“Autumn Leaves” For Beginners
After completing the brief harmonic analysis in the previous lesson, we now start arranging “Autumn Leaves” with basic chord voicings. We arrange the A section of the tune using the ‘3-note spread voicing technique’ to reinforce our understanding of the key of Bb major and its relative minor key: G minor.
By the end of this lesson, you will have a solid grasp of the 2 A sections of “Autumn Leaves” using 3-note spread voicings.
What are 3-Note Spread Voicings?
Three-note spread voicings offer a simplified approach to arranging lead sheets while still capturing the essence of a song’s harmony. Focusing on the A section which is the first eight bars of “Autumn Leaves” we move slowly to clearly visualise the ‘guide tones’ which are the 7ths falling to 3rds in the 251 progressions.
“Autumn Leaves” Pick-Up Bar
A important aspect of the tune “Autumn Leaves” is the ‘pick-up bar’ which is the incomplete measure that precedes the 1st bar of the song’s form. This lesson emphasises the importance of recognising the pick-up bar and how this is used to set up the start of the song.
Remember that the pickup back is not classified as bar 1, instead bar 1 of “Autumn Leaves” is the C-7 chord.
7ths & 3rds – Visualising Guide Tones
We pay special attention to the voice leading between the chords in the A section. This is achieved through the ‘guide tones’ which are the 7ths falling to 3rds in both the major and minor 251 progressions. This lesson walks you through each chord in the A section, demonstrating how to incorporate the melody in our voicings whilst also maintaining smooth voice leading and clean connections between the chords.
Related Lessons
This whole step 251 drill will ensure that you are comfortable with the 251 progression in all keys using simple root, 3rd, and 7th voicings.
A seventh chord is a triad which has been extended to include the 7th degree of the scale. This creates a fuller sound than simple 3-note triads.
Minor harmony is much more complex than major harmony and so the minor 251 progression takes much more time and patience to master.
Practice Tips
Familiarise Yourself with the Melody: Start by playing the melody alone to become familiar with the melodic contours and phrasing.
Identify 2-5-1 Progressions: Always analyse the song's structure and locate the major and minor 2-5-1 progressions. Add annotations to your lead sheet in pencil to jog your memory on these common progressions.
Practice Three-Note Voicings: Spend time practicing the three-note spread voicings and ensure that you can clearly visualise the movement of 7ths dropping a half step to the 3rd of the next course.
Master the A Sections: Before tackling the B section and C section, ensure you are comfortable with the A section, including the melody, the 251 progressions, and visualising the voice leading.
Hi Hayden. I think you refer to this tune as the “infamous Autumn Leaves” during the lesson. Why is that?
Hi Greg,
That was an error on my side – I meant to say “famous jazz standard”.
I have fixed the narration in the video. Apologies for the confusion and please let me know if I can help further.
Enjoy the lessons!
Best,
Hayden
Oh. I thought that maybe it was one of those standards that are done so often that players got ‘sick’ of it! 🙂