The First 3 Jazz Standards You Should Learn

✅The best 3 Jazz Standards to begin with 😎👍
Let me know if you have a suggestion for a song! 🙂

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My name is Jens Larsen, Danish Jazz Guitarist, and Educator. The videos on this channel will help you explore and enjoy Jazz. Some of it is how to play jazz guitar, but other videos are more on Music Theory like Jazz Chords or advice on how to practice and learn Jazz, on guitar or any other instrument.

The videos are mostly jazz guitar lessons, but also music theory, analysis of songs, and videos on jazz guitars.

My Gear:

[JensLarsen]

Let me know if you have a suggestion for a song and why that is a good choice!🙂

[revonfyll]

My picks:

Blue Bossa
Autumn Leaves
Sunny

[lucagianquitto]

Perfect advice also for teachers like me that needs new input and ideas to share with students. Thank you!

[johngallagher]

"Mr. PC" by John Coltrane, frequently called out in jam sessions as a representative minor blues. Pretty straight forward ii- V- I, minor7b5 changes/melody/soloing with some chord tones and modes. My music friends always joked about how this is always called out in jam sessions.

[NickNicometi]

Thanks, Jens. I needed a jazz influence to begin.

[doctorskull]

YES! Thanks for the tip. Greatly appreciated ‼️😎🔥

[cofwqlh]

Right on! I have been using iReal and love it.

[jerrymcdrake]

1.Smoke on the water 2.May be fire on the sky . 3.Just kidding ;)... Thanks sir, tottally agree with you in addition to those I put '' ALL BLUES'' for Modal approach.

[redfishbluefish]

I know all three of those! Good for me!

[Jimbob-hpud]

I just learnt my first standard, it was autumn leaves, I'm quite proud actually but I look forward to doing blue bossa next, I'll check out your other suggested standards too!

[marciamakesmusic]

I think Blue Bossa is a good pick, but in my experience I had an easier time getting my bearings on tunes with less repetitive chord progressions, before I had a handle on keeping my place in the form. Something like All the Things You Are helped a lot with that. Just my two cents about what worked for me though.

[riccitone]

Those are great! Excellent suggestions...I also like Just Friends for many of my beginners. Can be understood/identified as changing keys, or simplified as a giant plagal cadence (IV major to I major). Addresses some simple common tone relationships, balancing ii-V's and complete cadences, plus one uncommon backdoor cadence. But also good for scaling in difficulty for substituted language.

[vashumashu]

I would want to give a beginner an example of someone with a nice modern take on each on these songs like a Martino rendition or Benson or w/e that isn't so out that it kinda ditches the changes, to make the songs more interesting (to a beginner)

[edt.]

Do you have any videos for learning the basic chords and rhythm for those who will never solo?

[FJness]

My picks:
Stablemates
My favorite things with no major chords
This I dig of you

[mattherman]

Hi Jens! Thanks soooo much for the super-excellent vids! Btw, where can we get the progression charts shown in this vid? Don't see any link for them. Thank you.

[paulhicks]

I think it’s best to learn great jazz SONGS, not just tunes, that you really like with great melodies and lyrics so that there’s a vocal phrasing reference and memorable lyrics that give the song meaning. When you solo you’re more likely to play musically and with meaning.

[RanBlakePiano]

Which recordings should serve as models ?stray horn and Duke having recorded numerous versions …..

[onsightman]

All the Things You Are. It is not easy to understand clearly, and yet, it is repetitive in its way and it has so many ideas in it.

[donaldmccoy]

would you do a video breakdown of "Take your clothes off when you dance' by the Mothers of invention? It's VERY jazzy...there are 2 versions, one with words, and one without words. the instrumental version is the one I like best....thank you sir!!!