Introduction to Jazz Harmony

Jazz harmony is rich and complex, but it starts with simple building blocks.

7th Chords

In jazz, we rarely play simple triads. We almost always extend chords to the 7th.

• Major 7 (Maj7): 1 - 3 - 5 - 7
• Dominant 7 (dom7): 1 - 3 - 5 - b7
• Minor 7 (m7): 1 - b3 - 5 - b7

The ii-V-I Progression

The most important progression in jazz. In the key of C Major:

1. ii (Dm7): D - F - A - C
2. V (G7): G - B - D - F
3. I (Cmaj7): C - E - G - B

Shell Voicings

When playing piano or guitar, you don't need to play all notes. "Shell voicings" use just the:

• Root (1)
• 3rd
• 7th

These define the chord quality.

Assignment

Find a "Real Book" lead sheet and try to identify the ii-V-I progressions.