How to Write Mainstream Jazz Songs

Want to write jazz songs that sound like they belong in a smoky club yet land on playlists and in playlists of people who pretend to understand jazz. Great. You came to the right mess. This guide walks you through form, harmony, melody, lyric craft, voicings, groove, reharmors, and arrangement moves that make mainstream jazz songs feel inevitable. You will get practical exercises you can do in one session and templates you can copy when you are stuck.

Everything here is written for musicians who want to move faster and sound smarter without memorizing every rule in an encyclopedia of ego. We explain every term and acronym so you know what people really mean when they say things like ii V I or comping. We give relatable scenarios so you can use these tools in real life. And yes, there will be jokes. Some of them land. Some of them are extended improvisations that will probably be cut from the final record.

What Does Mainstream Jazz Mean

Mainstream jazz is the family of jazz styles that live between the older swing tradition and modern post bop. Think standards by Rodgers and Hart, Miles era songs, ballads sung by someone who has been through two heartbreaks and three great meals. These songs use common forms like 32 bar AABA and 12 bar blues. They rely on common progressions like ii V I. They give room for improvisation. They prize melody even when the harmony is deliciously spicy.

Real life scenario: you are booking a short set at a neighborhood dinner club. The band wants three songs that sound classy and approachable but also let the soloist eat their feelings. A mainstream jazz song will do this job. It will have a clear melody for the diners to hum and a harmonic map for the soloist to roam.

Core Ingredients of a Mainstream Jazz Song

• Clear head melody that you can hum without looking at the chart.
• Harmonic richness with ii V I motion, chord extensions, and tasteful substitutions.
• Flexible form such as 32 bar AABA, 32 bar ABAC, or 12 bar blues so solos can fit the tune.
• Memorable lyrical concept if the song has words. Jazz lyrics favor imagery and emotional understatement.
• Practical voicings for piano and guitar that support soloists and singers without getting in the way.
• Swing or lyrical groove that suits the song mood.

Plan Before You Write

Start with an intention. Is this a vocal standard or an instrumental head. Is it a ballad or a two to the bar swinger. Is the chorus meant to be a shout or a whisper. Write one sentence that states the song intention in plain speech. That sentence will be your north star when choices get messy.

Example intentions

• I want a lyrical ballad about leaving and staying at the same time.
• I want a mid tempo swinger with a punchy brass shout at the last chorus.
• I want a bright instrumental with a simple riff for soloists to use as a launching pad.

Pick a Form That Fits the Gig

Common forms in mainstream jazz are reliable because they give predictable places for the head and for solos. Pick one and use it.

32 bar AABA

This is the classic standard form. Each A section returns to a central melody. The B section, often called the bridge, provides contrast. Think of songs like All The Things You Are and My Funny Valentine. If you want a radio friendly standard vibe, AABA is your friend.

32 bar ABAC

This form gives you a new idea in the C section instead of repeating A again. It is useful when you want a melodic surprise that still fits the same harmonic world.

12 bar blues

This is the blues form that jazz musicians have adopted and expanded. Use it when you want a rawer feel and a comfortable structure for trading choruses in solos.

Through composed or modal forms

Modal songs hold a scale or a mode as a home so soloists explore color more than functional harmony. These can still be mainstream if you write a strong head and an approachable groove.

Melody First or Harmony First

There is no single right answer. Many jazz writers start with a chord progression and compose a melody over it. Others hum a melody and later find chords that match. Try both approaches until you find your preferred workflow.

Practical workflow A when you start with chords

1. Write a short progression of four to eight bars with a clear tonal center and a ii V I cadence. Try not to make every bar a new key or you will confuse listeners and players.
2. Sing on vowels over the progression. Record a few takes.
3. Find the most singable phrase and expand it into an 8 or 16 bar head.

Practical workflow B when you start with a melody

1. Hum a short motif that can loop. Keep it rhythmic and simple enough to internalize after two listens.
2. Chordify the melody. Start with basic triads then add seventh and extension tones that support the melody notes.
3. Add a ii V I into the phrase to give players a map for soloing.

Understanding Harmony Without Getting Overwhelmed

Jazz harmony can feel like a buffet for people who never learned portion control. Keep it practical. The foundation of mainstream harmony is the ii V I progression. Here is what it means and how to use it.

What is ii V I

ii V I means you play a chord built on the second scale degree, then a chord built on the fifth scale degree, then a chord built on the tonic scale degree. For example in the key of C major the ii chord is D minor, the V chord is G dominant seven, and the I chord is C major seven. This progression moves the harmony forward with a sense of arrival on the I chord.

