Bb Major Key Discovery
In this lesson we explore the key of Bb Major including the major scale, the diatonic triads, the diatonic 7th chords, and the 251 progression in Bb major.
This drills and exercises in this lesson will prepare you for the jazz standard studies later in this course where we focus on the tunes “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.
251 Progression in Bb Major
We finish the lesson by constructing the 251 progression in the key of Bb major. The 251 progression is the most common progression in jazz music. As we progress onto the jazz standard studies in this course we learn to play the 251 progression with 3-note voicings also incorporating the melody line of the jazz standards.
Related Lessons
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.
The triad is the basic building block for many different types of chords. The 4 types of triads are major, minor, diminished and augmented.
Most jazz standards that you come across will contain a 251 progression in some form so it is essential that you know how to construct the 251.
Practice Tips
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Scale Mastery: Start each practice session by playing up and down the Bb Major scale. Focus on accuracy and keeping a steady pulse as you play up and down the scale.
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Chord Construction: Familiarise yourself with the diatonic 7th chords which are built exclusively from the notes of the major scale. Memorise the chord qualities (Imaj7, ii-7, iii-7, IVmaj7, V7, vi-7, and vii-7b5) which is the same for every major key.
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Spread Voicings: Practice the drills and exercises outlined in this lesson help you visualise the diatonic 7th chords spread over 2 hands. These drills can be completed as a warm up before moving onto the jazz standard studies in this course.
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251 Progression Drills: Learn and memorise the 2-5-1 progression in Bb Major. Focus on smooth transitions between chords and clearly visualise the 7ths falling to 3rd of the next chord which happens in all 251 progressions.
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Apply to Jazz Standards: When you're ready, move onto the jazz standard studies "My Foolish Heart" and "Autumn Leaves," to develop your practical understanding of spread voicings.
