Bebop Heads Playlist: Mastering The Melodic Language Of Jazz.

This bebop heads playlist contains some of the most famous bebop songs of the era, by some of the most talented and influential jazz artists in all of music history.

Bebop is a jazz style which rose to prominence in the mid-1940s and remains influential today.

Bebop tunes are characterized by, instrumental virtuosity, fast tempos, and harmonic progressions that came from the American Songbook standards of the time. An interesting fact, some of those tunes are based on the popular songs of that era. A good example is Ornithology, which is based on How High the Moon and has the same chord changes.

One of the easiest, most efficient ways to use this playlist, is to listen to it repeatedly. By doing so, not only do you discover which of the sounds your ear is connecting with, you’ll start recognizing chord progressions, and melodic patterns. You can then embark on the task of learning to play the tunes that become your favorites, by slowly reading the notes from the lead sheets. It’s also a good idea to learn it by ear, one phrase at a time.

On the technical side, regardless of what your instrument is, you can now start treating these melodies like jazz etudes. Like a unique musical design, to enhance your technique, and develop your jazz improvisation chops.

If you have a teacher, consult with them how to play these tunes using the correct technique for your particular instrument. When it comes to the piano, fingering, is the biggest issue when learning difficult passages such as the ones you may find in bebop heads.
It takes years of experience and a lot of trial and error to learn that craft. If you have an experienced piano teacher, preferably with a classical background, they can certainly help you.
In my piano lessons, I dedicate a significant portion of time teaching
students how to use fingering to gain fluid motion, and maximum ease of passing within a lick, and from one lick to another.

The rhythmic element of the bebop heads can be mastered anytime anywhere regardless of whether you have access to an instrument or not. By repeating the head over and over, you start recognizing the rhythmic skeleton of the tune. You may find yourself tapping or even humming it. When it gets to that point, learning to play the song becomes easier.

Enjoy listening and learning!

1. Billie’s Bounce
2. Little Willie Leaps 
3. Ornithology
4. Four
5. Scrapple from the Apple
6. In Walked Bud
7. Move
8. Walkin’ Shoes
9. Oleo
10. Anthropology (3 versions)
11. Blues for Alice (2 versions)
12. Joy Spring
13. Half Nelson
14. Good Bait
15. Donna Lee (2 versions)
16. Groovin’ High
17. Well, You Needn’t
18. Dance of the Infidels
19. Yeah
20. Sandu
21. Yardbird Suite
22. Walkin’
23. Strollin’
24. Milestones
25. Birdlike
26. The Sidewinder
27. Celia
28. Four Brothers
29. Dexterity 
30. Confirmation
31. Bill For Bennie
32. Straight no Chaser

Play continuously on YouTube: