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As a jazz pianist, you may occasionally encounter a 12-bar blues form that seems a bit different from the norm. In today’s Quick Tip, Bird Blues: Charlie Parker’s Reharm of the 12 Bar Blues, John Proulx helps you understand this innovative, bebop approach to playing the blues. You’ll learn:

• Intro to Charlie Parker’s “Bird Blues”
  • What is a “Bird Blues”?
• “Blues for Alice” Chords (aka “Bird Blues”)
• Understanding Charlie Parker’s 12-Bar Blues Reharmonization
  • Step 1: Simple Jazz Blues
  • Step 2: Bebop Blues
  • Step 3: Bird Blues
• Application: Jazz Piano Techniques for Bird Blues Chord Progression
  • Left Hand Chord Shells
  • Walking Bass Line with Chord Shells
  • Comping Voicings for Two Hands

Intro to Charlie Parker’s “Bird Blues”

Saxophonist Charlie Parker (1920-1955), nicknamed “Yardbird,” or “Bird” for short, was a leading figure in the development of bebop jazz in the early-to-mid 1940s. Compared to the swing music that preceded it, bebop is characterized by smaller ensembles, faster tempos, greater harmonic complexity and virtuosic improvisation. Many bebop tunes are based on familiar chord progressions from earlier compositions. However, beboppers loved to reharmonize diatonic harmony with chromatic chord substitutions. As such, Charlie Parker developed a unique reharmonization of the 12-bar blues form, which became known as “Bird Blues” or “Bird Changes.”

What is a “Bird Blues”?

“Blues for Alice” Chords (aka “Bird Blues”)

Charlie Parker’s “Blues for Alice,” composed in 1951, is a 12-bar blues in F with several unique harmonic innovations. You can hear the sound of these chord changes in the following “Blues for Alice” backing track.

Let’s examine some of the unique aspects of this reharmonization phrase by phrase.

Bars 1–4

The first departure from the norm occurs in measure 1, in which the tonic chord is major instead of dominant. Note,  F▵7 and F6 are both common in bar 1. The next harmonic innovation is a cycle of 5th progression beginning in measure 2, which targets the arrival of B♭7 in measure 5. The complete cycle progression involves the chords Eø7→A7→Dm7→G→Cm7→F7→B♭7, which is borrowed from the A section of Parker’s earlier composition “Confirmation” (1945). Although each of the roots in this cycle progression are diatonic notes in F major, the progression includes several secondary dominants. Common altered dominant voicings in the first four bars include A7(♭9♭13) in measure 2 and F7(♭13) in measure 4.

Bars 5–8

The second phrase of “Blues for Alice” starts on the Ⅳ chord, just like a typical blues. However, sometimes the Ⅳ chord in measure 5 is played as B♭▵7 or B♭6. Next, we get B♭m7→E♭7 (Ⅳm7→♭Ⅶ7 in F) in measure 6, a common jazz progression known as a backdoor 2-5. This initiates a sequence of chromatically descending Ⅱ→Ⅴ chord relationships in measures 7–8 with the chords Am7→D, A♭m7→D♭7. In fact, this chromatic sequence also includes the diatonic Ⅱ→Ⅴ (Gm→C7) which begins the third phrase of the form in measure 9. Another name for this chromatically descending Ⅱ→Ⅴ technique is a sidestep Ⅱ→Ⅴ progression. Note, when using chord extensions, the 9ths and 13ths of the dominant chords in this phrase are typical unaltered.

Bars 9–12

The third phrase of “Blues for Alice” begins with a Ⅱ→Ⅴ progression in F with the chords Gm7→C7, which is typical of a jazz blues. Afterward, measures 11–12 concludes with either a Ⅰ▵→Ⅵm7→⁡Ⅱm7→Ⅴ7 turnaround progression or a Ⅲm7→Ⅵm7→⁡Ⅱm7→Ⅴ7 (shown above). However, any number of common chord substitutions can occur in these measures, such as secondary dominants (i.e.: Ⅵ7, Ⅱ7) or the Tadd Dameron turnaround (Ⅰ▵→♭Ⅲ7→♭Ⅵ▵→♭Ⅱ7).

