Jazz lead sheet · Advanced
Bird Blues in F
Charlie Parker's bebop blues: a descending chain of ii–Vs packed into 12 bars.
- Composer
- Traditional form (after Charlie Parker)
- Form
- 12-bar blues
- Key
- F major
- Style
- Blues
- Length
- 12 bars
BluesF major
Imaj7F Ionian
E Locrian
V7/viA Phryg. dom.
D Dorian
V7/vG Phryg. dom.
C Dorian
V7/IVF Mixolydian
IV7B♭ Mixolydian
B♭ Dorian
♭VII7E♭ Lydian ♭7
A Dorian
V7/iiD Mixolydian
A♭ Dorian
V7/♭IID♭ Mixolydian
ii7G Dorian
V7C Mixolydian
Imaj7F Ionian
V7/iiD Phryg. dom.
ii7G Dorian
V7C Mixolydian
For students
What to notice
- It starts on Fmaj7, not F7. The blues sound arrives later, when the ii–Vs reach B♭7.
- Bars 2–4 step down: Em7♭5–A7 → Dm7–G7 → Cm7–F7. Each ii–V is a whole step below the last.
- From bar 6 the ii–Vs slide down by half steps: B♭m7–E♭7, Am7–D7, A♭m7–D♭7, landing on Gm7.
Practice plan
Three steps to improvising
- Bracket the ii–Vs. There are nine in 12 bars.
- Play one guide-tone line through the whole form without jumping.
- Learn 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.