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If you’re into jazz music, then you’ve may have heard of the term “rhythm changes.” That’s just jazz jargon for the chord changes from George Gershwin’s “I Got Rhythm.” In today’s Quick Tip, Rhythm Changes – A Complete Guide, John Proulx demonstrates how to play this essential song form on piano for students of all levels. You’ll learn:

• Intro: “I Got Rhythm” & Rhythm Changes
  • What are “Rhythm Changes?”
• Chord Progression Variations on Rhythm Changes
  • Gershwin’s “I Got Rhythm” Chord Progression
  • Rhythm Changes – Early Adaptations
  • Rhythm Changes – Bebop Influence
• How to Play Rhythm Changes on Piano: 3 Levels
  • Level 1: Guide Tones
  • Level 2: Three-Note Voicings + Two-Feel Bass
  • Level 3: Four-Note Voicings + Walking Bass
• Song List of Tunes that Use Rhythm Changes

Intro: “I Got Rhythm” & Rhythm Changes

Jazz musicians were particularly fond of “I Got Rhythm” because they found that the song form and chord changes provided a perfect vehicle for improvisation. Early recordings of “I Got Rhythm” that demonstrate improvisational exploration over the form include those by Red Nichols (1930), Louis Armstrong (1931), and Casa Loma Orchestra (1933).

During the bebop era of the 1940s and 1950s, jazz musicians like Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and others continued to improvise over the harmonic structure of “I Got Rhythm” while supplying their own original melodies (see: Song List of Tunes that Use Rhythm Changes).

What are “Rhythm Changes?”

Chord Progression Variations on Rhythm Changes

While 12-bar blues form and rhythm changes are very different in terms of harmonic structure and length, there is another sense in which they are quite similar. In particular, there is not a singular, harmonic archetype for either form. Instead, both song forms operate organically within the consciousness of the musical communities that create with them. Therefore, just like you’ve probably seen slightly different versions of the blues chord progression, you’ll also find various versions of rhythm changes with subtle harmonic differences.

In this section, we’ll examine three different chord progression examples for rhythm changes. Keep in mind, these examples are not intended to be definitive or exhaustive. Instead, they are merely representative. In fact, the more you know about chord substitution and reharmonization, the more creative you can be when employing the rhythm changes form.

Gershwin’s “I Got Rhythm” Chord Progression

Our first example depicts Gershwin’s basic harmonic structure for “I Got Rhythm” as you might find it in a typical fake book. Notice here that the form is thirty-four measures long…not thirty-two. That’s because Gershwin’s tune includes a vocal tag that adds two measures to the final A section. In other words, Gershwin included the lyrics “who could ask for anything more” twice.

After jazz musicians began to frequently use rhythm changes as an instrumental song form, the two-bars that resulted from the vocal tag began to disappear in favor of four phrases of equal-length.

Rhythm Changes – Early Adaptations

The following example depicts some early harmonic adaptations that jazz musicians applied to the chord progression for rhythm changes in the 1930s. Notice how most of the chords on that land on beat 1 are basically unchanged. On the other hand, many of the chords that land on beat 3 are slightly different. For instance, this version uses diminished 7th passing chords in measures one, two and six. Such chord substitutions don’t alter any significant harmonic destinations. However, they do switch up the route we take as we travel through the form.

Rhythm Changes – Bebop Influence

During the 1940s, bebop musicians frequently composed and performed new songs that were based on the harmonic structure of rhythm changes. However, they also developed and applied more advanced jazz chord progressions over the basic form. The following example depicts the manner in which bebop musicians often interpreted rhythm changes. Notice the use of altered dominant chords and the addition of several secondary ⅱ→Ⅴ progressions.

So which rhythm changes chord progression should you play if you’re sitting in with a new group of jazz musicians? Well, it’s important that you understand that there’s not one universal approach. You’ll have to listen carefully and adapt. In some cases, you may find some harmonic surprises. For example, the so-called “Monk Changes” are sometimes used during solos to reharmonize the first four measures of the A section. Instead of starting the form on B♭▵, Monk Changes begin on F♯7 and continue counterclockwise around the circle of 5ths with dominant 7th chords until they eventually sync up with the B♭7 chord in measure 5.

“Monk Changes

Now that you understand a bit about the history of “I Got Rhythm” and different rhythm changes chord possibilities, let’s continue on to the next section where you’ll learn how to play this classic jazz form on piano.

How to Play Rhythm Changes on Piano: 3 Levels

In this section, we’ll examine how to play rhythm changes on piano for 3 different playing levels: (1) beginner, (2) intermediate and (3) advanced. If you’re a PWJ member, be sure download the lesson sheet PDF and play-along drum tracks that are included with this lesson. These resources appear at the bottom of this page after logging in with your membership.

Level 1: Guide Tones

If you’re a beginner jazz piano student, then a great way to get started playing rhythm changes is to play the root of the chord in the left hand and the guide tones in the right hand. (The term guide tones refers to the 3rd and 7th of the chord. Sometimes, the 6th of the chord is used instead of the 7th). When we get to the bridge, we’ll use the 5th of the chord in the left hand for measures 18, 20, 22 and 24.

Level 2: Three-Note Voicings + Two-Feel Bass

If you’re more of an intermediate level jazz pianist, then the following rhythm changes example is for you. Here, we’ve added one additional chord color in the right-hand voicings. In addition, we’ve extending the two-feel bass line throughout the bridge section by alternating between the root and 5th of each chord.

Level 3: Four-Note Voicings + Walking Bass

Next, let’s examine a more advanced approach for how to play rhythm changes on piano. The following example features a walking bass line in the left hand with standard four-note rootless voicings in the right hand.

Song List of Tunes that Use Rhythm Changes

Earlier in this lesson we introduced the term contrafact, which describes a musical composition that uses the chord progression from an earlier work while having its own original melody. All of the tunes in the following song list are based on rhythm changes—the chord progression from “I Got Rhythm.”

• “Anthropology” – Charlie Parker
• “Cotton Tail” – Duke Ellington
• “Crazeology” – Benny Harris
• “Dexterity” – Charlie Parker
• “The Eternal Triangle” – Sonny Stitt
• “Flintstones Theme” – Curtin/Hannah/Barbera
• “Fungi Mama” – Blue Mitchell
• “Lester Leaps In” – Lester Young
• “Moose the Mooche” – Charlie Parker
• “Oleo” – Sonny Rollins
• “Rhythm-a-Ning” – Thelonious Monk
• “The Serpent’s Tooth” – Miles Davis
• “Salt Peanuts” – Dizzy Gillespie
• “Seven Come Eleven” – Charlie Christian
• “Shag” – Sidney Bechet
• “Shaw ‘Nuff” – Charlie Parker/Dizzy Gillespie
• “Straighten Up and Fly Right” – Nat King Cole/Irving Mills
• “Steeplechase” – Charlie Parker
• “The Theme” – Miles Davis
• “Tiptoe” – Thad Jones
• “Thriving from a Riff” – Charlie Parker
• “Wee” (aka “Allen’s Alley”) – Denzil Best

By now, you can certainly see why rhythm changes is such an essential song form for jazz piano students to study and practice!

Conclusion

Congratulations, you’ve completed today’s lesson on the Rhythm Changes – A Complete Guide. Best of all, by practicing the examples in this lesson, you’ve literally practiced dozens of songs simultaneously!

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

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