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Tell me if you can resonate with any of these

common pitfalls:
Jazz standards seem mysterious and difficult
Music theory is confusing because teachers often
assume you already know the basics
Music theory is overwhelming because it seems
there is so much to learn
If you’ve ever struggled with any of these, I get it!
I’ve been there before too, and it can be frustrating
- especially since having a solid understanding of
jazz theory basics can set you up with
a massive advantage.

In case you don’t know me, my name is Brent Vaartstra.

I’m a professional jazz musician out in New York City,
author, podcaster, and jazz coach.
But I’m best known as the jazz musician behind the
internationally renowned jazz education website,
learnjazzstandards.com. Over the years, I’ve helped
thousands upon thousands of musicians that struggle
with all of the things I just mentioned.
The good news is you’re not alone, and there are solutions
to all of these problems!
Jazz theory, in the right hands, can be a powerful force,
but in the wrong hands, it can overcomplicate things and
become a roadblock to your jazz improv success.
My goal in this quick guide is to cut the fat and make jazz
theory simpler for you.
Let’s do it!

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STEP 1:

Learn the 5 Jazz Chords

In my opinion, the first place to start with jazz theory is
chords. Notice I didn’t say scales (more on that soon).
In jazz, the default kinds of chords we use are called “7th chords.”
What’s a 7th chord?

A 7th chord is a triad with the 7th tone of its

corresponding scale stacked on top.

Basic formula: Root-3rd-5th-7th (3rd, 5th, or

7th altered depending on quality). There are 5
ualities of 7th chords: major 7, dominant 7, minor 7,
half-diminished, and diminished 7.

Major 7 Chords
Formula for a major 7 chord: Root-3rd-5th-7th.

That’s the same as a major triad (Root-3rd-5th) but with the 7th
scale degree stacked on top. Pretty simple, right? If you know
your major scale (we’ll get to that), it’s simple to pick out where
all of the chord tones come from. For the sake of example, we’ll
use concert C as our key of choice. When you stack these scale
degrees on top of each other, you get a Cmaj7: C-E-G-B.

There are also inversions to all of the major 7 chord qualities. Because there are four chord
tones, we end up having three inversions. Here is the Cmaj7 notated in Root Position,
1st Inversion, 2nd Inversion, and 3rd Inversion

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Just to be extra clear, root position starts with the root in the bass, 1st Inversion starts with
the 3rd in the bass, 2nd Inversion starts with the 5th in the bass, and 3rd Inversion starts
with the 7th in the bass.
When playing these inversions in order, you simply take the bass note of the previous
inversion and stack it on top of the chord.

Dominant 7 Chords
Formula for a dominant 7 chord: Root-3rd-5th-b7

This chord is the same as a major 7 chord but with a b7. Dominant 7
chords play a huge role in jazz and the blues so these are important
chords to have down solid. This chord comes straight out of the
Mixolydian scale, which we’ll cover soon. When you stack these scale
degrees on top of each other you get a C7: C-E-G-Bb.

Here is the C7 notated in Root Position, 1st Inversion, 2nd Inversion, and 3rd Inversion.

Minor 7 Chords
Formula for a minor 7 chord: Root-b3-5th-b7

Like the minor triad, the 3rd is flatted. And like the dominant 7 chord,
the 7th is flatted. When you stack these scale degrees on top of
each other, you get a Cmin7: C-Eb-G-Bb.
Here is the C7 notated in Root Position, 1st Inversion, 2nd Inversion, and 3rd Inversion.

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Half-Diminished Chords
Formula for a half-diminished chord: Root-b3-b5-b7

Take a minor 7 chord and flat the 5, and you have what we call a
half-diminished chord. This chord is also commonly known as a minor
7(b5) chord. We can draw these chord tones from the Locrian scale,
another scale we’ll talk about in just a bit. When you stack these scale
degrees on top of each other, you get a Cmin7(b5): C-Eb-Gb-Bb.
Here is the Cmin7(b5) notated in Root Position, 1st Inversion, 2nd Inversion, and 3rd Inversion.

