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Piano: MONK-A-NING / RHYTHM CHANGES (Play!)

Based on "Rhythm Changes"
Concert Key: Bb
Tempo: Medium Swing
Song Form: 32 bars | 4x through the form

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MONK-A-NING (Watch)

MONK-A-NING (based on RHYTHM CHANGES) • 4m 7s

No other form besides the blues has impacted jazz like ‘rhythm changes.' A foundation for numerous bebop tunes starting in the '40s - and normally played fast to VERY fast - the changes and 32-bar, AABA form were derived from George Gershwin's 1930 hit, "I've Got Rhythm." Ryan Cohan’s contrafact "Monk-A-Ning" is an homage to the quirky, Thelonious Monk jazz standard, "Rhythm-a-Ning," but taken at a grooving medium swing tempo. It offers a great platform to get comfortable with soloing over 'rhythm changes' and is a prime example of how versatile this ubiquitous form is.

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