/ t!at !appens in t!at song !e pla#ed@ ((> > #(((maj< ? # (maj<> #((maj< ? (maj<. So4 in t!e ke# o$ Bb t!e c!ords 'ould be@ Cmin< ? )< ? 9#maj<> @#maj< ? ,maj< ? ,#maj<.

9ver# substitution c!ord !ad t!e note Bb +'!ic! is t!e melod#/0 ery slick and awesome sounding+

2. More Jazz Chords and Musicians )or You To *earn

3eed to learn more about pla#ing %azzA 7ouve come to t!e rig!t 'ebsite0 7ou can get started b# learning t!is Bill 9vans &&)*)& piano c!ords lesson4 t!is 6scar "eterson blues lick4 C!et Baker lick or t!is lesson on a%or ;t! %azz improvisation0 My jazz im!ro'isation 9 9 also goes really in to de!th on the licks and chords o& A di&&erent jazz masters. You can check it out hereB The Jazz Masters Method. :id #ou en%o# t!is %azz outro lessonA "lease leave a comment and s!are0 CCCCCCCCCC (& you%re new here don%t &orget to su#scri#e to the &ree jazz lessons email list.

You%ll #e joining thousands o& others in the &astest growing jazz education community on the net. You%ll also recei'e all the newest lessons right in your in#o;+ You can su#scri#e on the to! le&t o& the site" on the le&t o& this article" or right #elow. (t%s that easy.

Ste'e 0i;on is the !roud owner o& )reejazzlessons.com. He is a world touring jazz and #lues key#oard !layer and educator. Ste'e is also the author o& the new Jazz Masters Method (a study o& A legendary jazz !iano !layers$ and the *earn ,lues Diano 9 9 Course. His #rand new course" Dremium Jazz *essons Elite Mem#ershi!" will #e released on Monday 3cto#er <th" /E68.