Autumn Circle Etude

7.6 Explore jazz harmony

Study Autumn Circle Etude, an original study in G minor. Follow its rootless left-hand guide tones around the circle of fifths: they suggest Cm7–F7–B♭maj7, a ii–V–I into B flat major (bars 1–3), and D7–Gm7, a V–i into G minor (bars 6–7). Bar 5 has a G–C pair and E natural in the melody, not the E flat needed for Am7♭5: this is not a complete minor ii–V–i. The minor-blues card shows another form these chords live in; this etude is a circle of fifths, not a blues. At the keyboard: voice a ii–V–I progression.

Ideas

• The circle of fifths
• The dominant seventh

Theory cards

• Early jazz and dominant chains
• Minor blues and the shorter and longer forms
• The ii–V–I progression

Technique

• G harmonic minor scale, hands together, 2 octaves