By Arthur Schwartz

Alone Together

Alone Together composed by Arthur Schwartz with lyrics by Howard Dietz and introduced in 1932 in the Broadway musical Flying Colors, is commonly performed in D minor and known for its flowing minor harmony, classic song form, and expressive bridge. A staple for learning to improvise over minor chords and minor ii–V progressions, it’s an ideal tune for developing lyrical minor playing.

By Arthur Schwartz

Alone Together

Alone Together
composed by Arthur Schwartz with lyrics by Howard Dietz and introduced in 1932 in the Broadway musical Flying Colors, is commonly performed in D minor and known for its flowing minor harmony, classic song form, and expressive bridge. A staple for learning to improvise over minor chords and minor ii–V progressions, it’s an ideal tune for developing lyrical minor playing.

Chord Charts: Alone Together

Chord Charts

Learn the chord changes to

Alone Together

using common lead sheets for C, Bb, and Eb instruments.

Keep in mind that the first two A Sections are 14 bars long, while the last A is only 8 bars.

Form: AABA
Total Bars: 44
Common Key(s): D minor
How to Play This Tune

Step 1: Study How Minor Harmony Actually Works in Alone Together

Alone Together isn’t that complicated, but it still requires on a clear understanding of how minor harmony functions in jazz. If your concept of minor is limited, it’s easy to play through the tune without really hearing what’s happening. This step builds a practical foundation by showing how the chords relate and why certain sounds resolve the way they do, so the progression feels clear.

FREE Everything You Don’t Know About Minor Harmony in Jazz Everything You Don’t Know About Minor Harmony in Jazz

Step 2: Learn Sonny Stitt’s Secret to Playing Over Minor Chords in Any Tune

Alone Together sits in minor long enough to expose whether your minor vocabulary is truly internalized or just theoretical. Sonny Stitt’s playing shows what it means to move through minor harmony with ease, and this step focuses on the core ideas behind that sound. Instead of simply memorizing licks, you’ll ingrain concepts that translate across keys and tempos, giving you a solid minor approach that holds up in real playing situations.

PRO The Sonny Stitt Playbook – His 2 Exercises to Master Minor The Sonny Stitt Playbook – His 2 Exercises to Master Minor

Step 3: Expand Your Minor Language with Roy Hargrove

Once you understand the harmony, the next step is expanding your language. By studying Roy Hargrove’s approach, you’ll see how short, focused ideas can form the basis of a strong minor vocabulary, helping you move beyond generic minor scales and develop lines that feel more lyrical and musical.

PRO 6 Roy Hargrove Minor Exercises on What Is This Thing Called Love 6 Roy Hargrove Minor Exercises on What Is This Thing Called Love

Step 4: Acquire Your Own Minor Jazz Language

Building minor language isn’t about copying lines indefinitely, but about absorbing ideas until they become your own. Alone Together is ideal for this because its harmony gives you space to experiment and refine your phrasing. This step focuses on targeted transcription, helping you extract useful ideas and apply them directly to your solos.

PRO Master The Jazz Language Master The Jazz Language

Step 5: Master the Minor ii–V Progressions in the Bridge of Alone Together

The bridge introduces minor ii V progressions that require clarity and strong voice leading. This section often causes players to lose direction, so this step focuses on learning to emphasize chord tones in minor ii Vs, using melodic development, and gaining flexibility with alterations on dominant chords so you can move through the bridge with ease.

FREE A Lesson With Bill Evans: 14 Techniques to Master the Minor ii V Progression A Lesson With Bill Evans: 14 Techniques to Master the Minor ii V Progression

Videos

Videos: Alone Together

How to Play Alone Together

Step 1: Study How Minor Harmony Actually Works in Alone Together

Alone Together isn’t that complicated, but it still requires on a clear understanding of how minor harmony functions in jazz. If your concept of minor is limited, it’s easy to play through the tune without really hearing what’s happening. This step builds a practical foundation by showing how the chords relate and why certain sounds resolve the way they do, so the progression feels clear.

FREE Everything You Don’t Know About Minor Harmony in Jazz Everything You Don’t Know About Minor Harmony in Jazz

Step 2: Learn Sonny Stitt’s Secret to Playing Over Minor Chords in Any Tune

Alone Together sits in minor long enough to expose whether your minor vocabulary is truly internalized or just theoretical. Sonny Stitt’s playing shows what it means to move through minor harmony with ease, and this step focuses on the core ideas behind that sound. Instead of simply memorizing licks, you’ll ingrain concepts that translate across keys and tempos, giving you a solid minor approach that holds up in real playing situations.

PRO The Sonny Stitt Playbook – His 2 Exercises to Master Minor The Sonny Stitt Playbook – His 2 Exercises to Master Minor

Step 3: Expand Your Minor Language with Roy Hargrove

Once you understand the harmony, the next step is expanding your language. By studying Roy Hargrove’s approach, you’ll see how short, focused ideas can form the basis of a strong minor vocabulary, helping you move beyond generic minor scales and develop lines that feel more lyrical and musical.

PRO 6 Roy Hargrove Minor Exercises on What Is This Thing Called Love 6 Roy Hargrove Minor Exercises on What Is This Thing Called Love

Step 4: Acquire Your Own Minor Jazz Language

Building minor language isn’t about copying lines indefinitely, but about absorbing ideas until they become your own. Alone Together is ideal for this because its harmony gives you space to experiment and refine your phrasing. This step focuses on targeted transcription, helping you extract useful ideas and apply them directly to your solos.

PRO Master The Jazz Language Master The Jazz Language

Step 5: Master the Minor ii–V Progressions in the Bridge of Alone Together

The bridge introduces minor ii V progressions that require clarity and strong voice leading. This section often causes players to lose direction, so this step focuses on learning to emphasize chord tones in minor ii Vs, using melodic development, and gaining flexibility with alterations on dominant chords so you can move through the bridge with ease.

FREE A Lesson With Bill Evans: 14 Techniques to Master the Minor ii V Progression A Lesson With Bill Evans: 14 Techniques to Master the Minor ii V Progression

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