The Jazz Theory Book Quotes

“The real quantum leap for successful jazz musicians comes not when they can play all the licks, but when they can play them on any tune, in any key.”
― Mark Levine, The Jazz Theory Book

“Although triads can sound good in any inversion, all things being equal triads sound strongest in second inversion.”
― Mark Levine, The Jazz Theory Book

“With the generous variety of chords available in the major, melodic minor, and diminished scales, you can convey a wide range of emotions. You can easily express happiness and calm (major 7th chords); triumph (major triads); darkness, sadness or mystery (almost anything from melodic minor harmony); tension (dominant 7th chords); extreme tension (diminished chords); and more. With the whole-tone scale, the emotional range is largely limited to enchantment, or as one musician not-so-cynically suggested, “Bambi emerging from the forest at dawn.”
― Mark Levine, The Jazz Theory Book

“the VI chord in a III-VI-II-V is more often played as a dominant chord,”
― Mark LeVine, The Jazz Theory Book

“When they learn something in every key, most jazz musicians use the cycle of fifths,”
― Mark LeVine, The Jazz Theory Book

“Aim for that state of grace, when you no longer have to think about theory,”
― Mark LeVine, The Jazz Theory Book

“learn the changes and then forget them.”
― Mark Levine, The Jazz Theory Book