Play Blue Monk Lead Sheet on Piano
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Blues tunes make up an important part of the repertoire of all working jazz pianists. The simplicity and flexibility of the blues form helps gigging pianists fill out their setlists and provides them with opportunities to spontaneously jam with other musicians. In today’s Quick Tip, Play Blue Monk Lead Sheet on Piano, John Proulx takes students inside his solo piano arrangement of “Blue Monk” by Thelonious Monk. You’ll lean:
- Blue Monk: Song Facts
- Blue Monk: Song Analysis
- Blue Monk: Lead Sheet
- Blue Monk: Inside the Arrangement
- Blue Monk: Recommended Listening
Blue Monk: Song Facts
The jazz standard “Blue Monk” is a 12-bar blues in B♭ composed in 1954 by American jazz pianist and composer Thelonious Monk (1917–1982). Monk quickly composed “Blue Monk” in the studio while recording the album Thelonious Monk Trio. In fact, part of the melody of “Blue Monk” is a direct quotation of “Pastel Blue” by Charlie Shavers.
According to biographer Laurent de Wilde, “Blue Monk” was Thelonious Monk’s favorite composition.¹ In fact, he recorded “Blue Monk” over 30 times during his career, which is more than any of his other compositions except “‘Round Midnight.”² Perhaps it should come as no surprise then that most of Monk’s live albums include a version of “Blue Monk.”
In 1961, jazz vocalist Abbey Lincoln added lyrics to the melody of “Blue Monk” and titled the tune “Monkery’s the Blues.” However, Lincoln’s lyrics are often recorded with Monk’s original title of “Blue Monk.”
Blue Monk: Song Analysis
Song Key
The 1954 jazz standard “Blue Monk” by Thelonious Monk is a blues in the key of B♭.
Song Form
The song form of “Blue Monk” by Thelonious Monk is a traditional 12-bar blues. The head or melody of the tune is usually performed twice before the tune opens up for solos. After the solo section, ensembles typically play the head two more times to conclude the tune.
Blue Monk: Lead Sheet
“Blue Monk” is an ideal blues tune to learn for jazz piano students of all levels. In fact, the melody for “Blue Monk” contains quite a bit of repetition, which makes it especially accessible for beginner jazz piano students. In addition, Monk’s use of chromaticism in the melody of “Blue Monk” serves as an excellent introduction to more advanced bebop phrasing concepts.
Due to publisher’s restrictions, the sheet music with the melody for “Blue Monk” that appears in today’s featured Quick Tip tutorial is available from our partners at MusicNotes.com. However, the examples in this section contain all the chords you’ll need to play “Blue Monk” on piano. In fact, PWJ members can download a PDF of the chord changes for “Blue Monk” from the bottom of this page after logging in with their membership. In addition, members can also transpose the chords for “Blue Monk” to any key using our Smart Sheet Music.
Lead Sheet with Basic Chords
Here are the basic chords for “Blue Monk” by Thelonious Monk, along with an analysis of the harmony. As you can see, most of the chords are dominant 7th chords and the changes closely follow the structure of a traditional 12-bars blues. Note, measure 6 includes Eº7, a diminished 7th chord that resolves back to the tonic chord in measure 7.
Lead Sheet with Reharmonization
John’s arrangement of “Blue Monk” in today’s tutorial includes some common harmonic innovations on the blues form that became popular among bebop musicians in the mid 1940s. These reharmonization techniques include the turnaround progression in measures 11–12, as well as several other passing chords and tritone substitutions.
Blue Monk: Inside the Arrangement
In this section, we’ll discuss some of the jazz piano techniques that John uses to transform the lead sheet for “Blue Monk” into a solo piano arrangement.
Melodic Techniques
Since the piano is a polyphonic instrument (meaning it is able to play more than one note at a time), jazz pianists have a number different melodic treatments available for interpreting the melody on a jazz standard like “Blue Monk.” For example, Monk himself often harmonized the opening phrase of “Blue Monk” in 3rds. In John’s arrangement, he uses a variation on that idea by playing the melody in 10ths. Keep in mind, a 10th interval is simply a 3rd plus an octave. Therefore, John’s harmony notes are played in the left hand.
Another melodic technique that John uses on the melody of “Blue Monk” is top harmony (also called drone note harmony or upper harmony). This harmonization technique uses a stationary note above the melody. For example, on the B♭7 chord, John strikes the note B♭ above each note of the melody. Similarly, on the E♭7 chord, John plays the note E♭ above the melody.
