changes
The chord progression of a jazz tune, used as the harmonic framework for improvisation.
In Depth
In jazz, the changes are the agreed-upon chord sequence that all musicians follow during performance. Knowing the changes means internalising the harmony so deeply that you can improvise melodies over them in real time. Jazz education revolves around learning to hear, memorise, and navigate changes fluently. Advanced players reharmonise changes on the fly, substituting chords while maintaining the music's forward motion.
Charlie Parker could hear a song once and immediately improvise over its changes in any key, a feat that seemed supernatural to his contemporaries.