Understanding Charlie Parker’s 12-Bar Blues Reharmonization

Now that you’ve listened to the chords for “Blues for Alice,” let’s take a closer like at how a “Bird Blues” works. In this section, we’ll compare the “Bird Changes” to a simple jazz blues form and also a bebop blues form. In other words, there are three basic steps to understanding the “Blues for Alice” chords:

• Step 1: Simple Jazz Blues
• Step 2: Bebop Blues
• Step 3: Bird Blues

Let’s play each of these progressions on piano with root position 7th chords. If you’re already a PWJ member, be sure to download the lesson sheet PDF and backing tracks for today’s lesson. These resources appear at the bottom of this page after logging in with your membership. Note, there is also a special edition PDF of today’s lesson sheet available through MusicNotes.com which includes Charlie Parker’s “Blues for Alice” lead sheet.

Step 1: Simple Jazz Blues

A simple jazz blues can be played with just four chords: the Ⅰ7, the Ⅳ7, the Ⅱm7 and the Ⅴ7. In the key of F, these chords are F7, B♭7, Gm7 and C7. The example below shows how the 12-bar blues is often interpreted with these basic chords.

If we add a few additional passing chords to the simple blues shown above, we get a 12-bar blues form that we often describe as a bebop blues.

Step 2: Bebop Blues

A bebop blues is a common jazz blues form that incorporates severing different passing chord techniques to target the beginning of each four-bar phrase, as in Charlie Parker’s “Billie’s Bounce” (1945).

When compared to a simple jazz blues, a bebop blues may include any or all of the following harmonic techniques:

• secondary Ⅱ→Ⅴ progression in bar 4 to approach the Ⅳ in bar 5
• diminished passing chord in bar 6 to approach the Ⅰ7/Ⅴ in bar 7
• tritone substitution bar 6 to approach Ⅲm7 in bar 8
• secondary Ⅱ→Ⅴ progression in bar 8 to approach the Ⅱm7 in bar 9
• turnaround progression in bars 11–12

Step 3: Bird Blues

A “Bird Blues” adds further chromaticism to the bebop blues changes by inserting passing chords on almost every half note. The primary means of achieving this chromaticism are:

• cycle of 5th progression in bars 2–5
• sidestep Ⅱ→Ⅴ progressions in bars 6–9

In the next section, we’ll learn how to play the “Blues for Alice” chord progression with various essential jazz piano skills.

Application: Jazz Piano Techniques for Bird Blues Chord Progression

In the application section for today’s lesson, we’ll learn to play the “Bird Blues” progression with three different jazz piano techniques:

1. Left Hand Chord Shells
2. Walking Bass Line with Chord Shells
3. Comping Voicings for Two Hands

Left Hand Chord Shells

When you’re playing the melody of “Blues for Alice” on piano with the right hand, a great left-hand technique is to use two-note Bud Powell chord shells. This left hand voicing technique primarily uses combinations of either the Root + 7th or Root + 3rd. In the case of a major sixth chord like F6, use Root + 6th.

For a deep dive on the topic of chord shells, check out Play Piano Lead Sheets with Shells & Guide Tones (Int).

Next, let’s consider another way to play the “Bird Blues” progression on piano.

Walking Bass Line with Chord Shells

Suppose you want play a walking bass line over the “Bird Blues” chord progression. The following example demonstrates how to connect these chord changes in the left hand with an example of a walking bass line. In this demonstration, the right hand shells are the guide tones of each chord, which are the 3rd and 7th (or 6th).

For a deep dive on walking bass line techniques, check out our course on Jazz Walking Bass Lines (Int, Adv).

Next, let’s consider another jazz piano technique over the “Bird Blues” chord progression.

Comping Voicings for Two Hands

If you’re playing a “Bird Blues” like “Blues for Alice” in an ensemble, then here are some great comping voicings for two hands that you can play behind a soloist.

If you’re interested in mastering two-hand jazz piano voicings techniques, be sure to check out our Late Intermediate Piano Foundations Learning Track (Level 6).

Conclusion

Congratulations, you’ve completed today’s lesson on Bird Blues: Charlie Parker’s Reharm of the 12 Bar Blues. In the process, you’ve gained an understanding of the chord changes for “Blues for Alice” and other jazz standards that use “Bird Changes.”

If you enjoyed today’s lesson, be sure to check out the following PWJ resources:

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