Bird changes

Bird Blues progression

Bird Blues progression

The Blues for Alice changes, Bird changes, Bird Blues, or New York Blues changes, is a chord progression, often named after Charlie Parker ("Bird"), which is a variation of the twelve-bar blues.

The progression uses a series of sequential ii–V or secondary ii–V progressions, and has been used in pieces such as Parker's "Blues for Alice". Toots Thielemans's "Bluesette", Freight Trane written by pianist Tommy Flanagan, and Parker's "Confirmation" also have similar progressions.

Structure

A simple blues progression, in C, is as follows:

<score sound="1">

{ \new ChordNames \with {

 \override BarLine #'bar-extent = #'(-2 . 2)
 \consists "Bar_engraver"

} \chordmode {

 \override Score.BarNumber.break-visibility = ##(#f #f #f)
 \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo 1 = 60
 c1:7 | c:7 | c:7 | c:7 | \break
 f:7 | f:7 | c:7 | c:7 |  \break
 g:7 | f:7 | c:7 | c:7 \bar "||"

} } </score>

A typical blues progression in jazz, in C, is as follows:

<score sound="1">

{ \new ChordNames \with {

 \override BarLine #'bar-extent = #'(-2 . 2)
 \consists "Bar_engraver"

} \chordmode {

 \override Score.BarNumber.break-visibility = ##(#f #f #f)
 \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo 1 = 60
 c1:7 | f:7 | c:7 | c:7 | \break
 f:7 | f:7 | c:7 | e2:m7 a:7 | \break
 d1:m7 | g:7 | c2:7 a:7 | d:m7 g:7 \bar "||"

} } </score>

The Bird Blues progression, in C, is as follows:

<score sound="1">

{ \new ChordNames \with {

 \override BarLine #'bar-extent = #'(-2 . 2)
 \consists "Bar_engraver"

} \chordmode {

 \override Score.BarNumber.break-visibility = ##(#f #f #f)
 \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo 2 = 60
 c1:maj7 | b2:m7.5- e:7 | a:m7 d:7 | g:m7 c:7 | \break
 f1:7 | f2:m7 bes:7 | e:m7 a:7 | es2:m7 aes:7 | \break
 d1:m7 | g:7 | c2:maj7 a:7 | d:m7 g:7 \bar "||"

} } </score> In roman numeral analysis, this is represented by

IM7	viiø7   III7	vi7    II7	v7     I7
IV7	iv7    ♭VII7	iii7    VI7	♭iii7  ♭VI7
ii7	V7	IM7   VI7	ii7     V7

This can be viewed as a cycle of ii–V progressions leading to the IV chord (F⁷ in the key of C major), and the tritone substitution of the dominant chords leading by half-step to the V chord (G⁷ in C).

C:	Am:	G(m):	F:
IM7	iiø7     V7	ii7      V7	ii7      V7
F:	E♭:	D:	D♭(m):
I7	subii7 subV7	subii7 subV7	subii7 subV7
C:
ii7	V7	IM7    VI7	ii7     V7