AttacheE minor · 4/4, usually medium swing or ballad
Autumn Leaves
Joseph Kosma (jazz standard)
Seventh chords, major/minor ii–V–I, circle-of-fifths movement, jazz voice leading.
A-section shells in E minor
Hear guide-tone motion before adding colour
Next actions
- Guide tones only through the first eight bars
- Improvise two sparse choruses over the form
Why this piece
This is the clearest early introduction to functional jazz harmony. Many chords move by fifths, so the relationships between them are audible and systematic. Learning the progression provides a pattern you will recognize in dozens of other standards.
Musical profile
- Key / tonal centre: E minor
- Meter: 4/4, usually medium swing or ballad
- Suggested version: Lead sheet in a commonly played key, such as G minor / B-flat major or E minor / G major; commit to one chart for practice.
Representative harmony
In E minor: Am7 – D7 – Gmaj7 – Cmaj7 – F♯m7♭5 – B7 – Em (first eight-bar harmonic idea).
Practice loop
What to listen for
Hear Am7–D7–Gmaj7 as ii–V–I in G major, then F♯m7♭5–B7–Em as iiø–V–i in E minor.
What to learn
Write the chord function above each bar (ii, V, I, and related movements). Play the melody by itself. Add left-hand shell voicings—typically root with third or seventh, then third and seventh where appropriate—and focus on moving each voice by the smallest useful interval. Improvise using chord tones first; add scale notes only after you can hear the resolutions.
Practice checkpoint
Play the melody with basic jazz accompaniment, then explain and demonstrate one major and one minor ii–V–I resolution.
Diagnostic drill · E21 — Guide tones through the cycle of fifths
Target: Hear and connect functional ii–V–I movement.
Drill key / meter: E minor / G major · 4/4
Use this only when it addresses the current bottleneck. Skip it when the skill is already ready.
Steps
- Play these chords, one per bar:
Am7 | D7 | Gmaj7 | Cmaj7 | F♯m7♭5 | B7 | Em7. - In LH, play only third and seventh (shells):
C–G | F♯–C | B–F♯ | E–B | A–E | D♯–A | G–D. Play a simple RH root or melody above them. - Move between adjacent shells as smoothly as practical; listen especially to the half-step resolutions
C → BandD♯ → Ewithin the harmony.
Ear task: Sing the chord roots A–D–G–C–F♯–B–E, then the guide-tone changes.
Transfer: Comp a chorus of Autumn Leaves with shells before attempting full seventh chords in the LH.
Drill checkpoint: Complete the seven-chord sequence without losing the pulse, and identify the major and minor cadences.