If you are beginning to play traditional jazz and trying to develop your skills at improvisation, one of the lessons you have to learn concerns the occasional appearance of the chord III7th in bars (measures) 23 and 24 .
As you probably know, in 32-bar songs, it helps to 'feel' the tune as four groups of eight bars.
And in just a few of these 32-bar structures (enough to catch you out), the final two bars in the third group of eight (Bars 23 and 24) are based on the chord of III7th . This means that, if you are in the key of C, for example, then that chord will be E7th. If you are in the key of F, that chord will be A7th .... and so on. Get it?
In this example, I have highlighted Bars 23 and 24 of It's a Long Way To Tipperary. As you can see, if you are playing the tune in C, then these two bars are based on E7th
The effect of this chord is usually to provide an exciting mini-climax to the tune, leading to a rapid intake of breath before you motor into the satisfying final eight bars. Incidentally, in these situations, it often happens that those final eight bars (25 - 32) follow The Sunshine Sequence, so that makes improvising through them quite simple. I have written about The Sunshine Sequence before. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.
In this example, I have highlighted Bars 23 and 24 of It's a Long Way To Tipperary. As you can see, if you are playing the tune in C, then these two bars are based on E7th
As the use of III7th in Bars 23 - 24 is a somewhat unusual chord development, I have noticed players being taken by surprise by it and producing something that sounds horribly wrong during those two bars.
So when you are improvising, it is important to be aware when this chord is coming up. Look upon it as an iceberg on the horizon: don't let it knock you off your course. You must improvise on that chord at that point in the tune. If you do anything else, the effect can be excruciating.
Here are a few examples of songs you need to be aware of because they employ that device in Bars 23 - 24.
Ain't
Gonna Give Nobody None of My Jelly Roll
Alice
Blue Gown
All
By Myself
Any
Time
Barefoot
Boy
Beneath
Hawaiian Skies
Big
Bear Stomp (main theme)
Blame
it on the Blues (main theme)
Come
Back Sweet Pappa
Crying
for the Carolines
Dancing
With Tears in My Eyes
Don't
Bring Lulu
Down
in Jungle Town
Fidgety
Feet (main theme)
For
Me and My Girl
Heart
of My Heart
I
Left My Heart in San Francisco
I'm
Nobody's Baby
I'm
Sorry I Made You Cry
It Happened in Monterey
I've Never Been to New York (the Jonathan Doyle composition)
I've Never Been to New York (the Jonathan Doyle composition)
If
I Had a Talking Picture of You
In
Apple Blossom Time
Irish
Black Bottom
It's
a Long Way to Tipperary
Mama's
Gone, Goodbye
Margie
Mobile
Stomp
Moose
March
My
Cutie's Due at Two to Two
New
Orleans Shuffle
New
Orleans Wiggle (main theme)
Paper
Doll
Red
Hot Mama
Roses
of Picardy
Running
Wild
Salutation
March (main theme)
The
Breeze
The
Curse of an Aching Heart
The
Sheik of Araby
The
Waltz You Saved for Me
The
World is Waiting for the Sunrise
There's
a Blue Ridge Round My Heart Virginia
Tishomingo
Blues
Wait
Till the Sun Shines, Nellie
When
You Wore a Tulip
You
Were Meant for Me
You're
Nobody Till Somebody Loves You