Real life scenario. You want the melody to feel like it is asking a question and then getting a satisfying answer. ii V I makes that happen because the movement creates tension and resolution.

Extensions and tensions explained

Chords in jazz often include notes beyond the basic three note triad. These extras are called extensions or tensions. The common ones are nine, eleven, and thirteen. These numbers refer to the intervals above the root. For instance C13 means a C chord with the 13th scale degree added, which is the same note as A in the C major scale. Tensions add color. Use them with taste.

Relatable example. Extensions are like wearing a patterned sock with a suit. The suit is your triad or seventh chord. The sock does not change the suit's job. The sock adds personality.

Tritone substitution explained without panic

Tritone substitution is a reharm move where you replace a dominant chord with another dominant chord located three whole steps away. For example instead of G7 going to Cmaj7 you can use Db7 going to Cmaj7. The reason this works is the two dominant chords share the most important tension notes, the third and seventh of the chord, but voiced differently. The effect is a chromatic bass motion that sounds cool and very jazz.

Relatable scenario. You are writing a bridge and the band needs a spice moment. Swap the expected dominant for its tritone substitute on a single bar. The soloist will sound like they read a different chapter of the book without changing the plot.

Practical Voicings for Piano and Guitar

Good voicings do two jobs. They define the harmony and they leave space for soloists and singers. Learn a few reliable shapes you can use in most contexts.

Shell voicings

Shell voicings are simple three note voicings that include the root or omit it if a bass player is present. For a Cmaj7 shell you might play E and B with C in the left hand or with the bass player handling root. Shell voicings are excellent in small ensembles because they avoid clutter.

Rootless voicings

In many mainstream settings the bass plays the root. Pianists and guitarists then play voicings that omit the root and focus on guide tones. Guide tones are the third and seventh of a chord because those two notes define the quality of the chord. For example for Dm7 the guide tones are F and C. Voice those notes closely and the listener gets the chord even without the root.

Drop two explained

Drop two is a method for arranging four note voicings where you take the second highest note of a closed position chord and drop it an octave. This creates a spread voicing that sits well in small groups. On guitar use drop two shapes to create smooth voice leading across the fretboard. On piano use the same trick with the right hand to create a comping pattern that breathes.

Lead Sheets and Notation

Write a clear lead sheet. A lead sheet contains the melody in standard notation or in melody line with chord symbols above. It gives players just enough information to play and improvise. Keep chord symbols tidy. Use common symbols for extensions like Cmaj7, G7alt, or Dm9. If you are unsure whether players will know a symbol write a short note about the sound you want. Good players appreciate clarity.

Real life tip. If you are writing for a singer who hates reading, provide a simple chord guide and a lyric sheet with the melody line recorded as an audio file. Singers will learn faster from a track that fits their phrasing than from a perfectly notated staff that feels like a math exam.

Writing Lyrics for Jazz Songs

Jazz lyrics tend to favor understatement, image, and conversational phrasing. Great jazz lyrics leave room for vocal nuance and improvisation. Here are practical steps.

1. Start with a compact image. Jazz lyrics love small scenes. One jacket on a chair. A window that is left open. A coffee cup with lipstick on the rim.
2. Write a conversational title. Keep it short and singable. Titles with strong vowels work well because singers can sustain them on long notes.
3. Use internal rhyme and near rhyme rather than mechanical end rhyme. Family rhyme where words share vowel or consonant families is more natural in jazz. Family rhyme examples include stay and stray or night and light.
4. Leave space for scatting or stretching syllables. A phrase that is too long will fight the music. Keep lines flexible so a singer can bend timing.

Relatable scenario. You have a line that is beautiful but has consonant clusters that clog a phrase, for example I kept thinking about your complicated apartment. Rewrite it to something like I kept thinking about your couch at midnight. The new line gives a camera shot and a rhythm that a singer can live in.

Creating a Strong Head Melody

Heads in mainstream jazz are often simple and logical. They are memorable and provide contrast with the solo sections.

Motif development

Design a head around a short motif. Repeat it with small changes. Pattern repetition with variation is how jazz heads stick in the ear. Think of Take Five by Dave Brubeck or Blue in Green by Miles Davis which use simple motifs to build atmosphere.

