By John Klenner
Just Friends
Just Friends
is a jazz standard written by John Klenner with lyrics by Sam M. Lewis. Composed in 1931, it has become an integral part of the Great American Songbook with notable recordings by Charlie Parker, Chet Baker, and countless others.
Chord Charts: Just Friends
Chord Charts
Learn the chord changes to
Just Friends
using common lead sheets for C, Bb, and Eb instruments.
Note that the progression begins on the IV chord with a major 7th in the melody. It is often played in other keys besides the original.
Form: ABAC
Total Bars: 32
Common Key(s): G
C chart
Bb chart
Eb chart
Jazzadvice Lessons
Here are a few of our lessons that will be helpful when learning
Just Friends
. Take the time to study these in-depth resources:
Tom Harrell Plays There Will Never Be Another You
One of the best ways to learn a standard and find answers when you’re completely stuck is simple: check out the masters playing the same tunes you’re working on. In This Lesson 1. Introduction 2. There Will Never Be Another You 3. Unlocking the Harmony 4. Tom Harrell’s Solo 5. Three Improvisation Tactics 6. Leaving ...
10 Tritone Substitution Tactics from Kenny Dorham
Tritone Substitution is one of those terms you often hear tossed around in music theory classes. A definition to memorize, but not something that actually makes it into your playing… In This Lesson 1. Introduction 2. Tritone Substitution: The Theory 3. The Tritone Sub Cheat Sheet 4. Tritone Substitution Tactics 5. Old Folks 6. Mack ...
The Transcription Step Most Jazz Players Skip
There’s a common saying that any great improvisation boils down to one thing: “playing what you hear”. And over the years, I’ve found this to be true… In This Lesson 1. Introduction 2. Horace Silver, Opus De Funk 3. Finding Musical Clues 4. Figuring Out the Chords & Progression 5. Solo Techniques: 3 Phrases 6. Horace ...
10 Levels of Playing the Bridge to Rhythm Changes
From the moment George Gershwin’s composition I Got Rhythm entered the jazz repertoire, it quickly became one of the most played, and most important, song forms in this music… In This Lesson 1. Introduction 2. Solos on the Bridge to Rhythm Changes 3. Louis Armstrong, I Got Rhythm 4. Lester Young, Lester Leaps In 5. ...
4 Legendary Bye Bye Blackbird Solos (And What to Steal From Each)
Bye Bye Blackbird is a tune that looks simple on paper, yet one that can become surprisingly challenging the moment you begin to solo. And in Part II of our deep-dive into this standard, we’ll unlock a few key tools that’ll help you improvise with musical confidence… In This Lesson 1. Introduction 2. Bye Bye ...
How Bye Bye Blackbird Really Works (Form, Variations, and Solo Concepts)
Of all the standards in the jazz repertoire, there are certain tunes that seem to play themselves. Songs where you can simply outline a few chord tones, follow the changes, and your solo starts to fall into place… In This Lesson 1. Introduction 2. The Tune: Bye Bye Blackbird 3. Solo Excerpts on Bye Bye ...
Chick Corea: 7 Essential Dominant Chord Techniques
Chick Corea is one of the true giants of this music. A name that’s synonymous with dizzying technique, stunning harmonies, and an unmistakeable creativity that is apparent on every one of his records… In This Lesson 1. Introduction 2. Chick Corea’s Samba Yantra 3. Chick Corea: 7 Dominant Tactics 4. The Power of Larger Intervals ...
11 Modern Jazz Compositions That’ll Transform Your Playing
Beyond standards and bebop melodies lie what what we might call modern jazz tunes – the compositions of musical innovators who pushed the music in a new direction. And navigating these tunes can be pretty challenging… In This Lesson 1. Introduction 2. Modern Jazz Tunes to Learn 3. Inner Urge 4. One Finger Snap 5. ...
Inside Mulgrew Miller’s Solo: You Stepped Out of a Dream
A great solo can teach us many things (on many levels) about the way we improvise – from simply finding the “right notes” that fit a progression, to the finer points of phrasing and musicality. And the solos of the great pianist Mulgrew Miller are no exception… In This Lesson 1. Introduction 2. An Approach ...
The Relative Minor Formula in Every Standard
One of the keys to developing a more musical approach to navigating chord progressions is not only learning the definitions of chords – but understanding how they relate to each other. In This Lesson 1. Introduction 2. The Major – Relative Minor Relationship 3. Tunes: Major & Relative Minor 4. Part I: Relative Minor to ...
