BookatlasPiano Rabbit Hole: Improvisation Theory & Practice
3782 / 18210 · Workshop 20 — “I Got Rhythm” / Rhythm Changes: AABA Form, Fast Turnarounds, Dominant Chains, and Thinking One Phrase Ahead← prev⊞ allnext →

20.1First learn the form before the chords

The basic structure is:

A – A – B – A

A – A – B – A

Each section is typically 8 bars.

So:

8 + 8 + 8 + 8 = 32 bars.

Before anything else, you must be able to feel where you are:

  • A1
  • A2
  • Bridge/B
  • Final A

If you lose the form, knowing every scale will not save you.