how to learn the chords to a song......

[EFlat]

Well hello everyone, need a little help here.

I can play through the melody of a song, but how does one go about learning to play the chords?

For example, lets say a song starts on D-7 which is DFAC, then the next chord is something like a Bmin-7flat9 Emin7flat5 then an Amin6 or something...

well......by the time I try to figure out what a Bmin7flat9 is, I have already lost my place...and then if I try to figure out what a Emin7flat9 is I forget what a Bmin7flat 9 was...much less ready for the Amin6.....

Any ideas how I can practice the chords without going crazy? :oops:

thanks

EFlat.

[Jazzed]

It seems like you know what's up since you wrote out the chord tones for the D-7 chord. Just do the same for the other chords and play through the chord tones. Practice at a slow tempo at first, then increase the tempo a little at a time til you can play thru the chord skeletons at the song's speed. By that time you should have internalized the changes in your mind and ear and can then start adding non-chord notes and upper extensions.

In time (many years) you'll know what the chord symbols reference on the fly without having to write out the individual notes. No expert here, I'm still working on this, but things start to make more and more sense after a while.

A good thing to study is the 2-5-1 progression (IIm7-V7-Imaj7)-- do a google search and you'll find many informative web sites. If you can learn to look for the 2-5-1's and 2-5's that are part of many tunes, you'll have some ways to see through the changes a lot easier. I wish my teachers would have told me of this long ago.

[paulyb]

Hi,

I find that by far the best way of learning the chords is to play them through on the piano. That way you get to hear what the chords SOUND like which is the most important thing. If you can hear your way through the changes (rather than reading them), then it's much easier to memorise. It's the same for learning melodies -- the important thing is to know what the tune sounds like, not how it looks on the page.

I hope this helps,

Paul.

[Jon B. Bop]

Eflat,

What you are trying to do- "Makin' the changes"- is the essence of Jazz improv. To be able to instantly play notes of the chords as they go by you must internalize them so that they become second nature. As Jazzed said, this is a process that takes years of quality and diligent practice. I know, because I've been at it for about 2 years, and consider myself at best, a novice.

A good starting point is to work with a book called 'Patterns for Jazz' by Jerry Coker. This is a series of exercises that take you through most of the chords you'll see. You can start with major triads, then move on to Maj7, Dom7, etc.

For the tune you are working on now, you might try playing along with just the Tonic of each cord, and then add the third. When you can play that well, add the fifth etc.

The good news is that after you start to get some of the chords under your fingers, your improvisations will begin to improve, and your enjoyment will too.

[Vortex]

Try learning it by ear, not by learning the scale tones that will work on it. Play the changes. You don't have to stay in the exact key all the time.