Essential Jazz Standards: A Comprehensive Guide

Jazz standards are the cornerstone of the jazz repertoire. They provide a common ground for musicians to collaborate and improvise, and a foundation for developing a personal style. This article explores the importance of learning jazz standards, presents a curated list of essential tunes, and offers guidance on how to approach building a solid repertoire.

The Importance of Learning Jazz Standards

Learning jazz standards is crucial for several reasons:

Shared Language: Tunes are our shared language. One of the most beautiful and unifying aspects of jazz is this common musical familiarity that enables any group of seasoned musicians to get together and immediately start making music. Knowing a shared set of tunes allows musicians to communicate and create music together, regardless of their backgrounds.
Gig Preparedness: Part of being a jazz musician is being able to play over at least a handful of tunes. Some gigs require tune knowledge.
Compositional Foundation: Your compositional foundation comes from the tunes you have studied. By studying jazz standards, musicians develop an understanding of harmony, melody, and form, which informs their own compositions.
Enhanced Listening Experience: Once you know a tune, listening to a recording/show of somebody playing that tune becomes far more meaningful.
Avoidance of Unprofessionalism: An unrehearsed group of guys gets on the bandstand, takes 10 minutes between songs trying to figure out a tune to play next, then eventually agrees on something everybody knows and doesn’t consider too lame. Not only does this come across as extremely unprofessional, but also consider that the portion of your audience that’s not musicians is probably already a bit confused by jazz in the first place. Why further alienate them?

Building a Solid Tune Base: A Strategic Approach

Building a solid base of tunes in your arsenal requires a strategic approach. Here's a method to prioritize the tunes that are most important to learn:

Start with the Essentials: Begin with a list of critical tunes that are frequently called on gigs and sessions.
Expand with Important Recordings: Add tunes that appear across multiple or important recordings.
Personal Preferences: Round it out with tunes that you just like.

As you learn a tune, track your progress. As I learn a tune, it starts in D, then moves from C to B to A as grow more comfortable.

36 Critical Jazz Standards You Need to Know

Here are 36 tunes that you just need to know if you want to play jazz:

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(A list of 36 Jazz standards would be here.)

50 Popular Jazz Standards All Jazz Musicians Need to Know

The following 50 jazz standards contain many elements that appear in most songs throughout the jazz world. Many jazz standards are built from the same chord changes and progressions. A snowball starts off small, but as it rolls through the snow, it grows larger and larger. As it grows, its surface area increases, allowing it to pick up more and more snow. Learning jazz standards works in exactly the same way.

