Reading Lead Sheets: Key of Bb

In this course we explore the key of Bb Major. We start with beginner theory drills and then arrange the jazz standards "My Foolish Heart" and "Autumn Leaves".

The Bb Major Scale & Diatonic Chords

We start with the Bb major scale and we play the scale over 1 and 2 octaves emphasising correct fingering and wrist positioning. We then construct the diatonic chords from the Bb major scale, starting with simple triads and then introducing 7th chords.

Spread Voicing Technique

The spread voicing technique is an essential skill to read and interpret jazz lead sheets. We explore a series of drills that will help you to visualise the notes of the diatonic 7th chords spread over 2 hands. These drills can be completed as a warm-up exercise before moving onto the jazz standard studies in this course.

"My Foolish Heart" For Beginners

The first jazz standard study in this course is "My Foolish Heart". The 4 lessons cover the 4 distinct sections of the tune. If you have trouble learning and memorising jazz standards, these lessons will teach you the harmony, melody, and chord voicing techniques in small digestible chunks.

We start with the most basic arranging technique possible: triads in our left hand and the melody in our right hand. Whilst this is a simple starting point, clearly visualising the foundations of the harmony will help when moving onto more complex chord structures.

We then introduce 7th chords and finally we play the notes over 2 hands to create a basic solo jazz piano arrangement. This technique is called "2-handed spread voicings" or "3-note shell voicings".

"Autumn Leaves" For Beginners

The second jazz standard study in this course is "Autumn Leaves". We start by exploring the intricate relationship between relative major and minor keys. Understanding the relationship between relative major and minor keys is important for analysing the harmony and structure of jazz standards.

"Autumn Leaves" is an exemplary model for studying the shift between relative major and minor keys within jazz standards. The tune follows an AABC form and the A sections starts with a 2-5-1 in Bb major closely followed by a 2-5-1 in G minor. The B section then flips this order, starting with the minor progression and the the major progression.

We break down each section of the AABC form and once comfortable with each section we combine them to create a complete arrangement.