Rhythm Changes, A section

Rhythm changes · C major · IM7–vi7–ii7–V7–IM7–I7–IV–iv

Play this pattern

Rhythm Changes, A section is a chord pattern you can play in any key. The degrees are IM7–vi7–ii7–V7–IM7–I7–IV–iv.

The first eight bars of the standard form, simplified to one chord per bar. Good for practising chord moves at a fast swing.

Patterns are common chord moves. They are not the chart of a recorded hit.

Patterns are named by theory. Play them in any key that fits your voice.

Each song page has a chord chart, fingerings, and the same song in every key.

The pattern

IM7 – vi7 – ii7 – V7 – IM7 – I7 – IV – iv

Cmaj7 · Am7 · Dm7 · G7 · Cmaj7 · C7 · F · Fm

Chord chart

Chord chart
1Cmaj7Am7Dm7G7
2Cmaj7C7FFm

How to sing it

The chords go by fast, so do not try to change words on every one; take two bars as a unit and lay the melody over that. At a fast swing, eight bars are gone in a blink.

In every key

In every key
KeysChord chart
C major · Written in this keyCmaj7 · Am7 · Dm7 · G7 · Cmaj7 · C7 · F · Fm
Db majorDbmaj7 · Bbm7 · Ebm7 · Ab7 · Dbmaj7 · Db7 · Gb · Gbm
D majorDmaj7 · Bm7 · Em7 · A7 · Dmaj7 · D7 · G · Gm
Eb majorEbmaj7 · Cm7 · Fm7 · Bb7 · Ebmaj7 · Eb7 · Ab · Abm
E majorEmaj7 · C#m7 · F#m7 · B7 · Emaj7 · E7 · A · Am
F majorFmaj7 · Dm7 · Gm7 · C7 · Fmaj7 · F7 · Bb · Bbm
F# majorF#maj7 · D#m7 · G#m7 · C#7 · F#maj7 · F#7 · B · Bm
G majorGmaj7 · Em7 · Am7 · D7 · Gmaj7 · G7 · C · Cm
Ab majorAbmaj7 · Fm7 · Bbm7 · Eb7 · Abmaj7 · Ab7 · Db · Dbm
A majorAmaj7 · F#m7 · Bm7 · E7 · Amaj7 · A7 · D · Dm
Bb majorBbmaj7 · Gm7 · Cm7 · F7 · Bbmaj7 · Bb7 · Eb · Ebm
B majorBmaj7 · G#m7 · C#m7 · F#7 · Bmaj7 · B7 · E · Em

Heard in

  • Meet the Flintstones · Hoyt Curtin. A contrafact: a new melody over rhythm changes in B♭ major. The broadcast version is cut very short.
  • I Got Rhythm · George Gershwin. The original (1930) of this form. The real form is 32 bars of AABA; this pattern lays out the eight bars of the A section at one chord per bar.
  • Oleo · Sonny Rollins. A contrafact with a new melody over the same changes, played very fast in B♭.
  • Anthropology · Charlie Parker · Dizzy Gillespie. A bebop contrafact. Same progression, but real performances mix in many substitute chords and sound far more complex than this pattern.

These songs use this pattern. This is not their chord chart: real recordings differ in key, rhythm and the chords they add.

Public-domain songs with this pattern

No Songbook entry uses this pattern as a run of chords.