Hearin' the Changes: All Instruments Book

$30.95 USD

Hearin' the Changes: All Instruments Book

Name: Hearin' the Changes: All Instruments Book
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 01-ADV14270
Price: 30.95 USD
Availability: OutOfStock

Dealing with Unknown Tunes by Ear

By Jerry Coker, Bob Knapp, and Vincent Larry

Item: 01-ADV14270

$30.95

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Hearin' the Changes: Dealing with Unknown Tunes by Ear is the definitive study of chord progressions of hundreds of carefully chosen tunes from the jazz musician's repertoire, comparing them, linking them together by commonalities, and codifying harmonic traits that will clarify the reader's understanding of how progressions "work." It not only provides the means to learn and memorize tunes more easily, but also becomes the key to acquiring the skill to cognize progressions by ear! There is more. The preface explains how we hear and understand music, establishes the methods by which we can learn to develop our musical hearing more efficiently, and addresses the importance of attitudes, as they affect the learning process. The Afterword offers further encouragement, suggests ways to continue to study, and ways to personalize the materials beyond what is presented here. Appendix A reveals the valuable list of nearly 500 tunes used in this study, indicating which tunes contain more than one harmonic trait, which facilitates more efficient choices of tunes to learn. Appendix B renders valuable, ear-opening tips for ear training. Appendix C illustrates "road maps" for ten tunes, showing how progressions can be more easily understood, memorized, played, and transposed to any key!

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Series: Advance Music

Publisher: Advance Music

UPC: 805095142709

SKU: 01-ADV14270

More about this title

About the Author: Jerry Coker

Jerry Coker is a legendary jazz educator whose pedagogical approach transformed how musicians learn harmonic language. His work at the University of Tennessee and through his publications established systematic methods for developing aural skills that remain central to jazz training today.

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Why we love this

This book cuts through the mystique of 'hearing changes' by treating it as a learnable skill rooted in harmonic patterns rather than innate talent. The methodical organization of nearly 500 tunes by common progressions means your students actually understand why certain chord sequences keep reappearing across the standard repertoire, making transcription and memorization dramatically faster.

What to expect

Opening this book feels like getting the keys to a locked door. Suddenly the 'mysterious' changes you hear on recordings begin to organize themselves into patterns you can predict, anticipate, and ultimately create. The progression from confusion to clarity happens fast, and with it comes genuine confidence.

Who it's for

Jazz students and improvisers at the intermediate level and beyond who want to stop memorizing tunes tune-by-tune and start recognizing the harmonic DNA they all share. This is equally valuable for ensemble directors looking to deepen their own command of jazz vocabulary and for institutional programs building comprehensive jazz curricula.

How to get the most out of it

Study the road maps in Appendix C before learning a new tune; they reveal how to break complex progressions into logical, memorable chunks.
Use Appendix B's ear-training tips as a daily warm-up exercise rather than a one-time reference.
Compare tunes that share harmonic traits by playing them consecutively; the muscle memory and aural recognition transfer immediately to unfamiliar charts.
Transpose the progressions to at least three different keys while studying each tune to cement the harmonic shape independent of pitch.

How to use it

Make this the core text for a semester-long improvisation seminar or jazz history elective where deep harmonic literacy is the goal. Assign students specific chapters aligned with the tunes they're learning in ensemble, or use it as supplemental material for any musician who struggles with transcription and ear training.