Diminished 7 Chords
Formula for a diminished 7 chord: Root-b3-b5-bb7

If you take a half-diminished chord and flat the 7th

chord tone again, you get a fully diminished 7 chord. I
suppose it makes the meaning of half-diminished all
that more clear. We can draw these chord tones
straight out of the whole half-diminished scale. When
you stack these scale degrees on top of each other
you get a Cdim7: C-Eb-Gb-Bbb.

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Chord Extensions and Alterations

Admittedly, this is where jazz musicians do make harmony a bit more complex than many other
styles of music. The good news is you don’t have to get overwhelmed by all of the choices
available to you, you just need to be aware of how this works.
What’s a chord extension?
Chord extensions are essentially chord tones that are added above the basic 7th chord structure
(R-3rd-5th-7th). The possible extensions are the 9th, 11th, and 13th. These extensions don’t replace
the Root-3rd-5th-7th but are added in addition to achieve the desired sound. However, in some cases,
an extended chord may exclude a basic chord tone to avoid dissonance.
The easiest way to understand chord extensions is to think of them as the notes in between the basic
structural chord tones: the 2nd, 4th, and 6th. The 9th is the same as the 2nd, just up an octave. The
11th is the same as the 4th, up an octave. The 13th is the same as the 6th, up an octave. If that doesn’t
quite make sense right away, hopefully, this visual will help you see what I am talking about.

Which extensions can you use on 7th chords?

The 9th The 11th The 13th

The 7th chords it can be The 7th chords it can be The 7th chords it can be
added to: major, dominant, added to: minor, half- added to: major, dominant,
minor, half-diminished. diminished, diminished minor.
Formula: R-3rd-5th-7th-9th Rule: the 11th can be added Formula:
to chords with a b3 in it. R-3rd-5th-7th-9th-13th
Example: Cmaj9 Otherwise, the 11th would
clash with the major 3rd. Example: C13
Note: 13th chords usually do
Formula: not include the 11th in the
R-3rd-5th-7th-9th-11th chord.
Example: Cmin11

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What’s an altered extension?

Many of these extensions, depending on the chord quality, can be altered. In the spirit of keeping
things simple, I’m not going to go too in-depth with this, but I will offer some examples.

Major 7(#11) Dominant 7(alt)

Formula: R-3rd-5th-7th-9th-#11th Formula: R-3rd-5th-7th-b9-#9-#11-b13
Example: Cmaj7(#11) Example: C7alt (alt means you can play any
of the alterations in the chord voicing)
Note: While the 11th is not used in a major
7 as an un-altered extension, it is used as Note: The dominant 7 chord has the most
an altered chord tone, specifically a #11. alterations possible. Also, the same as it was
with the major 7, the 11th can be used with
the dominant 7 as an alteration (#11).

When it comes to chords in jazz, these are the basics you need to know. If you know the five
qualities of 7th chords and how to construct them, you can already start improvising. Understanding
extensions and alterations will help you understand how jazz musicians introduce color and tension
in their lines.
The good news is you don’t have to know every chord under the sun, and even if you are a guitar or
piano player, you don’t have to know every voicing. As you continue to learn jazz standards, you’ll learn
more.
Knowing the four important notes to target in each chord is a great place to start and simplify things,
but believe it or not, we can simplify even further.

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STEP 2:

Understand Guide Tones

How is it that great jazz musicians play impressive solos all while still outlining the
chord changes? That’s where guide tones come in.

What are guide tones?

Guide tones are notes within a chord structure that help
define a chord and can be used to transition to another
chord melodically. In jazz, the guide tones are the 3rds and
7ths. These two notes are your best friends when it comes
to jazz improvisation.
This is because the 3rds and 7ths are the notes that change
from one chord quality to another. Therefore they are great
notes to “target” in your solos.
Let’s take a look at the 3rds and 7ths guide tones
over a Cmaj7 to get started.

