How to make Jazz music with creative constraints

Stuck on a Jazz track? Pull a random Jazz creative constraint, accept the brief, and ship a sketch. 187 Jazz prompts from the ComposerDeck deck.

Jazz constraint cards

• Chord Major 7th Create a major triad with an added major 7th interval. This smooth, jazzy sound appears in many genres.
• Chord Minor 9th Compose using a minor triad with added minor 7th and major 9th. Creates richness with a darker quality.
• Chord Dominant 7th Incorporate a major triad with an added minor 7th. This creates tension seeking resolution.
• Chord Diminished Use a triad with two minor 3rds stacked. Creates tension and instability.
• Chord Augmented Incorporate a triad with two major 3rds stacked. Creates a suspended, floating quality.
• Chord Sus4 Use a triad with 4th instead of 3rd. Creates an unresolved, open sound waiting to resolve.
• Chord Half-diminished (Min7♭5) Compose with a minor triad with diminished 5th and minor 7th. Often functions as ii in minor keys.
• Chord 6/9 Use a major triad with added 6th and 9th. Creates a bright, contemporary sound without 7th tension.
• Chord Add11 (Major Add11) Incorporate a major triad with an added 11th (often ♯11 for Lydian sound, or natural 11). Adds color without 7th/9th complexity.
• Roman Numeral ii - V - I (Major) Compose using the fundamental jazz progression in a major key. Can be elaborated with 7ths and extensions.
• Roman Numeral I - vi - ii - V Use this common progression found in jazz "rhythm changes" and doo-wop progressions. Often loops or leads back to I.
• Roman Numeral iii - vi - ii - V Implement an extended jazz turnaround, often leading back to I. Creates a sense of harmonic motion and resolution.
• Roman Numeral IV - iv - I (Minor Plagal Cadence) Implement this cadence featuring a major to minor subdominant resolution to tonic. Creates a bittersweet quality.
• Note F♯ (as Tritone or Lydian ♯4) Incorporate F♯ prominently, perhaps as a tritone against C, or as the ♯4 in G Lydian or C Lydian Dominant.
• Note B♭ (as Dominant 7th or Blue Note) Feature B♭, perhaps as the ♭7 of a C dominant chord, or as a blue note in F major/D minor.
• Note E♭ (as Minor 3rd or Blue Note) Incorporate E♭, perhaps as the minor 3rd in C minor, a borrowed chord in C major, or a blue note.
• Note A♭ (as Borrowed ♭VI or Chromatic Color) Use A♭, perhaps as the ♭VI chord from C minor borrowed into C major, or for chromatic color.
• Note B (as Leading Tone) Emphasize B as the leading tone resolving to C, or as part of a G major chord.
• Chord Maj13 Incorporate a major 7th chord with added 9th, (often ♯11th), and 13th. Creates a lush, colorful sound.
• Chord Min11 Use a minor 7th chord with added 9th and 11th. Creates a rich, atmospheric minor quality.
• Chord 7♯9 (Hendrix Chord) Feature a dominant 7th with a sharp 9th, famously used in rock and blues. Creates bluesy tension with an edge.
• Chord 7♭9 Employ a dominant 7th with a flat 9th, common in jazz for V-i cadences. Creates strong resolution tension.
• Chord Augmented 7th (AugMaj7 or Aug7) Use an augmented triad with a minor 7th (Aug7) or major 7th (AugMaj7). Creates an exotic, colorful tension.
• Chord Maj7♯11 (Lydian Chord) Implement a major 7th with an added sharp 11th, implying a Lydian sound. Creates bright, modern color.

Keep going

• Advanced chord progressions
• Modal interchange
• Working with creative constraints