Question:
I am a returning Saxophone player after years of dormancy. I have a slot with Jamey Aebersold Jazz camp coming up in late June in Louisville, KY. I’m trying to get back in shape.
I am classically trained and have been in several bands mostly Rock and Roll and R&B and a little Funk.
I have used my ear to get me through my saxophone experiences but I would like to see a cheat sheet on chords. Is there such an animal that might be in a format to be able to be used at a gig?
-Darrell (signed up for Navigating Chord Changes)
My response:
Sometimes in books you can find a sheet of different chords, like at the beginning of the new real book. But they are really mostly in one key (C in the book I have).
Functionally, you don’t want to look at something like that at a gig, it would have to be 12 filled pages, not something you can really look at and use for a song.
Knowing chord changes means knowing them without looking up what notes are in them. A good starting point is learning the major scales, if you know those well you can play over minor chords, dominant chords, sixth chords, and more.
So I would say, start working on the major scales, start with one and work on it until it’s comfortable then add another, etc.
Thanks
-Neal
Yes, a cheat sheet would be good, if we promise to use it only in the case of emergencies. hehehe…