Now let’s bring things up a level and introduce a ii-V-I chord progression (I’ll talk about those
soon). We’ll stay in the key of C and use the chords Dmin7-G7-Cmaj7.

Dmin7 guide tones: F and C G7 guide tones: F and B Cmaj7 guide tones: E and B

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Understanding Voice Leading

Pay close attention to something very important. Did you notice how I started the Dmin7 with
the 3rd in the bass, but then when we moved to the G7, the 7th was in the bass? The reason I
did this is to demonstrate good voice leading.

What is voice leading?

Voice leading is the smooth melodic movement of notes (or voices) from one chord to the next.
Essentially we use step-wise motion to more efficiently resolve from one chord to the next. Now
I’ll make these guide tones with voice leading melodic rather than chordal.

If we can start resolving these strong chord tones in our lines and do so in step-wise motions, the
foundational characteristics of the chords will start coming out. Particularly, if you target the 3rd
of each chord within a chord progression, those definitions will be pronounced.

Want to take what you’re

learning in this guide to
the next level?
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your jazz playing in as little as 30 days. With monthly
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STEP 3:

Learn the 5 Most

Important Jazz Scales
I want to keep things simple and only use one scale for each one of the qualities of
the 7th chords. That’s because I fundamentally don’t believe scales should be used
as a primary tool for jazz improvisation (learning your instrument is another story).
I also like to think of scales as “pitch collections.” They are simply a
way to organize note choices we can make when improvising
(not to be played linearly).

01 MAJOR SCALE
Intervallic formula: W-W-H-W-W-W- Chords you can play it over: any major 7th

H Scale tone formula: 1-2-3-4-5-6-7 chord or any chord in the major diatonic
C major scale: C-D-E-F-G-A-B
series (I’ll talk about this in a second).

02 DORIAN SCALE (2ND MODE OF MAJOR SCALE)

Dorian is the 2nd mode of the major scale Intervallic formula: W-H-W-W-W-H-W
and starts on the second scale degree. Scale tone formula: 1-2-b3-4-5-6-b7

Modes don’t have to be confusing. Just D Dorian: D-E-F-G-A-B-C

think: what scale is this the second note of? Chords you can play it over: minor 7
You can also think of this mode as a natural chords, mainly minor i chords and ii chords.
minor scale with a raised 6th. I prefer just to
think about it as starting and ending a major
scale on the second degree.

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03 MIXOLYDIAN (5TH MODE OF MAJOR SCALE)

Mixolydian is the 5th mode of the major Intervallic formula: W-W-H-W-W-H-W
scale and starts on the fifth scale degree. Scale tone formula: 1-2-3-4-5-6-b7
You can think of this mode as a major scale
with a flatted 7th. G Mixolydian: G-A-B-C-D-E-F
Chords you can play it over: G7 (V) or any
dominant 7 chord.

04 LOCRIAN (7TH MODE OF MAJOR SCALE)

Locrian is the 7th and last mode of the major Intervallic formula: H-W-W-H-W-W-W
scale and starts on the seventh scale degree. Scale tone formula: 1-b2-b3-4-b5-b6-b7
The Locrian mode is a bit of a more obscure
one. The best way to think of it is a major B Locrian: B-C-D-E-F-G-A
scale starting and ending on the leading tone Chords you can play it over: half-diminished
(the preceding and last tone of the scale). —aka Minor 7(b5)

Note: You can also play what is called a Locrian #2 scale over a half-diminished
chord. It’s spelled as it sounds. Just sharp the 2!

05 WHOLE HALF-DIMINISHED SCALE

Intervallic formula: W-H-W-H-W-H-W-H C whole half-diminished scale:
Scale tone formula: 1-2-b3-4-#4-#5-6-7-8 C-D-Eb-F-Gb-G#-A-B
Chords you can play it over: any diminished 7 chord.

