How to Learn Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise (Jazz Tutorial)

*NOTE*: at 5:56 I accidentally referred to the Ebmaj7 chord as the VI chord. Rather it is the III chord. Apologies for the error!

Today, we're talking about the classic minor jazz standard, "Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise". We'll take a look at the chords to figure out the most efficient way to learn it as well as some harmonic secrets within the tune that will help us improvise over it.

🕒CHAPTERS🕒
00:00 Intro
00:26 Short demo
00:52 The best way to learn the melody
01:20 Identifying the key - The first A section
01:54 Things you can do with a minor ii-V-I progression
03:17 A tritone substitution
05:45 Chord substitution options
07:03 Associating the melody of the song with the chords
07:39 The second A section
09:45 The relative major key
10:06 Diminished substitution
10:24 Passing diminished chord
11:00 The best way to improvise on a dim7 chords
12:48 The bridge

💥Important Links and Resources💥

[Learnjazzstandards]

NOTE: at 5:56 I accidentally referred to the Ebmaj7 chord as the VI chord. Rather the Ebmaj7 is the III chord. Apologies for the error!

[cobyup]

Tritone subs are so cool. Take a ii-V-I in C (D-7, G7, Cmaj7) for example. The tritone sub of D-7 is Ab7 and the tritone sub of G7 is Db7. Reassemble your ii-V-I and now you have Ab7, Db7, Cmaj7 (bVI7, bII7, Imaj7). If you listen to enough jazz you're sure to hear a big 4ths cycle ending where this is the last cadence that happens. Sounds amazing.

[uk]

One of the best explanations!!! Thanks a lot!!!

[aidanschofield]

Thank you! It's taken me three years to learn tritone subs and relative majors because no one has ever broken it down for me and explained it like you did. But now it all makes sense thank you so much for improving my jazz understanding!

[davidparra]

Awesome lesson man! Love when you play in your videos, this was tight af...

[oscardavies]

You should check out the Emily Remler version if you haven't already, its probably my favourite!

[adampecsek]

Very helpful analysis. Question about tritone subs. Id always been taught that a tritoe sub is where you sub a dominant 7th chord for a dom 7th a tritone away. D half dim has a (weak) dominant function in the relative major, but in C minor it has a predominant function, so I think of the Ab7 in the Ab7->G7 sequence as more of a chromatic passing chord. Am I totally mistaken about trtone subs? Can you take *any* diatonic chord and reharmonize it with a dom 7th a tritone away? Thanks

[barnapavai]

Thank you very much! What kind of substitution we have for major chord, C7 or Cmaj? Is the same: 1-3-2-5 or 1-7-6b-5? Thnak you in advanced. Bedt regards from Budapest, Barna

[hoop]

Great stuff, I would like to see chord grids

[annettesomers]

Love this lesson and I love this song! Thanks for sharing your wisdom!

[panjandrum.conundrum]

Thank you! Tenor player at the keyboard here.

[ruby_gleyzes]

Great video, as usual! ;-) Just one comment: what do you think about ignoring in the bridge the III7 and going straight to the ii-V7 resolving in the A part?

[terje]

That guitar has a very nice sound and looks very nice. Is it custom made? What is VB standing for?
Saw this standard tune was first recorded 93 years ago, wow!

[hshlom]

Awesome explanation! There are so many useful insights here!
Check out Equinox by John Coltrane. It's an easy Cm blues with the Ab G Cm in the last 4 measures.

[mdmellis]

Anybody want to share their thoughts about using the minor 6 chord (Cm6) instead of the Cm7 as the tonic minor? The Cm6 is the way Barry Harris would do it and, to my ears, sounds more resolved even though not technically in the key.

[RENANPENEDO]

Sorry, but you made a mistake... You said 6th starting at 5:56 when you play Eb chord, but this is actually the 3rd, not the 6th...

[glynnp]

Hi Brent. I struggling in that I see you are not playing strictly the chords that are in the chart. You are frequently playing G7 and not G7(b9). And the EbM7 turn around it looks like you are playing an EbM6. Is it me or are you being casual with the chords? Is it because you are using a pick and trying to play chords that are easier with a pick, that is to say that you can more easily mute the unused strings with the other chord forms? Thanks.

[patyak]

Your new guitar sounds infinitely better than the Ibanez which always sounded stiff to me

[bspencersf]

Another way to think of/explain the tritone is three whole tones away

[brucejeric]

I understand you when you call Eb maj7 the 6 chord. But I’m sure you confuse many. It is the 3 chord in Cm or you could think tritone sub of 6.