All of Me: Louis Armstrong recorded a famous version that reached the #1 spot on the US charts in 1931. Billie Holiday recorded the most famous version in 1941.
All The Things You Are: When it comes to learning jazz, “All The Things You Are” is a signature tune you need to know.
Alone Together: This song, like many jazz standards, was written for a Broadway musical - Flying Colors (1932). However, many jazz instrumentalists have taken it and made it their own.
Autumn Leaves: As far as jazz songs are concerned, Autumn Leaves may be the most famous tune on this list.
Billie’s Bounce
Black Orpheus (Manhã de Carnaval): This list includes several Latin jazz tunes, and no list is complete without a few Latin or Bossa Nova tunes.
Blue Bossa
Body and Soul: This jazz song is a staple among ballads in the jazz tradition. The rich and intricate harmonic structure of “Body and Soul” offers an expansive landscape for improvisation.
But Not For Me: This George and Ira Gershwin tune is a classic enshrined in the Great American Songbook.
Bye Bye Blackbird: One of the emblematic songs from the Tin Pan Alley era, “Bye Bye Blackbird,” should be on your tune list.
Cherokee: With its rapid-fire chord changes and lively tempo, “Cherokee” by Ray Noble is a rite of passage for any musician.
Confirmation: Charlie Parker’s “Confirmation” is a prime example of the intricate melodic lines and complex harmonies that characterize the bebop era. While it is one of the more challenging songs on this list, it offers endless opportunities for creative improvisation and is a must-know. Art Blakey - “A Night at Birdland Vol. 13.
Days of Wine and Roses: This gem from Henry Mancini is known for its delicate, lyrical melody and subtle harmonic complexity.
Doxy: “Doxy” is a playful, melodic journey through simple blues changes.
Fly Me To The Moon: This song embodies the charisma and elegance of jazz.
Footprints: Wayne Shorter’s “Footprints” is a masterclass in jazz composition.
Four: This tune is a prime example of his knack for composing tunes that are as engaging as they are straightforward.
Have You Met Miss Jones: This charming piece by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart from the Swing Era is beloved for its catchy melody and unexpected harmonic complexity. Art Tatum - “The Art Tatum Solo Masterpieces Vol.
How High The Moon: “How High The Moon” has become a must-know tune for modern musicians. The tune is often played at a brisk tempo.
I Hear a Rhapsody: This tune has rich harmonies and a lyrical melody. Its intricate chord changes and structure embody the essence of 1940s pop music. Art Blakey - “Art Blakey!!!!!
I Love You: This Cole Porter tune is a delight for both musicians and listeners.
I Remember You
I’ll Remember April: “I’ll Remember April” is known for its bright melody and lively harmonic progression.
I’m Old Fashioned: This Jerome Kern and Johnny Mercer jazz song stands out as a quintessential ballad.
If I Should Lose You: “If I Should Lose You” is a deeply emotive jazz standard.
If I Were A Bell: This Frank Loesser tune is a delightful romp with a playful melody and cheery lyrics.
In A Mellow Tone: This song became popular during the Swing era with a recording by Duke Ellington and his famous orchestra.
In A Sentimental Mood: This tune is an evocative ballad known for its deeply emotional melody and harmonic richness. The tune invites musicians to delve into its poignant narrative, often resulting in expressive and introspective performances.
It Could Happen To You: With its bright melody and uplifting lyrics, the song provides a buoyant backdrop for improvisation. Bud Powell - “The Amazing Bud Powell, Vol.
Just Friends: “Just Friends” - Written by John Klenner and Sam M. A favorite among jazz instrumentalists, this tune by John Klenner and Sam M. Lewis is known for its strong, memorable melody and exciting chord changes.
Misty: Misty is a beautiful ballad that has many amazing versions you should check out. This is one of the songs you’ll most likely play with a vocalist at some point.
My Funny Valentine: Known for its tender melody and humourous lyrics, this jazz song is a fun playground for instrumentalists and vocalists alike.
Night and Day: The tune’s hypnotic melody and clever harmonic progressions invite musicians to explore its complex structure.
Oleo: Learning a rhythm changes tune is essential for playing at jam sessions! If you learn the changes to one rhythm changes tune, you (basically) learn the changes to all of them. Eric Dolphy - “Eric Dolphy In Europe, Vol.
On Green Dolphin Street: This is a jazz standard known for its unique structure and catchy, swinging melody.
Recorda Me: This tune’s contagious Latin groove, coupled with its strong melody and modern harmonic structure, offers musicians a gratifying challenge.
Satin Doll: Dr.
Stella By Starlight: Known for its hauntingly beautiful melody and complex harmonic progression, “Stella By Starlight” is one of the most revered standards in the jazz repertoire.
Scrapple From The Apple: This tune is a quintessential bebop composition.
So What: As the opening track of Miles Davis’s revolutionary album “Kind of Blue,” “So What” is a pillar of modal jazz.
Solar: “Solar” showcases Miles’s knack for composing tunes that are as engaging as they are straightforward.
St. Thomas: St. “St. This tune is one of the most famous examples of the fusion between jazz and Caribbean rhythms. With its catchy, calypso-inspired melody and straightforward chord changes, “St. Learn how to play St.
Sweet Georgia Brown
Take The A Train: “Take The A Train” is a jazz music staple! Billy Strayhorn’s clever songwriting and harmonically sophisticated style are evident in this jazz song’s catchy melody and distinctive rhythmic motif.
The Girl From Ipanema: Composed by Antonio Carlos Jobim, this bossa nova classic helped popularize Brazilian music in the US in the 1960s.
There Is No Greater Love: This Isham Jones and Marty Symes tune showcases the romantic side of the jazz tradition.
There Will Never Be Another You: Known for its upbeat melody and harmonically satisfying progression, it’s a blast to improvise over.
Up Jumped Spring: This Freddie Hubbard composition stands as a testament to his talent not only as a trumpeter but also as a composer.
What Is This Thing Called Love: This tune is another staple of jam sessions.
Yesterdays: “Yesterdays” is an evocative ballad performed in a minor key. Buddy Rich and Max Roach - “Rich vs.

Analyzing Jazz Standards: A Step-by-Step Guide

To truly master a jazz standard, it's essential to analyze its structure, harmony, and melody. Here's a step-by-step approach:

Determine the Key: What key is it in? If you notice different versions are in different keys, find more recordings and figure out the most common key.
Learn the Melody: It’s helpful to have a few reference recordings to figure out what’s the true melody and what’s embellishment.
Figure out the Form: Figure out the form: is there a bridge? Are the phrases 8 bars long? Is there a tag?
Determine the Harmony: Determine the harmony. When you get stuck, go to the piano and try to figure out the changes. If you’re still stuck or not 100% sure of your findings, you can find a lead sheet in a real book or online to try to get a second opinion. Using this approach, you will find that you’ll actually remember the tune, your ear will improve, and your freedom to improvise over the changes and remember the form will improve.

Beyond the List: Expanding Your Repertoire

No! There are so many incredible jazz songs out there. Trimming the list to a modest fifty means ignoring so many great jazz songs. To truly expose yourself to all the best jazz songs, you should listen to all the albums listed under each entry. At a certain level, the “best jazz songs” comes down to personal preference. Your list might include the Horace Silver tune “Song For My Father” or the Lee Morgan tune “The Sidewinder.” You might prefer more Jaco Pistorious and less Frank Sinatra.

Resources for Learning Jazz Standards

This list contains everything you need to learn jazz standards. Already know every popular jazz standard on this list? When you join the Inner Circle, you’ll get instant access to years and years of jazz resources LJS has developed, as well as a deep dive into a new jazz standard every month. Improve in 30 days or less.

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