That’s it! Those cover all five qualities of 7th chords and are the most common options. These are
certainly not the only options. But since I fundamentally don’t believe we should rely too heavily on
scales for jazz improvisation, I’m leaving it here.

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STEP 4:

Learn the 4 Basic Jazz

Chord Progressions
As you probably know, jazz standards are made up of chord progressions. So it is important that
you understand what they are and how they work.
Unfortunately, it is the “complex” harmony of jazz that often intimidates musicians, and it is the
over-complication by jazz educators that keep this reputation alive.
I am here to tell you that understanding jazz harmony doesn’t have to be so difficult. All we need
to know is just a little bit to get started, and we will continue to learn more as we go along.

How to Build Chord Progressions

I will briefly explain a fundamental of music theory, which is how to derive chord progressions. To
know how to build chord progressions, we need to start by harmonizing scales with 7th chords. If
we are in a major key, we will need to harmonize the major scale.

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I’m skipping a few steps here, but essentially you start with a major scale (in this case C major) and
then stack 3rds on top of each scale degree. When you do this, it automatically spells out different
qualities of 7th chords. When we put this all together and add Roman numerals under each scale
degree, we get what I call the “Major Diatonic Series of 7th Chords.”

The Roman numerals are important, so keep this in mind when I discuss the basic jazz chord
progressions in just a second.
Unfortunately, minor harmony isn’t quite so simple. Why? Because there are three minor scales
that we can harmonize: the natural, harmonic, and melodic minor.

Natural Minor Harmonized

Harmonic Minor Harmonized

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Melodic Minor Harmonized

Perhaps you can already see the problem. There isn’t one set of possible changes! For
example, the natural minor has the V chord (Gmin7) as a minor 7 chord. In no world, universe, or
alternate universe is a V chord ever anything but a dominant 7 chord.
At the end of the day, it’s about understanding the possibilities and then recognizing which
combinations of harmonizations are most common. Here is what I believe to be some of the
most common:

Note: Unlike the Major Diatonic Series, the top line does NOT represent a scale. It simply
represents the root notes of each chord.
This chart will help you simplify things, and then it’s up to you to be aware of other possible
chord choices.

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4 Basic Jazz Chord Progressions

I’m going to show you the four most common jazz chord progressions you will find come up time
and time again in jazz standards. If you know and recognize these four, you will gain a lot of
mileage when it comes to navigating jazz standards.
Refer back to the Major Diatonic Series of 7th Chords to see where these come from.

1. Major ii-V-I
The major ii-V-I is easily the most important chord progression to get a handle on when it comes
to jazz. This chord progression is also important in other styles of music as well. You’ll want to
spend plenty of time working on ii-V-I’s.

2. Minor ii-V-
This chord progression has the same function as the previous major ii-V-I, but of course, is in a
minor key. In many jazz standards, you will find major and minor ii-V-I’s in the song form.

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3. Major I-vi-ii-V
This chord progression you see all of the time. This is the main progression found in rhythm
changes tunes, such as “Oleo.”

It’s important to note that the vi chord, to be diatonically correct, is a minor chord. However, jazz
musicians will often turn it into a dominant 7 chord. This is standard practice, and so I have listed it
as an option above.

4. Minor i-vi-ii-V
Last but not least, the minor i-vi-ii-V will come up often, and so you should be aware of it. As long
as you know your Major and Minor Diatonic Series, translating from major to minor or vise-versa
shouldn’t be too difficult.

Armed with this knowledge of how chord progressions work and the basic ones you need to
know, you’ll be more than ready to start learning jazz standards, where your real jazz education
can start to take flight.

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NEXT STEPS
This guide serves as a great starting place for learning and
understanding jazz theory. But the best way to truly
understand jazz theory and put it into practice is by
learning jazz standards. The jazz standards will teach you
how to play, and you’ll get better and better with each one.
In comes our Learn Jazz Standards Inner Circle!
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We’d love to have you join us in the Inner Circle and would be
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