PREMIER CLINIC
JAZZ
From Introduction
to Jazz Guitar Soloing
The Bebop Bridge
Ideas for approaching the “B” Section
and its common chord changes
BY JOE ELLIOTT
The bebop bridge is a specific set of changes found in many standards with an AABA form. It’s sometimes referred to as the B section, or bridge,
of these tunes. Tunes like “Scrapple from the Apple,” “Anthropology,” and “Oleo” all contain this bridge. If you don’t prepare in advance, chances
are you’ll have difficulty playing over this section.
Here’s the basic progression:
The first thing you should notice is that all of the chords are dominant 7th chords. The III7, VI7, and II7 are all non-diatonic and act as secondary dominants: III7 is V of VI, VI7 is V of II, and II7 is V of V. Let’s take a look at this bridge in the context of a song. Here’s “Scrapple from the Apple” as an example.
“Anthropology” is another good example.
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