Several spots in It Could Happen to You, especially in the A section, can be approached using diminished sounds. These moments often sit over dominant chords or passing movement, giving you an opportunity to create tension and forward motion in your lines.

Rather than thinking of diminished as just a pattern or scale, work on hearing how it connects to the underlying harmony. Practice applying diminished ideas over dominant chords and resolving them clearly into chord tones. This will give your lines a stronger sense of direction and a more fluid sound.

Within this tune, you can approach several sections using minor ii–V movement, even when it’s not explicitly written that way. This gives you more flexibility in how you hear and navigate the harmony.

Focus on clearly outlining the half-diminished ii chord and experimenting with different colors on the dominant. Instead of locking into one scale, think in terms of chord tones and melodic ideas. This will help you move beyond rigid thinking and start creating lines that feel more natural and expressive.

A defining feature of this tune is how it moves between the tonic major sound and its relative minor. This relationship is at the core of the progression and gives the harmony its contrast and depth.

Train yourself to hear the I chord and the vi chord as connected sounds within the same harmonic space. Practice outlining both areas and the ii–V’s that lead into them. This will help you create phrases that move smoothly between major and minor without sounding disconnected.

At its foundation, this tune is built on clear ii–V movement, and your ability to navigate these progressions will determine how strong your lines sound. The key is to hear how each chord leads into the next, especially how the V7 resolves to the I.

Isolate the ii–V–I’s in the tune and practice connecting them with simple, melodic ideas. Then begin incorporating vocabulary from great players. The goal is to move beyond thinking chord-by-chord and start creating lines that flow naturally through the entire progression.