Jazz lead sheet · Advanced
Bird Blues in B♭
A bebop blues in B♭ built from a long chain of ii–Vs that step down through the key.
- Composer
- Traditional form (after Charlie Parker)
- Form
- 12-bar blues
- Key
- B♭ major
- Style
- Blues
- Length
- 12 bars
BluesB♭ major
Imaj7B♭ Ionian
A Locrian
V7/viD Phryg. dom.
G Dorian
V7/vC Phryg. dom.
F Dorian
V7/IVB♭ Mixolydian
IV7E♭ Mixolydian
E♭ Dorian
♭VII7A♭ Lydian ♭7
D Dorian
V7/iiG Mixolydian
D♭ Dorian
V7/♭IIG♭ Mixolydian
ii7C Dorian
V7F Mixolydian
Imaj7B♭ Ionian
V7/iiG Phryg. dom.
ii7C Dorian
V7F Mixolydian
For students
What to notice
- It starts on B♭maj7, not B♭7, so the blues sound arrives later when the changes reach E♭7.
- Bars 2–4 step down: Am7♭5–D7, Gm7–C7, Fm7–B♭7, each ii–V a whole step below the last.
- From bar 6 the ii–Vs slide down in half steps (E♭m7–A♭7, Dm7–G7, D♭m7–G♭7) to land on Cm7.
Practice plan
Three steps to improvising
- Bracket the ii–Vs: there are eight in 12 bars.
- Play one guide-tone line through the whole form without leaping.
- Take a ii–V–I lick and sequence it down through bars 2–5.
For teachers
Using this chart in class
- Project the chart with Play along running and loop one section while students find the guide tones.
- Choose Practice → Name the numerals for a whole-class quiz: students vote, then reveal the explanation.
- Mixed ensemble? Print the worksheet once per transposition: B♭, E♭, F and bass clef parts all line up bar for bar.
- Share a link: the key, instrument and view you choose are saved in the address bar.
Chord changes are common performance versions written out by Music Theory Lessons. No melodies or lyrics are reproduced. Names of songs and composers are used only to identify each tune.