Range and contour

Keep most of the head within a comfortable range for singers and players unless you write a signature interval for effect. Use a small leap into the opening phrase to make the melody stand out then use stepwise motion for the rest to keep it singable.

Rhythmic phrasing

Phrasing is crucial. Jazz allows flexible placement of melody against the rhythm. Choose whether the melody will sit on top of the groove or weave into it. Allow a few beats of syncopation to give life to the phrase.

Groove and Time Feel

Swing is a feel. Swung eighth notes are not equal eighth notes. They are played with a long then short pattern that roughly equals two thirds and one third. Teach yourself the feel by listening to classic recordings and clapping along. If you write a ballad be explicit about whether the rhythm should be straight eighth or swung eighth in the chart. Players will thank you for the honesty.

If you are writing a Latin tinged piece specify the clave pattern or give a reference recording. Clarity about rhythm helps the band lock in quickly.

Reharmonization Techniques That Sound Like Jazz

Reharmonization is the art of giving a melody new chord colors while keeping the melody intact. Here are practical reharm moves you can use immediately.

• Add ii V I cadences in places where the melody holds a note for two bars. Insert a ii V I cadence to send the music somewhere even if the melody does not change.
• Use tritone substitution on dominant chords to add chromatic bass motion and surprise. Try it on a single bar first. If it sounds good keep it. If it sounds like you are trying too hard then remove it.
• Minor fall away where a major chord can be temporarily replaced by its relative minor to heighten emotion. For example swap Cmaj7 at the end of a phrase for Amin7 for a softer landing.
• Chromatic planing move a set of voicings up or down by half steps beneath a static melody note for a modern impression.

Exercise. Take a simple standard melody. Reharm the first eight bars by inserting a ii V I every two bars. Record the original and the reharm version. Listen for what the changes do to the melody feeling. Decide where to keep and where to revert.

Arranging for Small Group and Big Band

Arrangements in mainstream jazz differ by ensemble size. Keep the spirit of the tune consistent and choose textures that support the melody.

Small group arrangement tips

• Leave space. Less is often more when the soloist needs room.
• Use comping patterns that match the song mood. Sparse rootless voicings for ballads. Percussive comping for swingers.
• Create call and response between the head and the rhythm section. A short riff from the horns or guitar can answer a vocal phrase.

Big band arrangement tips

• Write shout choruses that summarize the tune before the final head.
• Use texture changes across sections rather than constant density. Let the wind section breathe.
• Notate sax soli and harmony voicings clearly and leave room for soloist breaks.

Common Mistakes Writers Make and How to Fix Them

• Too many chord changes. Fix by simplifying. If soloists cannot navigate the form in real time you will kill the vibe. Aim for harmonic interest not harmonic chaos.
• Melody that copies harmony. Fix by writing a melody that can stand alone without the chords. If the melody sounds empty without the harmony you might be relying on harmonic shapes instead of melodic emotion.
• Lyrics that are too literal. Fix by choosing images and sensory details. Jazz lyricism rewards suggestion over lecture.
• Arrangements that never breathe. Fix by adding rests and single instrument moments. Silence is an instrument.

Practical Exercises You Can Do Today

Two bar motif drill

Create a two bar motif. Repeat it four times. On repeat three change one interval. On repeat four change the rhythm. Turn that motif into a full 32 bar head by developing the motif across sections.

ii V I exploration

Choose a key. Play a ii V I in four positions across the neck or keyboard. Improvise a short line over each position. Notice which tensions feel natural. That will guide voicing choices for your head.

Lyric camera pass

Take a verse. For each line write the camera shot that would go with it. If you cannot imagine a shot rewrite the line. This forces concreteness and makes lyrics singable.

Reharm test

Pick a standard chorus. Replace every V chord once with a tritone substitution. Play the new version with a friend and ask if the melody still communicates the original idea. Use the result to learn when substitution helps and when it confuses.

Tips for Recording a Demo

When you record a demo for a jazz tune make choices that show the song rather than your budget. Record a clear head with a tasteful comping pattern. Provide a short solo section that shows how the form works. Keep the head recorded again at the end so listeners know the song closes. If you have a singer, record a guide vocal that captures phrasing even if it is rough. Producers and bookers will prefer a real singing idea to a pristine but lifeless notation file.

How to Present Your Song to Musicians

Give players a lead sheet with the melody and chord symbols. Add a short note about feel tempo and any reharm choices you expect to keep. If you want a specific voicing for the intro or a particular riff for a shout chorus include a small staff or record a short example audio clip. Clarity saves rehearsal time and keeps the energy for performance.