Accompaniment Techniques
On the head of “Blue Monk,” John primarily uses two different accompaniment techniques. First, he plays guide tones (the 3rd and 7th of the chord) in the right hand below many of the longer melody notes. Secondly, when the melody is more active, John plays 2-note shell voicings in the left hand using the root and 7th of the chord.
On the first two choruses of his solo, John’s left-hand accompaniment features a relaxed two-feel bass line. Afterward, John adds momentum to his solo by switching to a walking bass line in the left hand.
Piano Improv Techniques
John begins his solo section on “Blue Monk” by introducing several short, improvised phrases that are separated by plenty of intentional space. For his melodic material, John primarily draws on the B♭ major blues scale (B♭–C–D♭–D♮–F–G) and the B♭ minor blues scale (B♭–D♭–E♭–E♮–F–A♭). In addition, he also includes some improvised melodic sequences and altered scale licks.
Blue Monk: Recommended Listening
One of the best ways to learn how to interpret the lead sheet for jazz standards like “Blue Monk” is by listening. Therefore, this section includes a handful of standout recordings of “Blue Monk” by legendary jazz pianists. First and foremost, let’s check out Thelonious Monk’s original 1954 studio recording of “Blue Monk” from Thelonious Monk Trio, featuring Percy Heath on bass and Art Blakey on drums. On this recording, Monk displays his improvisational creativity as he solos over fourteen consecutive choruses.
Thelonious Monk
“Blue Monk” (1954)
Additional Piano Recordings
Here are a few piano versions on “Blue Monk” that you’re also likely to enjoy. First, we have a 1963 recording of “Blue Monk” by McCoy Tyner, from his Nights of Ballads and Blues album. Next, we have a 1978 recording of “Blue Monk” by Hank Jones from his Groovin’ High album. Jones’ solo on this recording is largely comprised of double time jazz improv with 16th notes. Lastly, we have a 1990 solo piano recording of “Blue Monk” by Barry Harris from his album entitled Solo.
McCoy Tyner
“Blue Monk” (1963)
Hank Jones
“Blue Monk” (1978)
Barry Harris
“Blue Monk” (1990)
Conclusion
Congratulations, you’ve completed today’s lesson on Play Blue Monk Lead Sheet on Piano. With the jazz piano skills that you learned in today’s lesson and a bit of practice, you’ll be ready to jam on this tune in no time!
If you enjoyed today’s lesson, then be sure to check out the following PWJ resources:
Courses
- How to Create a Blues Solo (Int/Adv)
- The Major Blues Scale / Gospel Scale (Int, Int/Adv)
- Jazzy Blues Comping (Int, Adv)
- Jazz Walking Bass Lines (Int, Adv)
- Breaking Down a Jazz Solo (Int, Adv)
- 10 Essential Jazz & Blues Piano Endings (Int, Adv)
- Play Piano Lead Sheets with 7th Chords (Int)
- Play Piano Lead Sheets with Shells & Guide Tones (Int)
- Play Piano Lead Sheets with Extensions & Alterations (Int/Adv)
Quick Tips
- Essential Blues Piano Scales: Major & Minor Blues Scale (Int)
- Blues Chords for Piano: The Complete Guide (Beg/Int)
- 7 Techniques to Spice Up a Jazz Melody (Int)
- How to Play a Two-Feel Bass Line on Piano (Beg–Adv)
- 3 Essential Techniques for Jazz Piano Walking Bass (Int/Adv)
- Jazz Piano Chord Voicings–The Complete Guide (Int)
- 3 Must-Know Jazz Piano Intros (Int)
Jazz Swing Learning Tracks
Blues Piano Learning Tracks
Thanks for learning with us today! We’ll see you next time.
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¹ Maycock, Ben. “Blue Monk (1954).” JazzStandards.com.
² Gioia Ted. The Jazz Standards : A Guide to the Repertoire. Second ed. Oxford University Press 2012, p 39–40.
Writer
Michael LaDisa
Michael LaDisa graduated from the University of North Texas with a major in Music Theory & Composition. He lives in Chicago where he operates a private teaching studio and performs regularly as a solo pianist. His educational work with students has been featured on WGN-TV Evening News, Fox 32 Good Day,...
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