Rhythm changes
Map the 32-bar AABA framework derived from “I Got Rhythm,” from its compact tonic cycles to its dominant bridge.
Interactive listening
Hear the harmony in time
Compare the examples at one tempo.
A-section skeleton in B♭
A compact eight-bar route: tonic turnaround, arrival on IV, then ii–V back home.
Bridge: dominant cycle
Two bars each of D7, G7, C7, and F7 descend by fifth and return to B♭.
Watch it in context · Damian Bacci
Rhythm Changes Decoded: Step by Step
Work through the A and B sections on guitar and hear how the form connects turnarounds with a dominant-cycle bridge.
Open on YouTube (opens in a new tab)A family of tunes, not one immutable chart
“Rhythm changes” names the 32-bar AABA harmonic framework associated with George and Ira Gershwin’s “I Got Rhythm.” Count four eight-bar sections: A1, A2, B, and A3. Musicians have written many new melodies over this framework, and the exact A-section changes vary by era and arrangement.
The A section compresses tonic function and a turnaround into quick harmonic rhythm. Common variants use B♭–Gm7–Cm7–F7, or dominant substitutes such as D7 and G7, before moving through B♭7 to E♭ and returning by ii–V.
The bridge is the landmark
The standard bridge holds each dominant seventh for two bars: D7–G7–C7–F7 in B♭. Each dominant temporarily points toward the next root, forming a descending-fifths chain. F7 is the true dominant of B♭ and launches the final A section.
For improvisation, first learn to hear the form: sing the roots of the bridge and feel each two-bar block. Next, target each dominant’s third and seventh. Only then add altered or bebop-dominant language.
- Form: 8 + 8 + 8 + 8 bars, organised AABA.
- A sections: turnaround-rich tonic harmony with many accepted variants.
- Bridge: four dominant sevenths, two bars each, descending by fifth.