Quote:



DM7 G7 CMaj7 F7 Em7 A7
Dm7 G7 Dm7 G7 Em7 A7 Em7 A7
Am7 D7 Abm7 Db7 CMaj7 F7 Em7 A7





"Two Five One" drills.

One of the best ways to change keys within a key, or internal modulation, is use of the two five one.

Dm7 G7 Cmaj7 at the beginning is the standard two five one in key of C. (If the C is a C6 it doesn't matter, Cmaj7 and C6 are often good subs for the straight C, the only caveat about that is if the extension used might clash with a Melody line note. For example, if the Melody has a B in it, you may not want to choose a C6 there. (BTW you used a capital M after the D there, but it likely is a small m to indicate minor. Doesn't have to be, though, sometimes there may really be a Major D7 chord in a two five one, but not very often used.)

The F7 is, of course simply the Sub-Dominant chord of C, or the IV chord.

That is followed by a two five in key of D - Em7-A7 but without the one chord following it, moving directly into another two five in C. The series is repeated.

The Abm7-Db7 is a two five in key of Gb, without playing the Gb chord. Gb is the flat five of C, a jazzer's sub for a C7 chord known as a Tritone Substitution.

Back to C for one chord, then another two five in D.

When improvising over two fives, it is important to be able to quickly identify the key of the two five, for that key is the tone center for the entire two five one or two five chord area. For example, those two fives in D above, the Em7 to A7, even though they never play the actual D, you can improvise in key of D over the two chords there and not generate any clams.

Two Five One drills are absolutely imperative things to master if one is wanting to learn the art and science of improvisation.

Check out the old jazz standard, "Cherokee" chords for examples of two five one modulation in use. BTW it uses the same chords as "How High the Moon" - but they are two different songs. The old jazzers knew that thing about not being able to copyright a chord change and used it quite a bit, often hiding changes so well that many miss the fact that it is the same set of changes in one song as in another.


--Mac

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