II-V-I progression conclusion
Lesson time: (0min 42sec)
A wrap-up on the II-V-I progression and why this cadence is the building block of so many jazz standards, from 'I Got Rhythm' to 'Giant Steps'.
Course preview
This lesson is part of the course Exploring Jazz Saxophone: Part 2 - Soloing on Songs and Chord Sequences
Watch a preview of the full course below.
Lesson transcript:
Understanding the 2-5-1 Progression in Jazz
So hopefully, now you have some insight into the 2-5-1 progression and how to use it in a standard jazz tune as a building block chord progression.
Importance in Jazz
It's so important for unlocking the jazz language.
Examples of Influential Tunes
From tunes from the 1930s like:
- "I Got Rhythm"
- "Dancing with Duke"
all the way through Bebop and right up to John Coltrane's groundbreaking "Giant Steps," all of these tunes utilize perfect cadences and 2-5-1 progressions to navigate the chord sequence.
Developing as a Jazz Musician
By getting some of these ideas under your fingers and being able to spot the progressions in tunes, you are developing a really essential part of becoming a jazz musician.
About the instructor
Since graduating from the Leeds College of Music (BA Hons) and the Guildhall School of Music (Post Graduate Diploma in Performance), Ollie has built a busy and varied career in music. As a saxophonist he has performed in live and studio settings with artists as diverse as Amy Winehouse, Tim Minchin, Bonobo, Frank Turner, the London Jazz Orchestra, the Hackney Colliery Band, the Ambient Jazz Ensemble and the Nelson Riddle Orchestra. He is also the co-leader of the jazz quartet 'Time Is Of The Essence', and composes and arranges material for this and other ensembles. Ollie is active in music education, currently as course leader for the jazz department at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (junior school), where he runs jazz ensembles, big band and theory classes. He has written a series of 'Exploring Jazz' books for Schott Music that are published worldwide and feature on exam syllabuses in the UK. Ollie has also run workshops for Oxford University, Pro Corda Strings and BABSWE, as well as the Guildhall School of Music summer schools. In his Exploring Jazz Saxophone courses, Ollie takes you from getting started right through to soloing confidently over songs and chord sequences, building the improvising skills that put a real jazz player's vocabulary at your fingertips. read more