The Jazz Masterclass: Vol.2

Jazz improvisation is a HUGE subject, and can often seem overwhelming. However, a lot of the concepts are pretty simple, and you can make a lot of progress by applying them to stuff you already know.

That's what we're doing in this masterclass series. We're working through some of the most important concepts in jazz, gradually adding them to the notes and scales you already use in rock or blues solos.

In Volume 1, we started with jazz-blues, trying a few scales in various ways. We then worked with triads, larger arpeggios and other scales. This time we're going to concentrate on just one short chord progression. But it's a REALLY important chord progression! This is the famous 2-5-1. 

The 2-5-1 (or II-V-I) progression is so important because it encapsulates one of the most fundamental aspects of music: tension and resolution. Without tension, music would be bland and boring. But without resolving (releasing) that tension, music would be uncomfortable... and again boring, but in a different way. We need light AND shade!

Let's start with a short reminder of the theory...

2-5-1 BASICS

Most music theory is based around the major scale, and we number the chords built from each note of the scale, traditionally using Roman numerals. So, for the C major scale, we have this sequence:

C major (I), D minor (II), E minor (III), F major (IV), G major (V), A minor (VI), B diminished (VII)

These are the "diatonic chords" for the key of C major. Diatonic means that the chords are constructed only from the notes of one scale. We can make it a little more jazz-friendly by extending them to 7th chords:

Cmaj7 (I), Dm7 (II), Em7 (III), Fmaj7 (IV), G7 (V), Am7 (VI), Bm7b5 (VII)

The simplest way to introduce tension is by using the V chord (G7 in this case). This chord has an unsettled sound because of the tritone interval (B-F) within the chord. By following it with the I chord (C major or Cmaj7) we release the tension. In the simplest form, the B note resolves up to the C (the root of the key) and the F note resolves down to the E (the major 3rd). 

This V-I (G7-C) progression is called the "perfect cadence" or "authentic cadence". It's a fundamental building block of music!

In jazz, it's very common to add the II chord before the V chord: Dm7-G7-Cmaj7. This is the 2-5-1. We start from a position of stability in Dm7, move to tension in G7, then resolve the tension with Cmaj7 or C major.

Got that? Let's get started!