Examples and Before and After Lines

Melody example

Before. A melody that climbs and then falls without motive. It feels like it is wandering.

After. Create a motif that starts with a minor third leap up then returns by step. Repeat it with rhythmic variation. The motif becomes the tune identity.

Lyric example

Before. I miss you in the city and the nights are cold.

After. The subway lights still call your name. My coat pocket keeps both the ticket and the silence.

Glossary of Terms with Plain English Explanations

• Lead sheet. A simple chart with melody and chord symbols. Imagine a cheat sheet for musicians so they can play your song without memorizing a novel.
• Head. The main melody of a jazz tune. It is what listeners hum between solos.
• Comping. The act of accompanying a soloist with chords and rhythm. Comping means providing support without stealing the show.
• ii V I explained earlier as the basic jazz progression. Think of it as the question and the answer in harmonic form.
• Guide tones are the third and seventh of a chord which tell you whether a chord is major minor or dominant. They are the essential identity of a jazz chord.
• Tritone substitution we covered earlier. Replace a dominant chord with another dominant three whole steps away for chromatic color.
• Drop two. A voicing technique where you drop the second highest note by an octave to create more open sounding chords.
• Shell voicing. A minimal voicing that often omits the root and focuses on the chord color. Great for piano both to support a soloist and to avoid muddy low end.
• Turnaround is a short progression, often at the end of a form, that brings you back to the top or to a solo. It usually uses ii V I motion and can be reharmonized for interest.
• Standard. A song from the common jazz repertoire that many musicians know. Writing a song that can become a standard is not the goal for everyone. Writing something that musicians want to play is a very good first goal.

Frequently Asked Questions

What tempo should my jazz song be

Choose the tempo that matches the mood. Ballads live slow. Swingers sit in the medium fast range. If you are unsure, start with a mid tempo that lets singers breathe and soloists say interesting things. A demo recorded at a workable tempo makes it easier to pitch the song to players.

How do I make my jazz harmony sound modern without losing the tune

Introduce modern colors sparingly. Use chromatic planing or tritone substitution as accents. Keep the melody intact so listeners always have something to hold onto. Modern sounds are great when used like spices rather than the main course.

Can I write jazz songs on guitar if I do not read notation

Absolutely. Use recordings, chord symbols, and simple tablature if needed. Record a clear demo with the melody sung or played. Musicians who read will translate your ideas to notation if necessary. Good songs travel even when the paperwork is messy.

How do I write a jazz song that singers will want to sing

Write a melody that sits in a comfortable range and a lyric that gives emotional specificity without over explanation. Singers often prefer songs that allow phrasing choices. Provide a recording with a suggested phrasing to show the intention. If you write with a chorus that repeats a strong title phrase singers will remember the tune faster.

Should I use complex chords in the melody

Only if they serve the melody. Complex chords are useful for color but they should not interfere with singability. Use extensions to color the harmony while letting the melody sing on comfortable notes. If a melody note clashes with a particular tension remove or change the tension.

How long should a jazz song be for performance

Keep the head short and flexible. A typical performance structure is head, solos, head, final tag. Total length varies by the number and length of solos. If you want a radio friendly shorter version make the solos concise and focus on one strong solo chorus. For live settings allow players space to stretch so the song breathes live.

What is the easiest way to learn voicings for piano

Start with shell and rootless voicings. Learn the guide tone pairs for each chord quality and practice moving guide tones smoothly from chord to chord. Next add common extensions like nine and thirteen. Practice ii V I progressions in all twelve keys until they become muscle memory.

How can I make a jazz lyric feel less corny

Use concrete images and understate emotion. Avoid overly dramatic final lines. Let a small detail carry the feeling. If your lyrics sound like a greeting card make them more specific and less explanatory. Jazz prefers implication over instruction.

Action Plan You Can Use Today

1. Write one sentence that states the song intention and mood.
2. Choose a form. Draft a 32 bar head using a two bar motif repeated with variation.
3. Insert a ii V I into the last two bars of each section so soloists have a clear map.
4. Create two reliable voicings for piano or guitar for each crucial chord. Keep one sparse and one richer.
5. Write a short lyrical image if the song is vocal. Use the camera pass to force concreteness.
6. Record a simple demo with the head at the top and a short solo section. Keep it under three minutes for demos for singers.
7. Play it for two musician friends. Ask one question. Which line or chord change made you want to play a solo right away.

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